Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1857-12-05
A Fine Sugar HOuse---skeily's ''Star
Bagasse Furnace"

A Fine Sugar HOuse---Skeily's ''Star
Bagasse Furnace"
We made out to steal a few hours from our
business on Thursday last to pay our promised
visit to the Sugar House of BENZ. DEBLIEUx'
ESQ. whose plantation is about two miles
from town, on Bayou Jacob. The shortness
of the distance would seem to make it appear
that one could not lose much time even if he
attempted to walk it, and SO he would not had
he a straight road before him, instead of the
many turns and twists, which makes the dis
lance much farther; and even with these dis
advantages tits more economical probably IN
the way of time to foot it two or three miles
in that direction than to lose the time necessa"
ry in crossing a buggy over Bayou Plaque
mine, and run the risk of breaking your neck
in going up the opposite bank, should you
have a fiery horse as we had Zone of Mauriee's
$40 baysD and the breechings should break
on an ascent of 80 degrees!
We soon reached the Sugar House-a sub.
stantiaI brick building covered with slate, SEEM
| inaIy about a hundred feet in length by forty
in breadth, and exceedingly neat and roomy
in its internal arrangements. 1t is not yet fin,
ished, however, for four months since cane
was growing where the house now stands;
two wings for a purgery are yet to be built,
besides many minor but important additions,
which when completed Owe wouldn't be sur
prised to see a CaHiope attached will make it
one of the most complete and substantial Su-
gar Houses in the parish. The brick work
was by Mr.. SAM'L. WARDEN, the frame work
by Mr.. B. M~ARIoNNEAUx.
The great attraction of this Sugar House
however, is the Star Bagasse Furnace" of
Mr., EVANS SKELLY, called thus for the reason
that the interior is built in the form of a star.
1t is situated about the centre of the house,
with the boilers on one side of it and the large
chimney on the other, and each several feet
distant from 1.-THE boilers we think about six
or eight. The Furnace is about Is feet high
by Is in diameter. In the top there is a sheet
iron fan, which revolving slowly, admits the ba~
gasse in regular proportion, which slides into
it from a passage about three feet wide leads
ing from the roller. For the hour that we
were there the mill was not going, consequent-
" no bagasse entered the Furnace during this
time; the sugar kettles, however, were in full
blast, and the fire Of the Furnace Composed
entirely of bagasse) was burning with the
same intensity apparently, when we looked in
on leaving, as when we first beheld it.
What seems very remarkable about this Fur.
uace is the fact that it is as cold outwardly on
any part of it, as is any other brick wall a
thousand miles from fire; on the brick work
beneath which the hot air goes to the boilers
we observed a good deal of dried cane caves
and trash, but which were as safe there from
ignition as if they had been in the open field
By means of an iron rod descending from The
top Of the Furnace and fastened to a piece of
sheet iron in front of an opening within, Mr.
SHELLY showed us4low, by turning it, if he
had loo much steam, he could turn the hot air
from the boilers to the chimney.
We are sorry that we cannot describe this
Furnace more in~telligibly suffice to say, how
ever that it more than than fulflls the object
sought to be obtained, and that Mr.. SHELLY
has reached the ultima thule of Bagasse Fur
mace improvements
The visitor will not fail to remark also, what
seems very strange about this Sugar House,
that there is no furnace with doors opening
and shutting, and no fireman chunkiug in wood
The Furnace in fact il its own fireman And
what will also appeaF equally strange, is,
there are lots of wood but no 6agasse. In fact,
the enterprising inventor of the Furnace, who
is something of a wag, has a board hung up
on which he has written with chalk, Wood
Exchanged for Bagasse!"
We cannot conclude without rendering to
the enterprising proprietor Mr.. DEBLIEUx, and
the engineer and inventor Mr.. SKELLY, our
warmest regards for the courtesy and attention
we received at their hands.
Hon. JOHN M. SANDInGF The fnllovuino