The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1853-07-26
From the New York Tribune,
WASHING CLOTHES WITH STEAM.

We lately visited the WdsH-TOOui VI tHc OF.
Nicholas Hotel for the purpose OF Witnessing
the operation of cleansing dirty linen by steam,
without rubbing it to rags or wearing ont the
h.nds of tho wash woman. The operation
is simple. and tho result perfect. The clothes
are washed and dried ready for the ironer in
less than thirty minutes. One man and three
women do all the washing for the hotel, a
mounting to from 5000 to 5000 pieces day.
and their laSor is not half as severe as that of
a woman wuo rubs tho dirt out OF two or three
dozen pieces upon her hands or the wash
boards.
To enable our female friends to understand
how this great labor saving is effected, we will
describe The machine and its operations so far
as we have the ability.
A strong wooden cylinder, four feet in di-
ameter and four and half feet long, Is mount
ed on frame so as to DO driven by band on
ono end of the shaft. This shaft is hollow
with pipes so connected with II thathot or cold
water, or steam can be introduced at the option
of the person in charge. The cylinder being
haffu of water, door at one end is open
ed. and three 20 i've hundred piec of cloth
ing are thrown in, with considerable quanti-
quantity Of soap, and an alkaline fluid which
assists i'm dissolviny the the dirt and bleaching
the fabric, so that clothes after being washed
in this manner increase in whiteness without
having the texture injured.
When tho cylinder j. changed, it is put in
motion by small steam engine, and made to
revolve slowly, first one way few revolutions
and then the other, by which the clothes are
thrown from side tn side, in and out and thro'
The water. During this operation the steam
is let in through double mouth pipc-some-
what of this shape (which has one mouth
in and one mouth Of water: the steam entering
4 Il L -
Gaping through the other, by which means it
is made to pass through the clothes, complete
" cleansing them in fifteen or twenty minutes
The steam is now cut off. and the hot water
drawn through the waste pipe, and tho cold
| water introduced, which rnces tho articles in
few more turns OF the cylinder. hey are
now suffered TO drain until the operator is
ready to take them out, when they are put in
to the drying machine which runs like mill
stone. and its operation may be understood by
supposing that milestone TO be a shallow tub.
with wire net work sides against which the
clothes beng placed it is put in rapid motion,
| the air passing in strong current into the top
and bottom OF the tub and out of tho sides car
ries all the moisture with it into the outside
case, from whence it runs away The length
of time requisite to dry the clothes, depends
upon the rapidity of the revolving tub. If it
| ~
seven minntes would be quesuffcient. When
there is not sufiicien, steam to ron the dryer
with that speed it requires double that. In
washing and drying there is nothing to inlure
the fabric Ladies caps and laces are put up
in netting bags and are not rubbed by hand or
machine To chafe or tear them in the least, but
are cleansed most perfectly.
It can readily be imagined what long line
| of wash tubs would be required TO wash 5,OOO
pieces day, and what big clothes-yard to
dry thom in; while here the work is done by
four persons. who only occupy part of base
ment room. the other part being occupied by
the msngle, and ironing and folding tablos--
Adjoining are tho airing frames, whish are hung
with clothes, and then showed into a room,
steam-pipe heated, when they are completely
dried in a few minutes.
Small Family Machines. the first
thought, after witnessing tho operation of this
machine, was, can washing be lone upon the
same principle in small families? To our in
quiries upon this point, we received the follow
ing satisfactory information.
For common family use, hand machines are
made to cost from $40 to $50, with which a
woman can wash fifty pieces at time and com
pete 500 in a day without laboring severely.
For the purpose of washing withou' drying
the machinery by steam very small boiler
/ will be sufficient 1t is not necessary to have
a head of water, as that can be found in the
cylinder, which can be turned by horse or any
!. other convenient power. The plan of cleans
ing clothes by steam is not a new one. but il il
contended by the inventor that his process is ar
improvement upon all heretofore applied &c
that purpose.
Il