Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-07-04
A GREAT MILL.
Augusta Lumber Co.'s Large estab-
lishment on East Side.
Account Of What May be Seen on q Visit te
That Place.


Arsenal street, East side, and altogether
oover about is acres. This mill was built
j, 1876. and was run by Sturgis, Lambert
g. Co. In 1889 the company was incor-
rorated and has since been known as the
Augusta Lumber Co.
The company cuts and drives its
own logs and manufacturers them at
this mill. The headquarters is a very
bn.v Mace to visit. A Journal reporter
called at the company's office the other day
and with the president, Ira II. Randall,
E.o.. visited the mill and yards. ,.-
There are 30 mill hands employed beside
,bree planers, two engineers, three fire.
mon one Waterman, seven teamsters,
four surveyors, 10 outdoor men, hnd eight
men for the log crew. ...
To give some idea Of the extent of the
business, SC, 900 feet Of long lumber is cut
daily. and 25, 900 shingles, 10000 lathes'
1000 broom handles, 1000 clapboards'
1000 pickets. Fifteen Thousand feet
of lumber is planned daily. The
sbipment Of this manufactured lum-
Der 10 partially by rail, but mostly by
vessel. The market is principally in New
England .not A.. tsa4E
The Company now has ten million OF
lumber afloat, and it is Of very fine quality
and in fact the best lot it has ever
procured. 1t has $1,000 logs to collect this
season. AT this mill between seven and
eight million Of lumber is manufactured
YEARLY. A carpenter can go to the mill and
get any piece of humber he.wishes, for use
in the building of house. ay1
A conveyor has been built from
the main mill to the single mill and will
be great saving Of time and labor. 1t
will be run by power and save the firm $500
per year.
Il will be q long trough V shaped and in
the center will be an endless wire rope with
little grabs to fasten into the blocks
sufficiently to hold them while being con-
yeyed to the single mill to be manufactured.
A unique feature about the running of
this large establishment is, that everything
that comes from the manufacturing of the
lumber is utilized. Not long ago the
sawdus! and old bits of slabs went into
the river Now the sawdust comes down
through large pipe and is burned in the
furnace and furnishes heat to make the
steam for the mill and the heating of the
Maine insane hospital.
The mill and yards are we'll protected
against fire, There are two hydrants on
the premises. one owned by the company
and one by the city. A little hose house is
on the mill grounds and is supplied with a
cart and other necessary equipments. Small
hose is ready for use in several places
about the mill.
very nice Office building is on the
grounds and located so that from the back
windows the mill and part of the yards may
be SEEM From here the reporter was taken
on the hasty trip over the yards aud through
the mill. The first apparatus noticed was
for hauling the boards up into the yard.
1t is run by power, and last year two
million of lumber was drawn up by it.
At one side of the yard is a blacksmith shop
where all the necessary work in that line is
done. A conveyor takes the odd bits of
wood from the mill to shed, where it is
piled up and sold.
There is building in which sawdust is
stored. The sawdust Is conveyed to this
building from the mill by means of large
blower, run by steam power.
A very ingenious arrangement was re
Gently invented by Mr.. Randall and adj
mirahly serves the purpose. 1t is ma
chine for lowering the boards from the saw
ing department to the planning room, and
consists of revolving machine having long
arms attached to hold the boards till they
reach the bottom, and on the arms turning
to come up on the opposite side the
boards drop out. The log drawer in
the main saving room has been
improved and is now composed of .
heavy chain with grab hooks, which
stick into the bottom of the log as it is
pushed into the sluice, and all the logs are
hauled up by machinery. A circular saw
forced by a steam cylinder. now takes tine
place of the drag saw, for butting the logs
aud better serves the purpose and
saves time. The live rollers for shifting
the logs is another fine feature of the ma
chinery. They can quickly be changed to
run backward or forward, according to the
way 1t is desired to move the log. The ma.
chinery, men, logs, boards, and everything
IN the main saving department present a
lively scene during the 10 hours and &c
minutes of work daily.
Three boilers, with total of 400 horse
power drive all the machinery. The engine
Is 100 horse power and was built by Allen
Small & Co, of Augusta. An oscillating en-.
CINE drives the saving carriage. A l5horse
power Westinghouse engine furnishes power
70 blow the aavdust MT n oodod in thu furuo nc