The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1872-08-31
Our 0liu.
Soda Water.

A correspondent OI Appleton 00HfH-
al writes recently investigated the
process OF manufacture of carbonic acid
water, at the largest establishment Of
this klLd in this country, or in the
world, in company with several friends
aud bevy OF young ladies. The factory
which We yisilel employs in the busy
season more than three hundred work
men, and does not couiine itself to the
manufacture OF soda water, but CONTAINS
large aud extensive shops for the man.
ulucture Of machinery and apparatus
for producing aud di pensing soda aud
mineral waters, aud the dllfereu kinds
of fruit syrups aud layurs used 10 eou.
nectou with them.
On entering these extensive and
noisy works, the first place We visited
was the marble. ln the yard out.
side, We found heavy blocks of gray or
yellow white marble, Of course grain,
piled up in large pyramids aud siaeks,
while smaller heaps of the same materi.
al were slowed under wooden shed
Inside the building were heavy rollers,
reyolyed by steam. power, under which
the marble is crushed aud ground until
il becomes almost us tine as sand. This
mill grinds from sixty to eighty barrels
Of marble day, each barrel containing
about four huLdred pounds of dust. The
marble selected lor this purpose comes
from Kentucky, aud Is perfectly free
from iron or other impurities, which
would, when in contact with the acids
in the machinery, generate gasses that
would pass into the soda water with the
carbonic acid, and give the water
very nauseous taste, besides making it
unwholesome.
In the building where the soda water
is manufactured, there were no fires
aud no steam machinery visible every.
thing was quiet, and ouly Que man in
attendance. 0n one side of the room
stood curious looking machine, con.
sisting of three large cylinders made OF
iron, aud rounded off at both ends,
resting upon heavy iron frame, paral-
lei with each other. From the ends Of
these cylinders, facing us, protruded
three iron rods, each with crank and
handle forsarniug it around, thereby
revolving au agitator inside, that stirs
up the ground marble, acid and water
contained in the generator, us Que Of
these cylinders is called On top Of the
two outside ones stand two smaller
half cylinders, or vases, also made Of
irou, with rounded bottom aud fat
top, aud the whole Of these cylinders
aud hali,c cylinders are connected with
each other by complicated system OF
lead aud tiu pipe, over which rises,
fixed against the wall, large dial
pressure-guage.
Our polite conductor proceeded to
explain to us how the soda water is
manufactured iG this machine. "First," /"
he said, "we put our pulverizcd marble
iuto this cylinder to the right, which
is called the generator, and is lined
with thick coating of lead inside to
resist the action Of the acid. Water is
then poured on the marble dust, and
the whole is stirred up BY turning this
crank and thus revolving the heavy
agitator inside, which is made of gun
metal. Our next process is to GIL the
vitriol chamber, which is in tho iron
vase, also iued with lead, ou top of the
generator, with sulphuric acid, aud this
permitted to run slowly aud by degrees
down upon the marble dust aud water
underneath, the stream of vitriol being
controlled by this lever, which moves a
valve in the bottom of the chamber.
The sulphuric acid, having a stronger
affinity to the lime in the marble than
the carbonic acid, libcrates this in the
form of a gas, and combines with the
lime to form plaster Of Paris.
"one barrel of ground marble, aud
one car.boy (about one hundred and
sixty five pouudD Of sulphuric acid,