The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1892-07-09

white color and its consistency is OF soft
pulpy sort very much like boiled starch,
and not at all like wood. Squeezed in the
hand, however, there remains dense fibre
that clearly shows the stuff of which paper
is made, and establishes the link that binds
the pulp in the tank to its parent timber
on the neighboring hills.
A pulsometer pump, humping away
close by the bleachers, next drives the white
mass into fifteen large store chests, each
holding 5000 pounds. 1t is held in the
chests until the beating engines are ready
to give it a shaking up preparatory TO its
final transition The stock, which is now
called "half stock, here receives its color
ing material and sizing. If blue, yellow,
pink, on any other color is desired, this is
the stage in the process where the coloring
material is applied The "sizing, which
consists of resin and an alkali boiled to-
gether, is used to give the paper the desired
resistance to atmospheric influences. An
alum is nsed, which separates the alkali
from the resin in minute particles, aud
while passing through the calenders or the
paper machines it fuses, thereby complete
ly covering the sheet with a film, which
effectually resists the influences of the at
mosphere. Agolite or clays are used to
make the paper opaque.
! From the beaters the "half-stock" is
passed into large chest holding 200
pounds, containing an agitator turning at
the rate of twelve revolutions aminute, and
thus keeping the stock in uniform condi-
ton, preparatory to its passage to the re-
fning engines. These engines, two in
number, supply 106-inch paper machine
which marks the beginning of the end of
the metamorphosis. Having passed through
a sand-catcher to a receiver or mixing box,
the stock finds its way to the great Fourdi-
nier machines Still in liquid state, it is
passed to an endless wire screen and vi
brator, where the water is then taken from
the partially formed paper by means of
three suction pumps. This screen contains
seventy meshes to the square inch, and is
forty feet long. By the time the stock
leaves the screen, its transition to the paper
state is clearly defined, though there is still
long line of humming machinery through
which it has to pass. The primary stages,
however, are over.
A ten-inch dandy roller now gives the
, paper the same shape and surface on both
} sides, and, if necessary, supplies it with the
water mark Then it passes to two couch
rolls covered with .woolen jackets, and then
to a thirty-two foot endless Bredtwet felt,
5 where the remaining water is pretty effec-
, tually pressed out. As there is some water
remaining, another felt press is resorted to,
and then the paper is ready for the drying
? cylinders, fifteen of which, each As inches
| in diameter, and heated by steam, relieve
the paper of the last Of its moisture. A
| cloud of steam rising from these cylinders
! as they slowly revolve with their white
5 coverings, shows that some moisture still
remains. But the cloud grows less and less
dense as the last of the cylinders is reached
and by the time the paper reaches the cal
enders it is as dry as bone. These cal
endars are chilled iron rollers, which give
5 the paper its desired finish. From these
it passes to six revolving reels, and then to
the cutting MACHINES, where it is cut in any
shape or size preparatory to shipment.
While this wonderful process is going on,
the caustic soda used in cooking the wood
originally is by no means forgotten. This
soda is somewhat expensive, and about
|, Ga, 900 pounds of it would be lost every
day if it were not recovered. Accordingly,
it is drained through the bottom of the
tanks, to be subjected to a remarkable
series of processes, which eventually restore
it to its original condition and to 80 per
cent. of its original volume.
From the storage tanks it is filtered
through sand, and then run to boiler where
it is heated to 1700 preparatory to entering
: the Yaryan evaporating machines.
a These wonderful machines may be said
to have revolutionized not only the paper.
S making industry, but every other industry
' as well in which processes similar to that of
the recovery Of the caustic soda are in
volved The Yaryans contain twenty-five
coils traversing their entire length. The
5 liquor enters the coils at twenty-five differ
s ent places, and travels through each "effect"
t five times Then it passes out into the
l head, drops down and goes through into
l the second effect, while the steam passes
1 out. Thus, the steam arising from the hot
: liquors helps evaporate the liquor in the
second effect, where the operation in the
I first effect is repeated, the steam passing
: around the fues and the liquor passing
E through them. BY the time the third ei-
). feet is reached, the liquor is of the consis-
= tency of molasses, containing very small
: percentage of water, and consisting for the
I most part of soda and resin.
r After leaving the third effect it passes
e into a store tank and is drawn off into four
4 ''rotaries, which are simply revolving
: cylinders, eight feet in diameter, lined with
fire brick The liquor runs in at the back
!. of these cylinders aud coats the inner sur
: face, while natural gas fame at the front
J, sets it afire. In this way the resinous sub
. stances are burned out completely, so that
when the erstwhile liquor emerges at the
: front end of the rotary it is cherry ed
ash, consisting of carbonate Of soda mi ed