Year: 1865

|
paper.


The cane is first soaked in salt water


made lukewarm by the warm water con-


densed from the steam which is used in


subsequent process. 1t is then taken out


and thrown in small bundles before the
great "guns" These, in this factory, are


five in number. They consist of cylindri-


cal pipes bent double, the lower arm for


ming the gun These lie horizontal, and


are twenty-four feet in length, four of them


being twelve inches in diameter and one Of
them fifteen Before their muzzles is a


large high room, bare of contents, with its


windows covered with wire screening. The


bamboo is crammed into the guns steam


is let on to a pressure Of one hundred and


eighty pounds to the square inch, so that


1t is really a gas, and where it jets from


the crevices of the faucets shows brill


liant blue.


After the bamboo has been in the guns
for about twenty minutes the engineer
carefully opens a valve in each gun and
| allows the water which has condensed
from the steam to flow back into the vat
where the wood is first soaked. He then
sounds a shrill, fierce whistle of couple
| OF seconds duration to warn the laborers
| fifty feet distant at the other end of the
room, gives a quick, sharp pull to the
mammoth trigger, and instantaneously q
deafening explosion startles the unaccus-
toned ear and the air beyond the muzzle
of the gun is filled with dark brown cloud,
through which fragments Of greater or less
size fly in bewildering confusion. One
after another the five guns are discharged,
each with the same prolonged, thunderous
burst of sound, and each adding to the
mass of dusty matter in the air. Follow
ing our courteous guide around the build
ing on the outside (for no one is allowed
to cross the path of the discharge, even
when the guns are not loaded,) we find at
the other end of the room pile of torn
tbrous stuff, looking very much like very
coarse and dark brown tow, but mingled
with gummy substance.


The fibre in this form, cut up by a ma
chine resembling a "strawcutter," is then
carried to the next floor by means Of
simple elevator, and then put through the
process Of breaking down" 1t is thrown
into tank capable of containing some
10000 gallons and there is turned III upon
it a spent liquor" or weak alkaline solu-
ton used in the next process. When re-
moved from this tank it is passed into two
immense boilers, the alkaline solution re-
terred to is let in upon it, and it is boiled
for several hours under pressure Of sixty
pounds.


From the bottom of these boilers it is
again shot horizontally into an immense
receiving tank of some ten tons capacity,
whence it is passed into horizontal cylin-
der revolving in water, and thoroughly
washed. From this bath it comes forth
clear Of the gum, and is Of paler brown
color, and III consistency fbrous pulp,
thoroughly clean and disintegrated, but un-
inviting to the non-professional eye. 1t is
next put into presses and comes out in the
form of gigantic circular cakes, like cheeses
in shape when it is either sent to the paper
mills or put through the milling process in
the factory Beyond this point we do not
see that the process differs from that en-
ployed on other pulp 1t stands now a
firm, soft, strong material, ready, by the
varied manipulations Of the manufacture,
to be converted into hardware paper, blott-
ing paper, wrapping paper, boards for
binding or box making, or any of the other
numerous forms which paper pulp assumes.
The surface of good news" paper made
from it is of satin-like softness and deli
cacy, takes an impression clearly, fully,
and with great accuracy, is extremely pleas
ant to handle, and is far more durable than
that made of rags


The Red Hook or Brooklyn Factory is
doing large business, and preparing to
do a larger one. 4 new engine is in pro-
cess Of erection, and when completed the
establishment will turn out twelve tons
daily Some idea of the extent Of its work
now may be gathered from the fact that
its reservoir for salt water, drawn from the
bay, is of capacity of thirty tons, and
that there is used an average Of 500, 900
gallons every twenty-four hours.


The patent for this blowing" process
was, we believe; granted to Mr. A. s. Ly-
man, of Massachusetts,, several years since,
but the "Disintcgrating Company" own the
patent for the United States They pro-
pose to erect a Jorge factory at Carondelet,
opposite st. Louis, Mo-, and already have
nearly completed the arrangements for it.
They have had in operation at Elizabeth
port for some time a large factory, now in
temporary suspension, to be refitted and
started with twenty great guns The last
named two factories will use sugar-cane, it
being a popularity of the process that its
pPCidIibA NAlSIluo Will cUudi
effectiveness to all fbrous material of the
kind alluded to, and we are not sure but
to all Of any kind. The cane will be less
expensive in the first place, and less expcn-
sive in its manufacture, since the greener
from hardened gum the material is, the
more simple, rapid, and complete is the
disintegration. The conditions of economy
are complete at Carondelet, where the raw
material grows at the doors of the factory,
and Henry c. Carey's idea of a complete
commercial correspondence and equilibrium
is first realized in a formerly slave State


Perfect as this process seems, it of course
met with obstacles These, with patience,
intelligence, and skill, have been and are
being steadily overcome, and still higher
development is sure to be speedily attained,
though we are not now at liberty to indi-
cate the means by which the attainment
will be accomplished.-Brooklyn Union,


A DOCTOR advertises in country paper,
II. L I