The story of Pittsburgh: Clay products

Clay products (Vol. 1, nr. 9)

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Multivolume work

Identifikator:: 1831622599

Document type:: Multivolume work

Title:: The story of Pittsburgh

Place of publication:: Pittsburgh

Publisher:: First National Bank

Year of publication:: 1919-1930

Collection:: Economics Books

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Volume

Identifikator:: 1831623366

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-239809

Document type:: Volume

Title:: Clay products

Volume count:: Vol. 1, nr. 9

Place of publication:: Pittsburgh

Publisher:: First National Bank

Year of publication:: 1922

Scope:: [ca. 24] Seiten

Digitisation:: 2022

Collection:: Economics Books

Usage license:: Get license information via the feedback formular.

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Document type:: Multivolume work

Structure type:: Chapter

Title:: Clay Products

Collection:: Economics Books

The Storv of Pittsburgh Clay Products ane - ' HE uses of clay are numerous, and the history of the human race shows that very early extended use was made of this substance. Bible readers are familiar with the way in which Pharoah embittered the slavery of the children of Israel by compelling them to find their own straw for the brick they were required to make. The clay industry probably had its beginning in the Valley of the Euphrates, which is the traditional cradle of the human family. According to some authorities, brick dating back to 4500 B. C. have been found in Babylonian excavations. Early man noticed how the heat of the sun hardened the mud along the banks of the river, cracking it into irregular pieces which could be utilized, after shaping them to the desired size, in erecting the walls of his rude hut. Then naturally came the next step, which was to give the mud the proper shape while it was yet soft and plastic, and lay it out in the hot sun to bake. This pro- duces what is called “adobe” brick, and the next improve- ment was to make the baked bricks more solid by mixing chopped reeds or straw with the soft mud before shaping and baking. Artificial burning of the shaped clay came later. The Tower of Babel is supposed to have been built of burned brick. By the time Nebuchadnezzar came to the throne of Babylon, in the sixth century before Christ, not only had brick making become an art, but a decorative art also, for colored enamels were used with fine effect for decorative purposes. The old Romans were great builders of dwellings and aqueducts, and although they used much stone in their work, they also used huge quantities of brick. After the Roman empire disintegrated, and the nations of

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