BRICK YARDS 



191 



A Lavender. The clay, which is obtained just west of the yard 

 has been excavated to seven feet above mean tide and bottom not 

 yet reached. It contains several veins of fine sand. Both yellow 

 and blue clay are present. At the south end of the yard the 

 escarpment of the terrace is drift containing small bowlders. The 

 tempering sand is obtained from this bank. 



There are outcrops of clay on the land of Mr. Bronk, to the 

 north of Corwin & Cullough's yard ; also on the Lawson property 

 to east of the white iron bridge crossing Coeymans Creek. This 

 latter locality lies some 800 feet from the river, and would be 

 somewhat more expensive to work. Again, on Main st., just 

 south of the residence of Miss Wolf, there is an exposure of clay 

 on the hillside some 400 feet from the river. 



Albany, Albany Co. There are several yards situated on 

 the outskirts of the city. The clay banks, which are all of the 

 same nature, belong to the Hudson Biver estuary formation, 

 being stratified and blue or gray in color with the upper portions 

 weathered yellow or red. M. H. Bender's yard is on Delaware 

 avenue near Dove St. He manufactures common pressed brick 

 and drain tile. The upper loamy clay can only be used for common 

 brick ; the lower blue and some of the yellow are used for the 

 other products. Auger machines are used for better grade 

 brick and the tile, and the latter are made in several sizes. 

 Scove kilns are used for burning the brick and down-draft kilns 

 for the tile. These latter kilns hold 60,000 small size tiles or 

 35,000 assorted size. It takes three wheelers and two setters 

 two and a half days to fill the kiln and burning occupies four 

 days. The tiles after molding are first dried on shelves under a 

 closed shed. 



Adjoining Bender's yard are those of J. Babcock, E. Smith, 

 J. C. Moore and D. H. Stanwix. They make common brick 

 chiefly, and their clay banks are the same as Bender's. They 

 are all open yards. 



T. McCarthy's yard is situated on First Avenue. The clay 

 bank is about 15 feet thick and covers an area of about 10 acres. 

 It is chiefly blue. The stripping is a light soil and sand under- 

 lies the clay. The bricks are manufactured by the soft mud 

 process. 



