Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1889-12-20
SpreckeIs' Sugar Refinery Started.

Claus Spreckels' immense sugar re-
finery in Philadelphia was success
fully started last week. Mr.. Spreck-
els himself celebrating the occasion
by dumping the first hogshead of
Brazilian raw sugar into the melting
pan. At an early hour the great
sugar king was on hand and directed
the work OF preparation. Several
South American vessels were moored
at the refinery wharves and an army
of stevedores were engaged in un-
loading the cargoes OF raw sugar.
The cornerstone OF the new struct-
ure was laid on October 90, 1888. The
total cost of the plant is estimated at
$4,000, 900. The site on which the
buildings stand covers in all nine
acres of ground, exclusive OF the
space covered by the three large
wharves The works are built upon
made ground. the whole weight being
borne by piles, Of which there are
more than 10000. The main build
ings are 100 feet high.
The buildings of the new refinery
now completed consist Of the ware
house, 1856 feet long by go feet wide !;
finishing house, SO by rs feet char
filtering houses, each 152 by 6S feet,
with total area Of Al, ,344 feet pan
house, 157 by 60 feet; boiler house,
265 by So feet; bag filter house, 1865 by
go feet; machine shops, 200 by rs feet;
and barrel factory $50 by 130 feet.
Besides these are the offices for the
engineer, the superintendent and the
staff OF clerks, the labratory OF the
chemist and his assistants, and the
buildings for the electric light plant
and machinery. Twenty million
bricks have been required in the con-
struction of the buildings, which
range from three to thirteen stories
high.
The steam generating plant is most
expensive. The boilers are divided
into number of separate batteries,
amounting to $500 horsepower.
The barrel factory, $1,000 barrels
daily, is the largest and most COM
pletely equipped in the United States
Three distinct lines Of railroad run
ming on the property afford commu-
nication with every section of the
country. On the refinery property
are three wharves, each eighty feet
wide and six hundred feet long, and a
dozen OF the largest-sized ships and
steamers can load or discharge at the
same time. The wharves are covered
in, forming immense warehouses. A
conveyer runs along the whole length
of the dock. The buildings are lighted
with incandescent lights. Automatic
sprinklers, for protection against fire,
are distributed throughout the build
ings and everything has been done to
make the refinery the best equipped
and most economically worked as
well as the largest in the world. The
plans and drawings were prepared
under the directions OF Il. II. Muller,
who remains in charge Of the works.
The superintendent OF the refinery
is A. L. Seighortner, Jr. 1t is esti-
mated that the establishment can
handle and refine 2,0OO,O 900 pounds OF
sugar daily. Mr.. Spreekels has al
ready begun the work Of duplicating
the present plant on site adjoining,
so that when the duplicate set OF
buildings are erected the refinery will
have capacity of 1000, 900 pounds OF
sugar daily. The duplicate buildings
will be completed before the end of
next year. One thousand persons
will then find steady employment.