FREEZING INDUSTRY.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 864, 16 November 1916, Page 3

FREEZING INDUSTRY.

BIG WORKS AT WANGANUI. ENTERPRISE OF N.Z. REFRIGERATING COMPANY. For its area and population no country in the world can compare with New Zealand in the advantage it has taken of the freezing process as applied to meat for export. Its geographical position, remote from all the great markets of the world, combined with its wonderful productive resources, and equable climate, has unquestionably forced our meat-growers into this position in order to avail themselves of the benefits of the best prices in the best markets. That New Zealand is not nearly at the end of its resources in this regard may be gathered from the number of new works that have been established within the past two years in different parts of the Dominion. The most remarkable of these is the new works, which have been established on the Wanganui River, within a 12 minutes' tram-ride from the centre of Wanganui. The Imlay Freezing Works of the New Zealand Refrigerating Company (late the Christchurch Meat Company) are in every respect a perfect model of what such works should be.

GENERAL DETAIL. To describe a big modern meat works is not the simplest of tasks. The lay mind is, initially, rather staggered by the immensity of the works. The square of the colony of buildings that will be known as the Imlay Freezing Works covers about Ti acres of land, and of that some 5i to C acres is roof space, so that a moderate sized township could be compressed within the space occupied by the works, to say nothing of the vast acreage of paddocks and stock yards outside the building area. Roughly, the buildings are divided into two sections by a double railway track, which serves each department and connects up conveniently with the Castlecliff railway system (Government gauge), so that the works have a steel rail connection with all parts of the district and Dominion. The works are throughout and in every particular built to endure. They are brick, concrete, and steel, the brickwork, neatly and cleanly "pointed" with cement, and every corner is rounded off with "bull-nosed" bricks to ensure against chipping. To add to the impressive appearance of the buildings the roofs have all been finished off in grey "Poilite" asbestos tiles, which contrast pleasingly with the red brick finish of the walls. THE PLANT.

Entering from Queen's Avenue one encounters the first of the buildings on the eastern block, the coal store (50ft by 50ft), boiler-house (68ft by 80ft), the engine room (56ft by 81ft), and the fitting shop (45ft by 45ft). Overhead are the condenser and concentrator rooms, fitted with the latest machinery. In a line with this building (still of the east of the central railway tracks) is the immense refrigerating building, which covers a space 247 ft 9in by 176 ft, and is three stories on either side and four in the centre. The lower floor is for storage and the two top floors comprise the freezing chambers, and a cooling-room (245 ft by 56ft), with shuttered windows open to the cool breath of the river and ocean. The freezing space is divided into 14 chambers, each 17ft by 120 ft, insulated with pumice. In the centre of the building there is a fourth floor, consisting of four large rooms, where the expansion coils and batteries are set up. The refrigerating principle in the freezing chambers is by air circulation, and in the stores is by direct expansion. Attached to this block is a bag-room, from which rises an electric lift to the top floor for the conveyance of the bags to the chambers, where they are needed. Treating the block described as that of the dead, the corresponding one on the other (western) side of the double railway track (actually a 35ft wide thorough-

fare) may be said to be that of the quick, for here is located the slaughtering chambers and fellmongery quarters. On the southern front, backing on to the river, is a wool store (109 ft bv 4f)ft), pulling-room (100 ft by 35ftj, drying-room (100 ft by 35ft), and pelt-room (109 ft by 60ft), detached is the "pie" room. Then, working northward and 45ft away from the departments just mentioned is the fellmongery (57ft by 212 ft), and overhead is the sheepslaughtering room, with hooks for 78 butchers, which means that it will be possible for about 8000 sheep to be slaughtered per day. Ample facilities are being provided for the men in this, as in all other departments. Here there are three separate coat-rooms, and all conveniences

of a most up-to-date and complete ' character. Off the big slaughterhouse, approached by a corridor (9ft by 35ft), there is a set of odices, com-! prising two weighing offices, a ticket] room, and Government inspector's: office. Adjoining this building is the cattle slaughterhouse (45ft by 59ft), with four pithing pens and two hide-! rooms. Here are provided the nec-j essary drops and three electric winches. The plant is capable of dealing with 250 head of cattle per dav. CHILLING BEEF. Connected with this department is a beef-chilling room on the' first floor (108 ft by 35ft), which is: insulated with compressed granulated cork sheets, held in position by a thin coating of cement con-, crete. This is a distinctly new fea-' ture, and one which would be generally adopted were the cork available, which is not the case. The floor of the .chilling room is laid lown in Trinidad asphalt. From' this chamber an overhead corridor leads to the eastern block over the* railway tracks mentioned. Connected with the fellmongery are the necessary lime and slack pits.

SLAUGHTERING. Across another 40ft open space| from the slaughterhouse (still moving northwards) is another substantial two-storey block of buildings containing oleo and tallow rooms (94.6 ft by 100 ft), and a vat room (66ft by 35ft); a manure department (179 ft by 125 ft), comprising dryers, evapor-; ators, and storage compartments. Some 66ft away, at the side, is the casing house (100 ft by 40ft), and in' front is a cooperage (100 ft by 40ft). To the north-cast of the two main blocks, and quite separate from both in the part two-storey brick preserving house (215 ft by 78ft) comprising meat extract, thawing, boning, pickling, packing, preserving, and store rooms, with semi-detached tinsmith's shop (sft by 37ft). Near the entrance from Queen's Avenue is a decorative little single-storey block of managerial and clerical offices (56ft by 32ft).

WATER SUPPLY. Between the main entrance and the refrigerating block erected on a skeleton steel stand 70ft in height is a steel tank with a 10,000 gallon capacity. This is supplied by three artesian bores. This would almost appear to have been unnecessary when the company has the whole of the Wanganui River at ns back door; but it was deemed expedient to have an ample suojdy of the purest water, so down went the bores. Jutting out into the river at the back of the works is an 800 ft jetty, with a tee at the outer end 200 ft in length. On the north-western sides j of the works are the company's ex- j tensive- cattle and sheep yards, and i unloading banks. There is a bank; frontage to the railway line in which' accommodation is provided forj unloading 24 trucks at a time. Thej yards (apart from the pad/focks) are! wholly concreted, and can accom-1 modate 18,000 sheep. DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION, ! It only remains to say that these splendid modern works were designed by Messrs Walter Panton and Son, of Timaru, a firm which de-1 signed meat works at Ocean Beach, | the Bluff, Burnside (Dunedin), Smithfield (Timaru), Pukeuri (Oamaru), Fairfield (Ashburton), Motu-

■ roa (New Plymouth), Launceston and Hobart (Tasmania), Belfast ' (Chrisfehurch), and extensive altera- , jtlons at Islington. Longbufn, Woodville, and Picton, The contractors , were Messrs Russell and Bign*ll, of , Wanganuf, and Mr H. Dymond was j clerk of works. The drainage and ; plumbing work was carried out bv j Mr Chas. Bignell, and Mr E. J. Rudjdick, of Addington, supplied the steel ! railings for the slaughter-houses (which ran into some £6ooot. Mr Win. Murray, the general manj ager, hopes to make a start with the works on November 20, but it may ;be a day or two later before the j works are properly going. Mr Zeisler has been appointed works manager.