The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1843-07-18
Vol. 6, No. 81. Whole No. S1l.

cess is The same in either The pointing room
generally situated as far away practicable from the
other rooms, contains small grindsones from about
eight inches TO twenty inches in diameter, according
to the size Of needle to be pointed They rotate YER
ticaly, at height Of about two feet from the ground
and with velocity amounting to two thousand revo-
lutons per minute. The stone is particular kind OF
grit adapted for the purpose; but sometimes flies
npeces, from the centrifugal force engendered by
the rapid rotation; and in such the results are
often fearful. The workman sits on stool orhorse'
few inches distant from the stone, and bends over
1t during his work. Over his mouth he wraps large
handkerchief; and rs he perform his work near
iy as well in the dark as in the light he is sometimes
only to be seen by the vivid cone Of sparks emana-
ting from the steel while grinding. The vivid gh,
reflected on his pale face coupled with the conscious
ness that we are looking at one who will be an old
manat thirty. and who is being literally "killed by
inches" while at work, render the processes con-
Quoted in this such as will not soon be forgot.
ten.
The neede-pontcr takes City or hundred nee
dies, or rather needle wires in his hand at once, and
holds them in peculiar manner. He places the fin
gers and palm ofthe hand diagonally over those of
the other, and grasps the needles between them, all
the needles being parallel The thumb of the left
hand comes over the back ofthe ngures of the right;
and the different knuckes and joints arc so arranged
that every needle can be made to rotate on its own
axis, by slight movement Of the hand, without any
one needle being allowed to roll ever the others He
grasps them that the ends the wires Gone end of
each) projects small distance beyond the edge Of
the hand and fingers ;and these ends he applies to the
grindstone in the proper position for grinding them
down to point It wll.easly be seen, that the wires
were held fxedy The ends would merely be beyelled
off, in the manner of graver, and would not give
symmetrical point ;but by causing each wire TO rotate
while actually in contact with the grindstone, tho
pointer works equally all sides Of the wire. and
brings the point in the axis of the WIRE At intervals
every few seconds, he adjusts the needles to proper
position, against stone plate, and dips the ends
in little trough Of liquid between him and the grind
stone. Each wire sends out its own sroam of SPARKS
which ascends dagonay in direction opposite to
that at which the workman is placed. So rapid are
his movements, that will point seventy or a, hum
dredneedles, formingone hand grasp, in half anin-
ute; thus getting through ten thousand in an hour! .
The circumstance which renders this operation SO
very destructive to health is that the PARTICLES of steel
separated from the body OF the wire by the friction o
the stone, float in the air for time and are then in
hailed by the workman The entire atmospheric Of the
room Is filled with these PARTICLES. Benevolent men
have long sought for of obviang the sad effects
resulting from this operations and at length the Soc
ely of Arts offered premium for the invention of anv
piece of apparatus which should prevent the entrance
of the steel particles into the mouth of the workmen
A period of more than EVERYONE years has row
elapsed since the contrivances or Mr. J. III. Abraham,
having this object in vew introduced to public
notice through the medium of the above named So
ciety: aud it Is really surprising to find how utterly
useless have been al the efforts to draw men into tho
adoption of improved plans, The fortieth volume Of
the Society's Transactions contains details which
must not de passed over here in silence.
CONCLUDED next week.