THE CUBA RE VI E W 



31 



Central "La Vega" at Guayos near Sancti Spiritus 



RAPID CONSTRUCTION OF A SUGAR 

 FACTORY 



On January 21st, last, a new sugar factory, 

 called ''La ^'eJ5a," began grinding cane at 

 Guayos, on the Cuba Railroad, near Sancti 

 Spiritus. 



On the '26th day of last September, Messrs. 

 Smith, Ames and Chisholm, consulting and 

 contracting engineers, of Havana, broke 

 ground for the branch railway line to connect 

 the Cuba RR. with the proposed site for the 

 new sugar factory. 



In that field, which was then a j^asture for 

 cattle, there began within less than four 

 months a daily movement of from SOO to 900 

 tons of cane over that l^ranch railway line to 

 and through a complete new sugar factory, 

 and out again to the main line railway in the 

 form of sugar. 



The engineers were commissioned l)y the 

 sugar companj- on Sept. 15th to prepjire 

 plans and to complete the installation, in- 

 cluding railway lines and storage warehouse 

 and office building by February 1st. 



The President of this sugar company is Sr. 

 Orestes Ferrara, former speaker of the Cuban 

 Congress. The Vice-President is Mr. Hanni- 

 bal J. de Mesa, and the principal other stock- 

 holder is former President, Gen. Jose Miguel 

 Gomez. 



These gentlemen were greatly ridiculed by 

 their planter friends for permitting them- 

 selves to believe the preposterous claim of 

 any engineers that they could complete a new 

 sugar "central" in four months, but they 

 never wavered in their confidence and their 

 financial support, and finally had the satis- 

 tion of seeing that confidence justified and 

 having the last laugh on their side. 



The new steel structures was fabricated by 

 the American Steel Co., of Cuba, at their 

 shops at Havana, from the plans of the engi- 

 neers and delivered on time. The mills were 



furnished by Messrs. Bibert, Bancroft & Ross, 

 of New Orleans. Some of the boilers and 

 crystallizers and a horizontal triple effect 

 were brought from an old factory belonging 

 to Mr. Mesa. ►#?>*->«( 



Other lioilers and crystallizers and a vacuum 

 pan, and the defacators and other tanks were 

 made in Cuba. Another vacuum pan, the 

 centrifugals, filter presses and the pumps, etc., 

 were brought from the United States. 



The construction included also a large 

 store warehouse for sugar, and some three kil- 

 ometers of standard gauge railway line in the 

 Batey for the handling of cane, sugar, mo- 

 lasses, etc.; also a dam, water piunp and pipe 

 line for water supply, from the adjacent river 

 to the factory. 



This is certainly a record-breaking achieve- 

 ment, as the usual time required for such con- 

 struction is about a year. 



The buildings were finished with concrete 

 floors throughout and steam pipes protected 

 with non-conducting coverings, to prevent 

 condensation of steam. 



The work was so carefully done, notwith- 

 standing its rapidity, that no pipe-joints have 

 leaked nor have any delays occurred from hot 

 journal bearings in mills nor engines. 



The cooling apparatus for condensing water 

 was ordered from the Spray Engineering Co. , 

 of Boston, and has proven much more effici- 

 ent than the usual cooling tower in use in Cuba. 



Cane is secured from "Colonos" along the 

 railway line. 



The present factory has a capacity for about 

 850 tons of cane daily, Isut the building was 

 constructed with locations prepared for the 

 installation of additional mills, boilers, pans, 

 etc., sufficient to increase the capacity to 

 1,500 tons daily. 



The extension of the Company's cane zone 

 by the construction of railway lines into con- 

 tiguous territorj' is also contemplated. 



