The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-01-21
Adopt as Their Model an East st.
Lonis Plant, hut Modify
1t Somewhat.
THE FIRST ONES BUILT HERE.
Their Promoters Had To Over.
come Many Diftcul1ies-Ncw
Plans to Revive the st.
Louis Grain Trade.

Europeans have at last begun TO realize
the advantages Of the American methods
of handling grain and are being forced to
adopt the style Of elevators in use IN this
country. A grain elevator has just been
completed at Amsterdam. which is the only
one in The Netherlands. and is also the
only grain elevator at any of tae seaportS
of the Continent of Europe.
The first grain elevator in England on
the American plan was built al Manchester
III lSSS, and proved such a good investment
hit others are now being built at Liverpool
and other places in England. Antwerp.
which is one of the largest Grain-rcceivinS
points in the world. is still without IN ele-
vatcr. and grain is still loaded, unioadei
and weighed by hand.
The elevator at Manchester. England. is
on the plan of the Union Elevator at East
ST. Louis. and the one just completed at
Amsterdam is also very much on the same
plan. But the Dutch Were too conservative
10 revolutionize their methods all at once.
They refused to adopt the elevator leg for
running down into the holds of vessels. but
still use the old hand appliances for weigh
ing and unloading the grain from the ship.
Frank d. Hill. the United States Consul
at Amsterdam, gives the following descrip-
tiCn Of the new elevator, which will be Of
interest to the grain trade in this country:
1t is near the timber harbor; its length
is l25 meters t4lO fee!D and its width 50
meters GGS feeD. 1t Was built by the city
ami leased for a term Of fifJy-five years at
500 forms S1,ipD a year to hUrthal AiJes.
For the building itself a space of 200 meters
G.2io feeD was reserved. The capacity -
from $500 to 300 lasts O6,0p0 to 1900 metric
$780,. I'll Ill - ~ o..
the storage of grain in silos. the ground
fUor alone, with a storage capacity of l,5co
lasts 5000 tons. being intended for the stor-
age OF grain and seeds in bags.
sim Neigh by Hand.
Steam and sailing vessels will be dis
charged as follows: The cargo is weighed
by hand and put over the ships side in
tipping buckets, which deposit it on the
travelling bands. Ii is then brought to its
place by mechanical power. The velocity of
transport is calculated SO as TO insure an
easy transfer Of all the grain, however
fast it may he discharged. A maximum ca
pacity of 2U".VJ kilograms tiio,s1J pounds
per hour has been 6Ned, and two kinds of
grain may. If necessary. be discharged ST.
simultaneously from the same vessel.
The travelling bands run in a channel
in front OF the building up To its center.
where the grain is deposited on transverse
lTaNrIelS that take II 10 the elevators. These
work the grain up to the top OF the build
ing. whence II can be conveyed TO any
chosen division by means Of the travelling
bands running over the SIlOS.
the emptying of the silos. or bins, is
thus conducted: Below the COuICal bottom
of the si.Os are shafts. through which thu
grain is transmitted TO travelling bands rum
ming on the ground floor; IL is again raised
10 the top by the elevators, and thence may
be carried on In any desired direction. II the
object is merely to stir the grain. il is taken
to one of the top travellers and thrown into
another silO: but 1t may also be sent first
through a shaft to the cleaning or weighing
machine. and then up again by means of
a small elevator TO another silo or through
The grain can be discharged at the side
OF the haIhor m wagons or lighters at the
rate of 10000 kilograms (230. 400 pounds per
hour. For damaged grain. siloS are ar
ranged in what are called hospital cells"
Although grain elevators have just begun
TO be used in Europe, they have been in
use in this country for nearly forty years.
ana nearly every city in the country now
has at least one. st. Louis was one of the
pioneer cities in the elevator business. and
was the first 10 demonstrate the feasibility
OF carrying grain in bulk in river vessels.
In 1860 grainmen of this city determined
that in order TO handle the large amount
of grain that was coming TO St. Louis
some better method must be adopted than
the appliances then in use.
The First in St. Louis.
Henry and Edgar Ames and Albert
Pearce offered TO try the experiment Of
building two elevators. one at the foot of
ar SAAEtl anu it tttltE idlli'I ctANll. dA
the foot Of Myrtle street. If the necessary
permit could be secured from the city, each
elevator to have a capacity of half a mil
lion bushels and TO be operated by steam
power. The permit was granted by the
City Council, but was vetoed by the Mayor,
and the project was temporarily aban-
doned.
The following year another attempt was
made to enlist grainmcn in the venture.
and a stock company was formed. Most Of
those who took stock did so more from i'm
portunity than with the expectation that
the venture would pay, except by bringing
other business TO the city; but enough stock
was finally subscribed to insure success.
On December Is. 1861. a charter was OBJ
tanned from the Legislature. constituting
". Fagin. s. ". McAIaster, Charles
l.. Tucker, William VI. Morrison, John J.
Roe, George Partridge. james Il. Eads, J..
H. Alexander, John How and their as
sOciates and successors a body polite and
corporate. by the name of the So. Louis
. Grain Elevator Company. with a capital
stock not exceeding $O0.C0o. TO conduct the
business OF storing and handling grain"
y barge company was also formed to
carry grain in bulk to New Orleans. to
give shippers the long-desired Southern out
let for their grain. Ii was some time after
the organization of the company before
Z the elevator WAS cOmDlpfad hut IN Ocfnlor