The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1880-06-10
Squeezing Cotton.

How to pack cotton and stow it away
on shipboard IN the smallest possible
spacesis problem, the solution of which
has long been q puzzle It Is claimed
that the method now brought forward by
the newly organized ocean transportation
company clears up the entire difficulty,
and cotton can be placed on board ship
in the smallest possible space. An ex-j
hibition of the new plan of stowthng cot
ton by hydraulic jacks was given Monday
afternoon, in the presence of a number
sof underwriters and shipping men, on
board the ship Monarch, lying at the
dock of the company ati iHoboken. The
exhibition was a. complete success and
many of the. insurance representatives
expressed their appro bation of themethod
/ employed. TWAS thought at first that
the rgreat pressure fused would have
a ssraining effect on, the ship, but this
was shown to be an error, as the force
was equally diffusedy and it was also.
claimed that, there was less danger of fire
than under the old system. Formerly
the most cotton that could be slowed in.
ship was three bales to the register
ton, but now from four to five bales to
the ton can be readily put on board For
slowing the cotton the deck has been
provided with the Necessary piping on all
sides, SO that tine water may be forced
from the engine-rooml to vessels at any
berth alongside. n The power is conveyed
to the vessels by flexible double hose.
The water is first forced from the tank into
jack or accumulation in the engine ROOM
and by mechanical device pressure of
about 800 pounds per square inch is at
tanned. The hose is then connected
with the ship and inside of the ship by
means of q series of couplings with each
jack. The jacks used are about the same
weight asthe ordinary screw, but are cyl
indrical in shape At one end are slight
projections, and at the other fork with
short horns, called a dag or dagger, by
means, Of which the jack may be used at
any angle. The flexible hose is attached
to the jack by coupling or fange, at
which point is also connected O. valve
worked by q strong handle or lever,
which being moved one-eight OF a circle
| or turn, allows thepressure to commence
| and the dag to be forced out with a pres
| sure of from to 10 tons per each Jack as
| desired, thus pushing the bales into q
space eeeonsideral,ly SMALL than is possible
| by any method hitherto employed By
moving the lever back the pressure is ar
reSte0, ana Oy reversing inc Sdiho iue
dag comes back to its original position.
! The jack has a pressure or pushing
| power of %, ,616 pounds, or more than ten
tons toeach. The engine for compress
ing the cotton is situated In the middle
of the deck and has two boilers of 800
horsepower and carries 130 pounds Of
ssteam. 1t has cylinder of 72 inches,
with an eight-foot stroke. The pressure
exerted on each bale is equal to ], SOC
tons, bringing the bale down to eight
inches in depth. The company's dock
is a shielded one, 750 feet long, with 6
width of 70 feet, well lighted with gas
and capable of afording facilities for the
loading OF, four vessels at one time. i
has telephone communications with tn,
maritime exchange, produce exchange
and the freight centers.-Neao Yorl
Commercial Bulletin.