﻿MENHADEN 
  INDUSTRY- 
  OF 
  THE 
  ATLANTIC 
  COAST. 
  15 
  

  

  The 
  measuring 
  device 
  found 
  in 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  plants 
  is 
  shaped 
  like 
  a 
  

   cyHnder 
  and 
  mounted 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  revolve 
  on 
  an 
  axis. 
  It 
  is 
  divided 
  into 
  

   four 
  segments, 
  each 
  of 
  which 
  has 
  a 
  space 
  of 
  22,000 
  cubic 
  inches, 
  and 
  

   will 
  accommodate 
  a 
  bulk 
  of 
  fish 
  which 
  is 
  taken 
  arbitrarily 
  as 
  1,000 
  in 
  

   number; 
  this 
  is 
  based 
  on 
  the 
  standard 
  measurement 
  of 
  22 
  cubic 
  

   inches 
  for 
  one, 
  or 
  22,000 
  cubic 
  inches 
  for 
  1,000 
  menhaden. 
  The 
  num- 
  

   ber 
  of 
  fish 
  to 
  each 
  22,000 
  cubic 
  inches 
  naturally 
  varies 
  with 
  their 
  

   size. 
  When 
  one 
  segment 
  is 
  filled 
  the 
  cyHnder 
  revolves 
  and 
  dumps 
  

   the 
  fish 
  and 
  the 
  next 
  segment 
  is 
  brought 
  into 
  place 
  to 
  be 
  filled. 
  

  

  Another 
  form 
  consists 
  of 
  two 
  weighing 
  hoppers, 
  with 
  a 
  dial 
  indi- 
  

   cator 
  of 
  1 
  ton 
  capacity. 
  When 
  one 
  hopper 
  has 
  received 
  the 
  required 
  

   weight 
  of 
  fish 
  they 
  are 
  diverted 
  into 
  the 
  other 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  an 
  

   apron-hke 
  device 
  which 
  is 
  shifted 
  by 
  a 
  lever 
  worked 
  by 
  the 
  man 
  in 
  

   charge 
  of 
  the 
  elevator 
  house. 
  Two 
  of 
  the 
  factories 
  have 
  recently 
  

   installed 
  conveying 
  weighers 
  which 
  are 
  similar 
  in 
  construction 
  to 
  the 
  

   ordinary 
  platform 
  scales; 
  the 
  track 
  on 
  which 
  the 
  belt 
  which 
  carries 
  

   the 
  fish 
  moves 
  is 
  suspended 
  from 
  the 
  weighing 
  levers, 
  which 
  with 
  the 
  

   integrator 
  are 
  inclosed 
  in 
  a 
  sheet-iron 
  case. 
  The 
  fish 
  are 
  dumped 
  

   from 
  the 
  measuring 
  device 
  into 
  a 
  conveyor, 
  usually 
  of 
  the 
  bucket 
  

   type, 
  which 
  carries 
  them 
  either 
  directly 
  to 
  the 
  cooker 
  or 
  to 
  the 
  ''raw 
  

   box" 
  or 
  bin 
  in 
  which 
  they 
  are 
  stored 
  until 
  such 
  tune 
  as 
  they 
  can 
  

   be 
  used. 
  These 
  bins 
  are 
  all 
  about 
  the 
  same 
  depth, 
  10 
  to 
  12 
  feet, 
  but 
  

   vary 
  in 
  length 
  and 
  breadth 
  according 
  to 
  the 
  capacity 
  of 
  the 
  plant 
  

   and 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  steamers 
  employed. 
  The 
  largest 
  one 
  in 
  use 
  is 
  

   about 
  25 
  feet 
  wide 
  and 
  225 
  feet 
  long. 
  The 
  fioor 
  slants 
  toward 
  the 
  

   middle, 
  where 
  a 
  conveyor 
  moves 
  in 
  a 
  close 
  box 
  "wdth 
  a 
  covering 
  which 
  

   may 
  be 
  removed 
  in 
  sections 
  when 
  the 
  fish 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  taken 
  from 
  the 
  

   bin 
  and 
  conveyed 
  to 
  the 
  cooker. 
  

  

  COOKING. 
  

  

  The 
  fish 
  are 
  generally 
  cooked 
  at 
  night 
  as 
  soon 
  as 
  the 
  steamers 
  

   reach 
  port 
  and 
  discharge 
  their 
  catch. 
  It 
  is 
  desirable 
  to 
  cook 
  them 
  as 
  

   soon 
  after 
  they 
  are 
  taken 
  from 
  the 
  water 
  as 
  possible, 
  because 
  they 
  

   putrefy 
  quite 
  rapidly 
  and 
  are 
  so 
  much 
  more 
  difficult 
  to 
  handle 
  in 
  that 
  

   condition. 
  Cooking 
  has 
  the 
  effect 
  of 
  brealdng 
  up 
  the 
  fat 
  cells 
  or 
  sacs 
  

   and 
  permitting 
  a 
  ready 
  liberation 
  of 
  the 
  oil. 
  The 
  continuous 
  steam 
  

   cookers 
  have 
  gradually 
  displaced 
  the 
  old-style 
  cooking 
  vats 
  from 
  

   year 
  to 
  year 
  until 
  the 
  latter 
  have 
  been 
  ahnost 
  ^Hminated 
  — 
  North 
  

   Carohna 
  being 
  the 
  only 
  place 
  where 
  they 
  are 
  now 
  in 
  use 
  — 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  

   probable 
  that 
  they 
  will 
  be 
  supplanted 
  there 
  by 
  the 
  modern 
  apparatus 
  

   if 
  the 
  business 
  is 
  sufficiently 
  lucrative 
  to 
  justify 
  the 
  expenditure. 
  

   The 
  old 
  style 
  consists 
  of 
  the 
  simple 
  process 
  of 
  cooking 
  the 
  fish 
  in 
  vats 
  

   or 
  tanks 
  having 
  false 
  bottoms 
  beneath 
  which 
  are 
  placed 
  perforated 
  

   steam 
  pipes; 
  the 
  vats 
  contain 
  a 
  sufficient 
  quantity 
  of 
  water 
  to 
  cover 
  

   the 
  fish. 
  The 
  water 
  is 
  heated 
  before 
  the 
  fish 
  are 
  put 
  into 
  it, 
  the 
  usual 
  

   time 
  for 
  cooking 
  the 
  fish 
  in 
  these 
  tanks 
  being 
  about 
  20 
  minutes. 
  In 
  

  

  