The Shasta courier., 1865-05-13
SHASTA COURIER.
The Largest Grain Elevator in the World.

AK "1Hc-H'S gram within = lew years nav
been more rapid than the increased produc
ton. Within our experience in Milwaukee
the gram business q. the city has grown frou
one million bushels to more than tweni,
million bushels. 1t has been said that tn,
first wheat purchased in Milwaukee was ell
evated by the purchaser. Mr.. Harrison Lad
ington. a bag full at time on his shoulders
Since that time great strides have been tn
ken. Now Milwaukee receives and ships
direct from producers. more than any other
port in the world A recent addition to the
means of handling the immense grain re-
ceipts Of this market is so important that a
special description will be of interest to orr
readers. Milwaukee has been justly celebra-
ted for the character of her club wheat. 1t
is known in all the grain markets of the
world In fact, millions of the inhabitants
of other countries make their bread of IL
For some years it has been first in the list of
quotations of New York. Liverpool and Mon
treal markets Milwaukee now boasts the
largest and best appointed elevator in the
world.
We have from time to time called atten-
tion to the progress in the erection Of the
great elevator of the Milwaukee & St. Paul
Railway Company in this city. This mani
moth structure is located in the Fifth ward,
ON the Menomonec river, and near the Me
nomonee bridge. 1t is now so nearly COM
pleted as to have three elevators In opera
tim, and ample for the dull season" wants
of the road.
The ground dimensions are S5x2SS feet,
and its height l3S feet. 1t is erected upon
foundation of stone resting upon 5000 piles,
averaging GO feet in length The foundation
walls are of stone, of which 65 900 cubic feet
were used. The first, or ground story of the
elevator, is of brick, in which, together with
the chimney, have been consumed over 65o,'
600 bricks The amount of lumber used
was 3. go 900 feet. There has been consum-
ed in this building 1000, 900 pounds of east
iron, and 400 pounds Of wrought iron, ma
chipery and stays Our readers can imagine
the immense amount of labor of putting up
the plank walls that rest upon the first story,
together with the partitions, bins, trestle-
work that form the structure, when VIC in
form them that over 1850 kegs of nails have
been driven.
The betting and the elevator cost Sl4. GOO !;
one belt alone cost 81 500. The belts are all
of rubber and were furnished by the New
York Rubber Betting Company. The eleva-
tor is divided into l25 bins 65 feet and with
capacity of II 900 bushels to each bin, Civ
ing storing capacity of l,250, 600 bushels.
There are fourteen elevators, nine for re-
eeiving, and five for shipping-the capacity
of the receiving elevators is q 900 bushels
per hour, and that of the shipping elevators
is 30, 900 bushels per hour. Thus it can load
two ordinary vessels in an hour, or fleet Of
twenty vessels in one day. This vast labor
is performed by an immense engine, in the
u Il t,,f, L. ,IoI
in these column 5, and manufactured by VIM.
Goodnow. of Milwaukee.
The belt, running from the engine house
to the top of the elevator, is $50 feet in
length. 1t turns two shafts that run the
whole length of the building. While we
were present the engine was running this
immense amount of machinery, and one ele-
yator in operation, with t,ro pounds of steam.
The scales used in weighing the wheat as
it is reces ed and shipped, are manufactured
by Fairbanks, of St. Johnsbury. Vermont,
and are fine pieces of workmanship. There
are fourteen of these scales with hoppcvs
weighing ! Loco bushels al each draught.
For the convenience of visitors. three look
outs have been built upon the roof, seven feet
square and is surrounded by a substantial
railing, where one can stand about $50 feet
from the water level, and obtain view of
the city, that is not surpassed from any other
point. Indeed. when we look down upon the
city from this lofty position, we are impressed
with its magnitude and out stretched pro-
portions more than ever before.
The entire cost of this structure and its
appurtenances may be set down at not less
than $4,000
The St. Paul Company own o large tract
of ground. or rather are making large tract
on the Nenomonee Their docks cannot be
less than three thousand feet in extent. Two
or three hundred men are now at work upor
the buildings erected.
Last fall we saw wild ducks feeding anC
swimming bevond the reach Of sporismen
where now are rising massive walls of stont
and brick, and where the locomotive goe
tearing with loaded trains over the solit
oround From so to 500 men have beer
constantly at work in this great enterprise o
redeeming an unsghtly and useless swami
to the purposes Of trade and trahe.
This elevator has been leased to the Mil
wankee Dock Company. and will be operated
nv that company of which L. j. Higby j
President. Mr.. Higbv erected the first ell
eyator in the city, in 1913.
The Superintendent of the elevator is Mr.
s. Pierson The Engineer is Mr.. Rober
Fogg.
An idea of the immense capacity and me
chanical power of this elevator may be form
ed from the fact that it is capable OF receiv
ing and shipping ali the grain received at al ai
Lake Michigan ports or over '5,ooo'oo
bushels annually. And this by running
only ten hours q day, not including Sundays
1t is large enough for many years to come
Though we predict that not many years VII
elapse before the increasing productions o
Wisconsin and Minnesota will test its utmos
capacity during the Spring aud Autumn
months.
So long as wood and iron shall last, thl
great work of improvement will stand as
monument to commemorate the enterprise o
the managers of the Milwaukee u ST. Pau
Railway Company. and the skill of its Arch
itect. In word. it is the pride OF Miiwau
kee, typifying as it does, her growth. enter
prise and resources. Let Boston boast OF the
largest organ in the world but Mi'wanke'
rests satisfied with having the LARGEST ELE
EAroR IN THE WoRLD.-Daiiy Wisconsin.