Salvador of the Twentieth Century

by Percy F. Martin

As soon as this determination became known, the officials were inundated with the catalogues of manufacturers from Germany, France, the United States, and other countries. An emissary from America even came down personally from the States to canvass for the order; but the reputation of the British fire-apparatus was strong and its general effectiveness was generally recognized, so that the Government did not hesitate in its decision to follow Mr. Mark J. Kelly's advice to award the order to a Greenwich firm. A larger type of the Merryweather steam-engine, with a very complete outfit for the firemen, has since been added, through the instrumentality of the same gentleman.

Further proof of the utility of the English engines was afforded later on, when yet another serious and disastrous fire occurred in San Salvador, the work, it is believed, of an incendiary, with the result that an entire block of fine buildings, including the National Theatre, was burned to the ground. It is admitted by everyone that but for the services rendered by the fire-engines, and not a little also by the heroic work of the local brigade, the greater portion of the city, in all probability, would have been destroyed. It is the intention of the authorities, I understand, to further increase the effectiveness of the service by ordering more hose and additional salvage appliances.

In conversation with the former President of the Republic, General Fernando Figueroa, upon one occasion, he paid an eloquent tribute to the excellence of British machinery of all kinds. He has had, it may be mentioned, some experience of the manufactures of other countries as well as of our own. He mentioned to me the fact that he recollected at one time that many British manufactures, not only of machinery, were to be met with largely in Salvador, and that the names of several of the large importing firms and store-keepers in many of the other cities of the State were British. To-day there are but five or six English houses to be found in Salvador. On the other hand, as previously pointed out, one meets with many German names, these ubiquitous and enterprising trade rivals having firmly established themselves in the Republic, as they have also succeeded in doing in Guatemala and Costa Rica.

In regard to coffee and sugar machinery, of which mention has already been made, this trade is split up between the two houses of John Gordon and Co., of London, and Marcus Mason and Co., of New York. Both make excellent apparatus for the purpose of treating the berry and cane, the Germans in this particular direction finding but very little favour even among their own people. I visited several of the large fincas or estates, where both coffee and sugar are treated, and in all such instances the properties were either owned or being managed by Germans. In all cases the machinery was either British or American, and in a number of instances both were freely employed.

Upon inquiry, I was informed that the sugar machinery turned out by German manufacturers in the majority of cases is too complicated and delicate for practical purposes, and that it needs an expert mechanician—a decidedly rara avis in this part of the world—to understand the apparatus or to carry out the necessary repairs when things go wrong. In all of the factories visited by me the equipment, with the exception of the boilers and some of the vertical donkey-engines for feeding them, came either from Great Britain or the United States of America.

One excellent testimonial to the superiority of British machinery was afforded at the Laguna Finca, belonging to Herr Fédor Deininger, who, as may be assumed from his name, is a German proprietor. Here I found a complete sugar-manufacturing plant, consisting of cane-mill, liquor pumps and tanks, defecators, juice-heaters, clarifiers and evaporators, steam eliminators, filters, and, indeed, everything but the centrifugals, which alone were of German construction, had been provided by the Liverpool firm of Messrs. Fawcett, Preston and Co., Limited, of the Phœnix Foundry. The date upon this installation is "1867"; and Herr Deininger, the present owner of the factory, who acquired it from his uncle, Herr Bogen, some twenty years ago, declares that it is quite unnecessary to replace the installation, "as it is still working most satisfactorily." Of this I, indeed, assured myself by personal observation. I venture to believe that this is an altogether unique instance of a sugar-machinery installation, erected over forty-three years ago, and which has been in constant operation during that time, day by day, Sundays included, being found in a sufficiently sound and workable condition as to need nothing more serious than an occasional replacement of a small part or a temporary stoppage for overhauling.

In Salvador there are several cane-mills of quite recent construction throughout, and in most instances these are the manufactures of Messrs. Fawcett, Preston and Co., Limited, who, it would appear, have erected similar installations in many other parts of the world, since I have come across them in Southern Brazil, Cuba, India, and the Argentine. The cattle-mills, which are peculiarly adapted for this country, where oxen are used everywhere and for all purposes of road-hauling, are made with three horizontal rolls, secured upon strong gudgeons, running in adjustable gun-metal bearings, supported and held in place by two massive head-stocks bolted to a strong bedplate. This latter extends under the rolls from one side of the mill to the other, serving as a juice-pan attached to it. There is also fitted an upright shaft, turning in a footstep secured to the mill bedplate, and in a pedestal bolted to an entablature, supported by four pillars, which form part of the head-stocks. To this upright shaft is keyed a bevel-wheel, which gears into another keyed upon the toproll gudgeon. In addition to the bevel-wheel, the shaft is provided with ironwork for carrying wooden steps for the hitching of oxen, horses, or mules.

Of recent years Messrs. Fawcett, Preston and Co., Limited, have introduced an improved type of Rousselot cane-mill, by which the returner-bar and knife are reduced to the smallest dimensions by a special patented arrangement of bringing the side-rolls as close together as the top cap-bolts will admit. These latter are inclined vertically to one another, and the effect of this arrangement is to reduce the width of the knife, and consequently the friction of the cane passing over it, and also economizing the power and consumption of fuel necessary to drive the mill. The special feature of the Rousselot patent is to be found in this improvement—that is to say, that the strain is taken off the cast-iron head-stock by through bolts, which secure against the breakage of the head-stocks. Greater ease is also found both in the erection and the taking down of the mill. These rolls are made of a special mixture of cast-iron, selected as the best to withstand the wear and tear to which they are necessarily subjected. The gudgeons are of the best hammered scrap-iron, and are forced into the rolls by means of hydraulic pressure, while, in addition, the rolls are keyed on to the gudgeons. All the head-stocks, mill-bottom, and crown, are of cast-iron.

Yet another improvement which this firm have introduced into their sugar machinery is in connection with the juice-heaters. These now consist of three cylindrical heaters of a compound type, with Chapman's patent steam separator, and which are fixed horizontally side by side, being so connected that while any one of the three is out of use for cleaning or repair, either of the other two can be worked as a high-pressure or finishing heater, and the other as a low-pressure heater, thus economizing considerable fuel. The steam separator worked in connection with these heaters economizes about 8 per cent. of the steam required in the multiple effect apparatus for evaporating the cane juice, since by this arrangement the steam that would otherwise flash off from the superheated juice into the atmosphere and be lost is collected and conveyed to the heating drums of the multiple effect, and so utilized for the evaporation of a corresponding amount of water from the juice. Improvements are also to be observed in connection with the subsiding defecators, the steam eliminators, bag-filters, the apparatus known as the "Coffey" still.

Reference has been made above to the vogue which British-made coffee machinery, and especially that of Messrs. John Gordon and Co., of London, has had in the Latin-American States. So far as Salvador is concerned, I understand that this class of product stands in serious danger of being ousted from the market by American competition. While it is generally admitted that none better than British machinery for coffee, rice and cocoa can be obtained, the very success of these manufactures seems to an extent to have resulted in a slackness to obtain further orders, and the field, thus neglected, and always most carefully watched, is being occupied by the Americans. I am informed, for instance, that to-day fully 65 per cent. of the coffee machinery to be found in Salvador is of American make, and that fresh orders are being despatched frequently for further supplies. I also learn that no British traveller in this class of machinery has been seen in Salvador for fully five or six years, while, on the other hand, the largest of the United States manufacturers has an agent, in this case a young German speaking Spanish fluently and possessing a very pleasant manner, who is continually travelling up and down the country, visiting the different fincas at which, apparently, he is always welcome, submitting drawings, plans, and estimates for improvements and new installations.