Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1871-11-17
OBSERVER.
WHAT Is AN ELEVATOR.
The &c, eat Chic ago Invent On Ex-
planned.

We copy the following satisfactory
description of the Elevator from that
excellent paper the Christian Week
jy:
Once upon a time, when the COM.
merce OF America had not attained
the Ihousandth part of Its present
magnitude, when the number of YES
sells in the harbOr of New York at any
one time could he counted by the fin
gers of the hand intead of by thOus-
ands, the small amount of grain to be
transported from vessel to vessel re-
uuircd only the aid of gang of labo
rers armed with hand baskets; but
now that Europe, Asia, and Africa de-
pend for more than One-third of their
aggregate food supplies on the produce
of the American soil the enlarged and
daily-augmenting requiremeI. L. of the
grain trade have necessitated the en-
pIoymeHt of apparatus, such as the
Steam Elevator.
In order TO properly understand its
utility aud Importance, our readers
will suppose the fleet of boats repre-
tened TO their moorings in the North
or East river, and that their arrival
has been duly reported ut the Corn EX
change, and samples and accounts of
quantities duly forwardtd-a the
cargoes have been already purchased
in bulk by the clIarterer of-say a
British ship ther. lying in the harbor.
The grain boats have already been so
arranged ia the adjacent dccks that
they can take their position by tire
side of the Elevator, one after another
successively, as the hold of the pre-
cecding boat has been cleared.
The Elevator resembles i'm appear
ancp the body of n huge windmill. It's
apparatus consists. in the centre, of n
stcam-engiEe 10y which the Elevator is
revoived, and and weighing machine
which contains about 40 bushels. On
the right OF the Elevator Is "a covered
and grO0ved gutter or channel for the
transmission of the grain TO hold Of
the ship which is tO carry ii to its des-
tiuation. The weighing-machine and
the ingeniously constructed ma chinery
bv which the quantity Of grain taken
from the harge and transferred to .he
shin on the other side is accurately
measured and registered by the same
simple operation. is a perfet master
piece of science.
We will suppose the Elevator to
have been fairly fixed ian her position
between the two VesSels-the hold Of
/ the canal-barge to be opened, and the
/ feeding-shaftof the Elevator placed i'm
working order. The endless band,
| with its 80 iron caps or scoops leach
| holding a EUshel or a bushel and n
! haif) is set i'm motion, and the grain is
! carried up To the level of the Elevator,
each scoop successively emptying ills
contents into the square box in the
! centre, which serves, at one and the
same time, both as Il meter and weigh
, ing-machine. When the square box
/ (which is constructed tn hold 40 bush
elSl is filled, the cloclI-wOrd arrange
ment attached to the machine is set in
! motion, the motion of the feeding
shaft is suspended ard the trap-but-
tom at the weiglier being released, the
grain is precipitated into the shoot on
the other side of the Elevator, the
same motion instantaneOusly commu-
nicating with an index (similar To
that attached 10 gas-metersl which
faithfully records thequantity passing
through tie Elevator. The evoiutions
are then resumed de moro, and COL
tinued, until the barge is entirely un-
loaded, when another barge takes lis
place. BY this means a load of O,0OU
tons can be cleared in hours, and the
"schooi 4" of 100 vessels, with the aid
of 8 or four Elevators be released for
the homeward voyage in about tour
days.
| when our readers take into con-
! sideration the fact that the operations
we have here briefly described are 10
be witnessed every week during the
Sping and summer season, they may
possibly be enabted Ia form some idea
OF the vast magnitude and vital inn
p0rtance of the grain trade, rs an
item of United States revenue, even
Lat the present time. when il is faf
from having reached its zenith. The
corn returns of each Successive year
exhibit "A large increase as compared
with the proceeding; and it Is shown
beyond all dispute, to Dc capable OF IT
limitable expansion.
One Sunday recently Methodist