Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1866-08-28
An Important Discovery---sorghum SUI
gar.
from the St Louis Democrat

from the St. Louis Democrat
The Centrifugal Sorgo Sugar Sep
aratnr, by which sorghum molasses
Is almost instantly converted into SUI
gar, is one of the marvcls of the age.
After all the scientific experiments
which have been INCREASINGLY tried
for the past half dozen years or more
to produce so desirable a result, the
problem has finally been solved by
an old Quaker gentleman in Iowa,
IN the most satisfactory and success
full manner. The process is novel,
but phlosophic, and extremely sim
pie. 1t is simply by centrifugal
force, by which the molasses is sepa-
rated from the sugar, and granula-
ton effected. The machinery en-
ployed is without any complications.
\ cylindrical vessel, with the outer
wall composed Of the finest net work
of wire, braced by iron supports, a
solid bottom, and cone of copper
or some other material in the center,
constitute the principal portion of
the apparatus. To this cylinder Il
motion is given by proper gearing of
| about three thousand revolutions per
minute. The force Of the rotation
drives the syrup through the sieve,
while the sugar clings to the inner
surface, from which it is scraped off
when the accumulation becomes suf-
iciently large, An inch thickness
of sugar does not seem to interfere
with the power or operation Of the
process; but the molasses is project
ed through, and falls beyond the
wire into its proper reservoir. Nor
are the delicate pores Of the sieve
clogged or gummed to any extent
whatever; tor at the close Of the per
Torrance there is not sufficient
sediment remaining to stain the
whitest hand. All is dry and per-
fectly clean the sugar is fit for i'm
mediate use, and without wear or
tear the machinery is as perfect as
ever. Five minutes, or less, are on
y required to transform a gallon of
molasses-or at least such portions
of it as are convertible at all, say
five to seven pounds-into rs pure
an article of sugar as the most fastid
ious housewife could possibly desire.
This discovery must, of course, work
q considerable change in the saccha-
rine trade of the country. Sorghum
fiourishes pretty much in all the
States and Territories Of the Union.
Wherever corn grows it can be made
to grow and farmers, through this
simple process, will now be enabled
to supply themselves with all they
need in the way Of sweets. As the
machinery is by no means costly, we
presume the Improvement will gen
orally be made available. Sugar
must become cheaper, and it's con
sumption greatly increased. Fruits,
large and small which now, on ac-
count of the cost of saccharine mat
ter, are greatly wasted, will be pre-
served to much greater extent, and
healthy and invigorating food there
by secured This invention may be
considered as one Of the greatest of
the age, remarkable as the present
era is for its utilitarian application
Of scientific discoveries and princi-
plies. The forces employed are with
out cost, and require no education to
govern ar direct them. After the
molasses is prepared in the usual
way, which every one comprehends,
the turning Of q crank completes the
process, and consnmates the entire
work most perfectly. No heating is
necessary, no evaporation or deli
cate manipulation, or chemical mix
ture. The cold sorghum is convert
ed in two or three minutes into re-
fined sugar and molasses.