37 



customary size weighed 160 pounds, and packed in the same way with the 

 re-shredded chips weighed 212 pounds, thus increasing the capacity of 

 the battery, and by its close packing increasing the density of the 

 juice. 



It is to be hoped, notwithstanding the brilliancy of these results, that 

 manufacturers will not at once attempt to double shred their chips, be- 

 cause the second time they go through they are not self-feeding, and 

 machines should be invented and proven equal to their task before a 

 commercial season should be risked. 



Evaporator. In accordance with your instructions, I constructed an 

 open evaporator to be run by crude oil (petroleum). Parallel brick 

 walls 13 inches thick, 34 feet long, and 24 inches high were constructed. 

 At one end was an iron stack, and at the opposite end were the burners. 

 Upon the walls was placed an open evaporator of sheet iron 1 foot high, 

 30 feet long, and 4 feet broad, divided by partitions 8 inches apart, 6 

 inches high, and 45 inches long. The juice entered the pan over the 

 burners, discharged at the opposite end, traversing a distance of about 

 164 feet in twelve minutes. The skimmings remained at the end over 

 the burners and were easily removed. As this was the first time, to 

 my knowledge, that crude oil had been applied to sugar work, I was 

 able to collect little data to guide me. After examining personally the 

 burners in use for steam-boilers, I finally adopted one belonging to H. 

 W. Whiting, of Philadelphia. He advised ine to place three burners 

 at the end, and inserting in the brick-work, at intervals of 1 foot, inch 

 pipes, to extend completely through the walls and flues and to be per- 

 forated with holes one fourth of an inch in diameter and 3 inches apart. 

 The intention was that air should pass through the end of these pipes, 

 then through the perforated holes into the flue, and thus aid combustion. 



The burners were made from 2-inch pipes with a T fitting opening at 

 the bottom to supply air on the Bunsen burner principle ; the oil passed 

 through a quarter-inch pipe, through a cock into a 1 inch coil 1J inch 

 in diameter, so placed as to receive a large portion of the heat from the 

 burners ; there is also a quarter-inch steam pipe leading into the end of 

 the pipe, so that the oil and steam can be mixed as it passes into the hot 

 coil, or superheater, as it is named. When the oil is converted into gas 

 from the superheater it passes into the Bunsen burner and is forced 

 through it by another steam jet and burned from the opening. 



In our first experiment Bradford crude oil was used, and in our final 

 experiments black residuum of the refineries, which I have been informed 

 is the product left behind after the light oils have been distilled off. 



In practice we could find very little difference in the heating of the 

 two oils. Lima oil could not be had in quantity less than 6,000 gallons; 

 consequently it was not used. 



It was found in starting the burners that a stack 10 inches in diame- 

 ter was too small, the effect in practice being to cause explosion of gas. 



A stack of 24 inches diameter was substituted ; this stopped all explo- 



