﻿676 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  The 
  kiln 
  is 
  now 
  " 
  hot 
  " 
  and 
  the 
  bricks 
  commence 
  to 
  shrink 
  or 
  

   " 
  settle 
  '' 
  and 
  all 
  the 
  platting 
  is 
  turned 
  down. 
  Up 
  to 
  this 
  point 
  

   care 
  must 
  be 
  used 
  to 
  increase 
  the 
  heat 
  gradually. 
  The 
  bricks 
  now 
  

   get 
  their 
  heaviest 
  heat, 
  and 
  the 
  oxids 
  of 
  iron 
  are 
  changed 
  to 
  the 
  

   anhydrous 
  peroxid, 
  giving 
  the 
  bricks 
  their 
  red 
  color. 
  If 
  the 
  heat 
  

   in 
  the 
  arches 
  is 
  too 
  great 
  the 
  bricks 
  run, 
  stick 
  together 
  or 
  become 
  

   distorted 
  and 
  cracked. 
  After 
  the 
  firing 
  has 
  been 
  done 
  the 
  doors 
  

   are 
  all 
  closed 
  and 
  plastered 
  over 
  to 
  prevent 
  any 
  air 
  from 
  entering. 
  

  

  If 
  the 
  bricks 
  are 
  put 
  into 
  the 
  kiln 
  before 
  they 
  are 
  sufficiently 
  

   dried, 
  or 
  if 
  they 
  are 
  heated 
  too 
  quickly, 
  they 
  are 
  liable 
  to 
  crack. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  coal, 
  grates 
  have 
  to 
  be 
  put 
  in 
  a 
  few 
  inches 
  above 
  

   the 
  level 
  of 
  the 
  floor, 
  and 
  for 
  oil, 
  burners 
  are 
  needed. 
  

  

  After 
  a 
  kiln 
  of 
  bricks 
  has 
  been 
  burned, 
  the 
  ends 
  of 
  the 
  arch 
  

   bricks 
  are 
  often 
  black, 
  caused 
  by 
  the 
  particles 
  of 
  dust 
  and 
  carbon 
  

   which 
  have 
  been 
  carried 
  upward 
  sticking 
  to 
  the 
  brick 
  when 
  they 
  

   were 
  in 
  a 
  soft 
  condition, 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  high 
  degree 
  of 
  heat. 
  

  

  As 
  to 
  the 
  action 
  of 
  the 
  coal 
  dust 
  in 
  the 
  brick. 
  At 
  first 
  while 
  

   the 
  brick 
  x2ontains 
  water, 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  access 
  for 
  the 
  air 
  to 
  the 
  particles 
  

   of 
  coal. 
  However, 
  asi 
  the 
  firing 
  proceeds, 
  the 
  water 
  is 
  driven 
  off^ 
  

   leaving 
  the 
  brick 
  porous, 
  allowing 
  the 
  air 
  to 
  enter 
  for 
  the 
  com- 
  

   bustion 
  of 
  the 
  coal. 
  Particles 
  of 
  lime 
  and 
  lumps 
  of 
  clay 
  cause 
  a 
  

   splitting 
  of 
  the 
  brick. 
  Insufficiently 
  burnt 
  bricks 
  are 
  called 
  

   " 
  pale 
  " 
  and 
  sell 
  for 
  $3.75 
  a 
  thousand. 
  

  

  The 
  kilns 
  take 
  several 
  days 
  to 
  cool, 
  and, 
  when 
  cool, 
  the 
  bricks 
  

   are 
  put 
  on 
  wheelbarroAvs, 
  and 
  taken 
  to 
  the 
  freight 
  cars, 
  or 
  barges, 
  

   and 
  then 
  shipped 
  to 
  the 
  market. 
  If 
  the 
  kiln 
  shed 
  is 
  not 
  situated 
  

   along 
  the 
  dock, 
  the 
  barrows 
  are 
  put 
  on 
  a 
  car, 
  which 
  is 
  run 
  down 
  

   a 
  track 
  to 
  the 
  scow. 
  The 
  time 
  of 
  burning 
  is 
  from 
  five 
  to 
  seven 
  

   days 
  with 
  wood 
  and 
  four 
  to 
  five 
  days 
  with 
  oil. 
  The 
  cost 
  of 
  burn- 
  

   ing 
  with 
  wood 
  is 
  60 
  to 
  75c 
  a 
  thousand 
  brick, 
  and 
  with 
  coal 
  the 
  

   cost 
  of 
  burning 
  is 
  40 
  to 
  50c. 
  Burning 
  with 
  wood 
  is 
  the 
  cheapest 
  

   method 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  implements 
  are 
  concerned. 
  With 
  coal 
  there 
  is 
  the 
  

   cost 
  of 
  grates 
  and 
  with 
  oil 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  royalty 
  of 
  $1.60 
  to 
  be 
  paid 
  on 
  

   every 
  burner. 
  The 
  latter 
  is, 
  however, 
  the 
  cheapest 
  method 
  as 
  

  

  