The "digesters," as they
are suggestively and appropriately termed, are huge revolving boilers,
usually upright, which often have as great a diameter as eight feet,
with a height of twenty-two feet and a digestive capacity of upward of
five tons of rags each. The rags that are to be "cooked" are fed in to
the "digesters" through the openings in the floor, and the great movable
manhole plates are then put in place and closed, hermetically sealing
the openings or mouths through which the boilers have been fed, these
having first been charged with a mixed solution of lime and soda and
with live hot steam in lieu of gastric juice as a digesting fluid and
force. In some mills the boilers are placed in a horizontal position,
while in others they are in the form of a large ball or globe, in either
case being operated in the manner described; those of upright form,
however, are most commonly in use. The rags are boiled under steam
pressure of about forty pounds to the square inch, and the cooking is
continued from twelve to fourteen hours.
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