Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-11-10
.rc4KrKoM SORGHUM.
posrit or.ho Governmental Expert
ments at Fort scott.
- AZ q az Dsmoera..

roRT SCOTT, KAN, Oct' z0.-heAlHlhS
49,, ,rnortsnce 10 the whole country OF
ma sxnerlments being made here IN the
..a,rtscturing of sorghum sugar, your
.~-o-antative has endeavored tokeep you
..adsrs posted as TO the progress OF the
aortments and results as far as reached.
~. ssason is now about closed, and soon
,ne inside history of the management OF
ornamental experiments here Will be
ga notb officially and by interested
tolu' o,vrs among whom have been rep
eleonIstiyps from foreign governments
IA delegates from sugar associations
sn~ Practical business men
a,nralIy inquire, is the process OF man
TcturIng sorghum sugar Uy dlDuslon
"a communication a success, and has
nob been demonstrated to be tact by
80 governments at Fort scott! Inc
rswer to this is long story lpVolV-
1,T the usual inefficiency OF the AGENTS
IIs .So government, and d. mOnstrating
MoadvsntaVe which practical business
In have over the mere tbeorist. As mas
hnan before stated, the plant OF the i'm
Ooanse sorghum mandatory here was
bntlt by company composed chleny OF
incaI capitaists under an understanding
,tn commissioner Colman that he, by
autboritv given him by Congress, would
maLaita station of the government to
.noriment IN an effort 10 perfect sys-
e1n3 Hbich had been practically perfected
LAT wear at Ottawa. This plant was
nroctsd under the direction OF Hon. W.
Parkinson at cost Of $50, 900 to $780,
aG0 and is conceded to be perfect in all
points. -,o--,,,,,..
SPECIAL INQUIRIES.
Your correspondent, i'll order to deter
mine inst what has been accomplished
ond wherein the deficiency lies, If DELI
cheney there be, has directed especial IN
onirles as to the character, quality and
workings of the machinery, and there is
but opeyerdict, to-wil: That IL is perfect
and gives forth results with the CERTAINTY
n ci0ckWork OF course, 1t is not claimed
INF that experience may suggest slight
imnrOyements, but that the application
of mechanical principles in its construc-
lion has been skllfully done, no one de-
nies Investigation has been directed to
ascertain what quality OF cane has been
nroduced. Upon this point there Ia absO-
iute unanimIty of opinion by fully twenty
gentlemen who have knowledge of the
Subject consulted in company with
number of gentlemen yesterday.
DR.. Peter Collier, formerly government
chemist. and a gentleman who is widely
known. declared that he questioned
whether any country had ever grown
csna richer in sucrose than the sorghum
which be has seen drawn into Fort Scott
every day for the past month. Y nder
these favorable circumstances DR.. ID. w Z.
WILEY, With a corps of assistants, as
sumed charge of the works on Sept. 10.
The understanding with the company
was to the effect that he had only come
n TO perfect experiments formally made
II last wear, and he would not remain to
Il exceed two weeks, that being regarded as
n ample time with the improved machinery
n at command. 1t is with what has and
n has not been accomplished that we may
III have to do.
M DR.. Wiley came here determined to
"a achieve success in his own way, and no
IA one Will deny that ne has Iailed, and
a through mis- failure has greatly retarded
a the growth of amuch demanded industry.
DIFFUSION WITH HOT WATER.
First be was welded to diffusion with
hot water, which he claimed would ex-
tract all OF the sugar from the cane, with
large amount Of impure matter which
be then proposed to remove by a process
OF carbOnatati0n and sulphuriZatiOn. He
failed, and the grievOus ault with him was
that falling, he refused to listen to what
the experience of practical men had
proven. THIS foolish p 'licy was pursued
until Oct. l, when Prof. Wiley left for
aouIuStous anu was HOU6 ISu udfS.
de attributed his failure to the warm
weather, and predicted success when
frost came
But once relieved of the presence Of
FTol' Wiley, the company determined to
apply dInuslon to the cold water process,
Win different method Of car bOnatation,
ana as result produced the first run of
marketable sugar, which was duly an
Hounced and claimed by Prof. Wiley as
success for himself in a dispatch from
asnlngl0n. Upon his return he bluntlv
ATTRIBUTED the success of the eXperim ents
70 DINER than the real cause, and REIN
augurated his pet theory, continuing his
experiments, which should have been
completed within Two weeks up to Oct.
- W1en be finally turned the works over
70 the company. During these fruitless
eApt fments, which have taken up the
enuFe season, 1000 TONS of cane have
oeen worked up and the product thrown
a"ay as worthless, and hard blow
sven 10 the sorghum interest simply to
s'@"y an lh0rdinate ambition.
SOME TERMS DEFINED.
o. N order that the reader may understand
we meaning OF the terms, carbOnatation
COuslsts oil adding from TO per cent. of
guIeA Ime to the juice, and then passing
ou.uusu Tue Juice thus lined stream of
N aioouc acld gas, by which the lime is
HeuVai led. The carbonate OF lime thus
J ;gtneu lacllltates the tiltering of the
NE out lts action is purely mechanical,
s .ee'TIuuhg the cumming up of the filter
vs. VS. Inc addition Of this large quantity OF
VS., @usuc lime is, however, very detrnen-
s r'i tV,"lng TO its destroying the glucose
auu olacKenlng the juice, and. therefore
8 s,a .oouaIe OF lime Of some other inert su b.
s .aLce mas been substituted with equally
,VIaole results, so far as filterinr Is
ta r'eLneo, ana without the Injurious ac-
w Uhe sucrOse and Juice. 1t
wiz, w tne use Of this carbonate of lime
81 sr ',u sue coid diffusion that the company
NJ -y yESteu success during the absence OF
y "Hey at Washington, and vet upon
n.s ,e'urn be Insisted upon q return to the
90 oess quIcAIlne and the hot water pro.
!. N G @uu continued to run The works IN
mai n.y.. ~ making a failure every day
IA I0Iisio .le emu. Gentlamen here from
ag.ia .'aua declared that they will protest
M D,HnlS having anything to do with
!, eAperments there.
Nj 80. eA pected that 200 tons Of Southern
hI !. W." wi, arrive here within a few davs.
oyi5s youthful about it being worked.
90 bioks... 70 singular circumstance, as
- DoCroRs LAST EXPERIMENT.
but some reason unknown b anv one
osd n, I'eelI' Dr. Wiley ordered a wagon
Nbtoi, t''Nc lhrOWn into the pond from