Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1894-05-11

Month from Time of Beginning
Reconstruction.
On Wednesday last we took occasion to
gisit the new stave mill of @. W. Althouse
Shich is now in operation on the site of the
me burned at Ithaca on the night of March
It'll last. IL is needless To say that we were
urprised in what we saw there. Ii is with
ut doubt the best staye and heading mill in
operation, and all up and in operation in 30
lays from the time Of clearing away the de-
iris of the old mill.
1t will be remembered that on the night of
ne fire we had one of the severest wind
forms known in this State for many years.
The details of the fire have been recited in
these columns. The adjustment by insurance
companies was completed on the 22d of
March, and the work of reconstruction was
pegun on the morning of the 23d. On April
I'D the mill was in operation.
The mill is constructed in a much better
manner than the old mill, special care being
AIKEN to secure perfectly solid foundation
or the machinery, the greatest safeguards
,ainst fire, ard perfection in the operation
Of the mill by having every improvement
10Th in kind and relative location of the
machinery and apparatus.
There were $4,000 feet of lumber used in
he construction of the mill. The main part,
Dr mill proper, is ll5x65 feet, with Is foot
posts; the annex for staye cutting is 24x60
feet; hot blast room, 22x24; dry kilns lax
81 feet. IA feet high dynamo and oil room
l6x28 feet The roof is gravel and has An
a y
and whole interior are of material planed
smooth to prevent the collection of dust.
The engine room is 40 feet square 20 feet
nigh and lined with sheet steel with no wood
IA sight, the floor of brick and cement. In
this there are two tubular boilers of the latest
pattern. On either side of the boilers are
situated the engines which are arranged TO
work independently or together on the line
Shaft. One is an Atlas automatic. l2xlS, and
he other Jackson. 1ix20. There is also
here a Buffalo duplex pump for the boilers
aud for fire protection.
In the heading department there are two
heading saving machines, planer. heading
j)inter, turner. and packing machines.
These machines are all piped carrying the
sagdust shavin2s etc by means of blower
up into two cyclone dust separators from
which il may be led at pleasure. the whole or
part, into the fire box under the boilers, or
INTO the shaving vault. This is the most
perfect system of firing that has been devised,
giving the fireman perfect control of the
steam, by the perfect control of the blast
and the amount of fuel which is thrown in.
In the stave cutting department are the
equalizing saws and stave cutting machine.
Ia the boiling department are drag saw aud
boiling saw for converting the logs into bolts.
The heating apparatus was furnished by
Huyett and Smith of Detroit; and the kiln
was built under the supervision of Mr.. James
Hazard of Pinconning who is in their EN-
ploy. He is, without doubt, the most
practical dry kiln expert in the
country. The kiln is of the most
approved pattern, the circulation of air being
maintained by blowers which force a strong
current of air through heated box filled
with radiating steam pipes, thence into the
kiln, circulating through the timber and
escaping by stack. after doing its work of
taking up the moisture from the slaves and
heading.
The heaters which are in separate room,
called the blast room, are No. 80, and No.
SO. Tie fans or blowers for the heaters are
driven 10y a I0xl0 vertical engine.
The mill is lighted by electricity 60 light
dynamo being provided for this purpose.
The mill, indeed, is pronounced by every
body who has examined 1t, a model mill.
That the people of Ithaca appreciate its value
TO the town is shown by the fact they placed
$1,000 in the bank to his account when the
mill should be rebuilt. That Mr.. Althouse
has appreciated this appreciation Is shown
by the fact that he has erected on the ruins
of the old mill, one in every way superior.