The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1853-07-21

Washing Clothes with steam.

Washing Clothes with Steam,
We atelyvisited the Mushroom ofthe St,
Nicholas Hotel for the purpose Of witnessing
the operation of cleansing dirty linen BY
STEAM, without rubbing il to rags or wearing
out the hands of ihe washer-Moman. The
operation il simple. and the result perfect.
The clothes ere washed and dried ready for
the ironer IN less than thirty minutes, One
man and three women do all the washing
for this hotel, amounting to from 5000 to 5,
600 pieces day, and their labor is not half
as severe as that OF a woman Who ruas the
dirt out OF two or three dozen pieces upon
her hands or the wash-boards
To enable our .eaiale friends To under
stand how this great lahor-saying is effected.
wewili descTs be the machine and its opera
tons SO far as We have the ahil;tt
A strong wooden cylinder, four feet diam
eter, and Tour aac hall feet long, is Mount
ed on q frame. so as to be driven by band
on ono end OF the shat. THIS shaft il hol-
low, with rircs 50 connected with il that
hot Or cold water, or steam, can be introdu-
ced at the option of the person IN charge.
4 he cylinder being hall full D. water. door
ut one end i opened, and rom three hun
dred 70 FIVE hundred pieces are thrown in,
wilma suitable quantity OF soap, and an aka
line fluid which assists in dissolving the dirt
and bleaching the fabric, 50 that clothes az
ter being washed in this manner increase
in whiseness without having the texture in
Iured.
When the cylinder Is changed Il is put in
motion y small engine, and made 10 re-
we've slowly first one way few revolutions
aud then the other by which the clothes are
iATolgn from side to side In and out and
through the water. During this operation
the steam is let il through double mouths
plpe-sornewhat of this shape (which has
Ole mouth in ana enc mouth out OF the wat
er; the steam entering the water through
the immersed end and escaping through the
other, by which means II is made to pass
through the clothes, completely cleansing
them in fifteen or twenty minutes. The
steam is nog cut of, and the hot water
drawn through the waste pipe, and then
cold water introduced, which r.nses the ar
heles IN .afew mere turns Of the CT Under.
They are new sutferedto drain until the op-
orator is ready to take them out, when they
are put in the drying machine. which rams
Ike milestone, and its operation may b.
understood By snpposing that milestone 10 be
shallow tah, with wire network sides
against which the clothes being placed ii is
put rapid motion, the air passing in strong
current into the top and bottom Of the tub
anu out q the sides carries all the moisture
with it into the outside case. from Yhencei il
runs away. The length Of time REQUISITE t.
Dry the Clothes, depends upon the rapidly Of
TIE revolving tub. lit should run 5000 rev. /
olutions in minute. i've to seven minutes
Would be quite sufficient When there is
- - IL l.
that speed. il requires double that. I'm wash !
ing and drying there Is nothing to iniure the
fabric. Ladies Gaps and iaces ar. t.ilt ,tp in Z
netting bags ana are not rubbed br hand
or machine 70 chafe or tear them in the least.
but are eleansed most perfectly.
1t can readily be imagined what long
hne OF wash tabs would he required . wash
1900 pieces day, and what Big clothes
yard to dry them IN; While here the work is
done oF tour persons, who only occupy part
OF basement room. the other part being oe-
caIaea " the mango, and ironing, and iold-
llls tabies, -AalonlAg are the airing frames,
which are hung with clothes, and then show 8
ea into a room, steam-pipe heated when r
they are completely dried ii few min
utes,
.S'&sG Eaasi1y Naeliaes. Almost the first
enpa5aAs htttF witnessing the operation OF r
this machine, WIS, can washing be done up {
DE the same prineinle Z, e.--i' iaIuslit.>. io
-. ii4gufrres upon this point, We have re-
ceiyee the following satisfactory intorma-
ten. Il
For common family use. hand machines
are made to cost from $40 70 $50, with which
woman can wash 50 pieces al time and
complete 900 in day without laboring Sc
verely. For the purpose of washing, with .
out driving the machinery by steam, very
small boiler will be sufficient 1t i not ne
cessary 70 have head Of water, as that can
be found IN the cylinder, which can be turn
Cd by horse or any other convenient power,
The plan Of cleansing clothes by steam i not
new one, but II i eonteuded BY the inyen-
tor that his process is an improvement up
on all heretofore applied TO that purpose
THlNss WcNnLRFrL AMI TEUg VITA q very
neaT arPaaeh 10 truth, tbe human family ia
Ia II g ne c Kit Is e.tiraF1 a. 20. 1G1 6aH,
lie annual loss IS death is nOu,J0l. MN the
ne wesghi q aaia4ai matte oil this immense bo-