New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1857-04-20
sourHrRr nNrERpnIsE.

the factory of Messrs. p Martin & Dromel, at the
corner Of Bienville and Johnston streets an estab
lshment which has been built and put in operation
within the past year, at q cost of ever $65,O00.
The oil mill and out-buildings, though OF wooden
construction, models Of neatness and convenience
for the purposes intended and Of caution against
Under the polite guidance of Mr.. Martin, we wents
through the buildings, and the process OF manu-
acture in all except two of its stages which are Kept
as sealed mysteries from the public: atwhleh we pre-
sumo the public will not take exception, when they
consider how important the business is for the pro-
gress and prosperity Of the South. The two hidden
operations were the hullng Of the cotton seed, or
crushing the seeds and removing the shells from the
kernels, and the clarifying Of the oil.
First we take a peep into the seed warehouse.
Here are men at work emptying newly received bags
of seed, upon a perfect mountain of seed which fills
the house, and from which other men are conveying
loads to the mill. This heap of material is Alto
gether enormous, amounting to two million pounds
or one thousand tons. Besides this we are informed
three thousand tons more Of seed are already en-
gagged of planters in different parts of the South We
follow the loads of seed to large elevator on which
it is deposited and whsked by steam to the top of the
MILL There it uudergoes the hulling process, which
we are not permitted to see. because the machine is
of great power and ingenuity of Messrs. Martin
& Dromels own invention, for which they have not
yet obtained their patent.
Entering the MILL We great deal of machinery,
powerful and highly finished large and beautiful
engine at end of the receives its steam from
proportianately large furnace and boiler outside
behind the rnill, and dispenses the to the differ
ent machines in the building. One Of these is the
halling machine, which we hear roaring overhead
| There are two wooden conductors descending from
4 the upper mystery through comes the downy
huIls Of the seed, which is Used as fuel for raising
steam, no other fuel being necessary. Through the
other conductor descends shower of fine light brown
chaf this is the meat Of the seed, it from
| the hulling machine.
1 This chat is gathered up and deposited on the
heater, an iron table filed with hot steam. 1t is
4 placed within four movable band rings, each with
"A four blades revolving horizontally within it. The
rings conne the chatf on the heated surface of the
table whilst the blades, revolving through it. chip it
up very fine and at the time distribute the heat
equally through it, As it is cut up fine and begins to
I melt, its brown color fades away into pale green.
When is quite fine and quite green the revolving
blades raised up, and the meat is drawn off by
the rings into hoppers along the side of the table,
4 each hopper filing narrow linen bag hung beneath
it There eight of these bags, two being filled
by each ring. The bags, being filed, are quickly
taken and put into the press the attendant smooth
ing out each bag and giving it equal thickness
he puts it in Thu press consists Of tier of eight
stout iron pans with small holes drilled in the bottom,
and condaits around them, the latter being slightly
inclined and having holes leading to the conduits be-
meath. Each bag before being put into the press is
camped into an elastic apparatus which renders the
force of the press gradual The press tier of pans
is secured to the superstructure by four iron pillars of
great strength; and being filed with the bags of
halfmelted seed.kerne the steam is let on and the
press goes to work. The pans squeeze up, from the
rising of an enormous piston underneath, thick as a
mans body. Soon the oil begins to drbble into the
condnts from the little holes in the pans, and each
conduit contributing to the beneath it, the bottom
one sends stream of oil foaming through spout
into large vat beneath the floor. As the pressure
continues and the supply of oil begins to fail,
steam put on by degrees until the pressure reach
height of at least two thousand tons. This is
enormous force, which the structure of the press
amply enables it to bear.
There are two of these presses supplied alternately
by the heater which we have described. BY the time
one is fairly put in operation the other has finished
its work. and relaxes for job The last possible
drop OF oil being extracted, the steam is shut off the
big piston disappears down below and the press is
emptied. The bags are peeledin puddingbag fashion
from their ENTHUSIASTICALLY so loose, spongy and
greasy, pressed into boards hard, stiff and dry.
This, of course, is recognized oilcake an inpalu-
able article of feed for cattle 1t is slowed away in
4 its exclusive warehouse, looking like green lumber
heaps and is readily sold at thirty dollars per ton.
From the vat which receives the oil from the presses
it is pumped by small engine, or doctor, through a
pipe to two large iron tanks situated in a passage
midway between the mill and the clarifying establish
ment Here it comes spouting in dark red stream,
hiding beneath coat of yellow foam, and looking for
all the world like molasses boiling From these tanks
the oil runs off into the clarifying house, which no
outsider is permitted to enter under any cireum-
stancesthe propretors not being as yet in the en-
joyment of their patent right. From the clarifying
house the oil is conveyed to two large iron reservoirs
each OF ten thousand gallons capacity The oil is now
ready for barreng and transportation. 1t is very
clear, pure lightcolored article vastly superior tt
i lard oil for burning, and an excellent article fol
painters. 1t is sold by wholesale at a dollar gallon
Mr. Martin does not claim for it any merit as lubri
eating o-he rather thinks il is not as good as othe
n oils for greasing machinery. vi
IS The present capacity of the mill which runs da,
$ and night is 800 gallons per day There is room il
the building, however, for large additions to the ma
chinery, and when this is filled, it will be il
y good time, the capacity will be $500 5000 gallon
7 day. The rate Of product is ten pounds of oil tt
every hundred of seed as it comes from the planta
r tions. The remaining ninety pounds, as we hay
shewn, are by no means lost, being divided betwee
!, leland oilcake Besides this the refuse OIL whic
is left from the process of refining, is excellent TO
70 making soap and the propretors have now larg
soap factory erected in the of the MILL and nearl
ready for operation 1t is actually astonishing to So
how valuable cotton seed is thus proved to bean Al
tice which for so long period of time was consii
y cred as fit for nothing more than manure, and b
! = some considered not fit for that
% We regretted to learn that the hum of the hullin
! machine in the mill, had been voted nuisance b
i people living in the vicinity and that petition wa
in circulation to have the running of the mill stoppe
at night 1t is situated on the extreme verge of tn
city, four squares beyond Claiborne street has ope
e commons on three sides of it, and no residences nea
" than half square the fourth side. Messrs. Mart
Drorael were very reasonable in building their ia
tory as far out as they did, and it would be pity
b they should have to stop work at night, or reno
lie their factory, as the petition of the neighbors
nd mands. Still the roar of the hulljng machine is