THAMES BRICKS AND TILES.

Thames Star, Volume LVII, Issue 16082, 23 April 1924, Page 5

THAMES BRICKS AND TILES.

(To the Editor).

Sir: —Allow me a little space in your valuable columns to express my ideas regarding what I think won' ' '>e a valuable industry for the Thames; namely brick and tile making. The first question that arises would be, is it practical!"' Apparently brick and tile making could be carried on successfully in the Thames. \\ hen we examine the material which the bricks are at present being made out of nt New Lynn, we will find that it is an old sea-bed, or rather an ancient mud-bank, with here, and there, sand beginning to form itself into a stone. This soft sandstone is mixed with some of the softer material and put. Hi rough a pugging machine which pulps all ingredients; while a. stream of water softens the whole, while it is being pugged. Now let us look what we haev on the Thames—sea-mod and deposits enough to engulf even the wharf itself. This is practically the same as what is at present being made into bricks and tiles, at New Lynn. Certainly it is softer than the brick material at New Lynn, but that would be an advantage as a suction pump could be used to get the material out of the harbour. The proper hardness could lie obtained by mullock from the mines. There is a considerable amount of dry earth material used in brick making All the bricks broken in the making are put through a berdan with a perforated bottomed berdan and then mixlers inside which reduces the to powder. This dust is used to keep the wet bricks from sticking to the racks on which they are placed to dry before burning in the kiln. Any dry material can be put through the perforated bottomed berdan and then mixed with the softer materials which would be lifted by the suction pump from our mud banks. Here we are close to the rail, have electric power and plenty of water; a bountiful supply of materials and now for the brains, capital and energy. At New Lynn there are about 100 workers employed in pottery working, and why not at the Thames ? Building in brick is the order of to-dav, seeing that our forests are nearly worked out. The first practical course would be to make say sixbricks, sun-dry them and then send them to a kiln to be burnt. Then if the result is satisfactory, the Thames Harbour Board could deal with our mud-bank and save the cost of the dredging in connection with the socalled harbour scheme. No hesitation is required in considering how the material is to ho got out of fhe harbour ns the silt will always creep to the lowest point being continually lifted bv the suction pump.—J am etc., A. J. WHITESIDE.