BRICK YARDS 



183 



ment of an 80-foot terrace which extends from a short distance 

 north of Storm King to Dutchess Junction. The clay has a fairly 

 uniform thickness ; the upper four to eight feet are yellow, the 

 rest blue. The greatest thickness of clay known for this locality 

 is at Aldridge Bros.' yard, where a well was sunk 65 feet through 

 the clay, which added to the height of the bank (65 feet), gives 

 us a total thickness of 130 feet at this point. The clay is usually 

 covered by gravel, and by sand in some cases sufficiently fine to 

 be used for tempering or even molding. It is worked in 

 benches, and the haulage distance is 200 to 300 feet. At 

 Timoney's clay bank there is some extra labor in stripping the 

 scrub oaks and other bushes which cover the surface of the ter- 

 race. 



Fislikill, Dutchess Co. Harris & Ginley's yard is situated 

 about one quarter mile below the town The clay bank is leased 

 from the New England Kailroad Company. It was formerly 

 quite thick, but clay having been dug for 50 years but a small 

 portion of the bank remains. The clay has a maximum thickness 

 of 45 feet. Streaks of quicksand occur throughout the clay ; it 

 is underlain by hardpan and shale. 



The other yards at this locality are situated along the river 

 from a point about one half mile above Fishkill up to Low Point 

 station. One of the yards is just north of Low Point. The most 

 southern one is that of Aldridge & Sherman, with 600 feet 

 water front. The clay land of these two firms belongs to the 

 W. E. Verplank estate. Next on the north are the works of the 

 Brockway Brick Co., with 1200 feet of water front. This firm 

 owns its clay bank. The bricks are dried on pallets. The next 

 two yards belonging to Lahey Bros., (650 feet water front) and 

 Dinan & Butler (475 feet water front), respectively, lease their 

 clay bank from the W. E. Yerplank estate. Dinan & Butler have 

 a pallet yard. The five above-named irms obtain their clay just 

 east of the yards from the escarpment of a 90-foot terrace ; it is 

 both blue and yellow and overlain by four to six feet of loam, 

 sand and gravel. A short distance north of Dinan & Butler's 

 yard is that of J. Y. Meade. About 20 feet of clay are exposed 

 in the bank, which adjoins tbe yard. The clay is overlain by 

 four to six feet of sand and cobblestones. The sand is screened 

 and used for tempering. 



