Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-05-15
OPEN THE ABATTOIR.
Public Exhibition Given At tho Valentine
Companys NsY SlauSltsr-Hoass.
ExpLAsArfox or rHn PROCESS.
Stages Through which the Animal
Passes nstween the Dstcher's Pea.
and the Bofiing- the
Horns and Hosfs Used.

The Richmond Abattoir was formally
opened yesterday afternoon In the pres
encs OF number Of gentlemen who had
been invited by the Valentine Meat-1uice
Company to witness the process OF 'ne
siauehter Of cattle as II will be conducted
here, according TO the latest improved
methods.
The building. which, with the outbu''n'
mrs. occupies six acres of land. Is some
what inposing brick structure OF reu
brick. .situated on Goddin street one
square from the Brook road. ana three
sousres north of Bacons Quarter branen'
fhe enterprise = the result OF io"s
desire on the part OF the Meat-Juiee Co'h'
many to have under their immediate SUI
pervis.on the entire process. IN order 'na'
they might study It, 30 as 70 ascertain
she product Of each animal. Win vie"
20 obtain the best results In the manu'ae-
ture Of their celebrated extract.
The plans for the building were pre-
pared. according 20 instructions ny
Chira 20 architect, and were executed py
Messrs Duke e. Jobson, OF this city. ths
foundation- stone was laid on the 90 Vi
MsrcA ana the building completed on
the 18th OF April.
THE ARRANGEMENTS.
IN ths ground floor IA the slaushter-
ronnn. connected by an alley-way with tne
isrrs csttIe-pens. Leading from me
sisushter-room are the paunch-room ana
the cooling and cutting-out room VIII
The storaxe-rooms overhead. and inc
ho,lsr- and drying rooms on the GROUND
aoor nj the west end Of the building
The rooms are all light. airy, and hieh-
nitched. and with the exception OF inc
storage and boiler-rooms the noors aIe
Of granoiithe. The cutters ana sewers
are OF the same material. and the reIuse
rms from inclined floors into SURFACE GUT
,s,s an fbat the slightest accumulation
NAV ba instantly detected and removed
the building Is lighted throughout Win
electricity. and q code Of electric-aiarms
is ussd 20 communicate with the eng.
nsers and Iaborers In different parts Oh
the building. Each room. as well as ,ne
ca,tle-pens. Is provided with nre-pus
End hose to reach any part or tbein' anu
there ia a fre-waIl between each depart
ment. The water supply is Obtained l,oih
n well. and Ii pumped by smaii ensine'
with a capacity of 1900 gallons an nVu'
buildinr. From this tank there IL IL
Waterman. supplying the boiler ana nre-
Mugs. ZACH room In addition being iur-
ni.hed with barre.s, which are kept iuii
NJ fresh water, and so located as 10 ne
ALWAYS handy and to furnish an abuhu-
ance OF water to the workmen. Dach oi
these barrels Is fitted with steam connec-
tons.
TO PRESERVE CLEANLINESS.
To insure perfect cleanliness. the insti-
tuition IL furnished with a set OF uhwri',
ten laws. the violation OF which is visittu
crifh instant dismissal. No tools or any
obstruction is allowed upon the noors'
The steam elevator, which runs from 'ne
killing to the storage-rooms, IL 10 pe
nsei exclusively for the meat, ana the
men are not allowed 10 expectorate OF
s,noke I'm the building. There is general
air of solidity and wel-oruereo ieeuAii''
about the building.
The process yesterday was witnessed
Nv a representative company, inciuding
Mayor r. NJ. Taylor, Messrs James l.
Gary. g. II. Halves. Edward V. Naieh-
fine. r.. u. Chafiin, Frank Jobson, John
casey. William Ryan, r. A. Patterson
Peter Hillayo, J. IL. Barton, Colonei W.
T.. Cutshaw. Colonel John 3. haIwoou'
pr. w. IL. Taylor. DR.. w. I. open
1imer. and Messrs. William Gray. Ihomas
\ Garter. s. y. Waddil. James N. BOYD.
John II. Frischkorn, and Charles n. boii-
Inc. and aroused no little interest and en-
,husiasm at the skill. proficiency. and
ranidi,y with which the animal was killed
and cut IN.
THE capacity OF the house is said to be
200 animals a day.
HOW IT IS DONE.
When first received the cattle are driven
over scales. placed In the alley
way leading 10 the cattle-penS'
which are 80 arranged that each car
load of cattle can be kept separately.
The animals are weighed In order 10
ascertain the shrinkage which occurs IN
animals received from a distance, anu
also TO determine the gain or loss In
weight in keeping stock me amman 70
he killed Is driven to the feedirS-pen
ard fed into the killing-stall-a small
wooden compartment just large enough
10 admit one animal at time. As soon
az the animal IS within the pale the
door is closed by the driver. and the
butcher. who stands on an elevated plat
form. kills It by striking II on the lore
head with sledge-hammer. ana raises
n partition to the pen communicating
with the slaughter-room by pulling
rome. which relieves friotion-hoist. INT
animal is then shackeled by a secone
man. who waits outside the kiliing-pen
The carcass Is then raised by means o.
n mechanical contrivance TO an over
head track. when the shackls is place.
on a traveller the hoisting chain relieved
and the animal Is pushed along the ira
WELLER until it's head is located over
blood-gutter when Its throat ID cut I'M
Sead severed from the body, and TIT
n,ooa allowed TO drain. The carcass u
then pushed to the end Of the track
where It IL let down by means OF
dropper to the floor. and partially skinned
Its entrails are removed py wv
men and deposited In the paunch-room
The corpus Is then raised by a tree, an
the sides split to the neck. The tree !
raised by a hoist TO the level OF the ira
weller. and the sides complete,
the cooling-room. where they pass owe
tracks caIes, when the sides ar
weighed. After the animal-heat has lef
the meat, the sides are run to the cutting
put table, where they are quartereo
ana the lean flesh. bone, sinew. and ~
separated. This being done. lahore
collects the meat in a bucket suspende
from an overhead track, and weighs
nm the overhead scales. after which II
consigned to the feeding-p platform, wher
n n fed to chopper and fine-grinde
np,iis with a capacity OF 1000 pound
an hour. From this It runs into hug
tubs and Is loaded upon wagons for tn
Meat-Julce Works. The bones, fat an
sinew are conveyed by similar buckle
20 the elevator. placed upon truck. an
raised TO the second floor. where the
are turned into the tank. in which II
material is cooked under forty pound
of steam pressure for six hours. ate
which the contents are allowed to settl
The taliow rising to the top Is draw
into a cooler, from which barrels al
filled for shipments. The tank Ia the
emptied by means OF a large gate>val,
ut the bottom, and the contents run INF
a large wooden tub. where the remainin
taIlow Is SKINNED or the water. and a
the meaty matter and the bones. wh,c
have become soft through the process
are put into a press. 500 pounds at
time, and when ell the moisture Is presse
out are fed through shute in,
a dricr which dries and puiverisess cit Il
shipment as fertilizer.
SKIN. BONES. AND HEADS.
The skin, bones tibeas. and head
however. are boiled In open watts TO e,
tract neatsfoot-oil. after which III
heads are bleached and shipped to II
sugar-rehneries. and the other bones sol
30 knife-handle- makers The hoofs an
horns. which are cut OF at an early stas
" the process. are boiled to render the
soft. and the horny substance remove
nv Of ha p,xaar nd srsld m b.t