Text for the visitor at the Historic and industrial Museum of Pto. Bories

This place, called Pto. Bories in honour of Carlos Bories, former (Governor of the

Magallanes District between 1898 and 1904. is localed at 5 km. (1 miles) away North from

Puerto Natales, at the sea shore of the small bay called “Ultima Esperanza” (Last Hope). It

was the place chosen by European Pioneers to raise and build a big cold-storage Plant

by the end of the XIX century. This represents a great part of the local history. We want

to recognize them sincerely for all their hard work done. They were men that made good

perspectives and built these magnificent buildings made of bricks and who were able to

generate electricity and coldness based on steam.

We also have to remember some relevant historic events, which allow us to understand the

process of occupation and population of the Chilean Patagonia. The name Magallanes

comes from the Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan, who was serving Spain in

1520 at the time of the discovery. He discovered a maritime pass that linked two oceans,

Pacific and Atlantic. Today, this pass is named “Estrecho de Magallanes” (Magellan

Strait). In its seashore you can find the capital city of the district of Magallanes: Punta

Arenas (Sandy Point).

37 years later, in 1557, another Spanish navigator called Juan Ladrilleros trying to find an

entrance of the discovered Strait but from Pacific towards Atlantic Ocean, went through

these waters, passing just in front of where we are now and thinking that this pass was

leading him towards the Magellan Strait, Then, he was tired of the long trip and named this

place: “Ultima Esperanza” (Last Hope), name that this channel and the Province bears

today. Eventually, he navigated until the end of it, he arrived at the mouth of a big river and

a mountainside exposed to blizzards, today called “Serrano”. You can admire it from this

spot. Ladrilleros emphasized the beauty of the place. Nevertheless, when he realized that he

was in a different pass he had to went back and continued going to the South.

For 300 years from those days, Palagonia seemed to be sleeping and forgotten. It was not

an important place for the predominant Great Empires of the time. However, brave

navigators coming from Europe that dared to navigate the hard conditions of the

southernmost seas did considered Patagonia.

Chile, as an independent country, took possession of Magellan Strait in 1843 and founded

the city of Punta Arenas in 1848. In the following decades, many immigrants arrived. They

were mainly from Switzerland, Germany, U.K., Italy, Spain, Croatia, among many other

countries. They were looking for a better future for their families. They were attracted by

the thriving industry of cattle breeding which started in 1877, when 300 sheep arrived

coming from Falkland Island, alt of them brought by the British citizen Enrique

Reynard. Besides, the Panama Canal did not exist yet so, a lot amount of vessels navigated

through the Magellan Strait, connecting this place to the rest of the world.

In the late XIX century, the introduction of wool in the countryside of Patagonia had a

great impact in Ihe social, labour, familiar and industrial activity, it developed very quickly.

Big Farms started to appear, everyplace started to be inhabited and this situation raised

enthusiasm in enterprising and hard working pioneers like the German man Rodolfo

Stubenrauch. In 1896 he started a Tallow shop, sheds to slaughter animals, skins drier

and bales, a sawmill, four houses and a Pier. That year, in this spot it was an starting point

for the progressive thriving industry.

In 1906, all the facilities mentioned before were sold to the a Society called “Sociedad

Explotadora de Tierra del Fuego”, in order to begin the construction of a big freezing

Industry to slaughter, process and export to Europe frozen Lamb from Chilean and

Argentinean Patagonia.

The Company “SEFT” started with the new buildings in 1915 This Company enjoyed a

great hierarchy in architecture and technologic equipments, one of the best of Chile and

South Arnerica. This year, a large-scale lamb processing company started..

This industry called Pto. Bories worked for seven decades, generating job positions and

helping to populate Patagonian area. We could say that is why the city of Puerto Natales

was founded in 1911. This Company was the industrial lifeblood of the “Ultima

Esperanza” Province, with sheep production Farms like “Cerro Guido” (Guido Hill),

“Cerro Castillo” (Castie Hill), “Dos Lagunas” (Two Lagoons), “Prats”, “Tres Pasos” (Three

Steps), “Rio Tranquilo” (Calm River) and others. They had more than 400.000,00 hectares

(988.421,53 acres)suitable as pastureland. This Factory had different departments, which

we will know as we go through. It is important to mention that in hard work 150.000 and

250.000 sheep were slaughtered, for instance, history says that: “Between the years 1932

and 1942 2.276.005 sheep were slaughtered in the freezing Plant of Bories”

100 people worked permanently and during the main season, that is to say, between January

and April 400 more workers arrived. A train from “Puerto Natales” to “Puerto Bories”

transported them.

This picture, taken in 1920 by Carlos Foresti, shows the locomotive and that workers.

They used to wait in front of the Clock in Room, just where we are now. we can also see

in this old picture, the sheds with skins on right and if you see at the end, you will Find the

freezing Plant, which today does not exist . we can only find the bases, a beautiful wall

made of bricks that separates both parts, a lovely and imposing chimney made of bricks,

served as gas elimination from a boiler used to dry skins were in this place. Next, you can

find the remains of a Skin Press, which was used for making bales once they were dried.

Let us see the beauty of the construction made of bricks, which dates back from almost one

hundred the Clock-in Room (Station 1) where hundreds of thousand workers went into

day by day, all year long. There was a person in charge to check the people allowed to

enter to the plant.

We have restored brick by brick trying to keep it in good condition.

Station 1: Clock-in Room before restoration

Station 2: Chimney

Station 3: Wall made of bricks between sheds

Station 4: Skin Press to make bales

Continuing with our visit, we will see the weighing Room, used to weigh the frozen meat,

before being Shipped to Europe, mainly to England, The boats that arrived to the Pier

allowed to export the production abroad. The goods were embarked in these typical trucks

wich travelled through the train track to the end of the Pier, pull by a small locomotive.

Inside the room, you can see pictures of the time, the scale, and a firebox and the next room

there is a truck.

Station 5: Weighing Room

Old picture of the Weighing Room

Scale

As we continue with our visit, we will see great Victorian-style constructions made of

bricks, built in the early XIX century and where many different activities were done, related

to the industrial process. This corresponds to the Garage of locomotives (Station 6)

. Station 6: Garage of Locomotives

There were three locomotives, the biggest was a steam locomotive, built by the Avonside

company, in Bristol, England in 1920. It was called McClellan, in honor of the English

man: Peter McClelland, first President of the bureau of SEFT, founded in 1893. This

company built this industry in the early XIX century. This locomotive had 1 metre (3,28

feet) track, it weighed 12 tonnes approximately. Moreover, it was able to pull many trucks

and carried the workers, the route started from the north way out of “Puerto Natales”,

where it picked up the workers, then it travelled through the seashore, spending 15 to 20

minutes app. Afterwards, it passed by the Clock-in room, stopping here for disembarking.

The locomotive made this trip many times a day. Nowadays, it is in the main square of

Puerto Natales.

Locomotive Avonside from Brístol. England, built in 1920, named Mclelland

This beautiful building corresponds to the front of the “Office” (Station 7). When you go

inside you will be able to see the administrator‟s office, just on the right. 10 to 15

administrative employees worked in this deparment. There is onIy an old furniture, a safe

box and the important documents volt, left. The workers‟ restrooms are now available for

the visitants.

Station 7: Office

Inside the Office

As we continue this track, we can appreciate this great construction, which corresponded to

tannery (Station 8), that is to say, where sheepskins were processed, using wool and skin

as by-products separatly.

Station 8: Front of tannery building

Station 8: North side of tannery building

This building really represents the architectonic style used during the late XIX century,

remembering the post-Victorian time in England. Its walls are made of bricks with side

colunms, big windows that provides good interior lightening and on its upper side it has a

ventilation system that allows airflow. It has three very spacious levels, which we are going

to see later. Along the time, the different reparations made, did not keep the original style,

for exampie the three closed holes , which we look forward to restore it to its original

appearance.

An interesting construction is the old Tallow Building (Station 9). Inside, another by-

product was made: animal fat, which constituted a great value for crafting candles and

soaps. Once it was refined in this steam boilers, it was packed in barrels then it was

exported to Europe.

Station 9: Tallow Building

Inside it, we are going lo learn some information about the process , let us go to the tannery

building (Station l0)

Station 10: First level of the tannery building

Station 10: second level of the tannery building

You can see the very spacious surface standing out. It has 2.700 square metres (29.062,56

square feet). Its beams and pillars are in excellent condítion. From the big windows, you

can see the beauty of the landscape and natural environment and there is very good

lightening and ventilation , thanks to the airflow system, which is located in the roof.

The tannering process consisted of stretching the skin, spread it with a chemical by the

bait. Then, the skins were washed in the pools and separate the wool from skin. The

recovered wool was washed into two powerful centrifugal washing machines and then it

was taken to the lower area for being separated y classified, keeping the wool in bales to

export.

The skin goes to the first level, it was tanned and classified and then packed in barrels of

600 kg. (1.322,77 pounds). According to reports from 1932, a fire destroyed the laundry

and it was not recovered since then. Afterwards, the area was used to dry skins and other

duties.

Next, we will know other facilities that served as a support for the industrial activity

developed in this place that is the Turnery and the Forge (Stations 11 and 12).

Stations 11 and 12: Turnery and Forge

Here, private and specific works were done for the reparation of pieces in fire that should

be manufactured Lathes and working materials stand out in this place. Forges are very

interesting te see.

In front of , the most important and emblematic rooms are located here the powerful heart

of the plant, these are the Boliers and Machinery Room (Stations 13 am 14). Thanks to

this room, it was possible to generate electricity to light the Industry and make machineries

work in many facilities. We will also know the coldness generation for the twelve storage

charnbers and five storage houses that allowed to keep the meat frozen, waiting for the

Ships coming from Europe.

Stations 13 and 14: Boilers amd Machinery Room

We are in the Machinery Room, where you can see good condition industrial relics of the

last century. To understand the real value of these machines, we have to remind the

Industrial Revolution occurred in Europe and which changed the world. They were deep

and meaningful changes. The technology was present in this place, too,

Picture taken about 1920 by C. Foresti

This picture corresponds to the steam condensers. located on the left of the entrance of

the Machinery Room. To understand the process these machines we have to say that the

basic element to start working was the steam, therefore, its production was necessary in the

Boilers Room. The Boilers, branded Babcock & Wilcox, one worked with firewood and

the other one with coal.

Boiler that worked with firewood branded Babcock & Wilcox

Boiler that worked with coal

We also have to mention water feed pump for the boilers

Water pump

These Boilers worked 24 hours a day, they were in charge of workers that fed them with

firewood and coal. The steam produced travelled through these pipes to the Machinery

Room, thus it could feed the compressors and steam generators.

This Steam Compressor has two effects, its brand Has1am” from 1913, it worked with

saturated steam at 50 psi and 62 rpm, making the wheel rotate to keep the movement

constantly.

This machine is fitted together with an Amnonia Compressor, which was necessary for the

freezing circuit that we are going to explain later.

Ammonia Compressor

Steam was also necessary to make the electricity generator work located in this area. As

you can see, there are four.

Steam Electric Generator

These generators were able to produce continuous electricity. It could generate 100

kilowatts per hour, therefore the total capacity of the four generators was 400 k per hour.

That was necessary for the entire industry, including the workers village, the generators

worked 24 hours a day and all year long. Here you ca see a part of the control panel -

Electric Control Panel

Now, as general explanation, we are going to talk about the cold generation for the 12

chambers and 5 storage houses, with a storage capacity 170.000 to 180.000 approximately.

The basic element was the ammonia, which circulated through the pipes in black. This was

propelled from the two Ammonia Compressors . They have two effects; they worked with

an air intake pressure of 15 psi and a discharge pressure of 150 psi.

Ammonia Compressor

Ammonia circulated to the condensers that were located in the second level. Then it went to

a cylindric receptacle, to the expansion valves that were on the wall and went towards fhe

chamber pipes. They still can be seen. See Plan.

Ammonia Condensers on the upper side

Direct Expansion Valves

This system is known as “Direct Expansion cooling system”. It could reach temperatures

between -14° and -18° Celsius (6.8°F and 040O0 F).

In 1953, two relevant facts for the freezing industry happened. An alternative and

complementary coldness system is introduced. It was called “Low Pressure Ammonia

Circuit”. Here you can see the liquid ammonia receptacle and its Pump.

Liquid Ammonia Receptacle

The Pump, which is next to it, propels the low-pressure ammonia towards evaporation

system of fhe chambers. This was connected to an Ammonia Compressor (UDEC) that

absorbed the ammonia gas. It compressed the ammonia and discharged it towards the

condensers to get it back to the receptacle in liquid state.

Ammonia Compressor (UDEC) and the Pump

The fact that you could get electric power generation using steam generators changed in

1953 because the company started working a Diesel Engine (branded “Ruston”) that had 6

cylinders, worked at 500 rpm, and was able to generate 455 kilowatts per hour, leaving

behind the steam contribution that we knew before.

Engine that worked with petrol that had 6 cylinders (“Ruston”)

Later. in 1970 another Caterpillar Diesel electricity generator was introduced. It had 6

cylinders, 205-horse power and it was able to generate 125 kg per hour

Caterpillar engine with 4 cylinders

„Thus. this industry was able to have in the early 1900 the enough technology to work and

generate the required production. Finally, we are going to know the Pier (Station 15). This

place linked us with the rest of the world, Ships which came from Europe stayed and

carried goods that were mainly frozen lamb meat and lamb by-products as offal, wool and

skins.

Station 15: Pier

This T-shaped Pier made of iron is covered with wood and it is 185 metres (606,96 feet)

long and 7,5 metres (24,61 feet) wide. It has a 60 metres and 9 metres (196,85 feet and

29,53 feet) head. The depth in the head high tide is 8,78 metres (28,81 feet) and 7,94 metres

(26,05 feet) in low tide.

As you can see in the old pictures, the surface had a train track that where a locomotive

transported the load towards the end of the Pier and start to ship the product. Doing this, a

productive process was finished, the one that it started on the vast grasslands of Patagonia

that owned thousands of sheep, which were brought here to be slaughtered, processed, and

exported to different markets of the rest of the world.

We want to say thanks for having you here. We are working hard to restore and take care

this cultural, historic, architectonic and industrial heritage. We hope you enjoyed this visit

and let you know new aspects about our place.

INDEX

Station 1 : Clock-in Room

Station 2 : Chimney

Station 3 : Skin Press

Station 4 : Wall

Station 5 : Weighing Room

Station 6 : Locomotiva Garage

Station 7 : Office

Station 8 : Tannery

Station 9 : Tallow Room

Station 10 : Incide the tannery

Station 11 : Tornery

Station 12 : Forge

Station 13 : Boilers Room

Station 14 : Machinery Room

Station 15 : Pier

Author :

Sergio Mac-lean Gómez

Golden Dream Ltda

December - 2004

ULSTER STAR