THE LONGBURN FREEZING WORKS.

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 9139, 10 November 1890, Page 2

THE LONGBURN FREEZING WORKS.

Close to the Longhorn Station of the Manawatu Company these works are situated ; close to the railway lino they are in the middle of the green plain, looking so rich and pleasant at this time of tho year. It is the centre of a great and growing district. Sheep are increasing and cattle are multiply. Ing. So great is the progress that tho self re. liant settlers long ago determined to set up a freezing establishment of their own. Ac* cordingly the Longhorn Slaughtering and Freezing Company was formed. The Company began by purchasing a commodious site from Mr Beale, with the cattle slaughter-yards and boiling-down plant thereon. Next they pat themselves into the hands of Messrs Coxon and Grcensfcreet, the well-known engineers of Christchurch, who have designed and erected so much freezing machinery and plant in New Zealand since that first shipment which made the begin* ning of the meat trade, and waa the subject of so much astonishment at the other end of the world. The result is tho establishment in the pleasant green plain in the midst of which stands the Longburn railway etation.

As yon come from the station, with tho railway line on your right hand, the works are before you. There is no mistaking that big brick chimney, tall aud shapely, that array of roofs, that block of buildings so symmetrical and impoiing. They are the latest addition to the freezing plant of enterprising New Zealand. To g t to the right tido of the works, tba side where the operations begin, you have to pass the chimney and tne boiler and engine houses, both of brick, to ekirt the compact stores of timber, and make your way round to the sheep aud cattle yards. To the left as you enter—you are now facing your point of departure, the Longbem Station is Mr Beale’s old cattle slaughterhouse and bis boiling-down establishment, Yv-u enter the new slaughter house, a commodious well-designed building 70fb by 20ffc, with accommodation for 14 slaughtermen, whose average of 59 sheen a day is tho measure of 'the capacity of the establishment. Everything, that is to say; is arranged for freezing 709 sheep day, a rate of output which means something ever 209,000 carcases of mutton a year, or their equivalent in beef. The place is fitted with all the modern arrangements. There aro drains which • keep ' the blood and all the rest of the materials' aepa. rate for Utilisation. At present the destination of these drains is the crek hard by. which comes across the radway. Presently the enterprising Directois will have a * complete plant for treating the refuse, imd then the value of the arrangements for kedpiog’ everything separate will.ibe- seen, la connection with the slaughter’ rooms; there are rooms for disposing of the fat ans offal, fitted with the tables nacessaiy fox

•arrying on the various processes required la the economical treatment of everything pertaining to this department. V,cry neat and dean they are now, uud very neat and dean they always will been much, of course, is certain. But to ‘ho Inexperienced eye they will, from to day, when work begins, present a rpeotaae not attractive. Bnt that only means that m utilising the minor produrns of tno ala °f ‘ t , house there is nothing that is absolutely "Irho*major products, the oar °^ e !’ “g? oarriod to the cooling room. to honre beforo they are introduced to the ice and snow, which aredestinedtoembalm them for the British bnteher and his customer, who may enjoy them m oh a beat English or Scotch at some not very distant *day unless that ides, recently mooted, of branding every carcase, Is earned into practice. This cooling room , 8 a marvel of convenience and adaptability to its purpose. Louvres with screws cunningly adjusted admit the freest currents of air—the Saco looks in fact as if it were constructed of louvres, and there is a height of some 15 feet overhead. The dimensions are 80 feet by 34. On the other aide of the cooling room a very different plan of building begins. From the place of free air currents yon pass to the dose fitted insulated departments, where no air can enter except the odd dry air supplied by the refrigerator, and whence no air can get oat till the doors are opened. First you find yourself in an insulated passage extending the whole length of the cooling-room. On tho other side of the passage are tho freezing-rooms, into which the sheep are taken after cooling. Four of these there are, each 52ft by 24ft, and 7ife in height, each capable of storing 700 sheep, the daily tally of the butchers. Above them are the stores, also four io number, each of the same floor dimensions, namely 62ft by 2 itt, but rising to a height of 10ft, Their »ggre* gate storage oapacity is 16,500 sheep, or the equivalent in beef. These looms are built of timber and roofed with tho same. The Insulation is a spool ally designed arrangement of charcoal and timber. They are fitted with labour saving appliances, and all necessary hatches for passing up the oaroases from the freezing rooms to the stores. At present tho carcases have to bo moved by hand, but as soon as the Directors see their way to the expense, the usual travelling arrangements by overhead rails will be added. The rooms ore fitted with tho latest arrangeinents in air trunking, for the effective ace equal distribution of tho cold air. The system in use has proved by long experience its claim to be considered absolutely •eifect. To the left there is tho loading shed, to which the carcases are conveyed by shoots. The Company's siding goes through this building. There the insulated trucks of the Looaburn Company will receive their freight beforo starting on their journey to VVollloOatflido the big timber two-storied building in which are the freezing rooms and stores, stands the refrigerator la a brick building 48fc by 22ft 6io. It is one of Haslam's patent compound duplex refrigerators, fitted with injecting steam condenser, patent drying pipes, and all tho latest improve, ments. The machine ia capable of delivering 120,000 cubic feet of dry air per hour, at a temperature of between 80 and 100 below aero. . * For driving this machine there are two boilers of the Lancashire pattern, 30 feet by seven, designed by Messrs Coxon and Greenstreet (the designers of the whole of the arrangements), and constructed by Messrs Cable and Co., of Wellington, who have done their work in a very thorough and workmanlike fashion. These boilers have a working pressure up to 1151 b to the square inch/ They are housed in a brick building C 6 feet by 22 feet 6 inches, parallel to the engine-house. Of these two buildings all the roof principals and window sashes are made of iron, according to the Invariable Europeon custom, adopted to avoid the shrinkage and leakage which with any other kind of roof are sure to be caused by the great heat. The roofs are of iron. The chimney of the boiler house is octagonal, eighty feet In height, with an inside diameter of 4!fc. It ia very substantial and handsome. Such are the buildings and plant. They were taken over by the Chairman of Directors, Mr Bull, ou Saturday, who in doing so expressed great satisfaction at the excellent manner in which the whole of the work had been done, according to the designs of Messrs Coxon and Greenstreet, Tho Company has now a magnificent plant, and a splendid ortab'ishmeat. With such conveniences they ought to give a good account of themselves to their customers. They have in Mr, Stewart a very efficient secretary o! groat experience in tho conduct of business of this kind. Mr Boyd Thomson, who has managed tho freezing works at Timaru, supervises fcbe slaughtering and outside department, and Mr Morrison, lately chief engineer of the Coptic, has.charge of the freezing and engineering. Mr Morrison has been moat ably supported during the erection o? the machinery by Mr Davis, who will work with him for the future as his second. Mr Davis, who has had large experience in the erection and working of tho Haslom refrigerating machinery, is a great acquisition to tho Company’s service. The .inspector of woika was Mr John Stevenson, and to his ability and success the Chairman paid a flattering tribute in taking the works over on Saturday, The whole establishment and plant , reflect tho greatest credit on the designers, Messrs Coxon and Greenstreet, of Christchurch. In conclusion, we congratulate the Longburn Comoivny on the excellent start they have made and the fine staff they have secured for conducting their operations. Today the works are opened. It will be tho first day, we feel sure, of a great and growing business—of the greatest benefit to tho fine district in whoso midst the works are situated.