PATEA INDUSTRIES

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 1048, 18 June 1883, Page 2

PATEA INDUSTRIES

A Boil Down and a Blow Up. As mentioned in our last issue, work at the Boiling-down establishment will probably have to be discontinued in a few days. The railway embankment has caused a general move in the direction of the river of the ground upon which the works are built, and already considerable havoc has been caused amongst the buildings. Appearances indicate further destruction if more sand is deposited on the embankment, as is intended. Posts and supports have been twisted and bent, and in some instances broken by the pressure of the ground, and inside the works there are several ugly cracks through which water is percolating. In some places the piles have slipped away, or rather the ground has slipped away from the piles for a distance of seventeen inches, and it is feared that it will go further. The concrete floor of the large pigstye has been broken and bulged up, and generally, the whole works bear evidence of having been subjected to great external pressure. As might be expected,

this damage has given rise to considerable anxiety on the part ofihe lessees, Messrs Bremer Bros., which has been intensified by a somewhat alarming occurrence which took place about ten days ago. At the time referred to, all hands were busy with a large “ boil,” which operation, by the way, is usually: performed in the stilly hours of night when most people are in the peaceful enjoyment of “ Nature's sweet restorer.” But while other folks sleep, Mr Bremer works, and thus it came about that one night, by the light of candles “dimly burning ” and the aid of a full head of steam, some 150 carcases of the fattest of fat sheep were being converted into prime tallow. Suddenly the building gave a lurch, and immediately a stream of tallow and steam flew from somewhere on the top of the boiler up to the roof with tremendous force. Mr Bremer whisked off the steam and promptly opened another tap connected with the blow-off pipe which leads outside. Then Mr Bremer had the pleasure of knowing that tallow was rising—not in the market, but in the air. Some idea of the pressure in the boiler at the time of the mishap may be gained from the fact that the liquid was thrown right over the yard on to the Railway Embankment, the cause of all the trouble. An examination showed that, when tlie building moved a rafter came against the blow-off pipe and bent it, loosening the packing at the joint in the boiler, and thus causing the escape of the fat in the building. There were a good manynaked lights about at the lime, and it is lucky that nothing caught. A fire would make short work of that building, we should say about the shortest on record, but by Mr Bremer’s promptitude and presence of mind such a catastrophe was averted. If these works are closed, as appears to be almost inevitable, it will be a loss to the district, because they afford a valuable outlet for surplus sheep. Since the commencement of the season over six thousand have been “ put through,” and this number could have been largely increased but for the difficulty of obtaining casks. Two kinds of tallow are now produced, the first of a creamy whiteness and the second yellow, which is inferior to the other. It was intended to have started a fellmongery at the works, but in face of prevailing risks and dangers the proprietors have been compelled to abandon the idea.