Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-02-25
MAor1SEnr Fon K1n1IYc HoGs.
improvements of the Wilmington Abat-
tor and Cold Storage Company.


The substantial now building recently
and Cold Storage Company on Tatnall
street between Second and Third, was
opened for the first time yesterday. The
structure is equipped from top to bottom
with all the improved machinery pos
sible in the operation of building of
this kind. It's dimensions are 70x100
feet three stories in height with base
ment underneath. The structure is
built entirely Of brick. This building
is properly known as the pork depart
ment and is indeed model in its line.
The first floor Is devoted entirely to
offices, delivery room and curing rooms.
The upper stories are connected by stair
ways leading from the first floor and by
an elevator running to the top of the
building. Tho hog-killing takes place
in an apartment provided for that pur-
pose in the second story of the building.
The animals are driven up an inclined
plane TO the killing pen. Here they are
stunned by blow from an iron instru-
ment resembling a quarryman's sledge.
AS soon as they are stunned chain is
fastened about their bodies and the ami
mails arc hoisted up into the next story
| of the building, the motive power being
steam. Here the bleeding takes place
| and the hogs are soon ready for the
| scaldlng tub.
AS soon as the swine are hauled out
of the scalding tub force Of men are
put to work "scraping" them, and when
this is done other men begin the work
of dressing them and cutting them in
two. The sides of the hogs arc then
conveyed to the room beneath, where
the work of cutting the meat up begins.
The sausage meat is sent down to the
basement to be ground in fragments
while the lard and scrnpple is also sent
to another department all by machinery
arranged for this purpose. The capacity
of the abattoir is SO ample and complete
that one hog can be killed minute if
necessary. There are certain killing
days, however, and the number of hogs
slaughtered is about 500 per week. The
building besides the modern arrange
ment for killing and dressing the hogs
is equipped with cooling rooms, chill
rooms, smoke house extending from the
first story to the top of the building and
all the apartments which go to make up
first-class concern of this kind.
The building is kept in state of per-
feet cleanliness throughout. The offal
accumulating about the slaughtering pen
and the scraping table is never allowed
to remain there over a day. This is
carried to a building adjoining, where
it is converted into fertilizer and dis
posed Of Nothing is allowed to go to
waste about the building, the company
being able to utilize every particle OF
the hog. The blood is disposed of for
dye purposes, the hair is used tor other
purposes, and as member Of the com
pany remarked, no part of the hog is
wasted with the possible exception Of
the "squeal" when the death blow is
struck.
The engine which affords the motive
power for hosting and other purposes is
of 50-horse power and q 100-horse power
boiler is in use. The company manufac.
ture their own ice and the frigidity OF
the "cold' and "chill' rooms is obtained
by forcing brine through 10 miles Of
pipes in use in the building and by the
use Of compressed ammonia. The tenn
perature of the cold room is kept al
about 800 above zero. With their i'm.
proved machinery in operation and the
building thoroughly equipped from tor
to bottom the company feel confident in
saying that the abattoir is second tc
none in use in this country. For
although the capacity is not as ample as
that of the large concerns in other cities
the building is equipped with the most
modern improvements, similar TO those
in use in the large abattoirs of the west