Although not a blacksmith shop, outside the foundations of the Ballast Point
Tryworks ovens (CA-SDI-12000) where whalers stood to render whale blubber, dip
scoops of melted oil to cooling tanks, and bring forks of fresh blubber to
the 150-gallon trypots, was a deck of flat sandstone cobbles and recycled
Spanish fired clay tiles. A mashed-in layer of black soot smeared the cobbles and
sandstone pavers from countless boots walking on the deck. At the entrance to
the firepits, black soot measured 15 to 20 centimeters thick. I interpretted the
sandstone and tile pavers to function as a solid surface on which to stand
when carrying out this heavy and dangerous work. Perhaps the bricks in the
blacksmith shop also served as support?

Speaking of floors, I had the occasion to work in a 1917 vintage aircraft
repair building at North Island Naval Air Station, San Diego, California. The
building was where all the canvass fuselage, tail and wings were doped with glue
and tied-off with knots. To prevent fires from dropped metal tools, the floors
were made with 4-inch and 6-inch posts inserted butt-end down. To this day,
the first floor exhibits the butt end of those posts. It has a spongy feeling
when you walk on it.

Ron May
Legacy 106, Inc.