, 1891-01-14

1Ilnq WAS STILL. 11O NOC1 p"N'N
over the works by Mr.. Ontran', the Du'I'-
ings overseer who did his best 10 ex1laihtLo
object of the various pieces of ITO any but u
mechanical engineer) apparently complied
ted mechanism and the natnreOf their opera
ton. without means of actual demonStra-
ton, On the occasion of his second visit,
Mr.. peiffer. the then ewly-appoinfed
buildings manager, to whom he wi's refer
red by Mr.. ST. Aubyn, deputy m&nager OF
the estate, had been on nlglIt duty anu
Ind ONLY lust retired to rest. He, however,
did not suffer on that account, being kindly
taken .iE hand by Mr. Won. ZeIgesar, OF
N0nparpii, who happened to he on the eS'
tate. and whose acquaintance ne hAd llaae
on the occasiOn>Ot his Wait 10 NJ parcel
to see tire diffusion process (i}ien entirely
new to the colony in operation ,t1eT@. ll7
drscriptiOn OF the PROCESS there was. pun
lishrd in the "ArgO$y' on 9TH tcblua-.
ry, 1889 (In the description that follows,
when what is generally understood to I'M
uly the editorial "wu'' occurs it must he
understood to signify our representatives
and Mr.. Won Ziegesar. Our first plunge 3
(and a very literal one it Was) waS INTO
the vault underneath the cane receiver
and the 8Iicing apparatus. DARK as
EtebuS, nothing for q time was visible, Out
bv degrees DIR eyes became accustomed ~
the gloom, and with the aid OF a lantern we
we're soon able to discern the cane chips
mourning down from the cutter III a compact
continuous. stream. They are received in.
the centre OF what is called the screw dls-
tributing trough. The screw ~ on the
centrifugal principle, and carries the chlpS
i'll both directions from the centre a DIS
tance of perhaps forty feet, where they nre
received OH. endless wire rope carriers by
which they are conveyed TO the dlHnSl"h
battery. These carriers are capable OF
conveying, and we believe, actually no
convey, to the diffusion battery 400 tons OF
chips ,er day. A, week or two betoEe our
representatives. visit, n cOOlle man mao
been killed by falling into the trough, the
engine having unfortunately been started
while he was. engaged in sweeping out th"
trough: If his nerve had not ttlleae h7
probably would not have fallen; hut, once
in the trough ard the screw revolying,tN"t
he should be crushed to death was almoS
inevitable. The coroner and jury before
whom the inunest was held, after visiting
the vault, recommended that more h%ht
should ..tpe used. They probably did not
reflect that people, such az coal miners
and others. accustomed TO work III semi
udTkUHSS, SOOlF "JNOOhIC "|'N " -
gloom; almost, if not quite, as well as Ill he
full glare of, day, and that only persons
suddenly transferred from the, light OF day
TO partial darkness are dazed and beWil-
dered thereby. In any case, it il only dur
ing dag that there can be any lack OF light.
the place being fitted with % large electric
lamp, "a gainSt which one of us was so ulI-
fortunate as to SHrike his head with. force
sufficient to subject the strength OF ne
great glass glGba to II somewhat severe
test) and which when lit is OF power sniff
Gent to brilliantly illuminate the sphere Of
operation. Ascending to the level Of terra
frma, we And at the head Of the stairs what
may without disreSpect he termed the
knife grinders room. II is the place i'll
which the knives used in slicing the canes,
which require to be changed st intervals,
arc sharpened. This is effected by means
Ofemall grindstones drivenb " steam'power,
Close by is % boiler which drives an air
compressor that supplies hot. air 10 the
Yaryan and for other: purposes, At the
head of the stairs leading 10 the diffusion
battery is AN automatic electric apparatus
which. registers the quantity Of liquor that
passes from each diffuSer and the time 0c-
cupied in the process. 1t is said to secure
an absolutely accurate record. with which
it is not possible TO tamper. The diffusion
battery Ii one of the largest and most pow
erful in the world. 1t contains % d~ifflsers
arranged in parallel lines, u on each side,
being in this respect mike the one at