New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-12-24
CUBAN PLANTATION.
GLINfPSES OF SANTA CATALINA.
-v,xc NIGHT IN SUGAR MILI-How IN.
nrsrRIAI. PROBLEMS ARE SOLVED IN CUBA.

VySTRI I, PROBLEMS AXE SOLNfD IN CUBA.
,,,ov . STAFF CORRESPONDENT TErsuNK.)
Corral False, Cuba, Dec. 6.-Thc first great
.rr,r mill TO begin operations this season IN the
Motanzas cane belt is Santa Catalina frepara-
.ions for starting the grinding machinery and boil
;ng works have been making for several weeks,
a.r the personal direction Of Mr.. Mesa, the
odm;nistrator. All the pondcrous and complex
'.ocbauism which has been motonless for seven
.o.,b. has been overhaulcd and readjusted. New
,bineyv has been tested and brought into work
- relations with the main plant Dcnlcators
"a vscuum-pans have been cleaned; boilers ana
.h.s have been critically examined: every wheel
~. heen oiled and all the arrangements Tor hVe
.on.bs of continuous manufacturing have been
rerfected Last evening the power of the engines
as brought fully TO bear upon all the mechanism.
tn. conductors loaded with cane, were SET In mo-
,o, The enormous shredder began ITS attack
Nv The cane The two great crushers caught
W tho fragments and squeezed the juice out OF
them. The refuse bagasse set out on l'S long
automatic Journey TO the furnace fires. Where IL
was 20 generate steam and TO keep all the ma
h;nsry ~ the sugar works in operation until
Aoril The streams Of cane Juice began 10 pour
.-.o ,ba treat defcators whence il was TO be car
rsd after the triple effect Of boiling at diiiereno
.onn.ratures to the vacuum or strike pans and TO
~. ..,t-;fpcals In the course Of few hours all
Az Intricate mechanism OF the mill was Ill full
operation.
7. was nv good fortune to witness the opening
-, tho Grinding season at Santa Catalina. hau
In MatsnYas carly in the afternoon, ana han
cached Corral Faso in the interior of the island
otter a railway ride of two hours. Familiar as
,ro. with Cuban scenery had seen nothing more
beautiful than this fertile stretch OF troplcal
myar-land For forty miles the railway rar
,b,op,b an almost unbroken level Of cane heid'
r;f,U wears ago much of this land was covered win
coffee shrubs and there were banana clumps ana
,,n.s ~ Mains for shading the tender plants. The
co7e. plantations have disappeared. but the alleys
=, ,o,n, remain 10 beautfy the landscape and to
haay stlent witness to the transfer OF once hour
i.hinc industry to other tropical lands Where
orce were drving-foors and palm-thatched sheds,
Nth nulning machinery for preparing coffee Tor
o,rks. are now seen the tall smokcstacks ana
enormous grinding and boiling works OF the snsar
f,ctories One industry has passed away so COM
,,.tolv that Cuba which was few generations
nm the chief coree-farm for Europe. now imports
,ts own supply Of the aromatic bean. But another
,ar.t,v has taken the place OF coffee and trans
.o,rea the face Of the country. Cuban cities have
an IMPOVERISHED aspect They seem to be fallins
into ruin and to be perishing from neglect. lhey
offer melancholy evidences OF commefc1ai ue-
cadence and are haunted with memories oil former
n,orn.r,tv The sugar tract Of Matanzas has an
..h.r story 10 tell The broad sweeps Of cane. now
vim. for harvest reveal the wonderful fertility
- .h. ,siI and the wealth of natural resources
NTH which Cuba is endowed. The huge factories
crammed with costly machinery and brilliantly
illuminated at night with electric light, indicate
tho nerfe.t,on 10 which one Of the most intricate
and scientific manufacturing industries mas peeh
carried.
Corral Fal.o ia one Of the numerous railway sta
tions serving as outlets for the produce OF greao
sugar estates I drove rapidly by volante 70 'he
administrators plantation house, and fouhu oo'n
Mr. Mesa and the owner OF San Catalina Hehry
Heidegrer. awaiting the final preparations for
fart,ng ,the crushing machinery Both were
American citizens, the former being CUBAN oS
birth who had resided for long time in the
United States When dinner was served IN the
spaciou. plantation Iving-room / found myself
in a charming company of Cuban-Americans. VINO
received me with gracious hospitality ana I'M
affected simplicity. When dinner was over we
went out to the mill where the furnaces were
already In full blast and the great carriers am
rollers in motion. There was none Of the excite
ment OF an opening night. The operatives fell
into their places and worked % if they were thor-
oughly interested in what they were dong. 1here
WAS glare OF electric Light which enabled every ore
ont confusion sense Of orderness and orpani-
zation p.rvaded the mill II was New-Ensland
factory in southern latitude manned by silent,
Industrious and expert workmen, and directed with
genuine Yankee skill and efficiency Mr.. Heideg-
ger described il apologeticay preliminary
trial OF the machinery but satisfactory were the
results that when left the plantation the next
day il was announced that everything was IN per-
feet order and the mill in operation for the sea
son.
Tie process of making crude sugar is 30 familiar
20 wellinformed readers that il is only necessary
here 10 describe il briefly. The cane is delivered
by open railway cars at the entrance Of the mill
and thrown upon moving CONDUCTOR which con-
veys il 70 the rollers Of the shredder Thence IL
passes TO two crushing mills, where it is ground
into small fragments The refuse goes AUTO
maticay 10 the furnaces and Is burned under
forced draught. being the only fuel employed In
the works The juice is collected in watts under
the three mills, and after being coarsev strained
is pumped into huge tanks. known a. dencators,
where II Is treated with lime and brought 10 the
boiling point, the albumen coagulatng when
cracked by steam and the acid being neutralized
by lime. From the dcficators the juice Is carried
TO three boilers from which fine air is partly eX-
hausted by steam pumps By this triple process
IL is boiled alternately at temperatures OF 200,
$50 and 80 degrees. according 10 the vacuum in
each pan. Thence it passes into the vacnum-pans'
in which the sugar crystaizes. When cooled IT
goes 70 the centrfugals, in which the sugar l. sep
arated from the molaSSes by rotary movement
The molasses il then boiled a second time. and
second grade Of sugar s obtained. The sugar Il
collected, bag.cd and stamped by machinery. ana
vhen weighed Is ready 20 be transported by railway
10 the warehouse in the nearest port
The extent 10 which sloar machinery has been
improved during recent years is illustrated at
Santa Catalina. Only one portion Of the mechan-
Ism, which was IN the factory when Mr.. iieide3gcr
purchased the estate ten wears ago. is still in use
That is one Of the grinding mills which was
then considered 70 be Of srDcriOr pattern All the
nthar machinorr has hnen renlacnl one improved