The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1828-02-06
From, the Charleston Courier.
MANUFACTURING EsTABLJsHMEN'

equally divided by the Cochecho River
winch IS one of the auxiliary branches
OF the Plsquataqua, discharging itself in
10 the sea, at Portsmouth IL miles below
Inc manufacturing establishment is situate
at the " lower falls" in the centre of the
village, where the stream forms a sudden
curve, anu by appropriating to itself the
; space between the river, and the streets
that ntersect each other on the south of it.
mas produced hollow square, the various
buildings constituting its sides. These
buildings are OF brick of a very handsome
absorption, (which were made in the irnme-
dlate vlclmty,) surmounting foundation of
supefbly cut granlte-tWo of them are each
100 feet IN length, and AZ feet wide hhe
one lVe and the other six stories in height ::
! another, situated partly on the bank of the
river, ana partly on the street, forming an
Il, When measured on the outside is 42l
Ieet In length, 40 feet wide and is seven sto-
/ RES nigh on the river, and six on the street.
win an attic the whole length. A brick
wall divides this building into two portions.
one being improved for manufacturing pur-
! poses, and the other for printing Calico
Another is 1874 feet in length, and three
stories high, with an attic. This latter con-
talns various rooms connected with the cal
leo department. and the Offices and COMMIT
ing rooms for the officers and clerks. A
projection of one story and 10 feet in
length, extends from it into the ward. in
which are the bleaching and calico dyeinc !
departments. Each of the first named
buildings contain 1895 spindles: one of
them l5O, and the other 100 looms, with all |
the appendant machinery for picking and !
cardlng the cotton, and dressing and SLING
:he yarn, preparatory to weaving The I
larger building is not yet filled with ma |
chlnery, but has now in operation, 1000 !
splndles and 200 looms; and 1000 spindles
and l4O looms more, for the same are in
great state of forwardness. 5000 spindles
and ITO looms are also commenced. which
are to be distributed amongst these three
factories, and will be in motion in the course
OF the next year.
The machinery in the smaller factories is
propelled by one water wheel in each, of
immense magnitude; one of them being %
feet In diameter and 20 feet long-posses-
sing power, perhaps, superior to any other
Wheel now IN existence. In the larger
building are four shorter wheels, but all of
the same diameter.
Another factory of $500 spindles and 80
looms, two miles higher up the river, be-
longs to the same corporation: and the four
factories taken together, furnish weekly. an
aggregate of about sixty Thousand wards oil
sheehng, and the residue IS destined Tor /
printing. The shifting is principally No.
30, and the printing Cloth No. 40 yarn.
When the additional 5000 spiudles shall be
in operation, and the works entirely COM
pleted, the quaint V of cloth will he increas-
ID L., 40
per week. At the rate of two thousand
bales of cotton are now consumed annually,
and the unfinished machinery, when put in
operation, will require proportional guam
tity.
The Calico department is on : scale of
magnifcence. 1t is ultimately intended to
complete 500 pieces, of % yards each, per |
day but owing to the present unfinished |
state of the works, only about 200 pieces I
are now daily prepared for market. Being (
a novice in the arts, and entirely unac !
quainted with the process of printing, could |
only gaze in astonishment, at the ramdity of
the delicate operation of singeing the cloth
the hleaching-the cylinder and block
printing-the effect of the eXtender in fin
ishing, and many subordinate operations
the whole requiring more skill, and more
science, than | had ever deemed necessary
| for the purpose. When ! surveyed the
beautiful texture of the fabric, the brillian-
icy and variety of the colors, and the refined
taste of the patterns, could not forbea1,
mentally, eXclalming we need no longer be
4 dependant on foreigners, for the return of
our staple in any form that it can be made
to assume, by the efforts of ingenuity and
industry.
On the opposite side of the river, is anoth-
er enclosure, including the space between
the river and another intersection of streets
on the north of it. Here is an Iron Facto-
ry of four stories, in which 1900 tons of lion
per annum are converted into nails, brads,
and various descriptions of rods, hoops, &c.
all of which are quality extensively known
and tavorably appreciated. A trip and tilt
hammer shop Of three stories, together with
: long ranges Of blacksmith's shops for the
preparation of machinery; extensive sheds
4 for the deposit OF lumber; a saw and grist
mill, and other smaller buildings are placed
also in this yard. The two yards, in fact,
constitute single enclosure, being united
by a bridge thrown across the river, at the
foot of the Falls. From this bridge, the
falls are seen to great advantage-and can
not be viewed without some emotion, as
they waste their strength in pouring from a
height of thirty four feet, on mass of solid
rock, which for centuries has wthstood
their attack.
The machinery is all made within the
works, except as the iron castings are pre-
J. pared at distant furnace. To me it was
astonishing to see with what facility brass
iron, or steel, could be made to assume the
requisite form-but no more 80, than the
perfect regularity of the machines wher
in motion. Competent judges have since
assured me, that this machinery may be-
. pronounced, as at least equal to any prepar
ed in the U. States, in every particular
TINT manM innrnu tats u, lla