AN IMMENSE GRAIN ELEVATOR.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume III, Issue 507, 2 December 1881, Page 1

AN IMMENSE GRAIN ELEVATOR.

The New Y&ik Sun\ describes' the new elevator built, by David, D'oWs!and Co., at the foot of Pacific street, Brooklyn. This elevator, which is said to be the largest in the world, is'now''being completed, and may be seen by'mieans of a glass from- Sandy Hook;' 'it is already in: use. It has 100 feet front upon Columbia street, and extends thence 1,200 feet to the river, j6p'o; ! feet being occupied by the main building, which is of brick, 600 feet by a frame extention, which is sheathed with. tin. The frame building is 45 feet highland has a tower in its centre 100 feejt,high from the wharf level. The brick-jbuild-ing is 85 feet high, and has ahi elevator tower in the north-east portion 120 feet high. Three towers rise,from the centre line of the main ; busding about 100 feet from each other. Each tower is 175 feet high. It required 17,000 piles, twenty-five: feet iODg, to form a foundation for the massive building, as the soil permitted,!of no other foundation. The piles; were covered with heavy upon'which a stone foundation three feet thick was laid, and above this rises; a r £olid brick wall. The jar of the chinery, which is a constant menace to all great buildings, is broken by heavy bracing beams, feet, .square, extending from floor to floor,; starting upon a solid base of stone laid over 16 piles sunk close together. Solid brick walls divide the main building into nine compartments, closed other except where there are ,openings for the belting to pass through-; . 'these walls form a bulwark against fire, as the holes can ; be closed, by [dropping a cast-iron door over them, and jf trie fire should be so fierce as to cut 6ff :: access to these doors, they'- : s6 j::! lMhged that the ropes may be bufned quickly, thus permitting them to drop of their own weight. An electric and burglar alarm is furnished; for. the building. The machinery in the elevator, can take grain at the rate of 8;po.o bushels an hour from the barges or Cvessels at the pier. The grain is elevated, sifted and fanned, weighed, stored put in bins, and then transferred to the'vessels at the pier. There is nearly,,a .mile of wire cable used to transfer the steam power, and about five miles of belting, called conveyors, carry the grain up at railroad speed. These conveyors travel at the rate of 600 feet a minute, and carry to its destination 2% bushels of grain a minute. No shovelling is necessary. , ,