THE MINING AND QUARRY INDUSTRY I9I3 73 



hills just south of the city, a deposit formed by glacial streams. 

 The beach sands of Lake Erie are used in Buffalo. 



The amount of sand and gravel used for building and construc- 

 tion purposes each year can only be approximated. Reports re- 

 ceived from the principal producers who operated more or less 

 steadily from year to year indicate a total value for these materials 

 in 191 3 of $2,021,471. This figure, however, certainly falls consid- 

 erably short of the real value, possibly by as much as 15 per cent. 



Other kinds. Filter sand is produced on Long Island. It is a 

 quartz sand of medium to coarse texture, free of silt, and is em- 

 ployed in water filtration. The principal uses are the municipal 

 filtration plants. 



Engine sand is the sand used by railroad and traction companies 

 for sanding the rails to prevent slipping. Almost any quartz sand 

 that is not too coarse or admixed with clay is suitable. 



Polishing sand is employed by stone cutting establishments for 

 sawing and polishing soft building stone like marble and limestone. 

 It is a sized quartz sand. 



SAND-LIME BRICK 



BY ROBERT W. JONES 



During the season of 191 3 there were in operation in the State 

 of New York four plants producing sand-lime brick, with a total of 

 22,225,000 having a value of $143,345 at the plant, or an average of 

 $6.40 a thousand. While the number of active plants has decreased, 

 there has been an increase in both production and value over the 

 preceding year when the production was 21,231,000 with a value of 

 $133,736, an average of $6.30 a thousand. 



The active producers during the last season include the Glens 

 Falls Granite Brick Co., which in 1903 was the first to produce 

 sand-lime brick on a commercial scale in this State ; the Buffalo 

 Sandstone Brick Co., of Buffalo and the Paragon Plaster Co., of 

 Syracuse, which began to operate in 1904; and the Rochester Com- 

 posite Brick Co., which began operations in 1905. 



The commercial outlet for sand-lime brick was overestimated at 

 first, and many entered upon the production without the necessary 

 experience to produce a strictly first-class article. The production 

 fell off from year to year until 1909. During 1908 it reached the 

 lowest figure when 8,239,000 bricks were manufactured, having a 

 value of $55,688, compared with 17,080,000 and a value of $122,340 



