The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1902-11-21
Two Hours Visit to a Busy seo Hive.


home, and at Lansing, who are employ
ed at the sugar factory, had the pleas
ure Of a short visit at the factory in
Lansing In the short time l spent
there am unable to give much informa-
ton of value to our people, as one week
could better be used in gathering facts
and figures from a plant of such magni-
tude, and of such inestimable value to a
community. l was pleased at the sight
of the buildings, being composed of
brick, iron and cement, perfectly fire
proof, no fire insurance carried; how
ever, they have a fire pump for protec-
tion. find in this plant about $50
horse power being used which requires
the daily consumption of 80 tons of
bituminous coal.
The labor used in handling this
amount of coal at the factory alone is
no small item, there being s boilers of
1875 horsepower capacity each. This
requires some 12 men to take from the
cars and place it on the CRATES and take
care of the refuse after being burned.
The large Allis Corliss engine delivers
$50 horsepower to thevarious machines.
The Ball engines, of which there are
two, are used to deliver $50 horse.
power each for electric lighting. One
engine used as reserve in case of a
break down. A part of the power that
is used for driving conveyors. ETC.. is
furnished by two large water force
pumps, the water delivered from them
to small motors attached direct to the
machinery at pressure of from 14O
to $50 lbs. per so. in. These pumps are
steam driven, and take a large amount
of steam to run them. The main pump
used for furnishing the water bringing
it from the river, and delivering it to
the various machines, boilers, ETC., is of
between three and four million gallons
daily capacity, and they are using
about three millions of gallons every
day. The main suction pipe being II
in. in diameter laid in tunnel with
entrance doors for examination and re-
pairs; the chief engineer being now laid
up by going into the tunnel and light
ing match, which set on fire the gas
accumulated there, WHICH exploded,
blowing him out of the entrance door,
and burning him badly. 1t would have
killed him had the force not thrown
him out of the tunnel along with the
ladder he used.
To compare the amount of water with
what the city water works of Lansing
delivers is as about one to three, the
sugar factory using about three times
the water the city does. A machine
shop built separate with separate power
takes care of the repairs required, en-
ploying some six skilled machinists be-
sides the engineers who are drawing
good pay for their services. In all,
there are ten men who are utilized on
the power and maintainance of the
same; they are skilled men, and receive
from $3.50 to $500 per day. This is
outside of the boiler and fire room. AS
stated before, there are employed ~ men
as fremen and coal passers and handlers
These men receive from $l.50 to ~. 25
per day in accordance with the respon-
sibilities of each. The sugar makers
who have charge of the large vacuum
pans, of which there are two, size ten
feet diameter, by twelve feet long, re-
ceive 1926 to $40 per month. This re-
quires skill only gained by practice to be
able to keep from burning it, and bring
it out at just the right time and condi-
ton. / find these men have had ex-
perience in the southern and Cuban
plants. There are six crystalizers
weighing about % tons each, 10 centrif-
cal separators each run by a water
motor, 1S asmogene presses; these take
care of the syrup as separating the lime,
etc., and which go into the manufacture
of the by-products, four large evapo-
rators take care of that part, very
heavy and expensive machines of which
/ did not learn the weights IA diffusing
batteries are used which hold 3 tons of
tests each, weight about 9 tons each; /;
pipes of various sizes for conveying
steam, syrup and water run back and
through the plant. Tanks and reser-
voirs of different shapes and sizes for
the handling of the syrup at different
stages. Mr.. Luinelies, the superintend-
ent, estimating the weight of iron used
in the entire plant at 1900 tons, which l
think low estimate. Consider the
labor that it has taken to mine this iron
and to manufacture it, then to put it in
place. Several tons of brass and copper
are used besides. / find employed, an
army of men in the factory, at present
about 24O, who receive wage of $1.75
per day for unskilled work, and as be-
fore stated from $2.5 to $500 per day
for skilled work. Then there are sever
al men employed about the yards, in
the beet sheds and storage sheds, some
young men receive $3.50 per day, but
work hours as the nature of the work
calls for no more. The plant runs con-