Omaha daily bee., 1874-06-09
The Beatrice Cement Nanufac.
tory.


On Saturday last we accepted an
invitation from Mr.. Ford Roper, one
of the Beatrice Cement Company,
to visit their mandatory two miles
down the river. We had been there
while the kiln was being built, but
not since. Our readers viii remem-
Der that the actual manufacture and
shipment Of cement have been
going on for three or four weeks
now, and hence q few particulars
regarding the extent Of the min
and the oce of manufacturing
will not prove undressing, Prooa-
bly,. /,
Arriving at the mill, we found
Governor Paddock hard at work in
the dense dust of the place, looking
as If he had been dropped in a vat
of cement, and had just come out.
Under his and Mr.. ROper's guidance
we went through the mill.
The quarry from which the cement
rock is taken has been described be-
fore, and We will simply say that
there is an undetermined amount
of it-enough to run q mill about
two hundred years, We should say.
1t is blasted, broken upintO portable
chunks, and hauled to the foot of
an inclined stage whence it is taken
with wheelbarrows to the mouth of
the kiln and dumped in. The kiln
is very substantially built, and may
be said to be two stories high. The
upper story hold the unburnt rock,
and the lower story receives the
burnt cement as it drops down below
the fire. Fire is kept under the
rock night and day. The burnt
material is drawn from the lower
receptacle every four hours, the
amount drawn out each time being
sufficient to make Is barrels of
cement. Thus the capacity Of the
kiln is 108 barrels of manufactured
cement a day GA hours), although
it is estimated by Nj. Campbell,
(the practical manufacturer of the
Company, that l25 barrels can be
made i'm this time.
After burning, the rockis wheeled
into the factory, where it is first fed
into ahuge coffee mill, which breaks
it into pebble stones. 1t is elevated
by the same means that flour or
wheat is elevated in a grist mill,
and run into the stones for grinding.
The stones are the same in construc-
ton as grist-mill burrs, with the ex-
ceptiOn that they stand in a perpen-
dicular, instead of a horizontal posi-
ton. They are run with great
velocity by steam power. The
cement comes from the grinding
pulverized, and is then ele-
waited again and run into the pack
ing hopper, whence it drops into
barrels. The barrels stand ON a
movable platform, which, by an in
geniOus arrangement, is raised and
dropped regularly, thus packing the
more effectually than by
means of the ordinary packing ma
This is the whole process of
cement manufacture. The barrels
are made OH the premises, the
heads and hoops being
brought from Burlington, Iowa, in
knock-dOwn shape. They are dOu-
Die stave barrels, of Wizards pat
and are very strongly hOOped.
The company is preparing to build
\ cooper shop at the mill 20x4O feet
size, which will afford them in
creased facilities for putting up the
Thepower fOrrunning b emachIn-
Try of the mill is furnished by a fine
l5-hOrse power engine, which is
.un by John H. Past. There are at
present In and about the institution
Is men and 8 teams, by whose labor
about 80 barrels of cement per day
are now being turned out. The
weight of each barrel is
,64 pounds, but some contain as
high as 290 pounds.
The cement made by the Beatrice
Cement Company, is retailed at So
, barrel, which is 81 per barrel
over than it could be bought here a
Shipments are being made
A. .. Marshal, at Lincoln, and to
he COmpany's pipe works at
omaha, where it is used in the
manufacture of the various articles
old by them there. Before long de-
livery will commence on the Gov
,rnment contract for the Lincoln
court house.
The quality of the cement hasnot
yet been questioned, but, on the
contrary, it has successfully with
ItOOd the severest tests. Its manu-
acture is in the hands of practical
md competent men, and, no unfor-
zen event preventing, the business
; bound to grow to large proper
ions, and become a source of profit
those who have originated it, be-
tides one of great benefit to this
place and section of the State
Beatrice Express.