The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1908-11-10
MAKING
OF Lime
SUCCESSFUL OPERATION OF WAL
AMAZE LIME CoMPANY'S KILN AT
IWILEI, HONOLULU.

The rapidity with which a fine quail
ity of lime is being turned out by the
new plant of Waianae Lime Company
at Iwilei will prove a surprise to all
but a few of those interested in the
company. The installation of the new
machinery, included in which is a
powerful blower that furnishes an ar
tificial draft ana raises the heat used
in the burning of rock to a heat OF
5000, has done wonders, both in in
creasing the output of the plant and
IN bringing the product to uniform
ity which was hardly expected by its
promoters.
When the machinery was first in
stalled the quality of the lime, while
good was inclined to vary somewhat,
but, with the new machinery which
has been installed, every three hours
of the day the plant is turning out
forty barrels Of lime which hardly
varies one iota in haul from the one
which preceded it. The clinkers which
come through the kiln, these being
particles of rock which have slipped
through without being thoroughly bak-
ed, are few and can readily be picked
out as they are gathered and packed
into the 200 pound barrels.
The need of a lime plant in these
islands is readily understood when it
is stated that the annual importations
from the Coast have up to this time
exceeded 1875, 900 barrels per year. With
all the coral rock to be found here,
capable of making the finest quality
of lime, it seemed a shame that the
opportunity for manufacture here
should go to waste and it is not be-
ing allowed to do so.
Sixty tons Of coral from the pro-
perty of the company at Waianae is
being brought up each day and, when
the factory is running under its pre-
sent capacity, this results in the turn
ing out of three hundred barrels OF
the finished product, ready for use in
fertilizing and clarifying on the plan
tations of the Territory. The process
takes but three hours with the new
improvements and is a most interest
ing one to watch.
The rock is carried up to the top
OF the two big kilns on a small car
which is hauled by an engine, the
steam coming from the same boiler
used for the rest Of the plant. At the
top it is carefully placed in the kiln
in such quantities as will keep the
huge hoppers full to the very top. AS
the rock bakes, under the effect of the
oil flame some thirty feet below, the
coral turns to lime and drops down
When finally the kiln is ready to haul,
the bottom is opened and down comes
the forty or more barrels of lime, red
hot and steaming, Oh the cement floor.
This is carefully spread in thin lay
ers and allowed to cool slightly before
it is placed in the barrels The heat
at this time is tremendous, the men
shoveling the mass working with
handkerchief over their races to pre-
vent blistering
The work is being handled by two
experts brought down from the Coast
for the purpose One of these, Harry
Hicks, who was formerly with the
Holmes Lime Company and the jamie
son Lime Company has full charge in
the daytime, while " E. Conkling,
from the Pacific Lime and Plaster
Company, has charge of the burning
at night.
The officers of the company are as
follows: E. H. Wodehouse, president;
j. j. Belser, vice-president and man
ager; George Davies, treasurer; Frank
Winter, secretary; w. G. Singlehurst,
auditor.