Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-03-19
A Grain Elevator.

In order to begin at the beginning-get to
the bottom, as 1t were, O. an elevator-one
must climb TO the very top. The building is
perhaps one hundred and iifty feet long by
seventy i've feet Wide, and like all OF its class
Ii rises eighty feet or more TO the caves above
which narrow top part forty or nifty feet
higher, is perched upon the rtdge-pole II ia
built OF wood, 'Sheathed with corrugated iron
way.
Entering one end. where two railway tracks
run INTO the building we ind narrow wooden
stairway, and begin our ascent. The flights
are short ones, but eighteen are stepped over
before we emerge into the topmost attic
Along side OF US, as we climbed, has been run
hing the strong belt which carries the power
from the great engine on the ground-foor to
the gearing In the Toof-a belt of rubber can
vas four feet wide, and perhaps two hundred
and ffty feet long.
When grain IS bought-perhaps hundred
carloads from the wash fields OF Dakota or the
Wide farms between here and st. Paul-the
train is backed right into the elevator and
stands SO that opposite each Car door is a re-
cefver, which Is a kind Of vat, or hopper In the
platform. BY the help OF steam shoVels, oper-
attng almost automatically, Two men In each
car VIII In ten minutes orieSs empty the whole
train.
As fast as the grain is dumped. the receiver
delivers 1t TO iron buckets holding about peck
each Which are attached TO endless belts, and
travel up sort OF chimney, called "leg, to
this roof chamber. These buckets will hoist
6,O00 bushels an hour at their ordinary rate OF
speed. That Is equal to one bucket going up
q. coo times, at the rate Of 400 times minute
to!eIab!y lively WORK! To-day up here in the
topmost loft there is nothing doing and we are
saved strangulation. The light hardly pene-
trateS through the coOWebbed windows, and
The most pulyerous OF dust lies everywhere half
an inch deep, showing the marks OF fey boot
sole3 many footprints OF rats, and tbs lace
Ike tracks or hundreds OF spiders ana sugs.
You step over and under broad horizontal eelUs
as You make your way gingeIly from one END or
no m
wtnnoT the grain as it comes I'd In the buck
cts, after Which It Is dropped into the hopper5
Ten ieet wide, and twice as deep. shat open like
hatchWaJs every few feet In the center OF the
floor. Now all is perfectly quiet, wGare so high
that even the clamof OF the wharVeS does not
reach us. But when the machinery starts In
and whipping OF slackened belts, assault the
garrett, until this whole upper region rocks like
a ship In gale, and chan and dust loud the
eyes and Stitie the throat.
Descending enc story we find another garret,
with nothing n It but the square bodies OF the
hoppers. Going down second Hight shows US
lars, but loosely On iron stirrups so as to shake
little, and the ron gate which lets On or shuts
OH the fall or the grain through the tubular
9riilce at the bottom is operated by steam.
There are twelve Of these hoppers. Sticking
Up through the door underneath each one gGpe
tAe flaring mouths OF twelve spouts or slulces
al OF which point directly at the gate Ia the
hopper as though earnestly begging its bounty
of grain. Every ons OF thess IA SHOUTS leads
INFO bin, near or distant, and all are number
ed, so that the superintendent knows which
spout conducts to any one bin, and can distrio.
ute his cargoes accordingly, the result OF his
choice being recorded n cabiftstic Authorizations
upon blackboard close by. movable con-
ductor is swung into place between the hopper
aDdthe spout, the gate pulled open, and down
slides the wheat, with unsteady rushing noise,
into the grateful bin.
TIC see the bins we descend again, this time
reaching the top OF the wide part OF the build
Ing. We walk very c.r3umSpectly In the half
lght, amid maze OF beams, stringers, and
cross pieces Of wood and iron. The whole In
terror OF The elevator below this level is now
seen to consist of a series OF rooms between
which there Is no communication. They are
ceinngleSs, and the only exit from them is
through spout In the bottom. Peering over
the e1geS from the narrow foot-waiks, we can
only guess how for the person would fall who
should lose his balance. for the eye cannot
reach the bottom; it Is siXty-fve feet below,
and hidden in darkness. or these deep
bins there are IA, some twice the size OF others
Sometimes they are all full at once, and hold
eight ornire hundred thousand bushels, weigh
Ing fifty millions OF pounds, and good for over
TWO hundred thousand barrels or hour-Er-
nest intgeTSoU, in Hurpe1'S Magazine ror
ApTlt.