Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1869-08-19
Artificial Fertilizers.
HOW THRY ARE NADIA VISIT TO WALTON,
WHANN & cos. FACTORY.


kind for ages hut t is only of late that scientific
| research aud Inventive genius have been brought
to bear upon the question producing tue artihelui
| manures now so generally relied on Tor Keeping |
| up the fertility OF our lands. One OF the most |
popular OF these artificial manures is lAdan,s
| R1ip Bone Phosphate, the manufacture OF which |
Is one of the most important industries OF our
| city, employing large capital and many hands. |
| We recently visited the factory OF Walton, |
| Wbapp a. CO.. where this celebrated fertilizer Is
manufactured, and were surprised ut the extent |
of the buildings and the business The factory,
or rather the factories are situated on the
Christana river, just south OF the city line, aud
the buildings erabout anacre OF ground, 'front.'
ing the river their first floor being level with tue
firms fine wharf $50 feet in length. These build
ings are partly OF brick and partly OF frame, ne
and substantially built as they have need to be to
Withstand the immense pressure brought to bear
upon them. Owing to the marshy character OF
the ground 1t was necessary to drive piling down
to the hard bottom aud built brick piers to sup
port the numerous heavy posts with which the
building is studded Every main post in the
building rests on one OF these piers which in turn
rests on four piles, and though thousands OF tons
have been piled on the various floors. We de-
tected no evidence of settling in any part OF the
vast building.
The bones, guanos, .ulphuric acid, aud chemi-
cal salts which enter into the manufacture OF the
phosphate are generally received by water ana
landed on the wharf. The bone and gu.nos which
| need grinding, are then slowed IN the northery
warehouse and the acid and Peruvian guano are
slowed in the central warehouse. Commencing
at the large north store house, let us follow the
| process of manufacture. We find here between
300 and 600 tons Of bones, some dry and some
wet, also 1000 tons OF guanos and large pile OF
chemical salts In the building is a large drying
apparatus called a kiln, where bones, salts or
: guanos needing 1t are dried. From here, also,
bones recurring boiling are wheeled out to the
; boiling-room, where there are six steam boiling
tanks holding 900 gallons each, and one addition
e half t1,a ttxr ms n
2 meats foot oil. After the bones are boiled they
! are dried and sent back to this store house, From
here the material is hoised by railroad operated
by steam TO the second story, where the bones or
. guano as the case may be, enter the breaker, an
!. immense machine great Improvement on the
y kinds in use o few years ago. II will readily
smash large bullocks skull to atoms In mo.
Z, ments time. From the breaker the crushed
= material falls to The story below, whence II is
IA carried by elevators to the hoppers of the mills.
y There are six of these, four for guano aud two
J. for bones, and the now thoroughly pulverized
bone or guano is carried by elevators and convey
e which is the phosphate factory, proper. IL
re the centre of this room is the mixing
~ machine. This machine does It's work with great
u, rapidly and thoroughness, and is capable o.
at mixing &C tons per day, while by the old hant
process, the materials were not half SO wei
a. mixed, and double the number of men cOult
an only make 20 tons per day. Again, the fumes o
= the acid in this machine 20 up yentilating hue
Inc by the hand process, the fumes were about til
~ workmens faces.
Y From this room another automatic railway dc
sends 10 the middle warehouse, and by it all th
le acid and Peruvian guauo are hOisted directly I
N the place where they are needed. The guano
III run through little mill on this floor to break
IN. its Jumps. The various kinds OF guanos ure her
dumped into the mixer in their proper propo
tions, and IN a few moments are thorough
SA- blended. The sulphuric acid is then tarned q
Of from tank, and violent chemical change taxi
ST. place, dense volumes OF vapor ascending throug
,rs The yentiator. The heat generated by the chen
icl action dries the mass, which Is all the tin
being more thoroughly mixed, and just before
is dry the pnlyeiizcd bone IS dumped in. III
mixing continues Tor few minutes longer, al
then plug j. lifted and the mass falls from Il
dia. mixer TO the floor beOw-or rather 1t would #
per to the floor but that the men whose business it
II wheel i. to piles, know trick worth two
that. hey hold their barrows directly undo
meath the hole through which the phosphate ia
,en- and replace one by another, as fast filled,
was rapidly that scarcely half bushe to the ton
ran falls to the floor to require shOvcling up.
ook The phosphote, for such it has by this time
side came, is now wheeled into large piles and
gave stand to age" during which tune there is sol
be- further chemical action and the whole mass dri
iage In drying it becomes quite nnpy. How to y
iped vcrize ii again is the problem which has veS
dcr phosphate manufacturers for years, as anyatten
Ken 10 grind II through burrs only results in chok
'me the mills. Walton, Whann " Co have prncur
tend at great expense, an Intricate machine Ul Engl
wi1e manufacture, which thoroughly overcomes I
had difficulty and sends the thoroughly pulvcrii
n ill., phosphate through elevators to the hagging
sur chine where ii is Daggcd and weighed. The b
are immediately sewCd up and wheeled TO
~ grrnt southern warehouse an immense build
' In. capable OF storing 5000 tons. From here il
I'd in iIiin, n Instisan street lar shnnent hv
y Va Al the warehouse connected with their office
M, ne 203 West Front street they have also acili
i i for storing 800 tons for their home trade.
, ,,, The mills are operated by large so horse po
r engine with ty-whccl weighing tons, and lav
NJ ~, a diameter of 10 feet. BY this ily-wheel
i t'e main belt is run, ii is Of double leather NJ
49, luug and % inches wide. The boilers are of q
ti' | ct capacity still as they supply the steam Tor
'oDNo bone boilers.
coh OF course the place is not one of pleasant cd
~, but il is far from being so exceedingly unplea
IL IL. as many suppose We were there an hour
ship sn"e room in which ihc odnr sas varv JIsn,,
ANie' able, and, as we saw hale and hearty mel
work thcie, who two ourown certain knowle
IT. a, edge, have worked for years before it was n
Juui phae factory, aud ever since II became such
n the do not deem il a very nnwholesome place. l
nur- thirds OF the smell Tor which the phosphate
lstern tory Gets the blaine, Is made much nearer TIT
iteor dllnant peoples nosts.-lt they want TO X
If th,, where, let them follow those NOSES
,urth. The business which WAS started in its pre-
stnc- form, tOul years ago, when Walton, Whan
l SUP CO. bought Whanns phosphate factory
1tk stroud Is delaware steam plaeterand hone mi
louk- and combined them, has grown 10 immense
witty portions. They first commenced work mani
ors If turing but 300 tons per year the present cl
tween ty of their Works is 1900 tons, allowing
EASTERN stoppages and repairs, and they will make
served ship this year 5000 tons. They receive bon,
that at water and rail. purchasing them from Mai
/. inner lcAas, and rs far westward US st Louis.
{ In | largest vessels that enter our port 20 To
a. wharves, and u shp-buildcr in the southern
uf our city told Us recently that more than
clphg Of the large vessels that have entered the Oh
10 dis ana with freight this summer have gone 10
uds UP factory. Their shipments and sales are 10 Us
a range Of country as that from which they re
ire not their ina,eiills. Their phosphate is sold in
resent onc Of TIT Atlantic seahoard States from Mai
lnlc by Florida and as far to tie interior as Tenn.
hsl West Nirsuil; while quite large shipiI
every Grc made Ia the Gull States.
They employ about 90 hands. and such
~ &c. Present dcnupd for the coming fall trade
e Ike they are running their ma day and nig
Cuitud INJECT ihcr orders. We saw numerous /
from all parts Of the country warmly conn
Rutllul lng the phosphate, many ot them accomp
", That by urders ior largely Increased amounts.
were SHOWN over the establishment by Dr.
utilized tr clcnisl Of the establishment. who
: Of tic clrtiui watch by constant and careful Al
~ rail- tht the nigh standard OF the phosphate is
ne cat taued. The process Of manufacture is not
among nd ans farmer is welcome to make rs tho
40 examination as We did.
HYn.' Fhc Peach business
ttix1,"rs GA Tuesday 100 car loads OF peaches w
us been NV York over tile Delaware aud conn
NFft 4 4.