416        MANUFACTORY  OF  ULTRAMARINE  AT  NUREMBERG. 
A  MANUFACTORY  OF  ULTRAMARINE  AT  NUREMBERG. 
The  manufactory  belonging  to  Messrs.  Zeltner  &  Heyne  has 
acquired  a  European  reputation,  and  sends  its  produce  to  all  parts 
of  the  globe.    Its  exterior  aspect  is  somewhat  imposing,  the  whole 
being  surrounded  by  a  wall,  and  one  of  the  buildings  looks  rather 
like  a  fortress,  the  entire  space  occupying  an  area  of  seven 
Bavarian  acres  (Morgeny    The  central  building  consists  of  a 
polygon  of  twenty-four  sides,  with  ninety-six  furnaces,  arranged 
in  twelve  compartments  with  as  many  high  chimneys.  Thence 
issue  twelve  branches  of  rails  to  all  parts  of  the  manufactory, 
being  provided  at  the  intersecting  points  with  turning  platforms. 
From  the  upper  stories  similar  rails  of  wood  are  laid ;  the  iron 
rails  being  4500  feet  long,  the  wooden  ones  a  trifle  less.    If  we 
enter  the  polygon,  which  has  a  diameter  of  136  feet,  and  is  sur- 
rounded by  buildings  300  feet  long,  and  two  stories  high, — the 
dim  of  twilight  gives  the  idea  of  being  in  the  pit  of  a  mine.  All 
these  buildings  are  vaulted  and  bomb-proof.    The  departments 
of  this  manufactory  are  manifold.    In  the  middle  is  a  building 
for  mechanical  contrivances,  with  two  steam  engines;  to  the  east 
the  above  polygon ;  towards  the  west  a  high-pressure  engine, 
with  a  mill  and  a  washing  apparatus.    The  mills  have  twenty- 
eight  troughs,  and  are  mostly  of  cast  iron ;  of  the  two  stores 
one  is  300  feet  long,  and  this  alone  can  hold  3000  to  4000  cwts. 
of  ultramarine.    A  swinging  rail  transfers  the  colors  from  one 
end  of  the  building  to  the  other.    Covered  passages  connect  the 
single  buildings,  and  there  are  seven  large  roads  and  six  courts, 
presenting  everywhere  a  fine  perspective.    Towards  the  west  is 
a  long  row  of  drying-houses,  in  which  a  constant  tropical  heat  is 
to  be  maintained,  so  that  winter  loses  it  power  in  all  the  vicinity. 
The  merit  of  the  discovery  of  artificial  ultramarine  belongs  to 
Professor  Gmelin,  who  died  in  scanty  circumstances.  This  manu- 
factory arose  in  1839,  and  the  proprietors  preserve  yet  the 
weather-boarded  shed  in  which  they  began  business.    The  manu- 
factory employs  200  workmen,  of  whom  180  are  married.  They 
have  established  a  sick  fund,  and  a  pension  fund  for  widows, 
orphans,  and  invalids,  as  well  as  a  singing  chorus.    The  best 
blue  artificial  ultramarine  has  to  pass  eighty  different  processes 
until  it  is  ready  for  use,  and  is  now  applied  to  the  coloring  of 
cotton  and  wool-stuffs,  tapestry,  paper,  sealing-wax,  &c,  besides 
its  purely  artistic  use. — Jour,  Frank,  Inst,  from  London  Builder, 
