THE FROZEN MEATINDUSTRY.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2637, 19 September 1882, Page 4

THE FROZEN MEATINDUSTRY.

Canterbury Frozen Meat and Dairy Produoa Export Company having decided to ereot premises for the carrying on operations of the company at Belfast, plana have been prepared by Mr Ooxon, the representative In New Zsaland of the Haslam Foundry and Engineering Company of Derbyshire. First may be mentioned the boiler house, which with the ooal store is 38ft by 24ft, in which will be erected three high pressure boilers, each 20ft long and Sft in diameter. These boilers will be fixed on the most modern and •pprovsd system of heating, the smoke being conveyed by the flues to a ohimney 80ft high, thus ensuring that the works will not in any way prove a nuisance to the residents of the neighborhood. Passing from the boiler house wo next come to the engine house, where will be placed two refrigerating engines, one known as the Haalam patent 40,000 ft machine (i.e., that it delivers 40,000 oubio feet oE air per hoar into the meat rooms at from 75deg below zero), and the other as the 7000 ft machine. The first of these will be used for the chilling and freezing of the meat, and the latter for the dairy produoe storage. The air is first compressed in two compressing cylinders at the back of the machine to a pressure from 451 b to 601 b on the square inch, these compressors being driven by the ■team oylinder. By this means the temperature is theoretically raised to SOOdeg owing to the circulation of water«£f3ugh a patent water jaoket which iksStSmed round these cylinders, it never reaches a higher temperature than 220 dog. Van. After leaving these -compressors the air passes through a cooler or surface condenser, consisting of a large quantity of copper tubes neatly arranged in the back portion of tho engine bed, round whioh water is also circulated, thus still further roduoing the temperature to about 60deg Hah. After this it is passed into a reservoir or receiver which is fixed in front of the massive bed plate, and then passes through pipes to the Satent vapour collector or surface condenser, 'com this it is again circulated through oopper tubes, passing through the cold air from the meat room whioh is being drawn into the compressor. The air then passes into the patent|expaniion]oylinder, where it is admitted by means of patent expansion valves, when it again acts as a motive power in driving the engine, and after being thoroughly expanded it leaves the cylinder at the extraordinarily low temperature of 80deg below zero. It is then distributed over the meat rooms by means of wooden tanks, and finally passes through the suction pipe and through the patent vapor collector back to the compressor, tnus ensuring a complete circulation of the air. The houses are built of brick and the roof is supported on neat »wronght iron trussed principals, on whioh is mounted a louvre ventilator, extending the whole length. From the engine and boiler house we go next to the slaughter-house, whioh is divided into two departments, one being for cattle and the other for sheep. The slaughtering capacity will be 600 sheep per day and twenty-five bullocks. The slaughter-houses are so arranged as to do away with the necessity for any handling of the meat after once dressed by the butoher until frozen and ready for storage. The drainage, &a., has been well provided for in the concrete floors. An elevated line of railway runs from the slaughter-yards to the chilling rooms through a gangway fifteen feet in length, thus cutting off the slaughter-house from the chilling room, and obviating the possibility of mildew, &s., arising in the meat from the draining of the refuse of the •laughter-house under the chilling room. After the meat has been carried from the slaughter-house it is delivered into No. 1 chilling room, 26 x 30, where tbe elevated railway is diverted into twenty different lines by means of a very ingenious arrangement of points. This is done to enable the carcases to bo d'stributed to undergo the §rocess of chilling, each one being run along y means of travelling hooka. In this first chilling room the meat is subjected to a chilling process at a temperature of 40deg, thus causing, as nearly as possible a natural cooling to take place. After being subjected to this temperature for about ten hours the meat is passed through a partition, consisting of sliding doors, into a aooond chilling room, where it is exposed for a short time to a temperature of 32deg. Fahr, After remaining there for the neoes■ary time it is again passed through a partition into the freezing room, 26 x 30. Here the temperature varies from zero downwards, according to requirements. After remaining here for some time the meat became? frozen Sard, and ia then passed into tho meat stores and packed. The meat stores, two in number, are 26 x 30 each, Tho carcases remain in these stores until required for shipment. From these stores are doors leading into the loading room, 81 x 18, into whioh the railway siding will run. In this room is a platform, extending the whole length of the end of the building, and having accommodation for six vans to load at once, thus ensuring no delay will take placs in the transit of moat, &s. Also communioa'ing with the loading platform is a butter store, 62 x 17, which is divided into two compartments, so arranged t! at either one or both oompartmsnts can be worked singly or together. This room, the temperature of whioh will be from 40deg downwards, will be oooled from the small refrigerator already spoken of. This refrigerator will also cool a ■mall meat store, 15 x 15, whioh has been arranged to economise the working of the engines at suoh time as there should only require to be a small quantity of meat stored. The arrangements are suoh that either the large or small refrigerating engine can be turned to any or all of the rooms. An ample water supply has been provided for. The rooms are all 7ft high, and the walls, floors, and ceilings of the freezing and chilling rooms are made perfectly air-tight, being thoroughly lined and packed with ohaTso&l and fitted with air spaces. Tho roof - has been so arranged by the projection of the e&ves as to

prevent the effects of the son's rays on the outer walls. Accommodation will be provided at the works for the manager and the men employed. The buildings generally, thoogh substantial and thoroughly fitted for the purpose for which they are intended, have not been designed with any view to architectural efTec*;.