A NEW INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2929, 15 November 1916, Page 11

A NEW INDUSTRY.

."■ .!....'■' ... , —: ■■ r UNIQUE.IN HISTORY

ENTERPRISE OF NX REFRIGERATING COMPANY

DESCRIPTION OF THE WORKS

Forvitsarea-aad population no country in the world can compare with' New Zealand in tihe advantage it has taken of the freezing process as applied to meat for export. Its geographical position, .remote, from all. the great markets of the world, combined with its |wonderful productive .resources, and equable climate, has unquestionably forced our. meat-growers into this position in order to avail themselves of tho benefits of the best prices in the best markets. In co-relation to the advanco in steamship construction, the-v meatfreezing business has largely contributed to the very high position New Zealand holds as a supplier, and the admirable manner in which tho incTustry has been conducted has undoubtedly been a.factor in preserving the quality of meat for export;.-.That'New Zealand is not nearly at the end of its resources in' this regard \may'be gathered from\ the number of new works'that have been established within the past two years in different parts of the Dominion. The most remarkable of' these are the now works? which have been established on tho 'Wanganui River, within a twelve minutes' tram-ride from .the centre of Wanganui. Those works- are truly remarkable, inasmuch as they are the biggest"meat works erected complete in New Zealand. There are many other fine works in New Zealand-, fbiit- their -capacity isi : !th'e result of. steady growth over a considerable period. The Imlay Freezing Works of the New Zealand Refrigerating Company(late the Christchurch Meat Company) are in. every, .respect;- a- .perfect: model of what such works, should be, and whilst their contraction reflects infinite credit; on the company, they denote a fine t confidence in the 'future of the Wanganui district. To describe a big modern meat works is not - the simplest of tasks. The lay mind'is, initially, rather staggered by tho immensity of the works. The square of tho colony of '.buildings -that'-.will .bo ,known as the Imlay Freezing Worhs covers ;about 7{- "acres of land, and of that some>s£ to .0 acres' is roof ; space, so that a- moderate sized township could be compressed within the space.occupied by tho works, to say nothing of the vast acreage of paddocks and stock yards outside tho 'building area.' Taking the front entranco from Queen's Avenue (Gonville borough) the front north side), of the block,.'the side and back (east and south sides) show a frontage to : the" Wanganui River, a biscuit throw distant. Roughly, the' buildings are divided,into two sections by a double railway track, which serves each department and connects up conveniently .with the CastleclifE railway system' .(Government gauge), so that the works have a steel rail connection with all parts of the district and Do-' minion.- The'works are throughout and in every particular built.to endure. They' are of brick, concrete, and steel, the brickwork, neatly and cleanly "pointed" with cement, and every corner is rounded off with "bull-nosed" bricks to insuro against chipping. To odd to the impressive appearance of the buildings, tho roofs' have all been finished off in grey. "Poilite" asbestos tiles, which contrast' pleasingly with the red brick finish of the walls.

'.Entering-, from .'Queen's ; -A venue! through a gateway that would grace a Governor's residence one encounters the first of the buildings, on tho eastern blodkj the coal store (50ft. by 50ft.), boiler-house (68ft. by 80ft.), tho engine-room (56ft. by 81ft.), and the fitting shop (45ft. by 45ft.). Overhead are the condonser and concentrator rooms, fitted, with '■ tho' latest machinery. 'In a line with this building (still of the enst of the central railway, tracks) (is the immense refrigerating building, which, covers a space 247 ft. Sin. by 176 ft., and is three stories 011 either side and four in the centre. Tho lower floor is for storage and the two top floors comprise the freezing chambers, and a- cooling-room (245 ft. by 56ft.), with shuttered, windows open to the cool' breath of the river and ocean-. Tho freezing space is divided into fourteen.,chambers, each. 17ft. by 120 ft., insulated with pumice. In the centre of the_ building there is a fourth floor, consisting of four large rooms, where the expansion, coils and batteries are set up. The refrigerating principle in the freezing chambers js by air and in the stores is by direct expansion. Attached to this block is a bag-room, from which rises an electric lift' to-the top -floor for the conveyance, of the bags to tho chambers, '.where .'they are ,needcd. Treating the block described/as that of the dead, the corresponding one on the other, (western) sido of the doublo railway track (actually a 35ft. wide thoroughfare) may be said to bo that of tho quick, for hero is located the slaughtering chambers and fellmongery quarters. On the southern front, backing on to the river, is a wool store (109 ft. by 45ft.), puffing-room (100 ft. by 35ft.), drying-room (100 ft. by. 35ft.), and" pelt-room (109 ft. by 60ft.), detached. is the "pie" room. Then, working northward "and 4oft. away from the departments just men-

tioned is tie fellmongery. (57ft." by 212 ft.), and overhead is'.the .sheepslaughtering Toom, with hooks for 78 butchers, which means that it will be possible for about 8000 sheep 1 to be slaughtered per day. Ample facilities are beiug provided for the men in this, as in all other departments. ! Here there are three separate coat-rooms, and all conveniences of a most up-to-date .and complete character. Off tho big slaughter-house, approached by *a corridor (9ft. by 35ft.), there is a set of offices, comprising two weighing offices, a ticket-room, and Government inspector's ;ol3ce. Adjoining thi3 building is 'the cattle slaughter-house (45tt. by 59ft.), with four pithing pens and two hide-rooms. Here are provided the necessary.drops and three electrio winches. The plant is capable of dealing with 250 head of cattlo per day.

Connected tvlth this department is a beef-chilling room on tlio first' ilooi-! (108 ft. by, 35ft.), which is insulated; with comprossed granulated cork shoets, held in position by a thin coat-; ing _of cement concrete This is a! distinctly new feature, and 01$ which would have been- generally adopted, were tlio cork available, which was not' the case. The floor of the chilling-; room is laid down in Trinidad asphalt. From this chamber an overhead corridor leads to tho eastern block over the railway tracks mentioned. Connected with the fellmongery are _ tho notes-; sary lime aud slack pits. Across another 40ft. open spaco from the slaughter-house (still moving northwards'js another, substantial two-story block of buildings,' containing oleo and tallow rooms (94.6 ft. by, 100 ft.), and a vat room (66ft. by 35ft.); a ( manure department (179 ft. by : l2sft.), comprising dryers, oyaporators, and storage compartments. Some 66ft. away, at tho side, is tho casing houso (100 ft. by 40ft.), and in front is a'cooperage (100 ft. by 40ft.). To tho north-east of the two main blocks, and quite separate from both is the part two-story brick preserving houso (215 ft. by 78ft.) comprising meat extract, thawing, boning, ;pickling, packing, preserving, and store rooms, with semi-detached tinsmith's shop (sft. by '37ft.). Near the entrance from Queen's Avenue is a decoratiyo little single-story block of managerial and clerical offices (oft. by 32ft.).

The whole of these buildings are constructed substantially of brick, concrete and steel, while all floors, save those of the engine* rooms, are constructed of reinforced.'concrete in tho strongest possible manner. John Chambers and Sons not only supplied tho .roofing tiles, but filed thorn iit position. The big chimney stack alongside the boiler-house is octagonal in shape, and rises to a height of 115 ft. above the concrete base. Its size may be judged from the fact that its interior diameter at the top is Bft. Between the main -entrance and the refrigerating block erected on a skeleton; steel stand 70ft. in height, is a steel tank with a 10,000 gallon capacity. This is_ supplied by three artesian bores. This would almost appear to have been uiiiiocossary when the company has the whole of the Wangamii River at its back door; but it was deemed expedient to have an amplo supply of the purest water, so down went the bores. Tho deepest bore goes down 600 ft. into tho bowels of tho earth, another 4fioft.. and a third only 150 ft. The two deep bores throw water at the rate of 800 gallons per..minute a heights of 30ft. above tho level of the I ground, and the shallow bore iust comes to the surface, and only gives 20 gallons per minute. 'With th 6 aid

of a suction pump, however, the shallaw bore can give as much water as the other two put together. In addition to supplying the works the bores supply a big open-air concrete reservoir 248 ft. by 50ft., wliich'can hold 500,000 gallons of water. As mentioned, in audition to theso supplies, thero is the placid old Wanganui River to draw upon which gives good_ water at ebb tide, and with a pumping plant, I would be quite good enough fot washing down purposes. As an instance of how tho employees are being provided for there are in 'the main department ten. lavatories, fivo shower baths, three wash-basins, and all \ fit-: tiu<rs arc the best that Twyford's (of England) could_ supply. Between the slaughter-houses, and other \ essential departments, is a complete system of overhead tramways, and also

electric hoists- that greatly facilitates tho handling of the meat, offal, skins, etc. Tho lifts were installed by Mr. Wm. V. Manchlin, acting for Messrs; P. and D. Duncan, of Christchurch. Jutting out into tho :iver at the back of the works is an 800 ft. jetty, with a tee. at tho outer end ■ 200 ft.. in length. The wharf (which was erected by Donald M'tan and Co., of ■ffollingtoji),. is fitted with a turntablo, and is connected by tho rail 'with tho whole of the Castlccliff railway system. On the north-western sides of the works are the company's extensive cattle ,and sheep yards, and •unloading banks. There is a, bank frontago to the railway line of 432 ft., :and. accommodation is provided, for unloading 24 trucks at a time. The yards (apart from tho paddocks) are wholly concreted, and <ian accommodate 18,000 sheep. It should be mcu'.tioncd hero that. the. greater part of the company's property consisted up till a year ago of swamp lands, but by judicious filling and cutting away the entire area has been finely graded, and made good firm earth, with.-never a suspicion of its former boggiuoss. Special attention has been, given to the .drainage of the works., In this direction the architects were all-demanding, and as the result tho drainage complies to the letter with the strictest city By-laws.

It only remains to say that these splendid modern works were designed by Messrs. 'Walter Panton and Son, of ■ Timaru, a firm which designed meat works at Ocean Beach, the Bluff, Bum-, sido (Duncdin), Smithlield (Timaru), Pukeuri (Oamaru), Fairfield (Ashburton),: Moturoa (New Plymouth), Launceston and Hobart (Tasmania), Belfast (Christchurch),. and extensive alterations at Islington,'Longburn, Woodville, and Picton. Tho. contractors wcro Messrs. Hussell and Bignell, of Wanganui, and Mr. H. Dyniond was clerk of works. Tho drainage and 'plumbing work was carried out bv Mr. Chas. Bignell, and Mr. E. J. Ruddick, of Addington, supplied the steel railings for the slaupliter-houses (which ran into some £6000).

Mr. iVm. Murray, the general manager, hopes to make a start with tho ■works on November 20. but it may be a day or two later before- the worksare properly going. Tie points out Hint these works are very happily situated as far as the men employed in them are concerned. They are practically in the town of Wanganui—a bright prosperous town in a growing district—where their .children .may obtain sound education and have nil.those advantages Which'aro denied them in other country towns where slaughtering takes place. AVith'brand now works fitted with every, convenience there should bo no better job in the business than at these works. Mr. Zeislcr has been appointed works manager.