THE CITY ABATTOIRS.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 11012, 9 July 1901, Page 5

THE CITY ABATTOIRS.

HOW THEY WILL BE CONSTRUCTED. The plans prepared by Mr J. C. Maddigon for the city abattoirs have been returned by the Government as approved. Indeed, Mr Wreaks, the Government Inspector, gives it as his opinion that the buildings, as designed by Mr Maddison, will be the best and most up-to-date in New Zealand. As will be eeen by the description given below several improvements have been introduced, notably the placing of one bullock only in the pithing pen instead of a number, "thus redmcbg the chance of damage to the meat to a minimum, besides ensuring that the slaughtering shall be carried out in the most humane manner. The buildings will be two storeys high, the basement being used for the reception of the offal, skins, fat, etc., whieti comes down the various shoots from the killing pens. The first building is that devoted to the slaughtering of sheep and cattle only, pigs, as will be seen later on, being provided for separately. The basement, which is 176 feet by 116 feet, !haa on one.side the portion devoted to bullocks, and on the other the sheep. In the first part there are ox compartments under the shoots from the upper floor, opening out on to a platform outside from which the offal, etc, is removed by carts. The part devoted to steep is provided with shoots and benches also opening out on to the platform. On the upper floor, which is the same size as the baeeinent, are twelve pithing pens for bullocks. Each pen will only contain one bullock, instead of as in the ordinary slaughterhouses a crowd of bullocks being placed, jostling and horning each other. At the outside is a large drafting pen, 50ft in diameter, communicating with one holding pen for each pithing pen. The holding pens are divided into six as a further safeguard against damage, and communicating with each ptthing pen is a race from the holding pen. So coon as the bullock is pithed a gate is raised by machinery, and the bullock falls into the slaughterhouse, thus affording the inspector a full view of the carcase. It is /hoisted up by machinery and dressed. For sheep there are six killing pens and holding pens alternately, and the drafting from the main yard is carried out in the same way as with regard to the bullocks. All the offal both from bullocks and sheep, instead of being put on the floor, falls into the shoots, and is at once conveyed to the basement. There are separate channels provided in the slaughterhouse for the blood and for washing down. A corridor connects the slaughterhouse with the cooling room, 90 x 48, in which both cattle and sheep are placed, being conveyed by means of an overhead railway, which runs throughout the whole building out on to a platform running the whole length of the building, from which the meat can be loaded into carts, or, if desired, conveyed to the chilling room. At the upper end of the cooling room is a corridor fitted with overhead railway for the conveyance of the meat into the chilling room, .which is 64 x 48. Here the meat can remain as long as the butchers require, as stock which can be drawn upon when wanted. The boiler house, 60 x 16, and engine house, 36 x 26, adjoins the freezing chamber. The pig killing, as already stated, will be earned on in a separate building from that used for * the cattle and sheep. The pigs come in from a race to four killing pens. Hot and cold water is laid on, and after going through the slaughterhouse the carcases are taken by overhead railway to the cooling room, and thence outside to the platform, where they are loaded into carts. The plaDs provide for a covered way connecting the freezing chambers -and cooling rooms with all the slaughtering portion of the abattoirs by means of overhead railway, so that carcases from any part of ths building can be conveyed into the chilling room under the covered way. The ouilding will be of brick and concrete, with concrete floors, the roof being covered with iron. Offices are provided for the veterinary inspector, and both rooms and lavatories for the men employed. It is expected that tenders will be called for at once for the erection of the buildings.