THE CUBA REVIEW And Bulletin. 



Thf .Niiif Bay Cimiiany'.-; Mill ;H iTi'simi, ( ul.; 



the cane and bagasse from here on to the boilers is altogether automatic, and 

 the power used is electricity, used more on this plantation than on any other in Cuba. 

 Besides the cranes for the hoppers there are others for storing and loading sugar. 

 An electric light and power plant supplies all the mill's requirements and in addition 

 supplies light for the village houses. The plant is sufficient to supply lisrht and jxiwer 

 for a city of 4,000 inhabitants. 



The mill was in Februarj' turning nut 1.00c sacks per d'ay, but rose to 1,600 

 shortly afterwards. The complete plant will produce 3,200 to 3,400 bags per day. 

 Five thousand short tons of cane will by the capacity of the mill produce 500 tons of sugar 

 or 10%, but next year the percentage will be higher, due to improvement in the quality 

 of the cane juice after one or two crops. 



There is no steam wasted in this mill ; it is used over again in its exhausted 

 condition, especially being made serviceable in imparting heal to the juice in the various 

 stages of treatment. 



The 24 centrifugals were each under the charge of a Chinaman. One man ought 

 to be able to attend to two machines, but Nipe Bay is a section of Cuba wdiere sugar 

 had never been made before, and much time and labor was wasted in necessary train- 

 ing of laborers. 



The mills were in full operation, and an automatic trash cleaner was doing the 

 work of four men and doing it better. The dry bagasse near by was being gathered 

 up out of pits by automatic conveyors and dropped into the huge furnaces through 

 openings above. The ten boilers discharge the smoke through two chimneys, being con- 

 nected with them by long breechings. The vacuum or crystallizing pans are at the top 

 floor of the building. Their capacity is 70 tons each. 



Of course, skilled workmen are in charge of the i)ans as likewise in charge of the 

 vats, where lime is added to stop the fermentation. It rcf|uires the nicest skill and 

 kn<i\vledge to judge when the juice is sufficiently crystallized and the exact quantity 

 of lime required at the vats. While well-known formulas help, it is the man in charge on 

 whom the greatest dependence must be placed. Chemists receive very good pay, the 

 sugar boilers and other skilled help about $125 per month. The mill has 24 defecators 

 or clarifiers and will have 36 in a short time. From the clarifiers to the mechanical 

 filters was a step. There are 22 now, but more will be installed later. They come from 

 Germany and work well. Close by is a fine complete laundry outfit for washing and 

 drying the filter bags. The quadruple evaporating apparatus comes from the Sugar 

 Apparatus Mfg. Co., of Philadelphia, Pa. 



Every ico gallons of cane juice yields 25 gallons of syrup and 75 gallons of 

 condensed water. The water is very hot and used to feed the boilers, and as nothing 

 goes into it to produce scale, the boilers were free from all incrustations. 



The filter presses come from T. Shriver & Co., of Harrison, N. J. There are 

 24 of the largest built. 46 inches square and 54 chambers each. The residue has 

 a high manurial value, but is not needed on the estate, the rich virgin lands not 

 requiring any fertilizer. 



The mill uses 72,000 tons daily of sea water, and down on the lower floor are 

 powerful centrifugal pumps with a capacity of 750.000 gallons per hour. 



Fresh drinking water for the use of the village and the workmen is brought from 



