482 THE AMERICAN WOOD-PAPER COMPANY. 
many hours, and which I now record as a contribution to- the seience 
and civilization of the world. Let me tell you, then, briefly, and with 
as few technicalities as possible, of what these works consist. 
They are loeated in Manayunk, on the bank of the Schuylkill River, 
with canal and railroad adjoining. They were commenced in August, 
1864, and completed in April, 1866. The "buildings are built of stone 
and brick, in the most substantial manner, and occupy a space of 1,000 
feet in length by 350 in width, and cost, when completed, oyer 500,000> 
dols. United with the Flat Rock Mills they embrace in all about ten 
acres of ground. They are said to be the most extensive works of the 
kind in the world, and are capable of producing from twelve to fifteen 
tons of paper pulp per diem. The works were projected by a company 
of gentlemen, from different parts of the Union, and the subscribed 
capital is estimated at from 10,000,000 dols. to 15,000,000 dols. 
Before entering the inclosure we arrive at what is known as the 
" Settling Pond "• — at the extreme north end. It is used for the storage 
of water, of which great quantities are used daily, and must necessarily 
be clear. The pond is protected on the Schuylkill side by a high strong 
wall, and is about 10 feet deep by about 300 feet square. Its capacity 
is 5,500,000 gallons. In close proximity to the pond are two lime 
kilns, which are kept constantly employed in making the best lime,, 
which is used in the establishment, the stone for which is brought in 
boats from the quarries, some miles up the river. 
The most important part of these works is the round house or eva- 
porating establishment. This is the main feature of the works. It is 
known that one of the reasons why pulp has not been made from wood 
and other substances more successfully, is the high price of soda, and 
the necessity for its consumption in large quantities. By a process of 
evaporation which seems to be very successful here, the refuse liquor 
which has done its duty in disintegrating the wood fibre,, is compelled 
to yield back its soda, at a saving of 80 per cent. This economy is the 
cause of the great success of this woo 1 pulp process. 
In addition, there is an alkali-house, where there are large tanks 
and filter vats. The wood -boiling house is 75 by 132" feet, and contains 
ten boilers, capable of producing 30,000 pounds of pulp (when dry) 
every twenty-four hours. Here also are large blow, condensing and hot 
water tanks, of great capacity. After the wood has been reduced to 
chips of small size, it is raised by steam power to the top of the 
cauldrons and thrown in. When the boilers, under which are strong 
heating furnaces, are filled, the liquor is run from the tanks, by means 
of a hose, into the boilers, the fire is set going, and the wood boiled to a 
pulpy substance of a dirty white colour. When it arrives at the condi- 
tion required, the pulp is carried off in large iron cars, of which there 
are five run on tracks below, to the building where, perhaps a few 
hours before, it had been a hard, knotty log. 
