The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-01-01
TURPENTINE IN TANKS.
PLANS OF THE NATIONAL TANK
AND EXPORT COMPANY.

Three Storage Tanks Now in Opera
ton, Two at the Plant system
Terminals and One on Hutchin-
sons Isiond-Thc Advantage of
the Storage Tank system to tho
Turpentine Trnde-How the Tanks
Are Operated.
With the great progress of the naval
stores industry it is singular that the
changes from the original methods of
manufacture and handling have been
so few. The methods that prevailed
when the woodmen began their work
among the pines of the Old North
State were the same throughout the
turpentine country until recently, when
the hand of progressive management
found more economical and better ways
of doing things. The methods of man
ufacturc are still unchanged; the new
methods are in the handling.
Having in view a more systematic
and economical way of handling tur-
pentine at Savannah, the National
Tank and Export Company, corpora
ton composed of Savannah factors
was organized for. the purpose of build
ing tanks, pipe lines and providing
all other facilities necessary to quick
and better handling. This company
was organized in response to a demand
for just such advantages as it has
provided for all handlers of turpen-
tine, which embrace about every de-
tail requiring attention from the time
the shipments reach Savannah until
they are loaded aboard ship for cx~
port.
IT is evident from tire careful atten-
ton to detail in the location of the
various tanks and their construction
that the company is not experiment.
ing, but offers its services as a perma-
nent institution, and one that will
largely conserve the interests of ship
pers to this market. Tanks one and
two are located at the Plant System
Wharves, where the company has sid
ings and other railroad arrangements
for the quick handling of spirits con-
signed to it. These tanks have a ca
pacity each of 5000 barrels of spirits,
or $4,000 gallons combined They are
located back a short distance from the
wharves and the railroad thereby
making it safer for them against fire
or other mishap. They are each con-
nected by pipe lines, separately, with
tanks at a receiving shed, located
alongside the railroad tracks, with
roomy platforms for the discharging of
casks from cars into the shed. Under
meath this shed is a large receiving
tank. into which the spirits flow after
being emptied into a long trough en-
the floor of the shed above. Arrange
ments are. such that this discharging
may be carried on with great rapidity
and saving of time. AS fast as the
barrels are emptied they are not thrown
out in the weather to deteriorate, but
are stacked in a rear compartments
where they are perfectly protected, and
may be had for ues upon short notice.
From this receiving tank 10 the big
tanks few hundred feet back the
spirits are conveyed through large pipes
by means of a powerful pump which
frees the tank as fast as the spirits
can possibly be discharged into it. Long
before the company announced it's
readiness to accept consignments the
tanks, pipes, pumps and all other fix
lures were thoroughly tested, so that
the conveyance from the cars to tanks
now is practically without the loss of
a drop. The tanks are enameled white
inside, all pipe lines are galvanized and
all valves and cocks are of extra
heavy brass and the pumps are brass
lined, all to prevent corrosion and to
preserve the color of the spirits.
One of the worst forms of loss in the
handling of turpentine which the COM
pany Will provide against complete
ly is evaporation. This is accom-
plished by keeping the tanks in which
consignmentS are stored air tight,
which is done by admitting and emit
ting air through a goose neck" at the
top of each tank and in which is a
deposit of heavy gravity oil through
which the air must circulate. The pres
sure of the spirits being pumped into
the tanks forces what air is in them
out through the oil above.
The third tank now in operation is
at the Seaboard Air Line terminals
across the river from the city, and at
the eastern end of THE railroad prop
erty. At this tank the company has
the same facilities it has at the Plant
System, the general arrangement being
the same for receiving and delivering
conSlgnments.
The system adopted for receiving
and delivering spirits ENSURES to con-
sgnees the best of service. In the
first place the company guarantees to
deliver to the consignee upon demand
the same weight of spirits consigned
by him. and the same quality. 1t will
make deliveries at the naval stores
Wharves alongside vessels with the
spirits in good merchantable casks,
we'll glued, or deliveries will be made
direct by pipe lines into tank steamers.
All glue is steam and not fire cooked,
hence there is no risk of it's scorching
or burning. The company is able to
deliver good spirits in good barrels be-
cause it will receive none other.
Upon receiving consignments the
company will issue through it's super
intendent "a. negotiable special ware
house or storage receipt, said receipt
to specify the number OF pounds re-
ceived and date of receipt. All re-