NEW MILL AT TATARARIKI.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9403, 9 January 1894, Page 6

NEW MILL AT TATARARIKI.

Our readers will remember the destruction of the Northern Pine Mill at Tatarariki, by fire, on the night of 6th September lost,' and: the universal sympathy which was afterwards expressed, for Mr. Matthews in his heavy loss. It has. been our . pleasure this week to pay a visit to Tatarariki to inspect the new mill which has been erected on .the site of the old one. When the fire took place the proprietor had established a good connection and was full of work ; this he has fortunately been able to maintain daring the space which has intervened, and the new mill started on January 2, with plenty of work before it. The Isabella Anderson is now in the river for a cargo, and the Coquette is expected shortly. Very little time was lost after the fire betore the work of rebuilding was put in hand. The plans and specifications were drawn up by Mr. H. Hammond, engineer and architect, .and were very full and exact, The successful tenderers for the work were Messrs. Mead and Sharpe. and only six weeks were allowed them for the completion of their contract. They worked well and finished up "to time, and Mr. Matthews speaks very highly of the manner in which . the con* tract has been completed; he says_ that no better work has ever been shown in the erection of any mill. The benches, shafting, and other fittings of the mill have been done by the proprietor's own workmen, and the whole work of erection has been under the supervision of Messrs. Matthews and Hossack.

The main building is 80 feet long and 38 feet in width, the eastern lean-to is 80 feet by 26 feet, and the western lean-to 108 feet by 30 feet. All the foundations are kauri spars, running lengthwise, planked and crossplanked underneath, to prevent sinking. The studs are 9 by 6 and 9 by 9, with 6in. top-plates to carry the beams, which are 12 by 12 laid crosswise. The whole understructure is braced and cross-braced, the bracing under the big saw-benches being specially strong, so that there can be no apparent vibration. The breaking-down saw has two large logs (30 by 30) to carry the foundation posts and the fly-wheel shaft. The foundations on which the engine rests are very substantial: they consist of a concrete block 8 feet by 5 feet and 24 feet long, with 18in. brick walls, to carry the engine bed, on the top. The crank shaft f»illar block, to carry the large fly wheel which is 18 feet in diameter, and faced with 18 inch iron lagging, and weighs 8 tons) is a concrete block 8 feet by 4 feet, 14 feet in length, with a brick pedestal. Under the mill we also noticed the creepers arranged so as to carry the sawdust right out to the boxes. The shafting which runs the full width of the mill is 3 inches and 3£ inches in diameter, and the pulleys are of wood, built on to iron frames. All the iron work is from Price's famous - mndry. The stokehole: which is in the western wing, is roomy and convenient, there being two furnaces to feed. The two boilers are both Cornish, one 25 feet and the other 30 feet in length, licensed to carry 501b pressure. Connected with these is a steam pump to be used for filling the boilers or for drenching the yard, etc. The engine is an horizontal one of 65 horse-power nominal. It has a 32-inch cylinder with .a 4 feet 6 inches stroke. The engine was built by Messrs. Fraser and Tinne and is in splendid order. Stepping now into the mill, which 'is planked with, kauri, I first inspect the log slip which is fitted with an endless chain running on a chain pulley. Beyond this is the space for the saw doctor's shop, which has yet to be The breakingdown saw is capable of cutting a log 7 feet 6 inches in diameter, and has a speed of 145 strokes per minute. There are no posts i intervening between the log slip and the circular, so that logs can be flitted from slip to breaking-down and on > to the circular without hindrance. The skids between these two saws are 16 feet long. The circular saw is capable of cutting up to 20 inches in width and 34 feet in length, and has a speed of 850 revolutions per minute. Convenient to the circular ana the breaking-down space _ is reserved for a deal frame saw, the shafting and pulleys for same being already in position. Near to the circular bench is a goosesaw for cutting off bad ends,'and a little beyond is, the re-cutting, bench, to which is passed over anything that the circular leaves to be used up. This bench has skids before and behind, so that there will always be material to keep it going. The re-cutter can cut up to 10 inches in width, and is fitted with feed rollers, one fluted and the otli-sr plain, and a wheeled carriage before and behind so that the labour necessary to its working is much lightened. Next comes the swing cut-off saw, which cuts the odda from the re-cutter into box and stave lengths, the former being thrown to the box-bench and the latter to the stave bench, both of which are convenientlysituated. Thus the log comes in at one corner, of the mill and passes from bench to bench within the mill until the most has been made of it, and when the product leaves the mill it is finished with. No face-cuts are allowed to rnn to waste, for when it is necessary to put a good face on a flitch the cub is run so that at the thinniest part it shall not be less than half-inch, and # these cuts are then passed, on to be used up in the box and stave benches. The platforms which receive the timber from the mill are very cleverly arranged for the convenience and ease of loading on to the trucks. The mill, which is lofty, is lighted with 18 sash lights, and the boarding around is slightly open. The roof is of iron. The engine and other machinery have had a good trial, and everything runs very smoothly. There is a large well just outsido the engineroom the water to which is supplied from the rainfall, and should this be insufficient the windmill of the artesian well is set in motion, and the supply is unlimited. The wharf, which was uninjured by the fire, is substantial, and the booms are capable of holding a large stock of logs. The settlement adjacent to the mill yard is growing apace, as nearly all the hands employed now live on the spot. The mill employs sixteen hands. In conclusion, I tender my thanks to Mr. Matthews and Mr. Hossack for their attention and information I heartily wish them every success and a long and prosperous career to their compact and up-to-date mill, of which they may well feel proud.—[Northern Wairoa Correspondent.]" 1 . .