The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1849-12-13
LUCIFER MATCHES.

AtCAILn MA ASHEO.
Major Noah, Of ,hs Sunday MesseugeS,
gives an interesting sccount Of the great
Luci!er,or Locofoco, match establishment Of
Mr.. Burger, in New York. Not one in ten
thousand ofihe people who are nomentarily
Indebted to this most useful invention knows
any thing as to the mode ofits manufacture.
If We had the control Of fame in this world
we would place the inventor ofthcse match
es in the rolls Of that tickle deity little =
head Of the name Of Bonapart OF AMI other
conquerer before or since the days of Alex
ander. Bot the fellows name Is lost, aud,
we can only worship bis shade.
Major Noah says that five lots Of ground
on the corner of Th;rticlh street and the
Second Avenue are covered by the build
ings Of Mr.. Burgers match establishment.
He proceeds thus: #aH
The quantity ofmntches turned out there
daily, will seem almost incredible to those
unacquainted with the extent to which in
genious machinery multiples production.
Four hundred groce or about sir millions Of
matches, Is the average number nanufac.
tured per day; and by division Of labor
equal to that in a pin factory, every stick
passes through q, least thirty different
hands.
The machinery employed is well worth
seeing. An eight horse power steam en-.
CINE on the first floor drives the machinery,
which cuts out blocks Of the required size,
from three inch plank. Circular saws
which make 100 revolutions per minute,
divide the blocks into the required number
Of matches, turning out no less than 1884,
600 per hour! "Clark's matchesr--a
square spill, match, whichis generally used
lis made in similar way. Nor is this all
the work done by the saws: the cases in
which the matches are packed are also
made by these "revolvers" In ehort, the
machinery does the rough work in all the
processes, manufacturing not only 1854 GOO
matches per hour, but 800 round match
boxes within the same time, to- put them 10.
About 20 men are employed on the first
floor.
The paper match-boxes are made on the
second floor. They are cut into shape
covers as well as boxes-with Worrali's
cutting press and the making up Of these
boxes also gives employment TO some leo
women at their own homes. There is q
laboratory in this part ofihe factory, where
the blue composition is applied to one end
ofthe matches; aud the white TO the other.
They are at this time double the ordinary
length, and being divided 10 the middle two
separate lots are formed one lot being tipped
with white, the other with blue.
twenty-five hands are employed in this
portion fthe establishment, and their work.
ing is ten hours per day. They can readi.
" pack 100 groce per day, ready for the
vender's hands. Seventy or eighty chill
dren occupy another room on the Same
floor. Their business is to arrange the
matches, and they earn from ten 10 four.
teen shiliings week according to their
experiences and industry. In third room,
the matches are dipped in tho sulphur, and
then gradually dried by moderate hest.
There is one other room on this floor,
and there the finishing touch is given by
the application Of the phosphorus. Eight
or ten hands have charge Of this depart
ment, aud when their work is done and the
matches again dried they are fit for use
And here we have curious fact to state.
1t has generally been thought the fumes OF
phosphorus and sulphur were deleterious 10
health, but this theory is strikingly contra
dictcd by the fact tina, not one Of the two
hundred men, boys and girls employed IN the
factory has been attacked during the preva-
lence Of the cholera-that they have boon
utterly exempted from Diarrhns, dysentary,
and other affections ofthe bowels. Indeed,
more healthy community could not bc
found within the city limits.
WASHINGTON MoNUMENr.-The Balti-
more Sun contains description ofthe pro-
gress Of this magnificent work. The beau
tiful frontispieces Of the east and west en-
frances to the central shaft have been COM
pleted, and preparations are making to add
considerably 10 the altitude Of the Monu-
ment before the working season closes
One oftbe great derricks is now set, BY
which the stones are to be raised by aie4m
engine. at present in course OF compile
ton near the work. The entrances to the
Monument correspond in their proportions
to the magnitude Of the pillar; being in
height, to the summit Of the triangular CO.
ping, upwards Of twenty FIVE feet, md 10
breadth, including the architraves, nins
feet. The blocks Of marble forming these
frontispieces are Of massive dinensions.---
The cap only ofthe arckitrave weighs nine
tons; The frieze ten tons, md the GROWING
block Of the whole eleven tons. Many of
the headers weigh from three TO four tons.
ASHER, one 10 three tons. Each block Of
door jambs, Of which there are sixteen to
each door, three tons.
Tho materials are all Of the best quality
Of marble, from the Baltimore iuarries, and
blue gneiss from the Potomac for the back
ing walls. The walls are Fifteen feet thick,
aud bound together with hydraulic cement.
n.,oa.. N..Aa.s~ IL l..