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January 1942. Ensenada, Puerto Rico. "One of the mills in the South Puerto Rico Sugar Company plant." Acetate negative by Jack Delano. View full size.
It's just unbelievable how safety wasn't a thing at all. Open, greasy gears, bucket conveyors without any protection, greasy floor and stairs and even ladders without any protection. I guess the slippery looking ladder, conveniently leaning on the bearing housing, was there to access the gravity drip feed oil dispensers on top of the plummer blocks. I see as well wide fitting pants and shirts, ideal for getting grabbed by hungry gears.
For me as a machine designer, it's a nightmare. I guess I won't sleep the next three days.
Maybe inspiration for the 1946 Johhny Mercer song "My Sugar Is So Refined."
Lotta sweet teeth in that beast.
I see the grisly end of a Bond villain here. Cane-grind or monster-gear – either side will do.
Not to mention the greasy wood walkways and steps had to be as slippery as ice.
Why do I hear Raymond Scott's "Powerhouse" when I look at this picture?
I'll bet those gears grind slow as molasses.
"Now, crawl up this steep set of stairs with no handrails, and mind the gears"
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