The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-11-02
BEET SUGAR.
Its Successful Manufacture ut the Port.
land Factory.

Wednesday, October 80, 1873, will be memt :
rable in the annals of this State for on that
day and in the presence of Governor Conner,
the Maine Beet Sugar Company of Portland
turned out over 1900 pounds of granulated
sugar, the first ever made in the United States
from Deets grown in America. Several
establishments have, it is true, made small
quantities of raw sugar of excellent quality,
bat regular boiling of refined sugar mad
from raw beet sugar produced in the United
States has never before been attempted in the
Atlantic states.
Governor Conner and number Of dis
tinguished gentlemen visited the Forest CITY
Sugar Refinery to witness the process, which
in most respects was the same as that used in
the refining of similar sugar from the cane.
The fll-masse as the semi-crystallized mass
OF granny sugar is called in Germany, was
drawn from the vacuum pan into charger or
basin holding 800 pounds and poured into GEN.
trifugas. In this condition the m ass looked
not unlike hasty pudding. The centrifugals
being made to revolve at the rate of 1900
revolutions per minute, the white sugar was
taken out after fifteen minutes, in moist
state and was passed through huge iron
cylinder over drum heated by steam, and
thence in few minutes was transferred into
barrels ready for consum ption. The quality
of the granulated beet sugar was all that
could bs desired. In flavor, grain and color it
was fully equal to similar article made from
the sugar cane. No one could distinguished it
from the best article generally in use.
The party then proceeded to examine the
various stages of the process which converts
the coarse, unwashsd roots into this bean tiful
crystalline product First, the roots were
lifted in elevators to iron tanks to which they
were washed. Next they were thrown into the
hopper of the cutting machine which by
series of plane blades, with cross knives under
heath, rapidly reduced them to small, thin
strips called ''tapss." Thence they were con-
veyed by slide into row of cylindrical iron
tanks called battery in which they were
washed by continuous stream of hot water
until the sweetness was extracted. The sweet
juice was then pumped up into large kettles
holding 1000 gallons each, in which by heating
with lime the gold substances were precipitated
Thence it flowed down through bag filters and
passed into large iron tanks filled with animal
charcoal or boneblack which removed the
color, leaving fluid as clear and white as
water, with a mild and pleasant saccharine
taste. This fiaid was evaporated in vacuum
pan to syrup, aud was again filtered through
boneblack, after which it was ''grained'' in
another vacuum pan and placed in wagons to
harden for the centrifugals.
On returning to the lower floor the attention
of the visitors was called to a singularly fine
wagon load of beets raised by Mr.. Wentworth,
Superintendent of the r form School. A
desire being expressed to ascertain the amount
of sugar contained in these beets, the party
adjourned to the laboratory where Prof. Oscar
soon showed them the simple and interesting
process known as polarization, whereby the
DETECTION of the rays of light passing through
the clarified juice, indicated the exact per-
centage of sugar. These Reform-School beets
were found to contain LII DER cent of sugar.
The quality OF the beet sugar was justly
regarded by the party as singularly fine. The
amount Obtained could not then be exa thy as
certaiDed, but will be next week. The guests
dispersed greatly pleased and encouraged by
what they had SEEM The officers of the COM
and perseverance, shown, aud the Governor
congratulated them and the State upon their
prompt fulfllnent of the obligations of their
contract, contract which as justly remarked,
Wull6 IL WAS pftuluu Oh SuCC6SS provides no
compensation whatever in Case of failure.
In answer to inquiries it was ascertained that
the Company have already expended $4,000.
in cash, and will probably pay out $4,000
more in their comparatively limited operations
of the present season. This sum was all spent
in the employment of labor, most of it in the
State of Maine. The product of the present
year will not be sufficient to enttle the Com
pany to much bounty, yet the present crop,
small as it is, will save to the people of Maine
hat thnre hay .o;l
for foreign sugars.
Whatever therefore may be the profit or loss
to the Beet Sugar Company, their operations
have already had an appreciable effect in TO-
creasing the resources of the people Of the
State of Maine. and it is to be hoped this good
beginning will be improved upon yearly until
sugar becomes one of the staple products of
our State.