The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1894-09-12
IN A SUGAR REFINERY.
PROCESSES BY WHICH THE RAW
SUGAR Is REFINED.

ROOms-Frlghtful Toll.
TT is doubtful if there is any other
group of buildings in or near
New York where the fearful diff |
I. culties under which men labor
for the bare privilege of living, are so
plainly shown rs they are in the
towering, forbidding, fortress-like |
structures on the East River front of
Brooklyn, owned by the American
Sugar Refining Company, better
known as the Sugar Trust
The big buildings cover a space OF
four blocks on both sides of Kent
avenue, from South First to South
Fifth streets, and on the west side OF
the avenue extend to the river front,
their grimy, dull-red walls extending
seventeen stories above the street
level. A close inspection OF the
Havemeyer refneries is necessary to
thorough realization OF the i'm
mensity of the establishment, and
this group is one of the refining places
owned by the trust. 1t has no equal
in size or in the amount of its bust
ness in the limits OF the Greater New
York. The employees of the great
concern are disciplined with rules as
strict as those which govern an
army. If one attempts to get into
the refineries he meets the discipline
in the shape of gruff watchman and
a club, and call at the offices reveals
it in the shape of more or less polite
negative from the clerks, who will say
that they cannot answer questions.
There are about 5000 men employed
in the big refneries, and these are
divided into day and night shifts.
About o'clock in the morning half
of the force can be seen filing down
into the basement of one of the great
buildings. Work is begun i'm
mediately, and continued until In
the evening, when the men are sup
piled with checks, showing that they
were on hand when work begun.
The majority of the workmen are
Poles and Hungarians, and the severity
of their labors is shown by the fact
that they are nearly all thin and
stopped, and rarely above middle age,
it being n well-known fact that men
employed in the rehneries rarely live
to old age. They are nearly new I'M
migrants when first employed, and be-
fore work is given them they must be
found perfectly docile and otedlent.
The rules of the re6neries are laid
down to the applicant for employment
and he is told that he will receive
SLIP, Sl.25 or 81. 80 as the case may
be, for the first year, and then, II his
work is satisfactory, he may receive
an additional five or ten cents day.
The man is assigned to work IN one OF
the many departments, and II ne mas
received the ''tIp" from friends OF his
own nationality before going to work.
he trembles lest the edict may con-
denim him to the "dry room" 1t 1t
be that, however, he receives it with
characteristic stolidity, and Is thank
full for an opportunity to earn his ms
cradle pittance, even under such TER
rible circumstances.
When the raw sugar is dumped from
the ship in which it is brought to the
refineries it is placed in n great cistern
near the rivers edge, and is dissolved
in hot water. From this vat sweet,
sticky steam constantly arises, and
every little while n workman, dressed
in overalls aud an undershirt, pops
out from it, and in n minute or so pops
back again, and is lost to sight IN tue
moist cloud. The liquid is pumped
up to the top story of the pile, pass
ING through "A wire strainer, which re-
moves any particles of size which may
be in it, and is emptied into great cop
per receptacles heated TO 20S or III
degrees Fahrenheit, known as boilers
The process of boiling requires con
siderable skill, and the men who have
charge of it are paid SlOo or sl0O
month, the number receiving the lat
ter figure being extremely limited,
only one man in hundred who re
ceives employment in the rehnerieI
becoming n boiler, which is the highest
ambition of the workmen.
The boiling and bubbiIng sugar II
passed down through tunnels TO tho
next floor, where it is emptled into a
box, the bottom of which consists ol
two thicknesses OF canvas, one being
coarse, the other fine. This thorough
" filters the stun, and the room Il
kept at terrific Temperature IN ordei
that the liquid sugar may flow freely
and not become cool and thick. Oh
the floor below is another great cop
per tank, some twenty-five feet deel
and nearly filled with bone black
This purides the sugar, Cad, after be
ing used for few hours, becomes sur
charged with foulness, and ls sent L
the lower floor, where II Is burne'
again. The sugar, which is still kep
at temperature of about 100 degrees
is passed into another receptacle
which is made alright, aud the an
, and steam are exhausted by means o.
a pump. As soon as the sugar Is gran
ulated, if it is to be slft. il Is let OF
by means OF centrifugal mills. Il not
, it is passed on to tue great plates 4
be dried.
Q The rooms in which the drying
carried on are verltable internos. NJ
man can stay in them over ten min
utes without falling down utterl,
prostrated by the terrific heat. \
= one but an employe Is ever allowe'
> within these walls, anl no one bat Al
employe would dare tn 60 IN thea
when the heat is on and the sugar
drying. Clothing Is discarded, vat
tha sxcaption of a "breech clOut' an