54 SALMON FISHERIES OF PACIFIC COAST. 



side by side and lapping the solder over the ends, as is frequently the 

 case with the chain machines. 



A few canneries use a revolving cooler, which has a disk upon 

 which the cans rest. This disk is filled with running water, and 

 after it makes two revolutions the cans are forced into an inclined 

 trough under a stream of water. The usual method, however, is 

 for the cans on leaving the soldering machine to pass under sev- 

 eral jets of water to set the solder and at the end of the belt to be 

 transferred by workmen to coolers or crates, which are made of flat 

 strap iron, square shaped, and hold about 96 cans. The crate having 

 been filled, it is placed upon a square truck and rolled aside, where 

 the vent holes are stopped with a drop of solder. 



TESTING. 



The testing tank is a square wooden tank filled with water heated 

 almost to the boiling point by steam pipes arranged in a coil at the 

 bottom. The crates are hoisted into the test tank by a block and 

 tackle attached to an overhead track, which permits the coolers to be 

 swung to any place desired. 



This test is for the purpose of detecting leaks due to imperfect 

 soldering and is conducted by two workmen skilled in this operation. 

 The slightest leak is detected by the appearance of small bubbles 

 issuing from the cans. The spots where the bubbles appear are 

 marked with a small iron tool held in the hand, and the cans are 

 taken out and placed in small wooden trays, in which they are carried 

 to the bench men, whose duty it is to mend them. Cans that have 

 been mended are again tested as before. The bench men are located 

 in front of a long bench on which are numerous fire pots, supplied 

 with oil and air led through small tubes, in which the soldering irons 

 are kept heated, the heat and air being regulated by connecting 

 valves. Kerosene oil and gasoline are the fuels generally used now. 



COOKING. 



The salmon are invariably cooked in rectangular retorts which rest 

 in a bed and have a track running the long way. In front of each is 

 a turntable for the purpose of receiving trucks coining from any direc- 

 tion. Four trucks each holding 6 crates of cans, piled one upon 

 another, are run into the retort, which is then closed and steam 

 turned on, entering at the bottom. The amount of pressure is from 

 6 to 12 pounds, the heat 250° F. In most establishments the first 

 cooking is continued about 60 minutes. 



After the first cooking the crates are taken out and placed on a 

 long table called a " venting table," where the cans are pricked with 

 a wooden-headed hammer fitted with a small brad, to allow the steam 



