New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-07-22
DEATH IN THE REFINERrps
HOW THE SLAVES OF THE sI,cap
WORK, SUFFER AND mn
TERRIFIC HEAT AND SMALL wAGEs-rrrr
THE DRY-ROOM-HOw MUCH MEN .
ENDURE AND LrvE-rHE STORY n.
THE GRIM PILE OF BUILDrycs
NEAR BROADWAY.

NEAR BROADWAY
It Is doubtful If there Is any other grou, -.
| ings in or near NewYork where the ,earfr, N ~.
cut.es under which men labor for the bare n,.- a
OF wing. are so plainly shown as they ars :,
towering, forbdling. fortress-like structure,
Eas, River front OF Brooklyn owned BY thu
can Sugar Refining Company, better know, as
Sugar Trust
The big buildings cover space Of four bloch,
both sides OF Kent-ave.. from South Firs, % q
Fifth-st.. ana the west side Of the ava,ns ua
tend to the river front. their grimy dul.rss -. :.
extending seventeen stories above the stree, ,'s
A close inspection OF the Havemeyer rod
Is necessary TO a thorough realization =,
immensely OF the establishment. and this gran.
only OF the refining places owned By the 49,,
II has equal in size or in the amount OF II, 80
ness in the limits Of the Greater New-York ~
employees OF the great concern disciplined ~
rules as strict as those which govern an army y
one attempts to get into the rehnerles he meet, -
discipline In the shape OF gruff Waterman .,s'
club and call at the Offices reveals It in the ,h.
of more or less polite negative from the cl..s'
who will say that they cannot answer question,
Realistic pictures Of what human beings NAV \
compelled 10 undergo in earning their daily b,.,,
may be obtained there. however and the ,oas.-
tlnued spell Of roasting weather from which W.
Workers have suffered .ate.y has accentuatad q,
misery which was severe enough under oriln,,
conditions OF temperature. There are ah.
5000 men employed in the big rehneres, and The.
are divided into day and night shifts Abn,
O'Clock in the morning half Of the force can ~
seen fling down into the basement OF one OF n,
great buildings. Work IS begun mmedlately a.,
continued until In the evening. when the m-
are supplied with checks. showing that they were
hand when work begun. II they late ther. =
A good chance that they VIII be discharged un,sr
they have been employed for some time and hsu
been found 10 be faithful and doc.e men. In can
they are not discharged. they vii. be 'dockea-
as the superln ,endent sees 1T. and this general,
means half day.
The majority Of the workmen are Po.es and Hus
garlans, and the severity OF their .abors show,
by the fact that they nearly all thin ao
stopped. and rarely above middle age, It being ,,
well-known fact that employed in the ~
hneries rarely I've 70 Cd age. They are nea-y
al, new immigrants when first employed. and b.
fore work IS given them they must be found pr
fec,iy doclie and obedient The rules OF the re-
hner.es are laid down 10 the applicant for employ.
ment. and he is tod tha- he wi. receive 4
81 % or 81 %. the may be- for the mrs, year.
and then II his work is satisfactory. III may r.
ceve an additional or 10 cents day. The man
assigned TO work IN OF the many Department.
and IL he has received the nip from friends 0. Ia
own nationality before going 20 work. he trembs
lest the edict may condemn him 70 the "dEy-room'
II Il be that, however he receives /, wiki char
acteris,lc stoidlty and IS thankful FOR an oppor
tunity 20 earn his miserable pittance. under
such terrible circumstances Then begins a III.
perpetual. torture long as he remains IL as
refinery. ana not infrequently death comes quickly
70 his relief.
HOW THE SUGAR Is HANDLED.
When the raw sugar is dumped from the ship
in which II is brought 10 the reiineries it is placed
in great cistern the rivers edge. and is d.
solved In no; water. From this vat a sweet, sticky
rfs nd VIII
workman dressed in overa.ls and an uniershr
pops out from II, and In a minute or 80 pops back
again. and is lost 10 sight In the moist cloud. Tie
liquid IS pumped up the top story 81 he PIE
passing through a wire stralner. which removes any
particles Of size which may be in H. and Is eTnpuei
into great copper receptacies heated 70 10 or ~
degrees Fahrenheit. known as boilers The process
of boiling requires considerable skill. and the nen
who have charge OF IL are paid 500 or $50 moaA
the number receiving the latter figure being CT
tremey limited only about one man in a hundred
who receives employment In the refneres becoming
boiler. which is the highest ambition Of the work.
The boiling and bubblng sugar is passed down
through tunnels TO the next floor where 1t is empret
into box. the bottom Of which consists OF tvo
thckhesses OF canvas. one being coarse. the Other
fine THIS thoroughly filters the stuff and the room
is kept at terrific temperature in order mat ne
liquid sugar may flow freely, and not become ca
per tank some twenty-five feet deep and asary
filled with bone black. This purifies the sugar Az.
with foulness. and Is sent 70 the lower floor. whes
It Is burned again. The sugar. which IS stu KEEP
a
another receptacle. which is made alright. and he
air and steam are exhausted by means @. puma
As soon the sugar is graduated, II Il Is 70 q
soft. 1t is let off by means OF centrifugal mills Il
not. II Is passed to the great plates to be dried
WORKING IN AN INFERNO.
The rooms in which the drying is carried on ue
veritable nfernos. No man can stay in them over
ten minutes without falling down utterly prcstrate'
by the terrific heat. No but employe Is
ever allowed within these walls and no one but an
empoye would dare 20 go in them when the heat ss.
cariel. with the exception OF a "breech cout ana
shoes. and there IS absolutely no ventilation as tne
windows are kept tightly closed, and n the WIZ
dows in other rooms which are permitted 10 remain
open the men may be seen gasping for breath amos
they had been plunged IN the East Rlher. IN lEs.
short respite from their frightful toll Men N.'
have worked in the dryroom have only one et;;
preston TO describe II. the short. forcloe w"
hell"
CARRIED OUT LIKE DOGS.
During the recent hot spell men n'the drying
rooms have dropped down and been carried ont IA'
dogs. and so numerous have been the prostranon'
that at times II has been difficult 10 ind men
continue the work. The men thus prostra'ed are
said by their comrades 10 have been treated w.
great brutality The refinery people. tired OF ca'.S
on the hospital ambulances because i attra ~
the attention Of the newspapers, employed PM
sicians at the rehnerles and the unfortunate We
TINS. after reyivinS sufficiently TO stagSer ~
we're turned adrift TO reach home as best tny
minds so affected as TO be unable to return n,I,.s
work But others took their places, and me hiu ,s
work went on. 1t is on record that thers S,y
,Oo prostrations from the awful heat IN one ~"
last summer, the number reaching 500 IN me W.
This summer the harvest has been great ou, 20
lie attention has not been called 20 y U
frequency OF demands for aid from the nosp'A
HOME LIFE OF THE REFINERY HAM"
The men are for the mos; part new arrivals !" IS,
country. and the sugar-house offers the hrs' w. w.,
u employment. The chance OF work is eAe,
era sped. but it IS only short time BEFORE .e.
Ind out the difficulties surrounding them bu' .s.
stick 10 the renneres. hoping against, rope i've
something better vii, turn up Most OF tnsi n md
lear the sugar-houses. and with bent neau' sSSy
lowncast eyes they YEARLY drag thenseNes Snr
lfter their work Is done their foul ana "a
enement homes MANY OF them are mar ,ssy
AVE large families and il is wonder s no" meas
.xst on the small wages they receive Inef a. ard
ire OF the most frugal character. black brsaa .,s,
'ofree being the staple breakfast while frahh.uthS
md bolognas with A schooner OF beer make w "
midday meal the beer being a luxury - r,uL
Misery and distress are plain on al Sues, 18th.
ren pale and pinched for want of proper mo- frs.
neni run ha,f-naked about the streets. anu ,ss
,ncntly a drowned man Is found floating ~ ~
yer near the piers The description Of ne I'll
a., Oh