﻿16 
  MENHADEN 
  INDUSTEY 
  OF 
  THE 
  ATLANTIC 
  COAST. 
  

  

  one 
  of 
  the 
  factories 
  of 
  North 
  Carolina 
  the 
  antiquated 
  method 
  of 
  

   making 
  a 
  fire 
  under 
  the 
  vat 
  still 
  prevails; 
  the 
  vats 
  are 
  made 
  of 
  wood, 
  

   with 
  iron 
  bottoms. 
  

  

  The 
  modern 
  cookers 
  are 
  of 
  the 
  direct-steam 
  type 
  and 
  operated 
  

   continuously. 
  The 
  fish 
  are 
  fed 
  through 
  a 
  hopper-like 
  entrance 
  into 
  

   a 
  steel 
  shell 
  or 
  cylinder 
  of 
  varying 
  lengths 
  and 
  diameters. 
  A 
  cooker 
  

   finding 
  much 
  favor 
  among 
  the 
  operators 
  of 
  menhaden 
  factories 
  is 
  

   40 
  feet 
  long 
  and 
  2 
  feet 
  in 
  diameter; 
  a 
  shaft, 
  the 
  diameter 
  of 
  which 
  

   varies 
  with 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  cylinder 
  from 
  3 
  inches 
  to 
  4h 
  inches, 
  passes 
  

   through 
  the 
  center 
  from 
  end 
  to 
  end 
  and 
  is 
  provided 
  with 
  flights 
  so 
  

   arranged 
  as 
  to 
  act 
  as 
  a 
  conveyor 
  and 
  keep 
  the 
  fish 
  moving 
  toward 
  

   the 
  discharge 
  end. 
  Thirty-six 
  iron 
  feed 
  pipes, 
  each 
  three-eighths 
  of 
  

   an 
  inch 
  in 
  diameter, 
  enter 
  the 
  shell 
  on 
  each 
  side 
  quite 
  near 
  the 
  bottom 
  

   at 
  intervals 
  of 
  1 
  foot; 
  this 
  arrangement 
  insures 
  a 
  complete 
  circulation 
  

   of 
  the 
  steam 
  through 
  the 
  fish 
  as 
  they 
  are 
  passed 
  through 
  the 
  cylinder. 
  

   Attached 
  to 
  the 
  discharge 
  end, 
  a 
  little 
  lower 
  than 
  the 
  main 
  cylinder, 
  

   and 
  either 
  at 
  right 
  angle 
  or 
  parallel 
  to 
  the 
  same, 
  is 
  a 
  smaller 
  shell 
  

   about 
  8 
  feet 
  long 
  and 
  1 
  foot 
  in 
  diameter, 
  which 
  is 
  designed 
  to 
  prevent 
  

   the 
  steam 
  from 
  escaping. 
  The 
  mass 
  of 
  cooked 
  fish 
  drops 
  into 
  this 
  

   after 
  passing 
  through 
  the 
  cooker 
  and 
  is 
  carried 
  through 
  by 
  a 
  screw 
  

   conveyor. 
  This 
  is 
  probably 
  the 
  most 
  effective 
  form 
  of 
  this 
  apparatus, 
  

   as 
  the 
  steam 
  is 
  more 
  thoroughly 
  distributed 
  by 
  being 
  introduced 
  be- 
  

   neath. 
  Other 
  types 
  in 
  use 
  differ 
  chiefly 
  in 
  the 
  manner 
  of 
  admitting 
  

   the 
  steam. 
  In 
  one 
  form 
  it 
  is 
  admitted 
  through 
  a 
  hollow 
  shaft 
  6 
  

   inches 
  in 
  diameter 
  along 
  which 
  at 
  intervals 
  of 
  16 
  inches 
  are 
  arranged 
  

   sets 
  of 
  radial 
  pipes 
  screwed 
  into 
  the 
  shaft 
  at 
  equal 
  intervals 
  around 
  

   its 
  entire 
  circumference. 
  These 
  are 
  simply 
  sections 
  of 
  1-inch 
  iron 
  

   piping, 
  each 
  8 
  inches 
  long. 
  They 
  are 
  closed 
  at 
  the 
  end, 
  but 
  each 
  has 
  

   three 
  perforations 
  through 
  which 
  the 
  steam 
  escapes 
  to 
  the 
  chamber. 
  

   These 
  also 
  serve 
  as 
  flights 
  to 
  move 
  the 
  fish 
  toward 
  the 
  discharge 
  end 
  

   of 
  the 
  cylinder. 
  Another 
  type 
  used 
  in 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  factories 
  feeds 
  

   the 
  steam 
  through 
  perforations 
  in 
  the 
  shaft, 
  which 
  is 
  fitted 
  with 
  flights 
  

   which 
  are 
  simply 
  solid 
  pieces 
  of 
  iron. 
  

  

  PRESSING. 
  

  

  While 
  the 
  old-style 
  curbs 
  and 
  hydraulic 
  presses 
  have 
  been 
  displaced 
  

   to 
  a 
  considerable 
  extent 
  by 
  the 
  modern 
  screw 
  presses, 
  they 
  are 
  yet 
  in 
  

   use 
  in 
  -a 
  sufficient 
  number 
  of 
  factories 
  to 
  justify 
  some 
  description 
  of 
  

   them; 
  in 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  plants 
  they 
  have 
  been 
  retained 
  after 
  the 
  instal- 
  

   lation 
  of 
  screw 
  presses, 
  to 
  be 
  used 
  in 
  case 
  the 
  latter 
  should 
  be 
  disabled 
  

   or 
  in 
  any 
  other 
  emergency 
  that 
  may 
  arise. 
  Many 
  of 
  the 
  operators 
  

   prefer 
  them 
  to 
  the 
  modern 
  apparatus 
  because 
  the 
  screw 
  press 
  gives 
  

   such 
  a 
  great 
  pressure 
  that 
  quantities 
  of 
  fleshy 
  matter 
  are 
  forced 
  out 
  

   with 
  the 
  oil 
  and 
  water, 
  with 
  the 
  result 
  that 
  the 
  separation 
  of 
  these 
  in 
  

   the 
  oil 
  room 
  is 
  rendered 
  more 
  difficult 
  and 
  the 
  amount 
  of 
  scrap 
  made 
  is 
  

  

  