AUCKLAND ROLLER FLOUR MILLS.

Auckland Star, Volume XIX, Issue 220, 18 September 1888, Page 8

AUCKLAND ROLLER FLOUR MILLS.

NEW BUILDING AND EXTENSIONS.

Yesterday afternoon a Star representative paid a visit to the Auckland Roller Flour Mills, situated at the east end of Customs" street, just below Emily Place? Besides the addition' of a handsome front build, ing containing offices, storerooms, etc., the mills which were formerly known, as "Lamb's Mills,": have within the last few months been thoroughly renovated, both inside and out, making bhem.fully equal in all respects to any similar establishment in the Southern Hemisphere. Infceribrily.the machinery is entirely new, the latest uk ventions in milling apparatus haying been procured, and the results of the change are already most marked, both in the quality of the flour produced and the saying in its production. • The manager, Mr P. R. Hunt, upon learning our reporter's quest, intro duced him to the head miller, Mr-vV. Rintoul, who has lately come oub from Home (Where he was engaged in the world-re-nowned roller-mill machinery establishment of Henry Simon of Manchester) to superintend the milling operations. Mr P. J. Cullen, who supervised the erection of the mill, machinery, etc, is now at Timaru, where he is engaged in superintending the erection of thesecondofSim "''sßollor Mills in the„colony for Mes-rd Evans and Co. On seeing the completion 01 Che Auckland Roikr Milifr, Mr Cullen left,and was succeeded by Mr Rintoul, who is a thoroughly scientific miller, well up in every branch of this business. ; ! ; THE MILLING PROCESS.' Mr Riiitoul took our reporter thffough the building from ground to top flooi, and explained the whole process by which the wheat was converted into the tinest.silkdressed flour. Firsb of all was visited the ground floor, where are situated an automatic weighing-machine, mixers, and_ 19 set of elevators delivo ing wheat etc., into hoppers capable of containing some 4,000 saciis. Through a ten inch-square pipe the wheat disappears into a receiver, from winch the grain is carried rapidly upwards to the machin ry on the higher floors. This elevator is capable of lifting 150 sacks atihour, nearly* three a minute. The wheat is conveyed to the wheat department on the top floor, where it is freed irom all smut, dust, chaff or light wheat, and also (by passing over a.' magnetic slab) from' nails and all metallic substances. These latter are swept off by a revolving brush which travels across, depositing them in,a receptacle at bhe side. From the cleaning machines the wheat passes through " break " machines. Of these machines there are eleven, working two sets of rollers each, or twenty two in all. These, like the rest of the machinery in the mill, are the manufacture of Mr Simon. . The rollers take the place of stones in the old mills, and are made of chilled iron and stoel. The first four are ribbed so as to crack bhe grain, the next separate it- more; and the Inst crush and then reduce ib to the finest flour. After undergoing the preliminary processof crushing it is passed through four rotary sieves or scalpers which separate the semolina,&c, from the finer flour. It is then ; passed up through a reel, in which the bran flour is separaied from the finer article. On the third floor the flour is puritied by means of three of Simon's Reform Purifiers—-the onlymachines of the kind in the Southern Hemisphere; These purifiers <do their work splendidly, requiring hardly . any supervision. They separate the impure parts from the semolina, leaving the flour pure and ready ior the final processes. From thence the flour passes bhrough a number ojE smooth rollers* and theuceinto tljefipishinjg: machines.on the tori floor.' These comprise eight centrifugal silk - dressing machines, in which the finishing Douches are pub to the article by, silk • dressing it. After finally passing through a floury worm, ttiei flour, is ; conveyed 'down to the secoud floor, where ib is deposited in sacks, ready for placing on bhe market. During the process also the bran and sharps are separated, put inbo distinct elevators and delivered in appropriate" bags and sacks. A special mill for the manufacture of "Lamb's Patent Porridge Meal," for which the esbablishmenb is deservedly famous, and which is one of its specialties, is also in full working order and turning but a>very, large quantity; of excellent quality. We may sbate the new machines aresoperfecb that: it is almost impossible for the least' dirt to get into the flour, eibher in the shape of earth, sand, twine, chaff, or metallic substances. If, however,: by any chance such should occur there are -various ingenious contrivances for removing them completely and leaving the flour entirely pure. The whole machinery of the mill ie entirely automatic, and from bhe time that - the wheat enters the mill ib is never touched by hand until it comes out flour, bran, and sharps. , MOTIVE POWER. The motiye power is at present supplied by the original steam engine, belonging to the old mill, and small portable engine, Which are, however, to be replaced very shorbly by anew 150 horse-power combined surface condensing engine, manufactured by Mr Henry Simon, of Manchester. This engine will arrive by the direct liner Dorio on the 24th insb., and will of course add greably bo bhe power and i efficiency of the mi 11..- . The water: for cbiiderising purposes is to be drawn in pipes from the sea, near the Railway Wharf, and tenders are now advertised 'fbr,' & for w the laying of the pipes. When the new engine is in full working order the coal bill, the grinding and water, ect,, will be reducedte a minimum,- ---■ ' THE NEW BUILDING.

The fine iiew building which has just been completed was erected by Mr J. Heron; andis a handsome addition to the mills. It is four stories in- height, builuof brick faced with Invercargill bluestone: ;In this building are 'situated the store-rooms, etc., capable of storing som..: =six thousand sacks. Here will best^red the finished products of the mill, ready to go out to customers. The second, third and fourth floors are used as storerooms, while oh the ground floor are situated the manager's office, clerks' office, saleman's department, and a small glass-faced show-rbomfbr'biscuits, the' manufacture of which will shortly be commenced. In tliisnew.buildingeVery thinghasbeenmade solid, substantial and trustworthy, as should; be the case-in all establishments .of'they kind. "Theodora are 3 inches in;thickness, and supported'by beams of immense dimension., and strength. The walls are .correspondingly thick, and,everything, bears the stamp of solidity and ..firmness.. We must hot' forget to make mention of a handsome glass etching upon the main entrance;door of the new building. The design,; which was executed by Mr J- Henderson, thewellknown dectorator, &c, Wyndham-street, is a tasteful and artistic representation of Ceres, the goddess of. Agricul, ture, holdiug a.wheat-sheaf in her. hand. The border is embellished, with a design of boppies, corn-flowers* and wheatears, and underneath the figure of the goddess is a faithful representation, of a patent roller mill resting upon; ah oldfashioned millstone, the latter Rearing .the appropriate legend, "They" old order cnangeth." The remainder of the space at the sides of tho millstone is filled, in, with two cornucopias bearing the names of the . different brands of; the' Auckland. Roller Mill's products, inelu^ingjflour. meal, etc.; '■ : BiSCUrI;FACTO^ ; The rear of the new building is being ffittadup as a biscuit factory. The biscuit*

plant at preserib at the Waitemata Mills, Riverhead, is to be taken reerected here, and in addition aU the latest inventions in the line of biscuit making will be utilised, in order to enable thetoctory to turh out'a superior article in get up and quality to any now oh: the market, and to thereby show it to be the most complete, biscuit manufacturing plant in New Zea-; lam. The travelling ovens for cooking biscuits will'be erected in what is now an open space of ground close to the northern side of the mills, and along them the biscuits will be passed (the heat of.the.ovens beingregulated so as to exactly bake biscuits to whatever quality or crispness is desired). From thence: the cooked biscuits w"l. be passed to the drying-room, andafter undergoing the drying process they will be despatched to the packing-room, packed in tins, &c, and sent out for sale. _Tne biscuit plant is to be removed from Riverhead forthwith, and in a short time biscuitmakiug will bo in full swing here, .■> - ' THE -ELECTRIC LIGHT. The whole of the. mills, offices, etc., are to be illuminated with the electric light, the entire plant for which is already on the premises awaiting the arrival of the new 150-horse-power engine, which is to act as the motive power in generating the light. Messrs Ashcrofb and Co., of Wellington, will superintend the fitting up and setting in working order of the plant. It will thus be seen that the Roller Mills Companyintend i'.t-.) make their concern second to none in the colony in efficieticy. THE WORK. The whole of the erocting and putting the machinery together has been done under the personal direction lof Mr P. J. Cullen, and was completed in the space of eight weeks. The mill is now Capable of turning out 55 tons of flour per day of 24 hours. Mr Henry 1 Simon, of Manchester,,who has supplied the whole of the machinery, has erected 300 complete roller mills in every part of the world, and is now erecting the largest mill in the world at Rio Janeiro. Mr Cullen, in the. erection of the mills, had also the advice and assistance of Mr J. R. Radford, the travelling inspector of Mr Simon, who pronounced tne work done perfectly and completely. Since the completion and renovation of the mills the sales of meal, etc., have more [than doubled, and the proprietors intend Sas soon as they get their new powerful I engine in to spread their wings and do still ! more to render their business one of the most flourishing and successful in the colonies....",;' "LAMB'S PORRIDGE MEAL." Since the erection of new machinery this specialty of the Roller Mills is being turned out in increased quantity and of excellent quality, and the steadily-increasing demand for it among all classes of the community ia the best tribute to its value as ah article of diet that the manufacturers could wish for. J b ia now made up in neat 61b bags, enclosed in boxes of local manufacture. .. ~ ' *■ FIRE, ACCIDENTS, ETC. Every, provision has boon made to cope with'an outbreak of fire, by pipes running throughout the mill with the necessary hose, jeis,' &c, that will enable a stream or streams of water to be thrown on any part or parts of the building atone time. In the new building also three solid iron fireproof doors have been erected, which would in the event of tire shut off completely theabbre-' rooms, &c, from the mills and section of the establishment. As a safeguard against accidents of any sort electric bells have been fitted Jup throughout the milling flbbrsi connecting with the engine departments and the stoke-hole, so that in the event of an accident occuring, by simply pressing a button a signal could be given by which the engine could be stopped at once. STABLES. Commodious galvanised iron stables with gas and water laid on have been * erected* containing. stable accommodation for six ...horses.'-.'- ;•■..':■';;' ..' ---» ■'■ ■ . ENTERPRISE. In their present completed and consolidated form the mills are in the forefront of the most valuable industries and flouring mills this bide of the Line, and the 'pro.? prietors are to be at once congratulated and thanked/for their* energy and enterprise. In these times of depression ihey present a signal mark of the confidence prietors have in the future of the Auckland provincial district. We wish the Auckland Roller Mills, all success and prosperity., , . ,:.,,-.;„ v^; , ...,., Mi ': ■ ■~.',, .-;„, -..