Though it has been before the public of Shanghai for such a comparatively short time Aquarius" water has already won its way to favour by its own merits, so that short recount of its mode of preparation may be interesting. It is a commonplace remark that if the foreigner in China became acquainted with all the stay which the articles of his diet go throug before they come to him ready for consumption, he might now and then be a Titele squeamish, but in the instance of the "newest water" it can truthfully be said that a careful inspection of the place where it is prepared would increase his respect for it, and convince him that ull that forethought, science, and conscientiousness can do has been done to provide him with an exquisitely palateable water of absolute and unimpeachable purity. To submit to the delicate tests of the skilled analyst " liquid produced under such conditions seems rather like testing refined gold, bat nevertheless Messrs. Caldbeck, Macgregor & Ca., the General Managers of the Aquarius Company, recently decided to submit the water to " leading medical man of the highest standing, and his report was: "Thave now examined the water you sent me manufactured by the Aquarius Com pany and it is evident that the Aquarius Company's water is us near absolute purity as it is possible for any water to be; and that id be difficult to produce purer water even in the laboratory. 'The Aqua-ins' water is well aerated with carbon acid; and both it and the 'Silent Water' are clear, bright and sparkling. After analysing the water, and from what T have seen wf the care bestowed on its preparation, I am of opinion that the Aquarius Con.pany's manufactures may be used with perfect confidence.'
The works where it is produced stand at the junction of the Seward Road and Broadway, and cover an area of about 4 maw. The situation is as hygienically perfect " one could be found in Sh There are no neigh—uring contaminating influences likely to affect the atmosphere. Being close to the river they are very convenient for shipping purposes, and are within easy access of Customers in the Settlement." Messrs. Morrison and Gratton, the architects, as might be expected, have designed bull which are roomy, light and eminently suicable to the purpose for which they are intended. Entering by the large gateway, on the left is the main building in which the manufacturing process is car-Facing the entrance, and standence (communica Messrs. Caldbeck, Macgr. gor's otices in the Foochow Road), and the various go-owns, and storage rooms for chemicals, bottles, and parts of the complex machinery used. All these rooms are conspicuously lettered, so that reference to the bunk easily shows where any article can be found, On the ground floor of what we may call the administration building is the bottle godown, the appenrauce of which testifies to the demand which +has grown up for the company's productions, Hereall new bottles and returned empties" are stored, before they are moved te an ad-lining apartment where the firet stage of a Noe saning the bottles is gone through, thing could be wore ciracteristie of the purity of the Aquarius articles than the scrupulous care which is taken to ensure cleanliness in the bottles and the smallest details of packing. - After sonking for twenty-four hours in Waterworks Company water the bottles are transferred to the main building where they are placed in an ingeviously designed rack which revolves under hot water and gives the bottles thorough washing. From thence they pass under the care of a man who is probably proud of his title of "head bottle-wash His duty it is to see that they are liberally brushed inside by machinery, The final stage is a rinsing by mechanical means with distilled water. In the subsequent stages of filling and corking the same care is exercise ed, Some extremely ingenious machines ure employed by which the bottles are filled and corked by steam power, so that from start to finish the water is kept from the least chance of contamination, Working at full speed ench of these machines escap: ble of turning out 90 dozen filled and corked bottes in the hour, 'The men working in the department present a somewhat curious appearance, for bottles occasionally burat in the filling' process, and as a precautionary measure the workmen wear strong wire masks of the style familiar in the school-of-arms, All the water used comes from the Waterworks Company and there is a large reservoir holding about 20,000 gallons from which the water used' for" condensing pumped. Ca give wu adequate idea of the complex and beautiful machinery, which is kept in most perfect order, would be possible without plang, and it will therefore euflice to say that it is of the very latest pattern, known as the Improved Patent Treble Distilling Fresh Water Apparatus and ix expable of producing some 3,000 gallons of distilled water in 24 hours, Working machinery asa rule generally~ shows traces of a liberal use of vil. but in these engines oil or grease is, as the colloquialism has it, "eonspicunus by its absence." In the double cylinder rotary pump through which the water passes Water-jackets encase the 6 gun-moral tons, so that there is not the least chance of grease getting near the water to be used, Similar precautions are adopt else with complete suc ce: Nenr to the evaporating and distilling up paratus is the engine house, containing two fine milled-steel Cornish boilers. which generate the steam used in the factory, After distillation the water is pumped up into large slate and cement tanks, over the main apartment, These tanks are carefully protected from dust, Dexcending to the ground floor of the main building, the process of manufacturing the carbonic acid gas can be seen, and there is every assurance that the chemicals used are of the purest. The: water meanwhile is passing from the tanks above throug: an elaborate aystem of coils, encased in ice, which naturally ensures a low temperature. The water and gas then puss into the condenser where the carbonate ing process is completed. Little more remains but for it to be bottled, and this we have already referred to.
The Aquarius Company, encouraged by the flattering success of their chief produc tion, ' Aquarius," have recently comnienced the making of Ginger Ale, Lemonade, Ginger Beer, Soda. Water, ete, On the first for of the main building the room in which the syrups are prepared is located.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.