Arizona republican., 1897-12-17
A TICKLING PLANT.
An Institution Calculated to Build Up
 Belmont

An Institution Calculated to Build Up If
 Belmont
 Belmont, Ariz., Dec. 14-(Special correspondence of The Republican.)-l The reader must not entertain the idea that I am about to tell of an in dustry that will offer to the til CT of the soil am opening for his farm pro- dues. On the contrary it is the tim Der interests that will receive the benefit. The Arizona Timber and Lumber company, through the mei- itm of the Bellmont establishment, is under contract to the Santa Fe Pa cific ito supply hewn ties to the pant for a period of six years. Experi- ence has proven that the life of a tie is ocly four years, and the We-lhouse patent, which has run out several years, will remedy this to the extent of extending the life of a tie to about thirteen years The patent has been in operation for twelve years at Las Vegas, N. M., under the ccntrol of the Santa Fe company, while there is four cylinder plant at Chicago, ard one at Somerville, Texas, on the Cuff, Colorado and Santa Fe lire the last mentioned plant under control of the Texas Tie and Lumber company. The cost of this plant was s10,000.
 Late in August the Santa Fe com pany began work at the station twelve miles west of Flagstaff. Rob ert Rowe, son of the gentleman who put in the Las Vegas plant. was called ito Superintend matters and the gen. tleman will remain at least until op erations at the plant are we'll under way. The ground occupied in build ings, platform, storage of ties and tracks covers some 600 yards in length and 700 feet in width The tracks will amount to four miles of standard gauge and one mile of two foot, or "baby," width. The first pro- cedure was to lay the tracks of shnd- ard gauge in urder to side track the machinery, ties necessary for imme diate treatm ent, lumber ne9ded to build platform and Wins,ow brick used in certaEh buildings.
 The main building is that wherein the two cylinders, each 11O feet in length, are located, and besides which 1 is the pump room and six compress ors. To the north of this are two tanks of immense capacity, these be- ing set on score of pillars built of cement East of this are two buld- l ings for storage of chemicals and gen. eral supplies, adjoining which is a vat house where is tank in which is made the concentrated zinc chlo- i ride solution. This tank is lined with lead equal tn weight to three and one-haf tons. The ma a-erials neces- sary to the soluti-N are transferred by the trolley from the s,orhge build ing. Large boilers are enclosed in brick walls, these being necessary to 1 the creation of steam used in the 1 cylinders and for motive power. The l platform is situated to the west of the building mentioned. This is twen- 1 ty+,wo feet wide by 800 feet in length and on which ride the nars loaded with ties, which are held to the iron trucks by chains. Thirteen of these cars will run into each cylinder, each cylinder having a capacity of 400 eight foot ties, when the cylinders are hermetrically sealed. IA ''niggar'' is operated at each end of the plat form, this acting as the. means of drawing the thirteen cars or trucks to and from the cylinders 2
 The method of treatment begins with sealing the ties within the iron cylinders or retorts. After the vacu- um in the cylinders or retorts is pumped, steam is tuIned on for two to five hours. A vacuum is again created and them the chloride solution is foTced into the cylinders, this so- luticn being the antiseptic that en- ters into the wood and prevents de cay. This pressure of 100 pounds to the square inch is kept up from two to five hours. The entire trea.men. runs from twelve to fifteen hours The two big tanks outside of the pump room contain 95, ,000 gallons, one carrying the zinc chloride sou tion and the other the t3nin solution, both necessary to the complete ex.- cuticn of the method of treatm ent, after the wood has received steam bath. A i-i1k lined with five tors of lead stands beside the two larger ones, this containing concentrated zine l chloride. and which is fed from the 1 tank previously mentioned. The whole process of handling ties from the loading on the trucks and taking "a course of .reatment to that of pi-ing up again in the yard ready for de- i livery costs the railroad but 15 cents ! Der tic.
 A 100 gallon water tank, which is | fed from springs and a pond a mi e i south of the plant, stands in the mid dle of the yards. This supplies the 1 boilers, through 5000 feet of pipe, and l also plugs erected to afford fire pro- lection.
 There are now 120,9Oo safed ties on the grounds, but hereaf5 err only hewn ties will be delivered fcr treat ment. The capacity of the plant at present. is 1000 ties per dsy and with the addition of a third retort next