The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-01-22
EDIS0N'S NEW FACTORY.
Remarkable Establish mept for tho
Manufacture of Cement.


about to be erected between Stewartsvills
and New Village. in Centre county. would
be one OF the largest in the United States.
and that 1t would be equipped with mod
ern machinery. Arrangements are being
perfected to commence the construction OF
the huge buildings in the spring.
The Importance OF this brief announce
ment might be readily overlooked without
some further explanation. which may be.
perhaps. afforded By brief description OF
a very recent visit to Edisou's laborato-
ries at Orange, n. j., where complete
model OF the new cement plant alluded to.
constructed upon a scale of two inches TO
the foot, or one-sixth OF the full size.
making perhaps. the largest model of a
mill ever built. was shown by Mr. Edison
himself In the first place. IL may be
said that the term Laboratory" fails to
convey any adequate idea Of this unique
plant.
When il is known that there are more
than LOCO employee engaged in Edison's
laboratories at Orause. N. j.. in operating
special machinery OF the finest descrip-
ton much OF II being so nearly automatic
that one attendant serves one or a dozen
turret lathes; another looks after an
equal number of drilling machines. and
that many other tools OF the kind that or
dinartiy require the attention OF one man
Tor each, or. perhaps, one man for two
machines. here work by electrical guild
anee only, some idea may be gained OF the
extent OF this manufacturing establish
ment. modestly called Edison's laborato-
ries.
The making of Portland cement in this
Vif
enormous proportions.
One year ago the Engineering and
Mining Journal" in its annual issue Civ
ing the mineral statistics OF the United
States for 1898, said:
THE greatly increased demand for
Portland cement in the United States
in 1898 led to a depletion OF stocks and
taxed the domestic productive capacity to
its utmost. At present the actual produc-
ton is less than the current consumption.
and stocks are very small. The increase
in consumption Is attributable partly to
the extraordinary requirements OF the
Government and partly to the extensive
construction OF buildings, dams, bridges.
and other large works.
ut is noteworthy that cement is taking
the place OF lime and mortar in a good
deal Of construction work. NOtwithstand-
ing the large increase in the domestic de-
mand, the importation OF foreign Portland
cement fell off from 2.Ts7, 100 barrels. ia
1897. to about 100000 barrels in 1898.
which shows the extent to which Ameri-
can producers now control the Portland
cement business OF this country. or course.
the existing conditions led to an increase
in prices. and American Portland cement
ranged between $3.50 and S2.25 per barrel
in New York during the year Imported
cement sold at s2i0d225. against $1,000
2.l0 in 1897
THE increase in the eonsumptive de-
mand was a great stimulus to the industry
and several new concerns were induced to
engage in the business, while many OF the
older manufacturers made preparations to
increase their output largely. The Law
renee Cement Company began In October
the erection OF q large new plant at Sieg-
fried, Pa: the Poplay Cement Company
commenced the erection Of an additional
plant, with a nominal capacity Of 1900 bar
rels per day while the Atlas Cement Com
pa1y. at Northampton. Pa, made prepara-
tons TO double its capacity and turn out
2 000. 600 barrels in 1899. adding thirty-two
new kilns to its plant.
The total production OF Portland ce-
ment in 1898 in the United States was
stated to have amounted TO 3.5s4.5s6 bar
reIs. containing 400 pounds each. The an
just issued, gives the production In 1899
at 5.i46.06i barrels Of 100 pounds each"
The model of Edison's new cement mill
already alluded to is contained in a build
ing especially constructed for the purpose
and some idea OF the size OF the mill.
which is to be built entirely OF steel. may
be gained when we say that the model is
about 10 feet long and has a number OF
wings about 40 feet in length placed at
right angles to the main building the in
tention being to enlarge the plant from
time to time by building new wings When
all the wings shall have been completed
the mill will have a capacity, so it was
stated Of coo barrels day. But. as orr
ginally constructed the output will be far
less than this although the main portion
OF the mill will be of full size.
Mr.. Edsons reason for constructing so
large and costly model is in order that hs
may be able to see day by day every de-
tail of the new features which will be in
trodueed and study the models OF all the
machines which are OF sufficient size to
give a fair idea of their appearance and
of the working capacity OF the
full siZed machines. While IL is not ad-
visible 10 attempt TO give herein com
plete description OF the cement plant. 1t
may BE- stated in a few words that the
scheme is to make the mill so complete In
itself that human labor will be practically
eliminated: in other words almost all OF
the operations will be automatic; further
more they will be continuous, so that once
the mill may keep on day and
night turning out the best grade of Port
land cement. packed in barrels ready Tor
shipment. as long as it shall be kept sup
Piled with the raw materials The barrels
aar- rrNnr
Of the wings.
The whole arrangement OF me machinery
for grinding the materials mixing. roast
ing, and conveying them from point to
point even to the final packing OF the
product is clearly shown in the big model.
and il is expected that all experimental
work necessary to develop any defects and
show where changes may be made to ad-
vantage will be fully exploited and deve.-
Dped by means of the working model. SO
that the big mill itself. the first OF It's nd,
will be constructed on permanent lines.
This feature is. in point Of fact charae-
eristic Of all of Mr. Edlsou's experimental
work, aud is largely the secret of his phe-
nomenal success In undertakings which,
n less competent hands. would have been
doomed TO failure even IL tGey had proved
encouraging in ordinary laboratory tests.
In various other departments OF the es-
abIishmcut actual working tests were be-
Nc made OF some cement mixing machines
md other apparatus. for. although We
ave called the big model working
model" IL is not intended to actually make
he cement in the model mill, but mercy
0 operate upon q dummy" material. to
how the general principles. just as huge
.orking model of the eye may illustrate
D an audience of medical students the
Eenomeuon of sight without actually
aving in itself any visual power. It may
G said in conclusion, that one of the
nique features OF the Edison establish
lent is the conjunction or combination CT