Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1883-11-10
A Gigantic Flour Mill in California.

the western European wheat markets
is causing the merchants of California
to use every effort to maintain their
footing, and among other devices. says
Engineering, for lesSenng the cost Of
transport there is arising the practice
of reducing the grain to -four before it
is shipped, thereby efecting saving
Of 20 per cent in freight. This carries
with it the additional advantage of EN-.
ploying large amount of local labor,
and of turning the wheat to the best
advantage, as by aid of new machinery
and the best systems of milling a far
greater and better yield can be obtain
ed than by the more Anticipated meth>
DDS which still to a great extent pre-.
vail here. Messrs. Starr u Go. are
now building an immense -four mill
and wheat elevator on the south shore
Of the Straits of Carquinze, about two
miles below Porta Costa, and fronting
the town of Crockett, to carry out this
plan, the spot they have chosen being
available for the largest ocean steam
ships, while it is sufficiently sheltered
for the river barges from the interior
to approach it with safety.
At the site of the mill the shore
curves inward, leaving a fiat rock reef
mostly bare at low water, but sloping
off abruptly on the northern and west
ern edges. Upon this reef there is be-
ing erected an eight story mill and ele.
vator building, about $50 feet by 800
feet, reared upon a superstructure of
artificial stone piers and arches. The
piers, of which there will be 209, aver.
aging from 5 feet to 8 feet square at
the base, and standing Is feet apart
from center to center, are built upon
the rock, and connected by groined
arches, standing some 4 feet clear
above high water level, which has an
open passage under them, between the
piers. The artificial stone floor of the
mill and elevator is laid over the arch
es and forms a monolithic platform of
nearly $4,000 square feet area. There
will be 140,0 900 cubic feet in tho piers,
arches, and floors, the greater part be-
ing already in position, and heavy wire
cables are being laid transversely
through and through the concrete
above the arches to serve as earth
quake ties. This portion of the work,
which will cost $4,000, is being done
by Mr.. Earnest L. Ransome, who ha;
long been occupied in California, bring
ing into extensive use the artificial
stone invented by his father, Mr.. Fred
erick Ransome, a number of years
ago.
The mill building will be 143 feet by
1853 feet, with seven stories, agregating
100 feet in height, while the elevator
so feet by 178 feet, is to be capable o
storing 10000 tons of wheat. TIL,
outside walls of the great building vii
be formed of heavy buttresses, rising
over the artificial stone piers, and con
nected with curtain walls. The floor
above the first story will be carried b,
wooden pillars, IS feet apart. The en-
gines and boilers are in seperat
structure, the power provided for mil
ing purposes being 2,4Q0 horse power
and for the elevator 800 horse power
The ultimate capacity of the mill wi
be 5000 barrels of -four per day, bu
it will be started with $500 barrels pc
day. Agents of the company are no.
in Europe inspecting all the best mil
ing machinery and processes.
The docks, to be covered by two
story warehouses, are in two section
having an open slip 1O4 feet in widt
between them. The eastern dock Sc
tons will have an area of 1880
square feet, and the western sectic
one of 256, 800 square feet, and bot
are to be traversed by railway lines
connection with the railroad systems
the State.
From this account an ilea will
gained of the extent of the enterpn
which Messrs. Starr q Co, are inaug
rating, and the magnitude of the traC
in which they are engaged, and Whit