FROZEN MEAT TRAFFIC.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 4, Issue 1003, 18 February 1882, Page 2

FROZEN MEAT TRAFFIC.

(To the Editor Wairarapa Daily.) Deas Sir,—ln continuation of a recently published letter I now beg tq gjye a few particulars as to the freezing ship Dunedin, which has now probably left Dunedin with the 5000, carcasses of mutton, which, history' will in future refer to, as the premier shipment of ' frozen'meat from New Zealand. It will be freah in the minds of your readers that ''■ the venture is made by the New Zealand and Australian Land Company, at a freight (which includes freezing on board ,as well as carriage) of 2\i per lb, and lhat risk of decay as well as ordinary insurance in provided for by a charge of 5 guineas percent It will also be remembered that owing to an undiscovered defect in the forging, the crank shaft of the engine broke down after about 700 sheep had been operated upon, and that a delay of nearly a month occurred before a new one could be made and fitted in, The 1 Bell Coleman Company of Glasgow ar the makers, and I will not weary you r readerß by detailing the process by which the cold air is produced beyond stating the air is compressed in a cylinder to about 45 lbs., to the square inch. The total amount of heat in the original volume of air being thus forced in a very small space, the temperature suddenly rises to about 280 degress. Cold sea water at about 60 degrees being then forced in, small jets through the compressed' air cools it to nearly the Bame temperature, The air being now passed on to the expan* sion chambers, is released to its otMinal bulk, but having been deprived.#most of its original heat' the temperatw falls 40 or even 80 degrees below zero, jnying with the amount of pressure and coolness of the injected water. This is substantially the procesß adopted by the various makers of refrigerators. The one on board the * Dunedin; indicated a horse power of about .SO. from Bteam ''■< with, a further addition of 58 derived from the compressed: air. 'Tho coal being used d' was from Westport, and in the opinion of f the engineers compared 1 very favorably ) with the Scotch coal brought, out in 'the ship. Four toiiß per day was about the quantity used, and it is a very .convincing .. proof of the great improvement ij) steam enginei that 150 horße-pow'er' coujdibe produced by 'such a Bmall jronsump'tion, The jheep being put'on board would at least JQ 1b,,-,and ■ weje all•

killed on the C<ini[)any'a Tp'n-a estate, 70 miles from Port Chain.,,, ~i tliu Pamaru direction, closo trucks fitted hooks and carrying CO ouch being specially inndo for their conveyance. Part of both the upper ahd lower holds of the Dunediu were partitioned off for tho frozen moat. The whole of the walls and floors woro double, and intervening spaces wore packed with dry saw-dnsf. The upper • hold boinir fitted with hooks, tho carcasses from the trucks are passed from hand to hand, 'hooked' up, and the day's batch securely closed up is left to s=pt and chill by the cold air which is first forced from the rofrigerator into tho lower hold, and being then conducted through a'hollow trunkwny into tho upper' hold finds its way through the hung carcasses, back again into the refrigerator to be again and again operated upon. When the hung carcasses are sufficiently stiff they are unhooked, slipped into thin calico bags and stowed in the lower hold as closely together as.possible. ')j/- Jwrambling about amongst the shrouded caroaaaea, which, upon being; touched felt : like as many bricks, the intense cold was ■ very "convincing", and I could well imagine the feelings of the Orange Company's manager upon being abut up " amongst the dead" with the prospoct of being afterwards auctioned in the Smith- . field market as first-class Australian mutton. The measurement space of the two holds is about 470 tons cubic, and this was originally thought to be sufKiont for about 7000 sheep. Experience haß ' however, proved that this apace could i only stow about 5000 of our large N.Z, crosßbreds. It was also the Company's intention to send a few quarters of prime beef besides a quantity of butter, and also selections of N.Z. game and fish. The one drawback to the otherwise good arrangements seemed to be the distance the meat had to bo conveyed after killing, and I am satisfied that at this sultry time of tho year it is a risk, which in all future shipments it would be very foolish to incur. The ono thing noticeable in each and overy Australian shipment which has been reported damaged is that carelessness before shipment was the cause and not failure of the machinery on board, < In any caso the wholo of tho colonies, and New Zealand especially, will await with keen interest the result of this the first shipmeut of frozen meat by sailing vessel from any part of tho world, and '' will jiin heartily in wishing success to the owners of the cargo. The permanent . machinery of the Dunodin Freezing Com- . pany has been landed some time ago, and j a contract entered into for its erection as ( well as the necessary building and railway < eidings—tho whole to be completed in i two month's hence. Through the courtesy 1 of tho Directors and the Company's - architect (Mr Wales), I had the pleasure 1 of inspecting tho building plans, &c, and ' there can be no question as to the pains ' taken to make everything as comploto aB ' porrible, The question of site gave rise to considerable difference amongst the Directors, It was the opinion of some that ' this ought to have been fixed at Port Chalmers, and as closo to tho wharf as possible, but the majority decided for Green Island—a place about 12 miles from port, on the southern railway line. I cannot help thinking this must provo a mistake, as besides being inconvenient to northern landowners it must increase the risk before alluded to of damage before shipment, Another Company is also being got up in Christchurch, and there is little doubt as to their being also ready for work by next season. The X.Z. Shipping Company's 1 ship Mataura, fitted with powerful machiy'.nery for freezing on board, is due in Lyttelton next month, but the port from : which she will load is not yet fixed, Applications have boon sent from Dunodin and Christchurch, and that from our Wei- , lington Company dates as far back as June last, but the Shipping Company's management being centered in Christ- ■ church, it is very doubtful whether we shall succeed in getting her. A meeting of directors of the WellingMeat Export Company takes place on the 21st to consider the question of ordering machinery by the next outgoing mail, I am, &c, W. C, Btjchanan,