The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-03-04

| spOuts and empties into bags when are
| held on automatic scales. AS soon as
200 pounds run into a bag the beam
| of the scales tips and the flow Of fer
| tilize~ is automatically shut off, SO
that each bag contains accurately the
same weight. This work is done very
rapidly, and the fertilizer IS not Only
put nto the bags with ten times the
facility that it could be done by hand
but the weighing is done with more
facility and exactness han human
skill is capable Of. From the scales
the bags OF fertilizer are trucked away
on the instant that they are filled, and
go directly to the cars standing on the
side tracks.runningunder and alongside
of the building. In the cars the ends of
the bag are sewed and when one car is
loaded the work of loading anothe is
begun. When our reporter watched
the process, forty five cars were stand-
ing on the side tracks being loaded for
shipment by the Atlantic Coas Lin
and the Cape Fear and Yadkin Valley
railway. The plant contains sufficient
sidetracks to park 100 cars at a time,
several hundred feet of track having
been put in when the recent improve
ments were made.
THE ACID WORKS.
Possibly the most interesting feature
of the plant are the acid works, where
the s~ulphuric acid used is manufac-
tured. The acid building is a three
story structure, $50 feet long by 50 feet
in width. Adjoining this building is a
handsome brick house two stories high
and 20 by 100 feet, which is included in
the recent Improvements. 1t was con-
structed for the new pyrites battery
where iron pyrites is burned in the
process of making acid. In this build
ing there has been recently put in a
battery Of "A pyrites burners of the
very latest and most improved pat
tern. These batteries are furnaces
whose fires never go out day or night
while the factory is being run. The
pyrites, which is sulphurated iron ore,
is shOveled into the furnaces, and the
intense heat causes the sulphur to go
off in fumes that pass up through lead
overs and cOndense into acid that
run into huge lead chambers that ex-
tend along the acid building and reach
from the second to the third stories.
After the greater portion Of the fumes
cOndenSe into acid there remains a
certain percentage Of fumes that do
not cOndense, but they are not allow
ed to go to waste as they are carried
off by improved apparatus and are re-
condensed, so that there is, practically
speaking, no waste of material. In
the acid building, besides the pyrites
burners, Their is a battery of II sulphur
burners, by which acid is made by the
same process as prevails with the py-
rites burners. Pyrites is used generally
because it is cheaper thar sulphur.
After the s%ulphuric acid, 50 essential
in the manufacture of fertilizers, has
been made it is distributed ny means
of air pumps through lead pipes to the
mixing department where it is utilized.
OTHER BUILDINGS.
Among the other buildings are sew
eral where guanOS are manipulated.
Among these is a building $50 feet long
by 80 feet wide for storing potash
salts. Near by is another $50 by 80
feet, and still another 80 by 10 feet,
for storing fish scrap, blood and
a"nnOniated goods.
There is also on the grounds a large
carpenter shop, and a blacksmith shop
where all work of this kind is done.
Near the shipping building is a bag
house 125 feet long by 80 feet wide,
which is used exclusively for bags. 1t
is in charge of one man whose entire
time is occupied in keeping trace of
the bags. This is no easy job, as will
be seen when it is stated that he has
at times to look after $50, 900 bage with
the different brands printed upon their
sides.
The plant is supplied with a first
class fire department.. The water can
be drawn from the river and also from
a $50, 900 gallon tank which is elevated
on a IS foot steel tower. This gives
natural pressure for fires and also sup
plies a water system for the buildings.
Several hydrants are located at ad-
V~antageOuS places on the grounds.
The factory is right on the river and
vessels with phosphate rock, potash
goods, fish scrap, pyrites or other sup
plies discharge their cargOeS right into
the warehouses. An elevated railway
runs above the Wharves into the fac
tory, 50 that goods can be unlOaded
and carried by dump cars into the
several buildings.
SUPERIOR FERTILIZERS.
The Navassa Guano Company is
celebrated fer the superior quality of
list goods. All the standard brands
and special formulas Of any kin are
manufactured. Among some of the
most popular brands are the following:
Navassa AmOniated Soluble Guano;
Cotton Fertilizer; Wheat and Corn
Grower; Universal Fertilizer; Standard
Tobacco GuanO: OcOnee Tobacco
Guano; Corree Tobacco Guano; Clar-
endon Tobacco GuanO; Harvest King
Guano; Acid Phosphate; High Grade
Dissolved Bone, and others.
A GREAT ENTERPRISE.
The Navassa GuanO Company is one
of the greatest enterprises in the south.
1t has $500, 900 invested in the business,
and it's volume of business is 5000, 900
a year. The princely sum of $4,000
alone was paid out in freightS last
year. During the past few days the
payment of freight has amounted to
1000 a day for several days. The pay
roll for the factory hands alone
amount to $4,000 a month.
Thn Outnut of the factory is - 000