Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-07-01
|SPLENDIDNEW
| LIBBY M NEILL'S
CANNERY STARTS
Latest Machinery and Sanitary
Equipment for Producing
Canned Pines

After ten days OF testing operations
the machinery OF the new cannery of
Libby, McNeill & Libby of Honolulu
and Kalihi was set in motion at 4
O'Clock yesterday afternoon. Mrs.
Fred w Macfarlane, wife of the pres
ident, officiating at the electric but
ton. This morning the plant began
practical operation on the pineapple
canning work for 1914.
This cannery win take care of the
company,s pines on this side of the
Koolau range, the one at Kahaluu con-
tinuing TO handle the fruit beyond
the mountains in the Koolau region.
Ground was broken for the Kalihi
factory ON March 10. On April 20,
F. w. HetheringtoIf arrived to assume
the. duties Of superintendent. and In
so days completed the installation of
the machinery. 1t is considered the
best equipped factory of the kind in
Hawaii with perfect sanitary condi-
tons provided.
Buildings and machinery cost more
than $250,000, and the site contains
four acres. Starting today with $50
hands, the plant at full swing, which
will be within ten days, win give EN-.
ployment to 1000 men and women. Its
capacity Is 250,000 cans day and the
estimate for this year is 35O,0Oo cases
for the summer pack and 100000 for
the winter, making total output of
more than 20.000,O00 cans of fruit.
Many of the latest inventions APP
pear in the equipment, including a
coring and slicing machine, which
peels. slices and cores 80 pineapplas
a minute, and was invented by Fred
Wolf, chief engineer Of the kahaluu
factory. It is superior to anything OF
the kind before used in, canning. I'M
proved syrup machines are used to
charge the cans with syrup after the
sliced fruit is put In them. Tops ara
put on the filled cans in partial
vacuum and the fruit is cooked after
the cans are sealed, so that all the
natural juices and flavor of the fruit
are preserved. Pure, crystal-white.
cane sugar from the Honolulu pan.
tation is used in making the syrup.
from 20 =, IS tons OF sugar being re.
.qufsed daily when the plant is work
ing at capacity. Artesian water from
well on the premises with a daily
yield Of 1,250,00O gallons is used In
the cannery.
From its entrance to the slicers
the fruit is hardly touched by hands,
the machinery being largely auto
matte and its. various processes en-.
trained AL Of. the waste goes into
grinding machines that reduce it to.
fine pulp. this being led into sewers
built by the company and presented
to tho city. More than COG, 900 gallons
of water will be pumped through the
sewers every day, carrying the pre-
pared waste to the sea.
Power is supplied by the Hawaiian
Electric Company, but for emergen.l
cies Libby, McNeill & Libby have in
stalled an auxiliary steam plant Of
$50 horsepower with oil as fuel. Ev-
erything used in the cannery is bought
or produced in Hawaii, excepting the
box hooks and the five-cOlor labels.
The printing is not done here because
the production Of all the labels re-
quired by Hawaiian canneries would
not suffice to pay the interest on thu
printing machinery needed for such
elaborate color work.
Strategically situated close to the
Oahu railway in breezy location.
the factory Is well lighted and venti.l
lated. besides which its sanitary con-
yeniences are modern in high degree.
All OF the working tables and interior
woodwork are painted in white enam-
Ell. and the lavatorfes and washrooms
are. of hotel class. There are shower
baths with hot and cold water, cloak
rooms and dining rooms--in fact
there is nothing left for the factory
reformer to take up.