Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1857-11-30


our enierprising fellow citizens. Nathan Wash.
burn and George Gill, have erected upon lot Of
land containing about three acres. in the immedi-
ate vicinity Of the Western Railroad depot, in
this city, large and substantial building, de-
signed for rolling MILL with especial reference
to the manufacture of wrought iron locomotive
tires, and for the remanufacture of worn out
and condemned railroad iron into rails as good as
they were when new. Notwithstanding the
heavy monetary pressure, and the general EN-
barrassment in all branches of business, Messrs.
Washburn & Gill have gone steadily forward
With their vast and expensive undertaking, and
within few days have commenced operations
upon extensive orders, under such auspices. and
with such new andfimproved machinery, as will
insure success. .,s ~
The main building, which is of brick, and slated,
is two hundred and ten feet long, by seventy-ive
feet wide. It is very high in the walls, with
truss roof of seyentyfye feet span, requiring nei
ther posts or pillars for its support. The power
is furnished by a splendid engine of two hundred
horse power, manufactured by the Lawrence Ma
chine Company, with the exception Of the shaft
wheel, which alone weighs nineteen tons, and
was cast at MIR. Washburn's own foundry in this
city.
In the furnaces, boilers, forges, and the ma
cbnery department throughout, every modern
improvement and convenience appears to have
been adopted. with view to ultimate economy
rather than with reference to present expense,
and when everything is completed, as it soon
will be- in accordance with the designs of the pro-
by any similar one in the United States. GO
We visited the rolling mill on Saturday after
noon for the first time, and were gratifed to be-
hold such indications of the return OF better
times, as we there saw. The workmen were
busily engaged in the somewhat new and difficult
business Of rolling wrought iron Urea for locomo-
tives, but everything was indicative that the ma
chinery was perfect success, and that Old Wor,
cester will hereafter compete with any of the
work shops of this county or of England, for
large share of this important branch Of manufac-
ture. Mr.. Washburn estimates the capacity Of
his shop as equal to the production of four tons
ofocomotive tires and forty tons of railroad iron
in day. The firm has already large orders for
the tires and also for the remanufacture Of nearly
six thousand tons of railroad iron
1t is their intention to erect additional build.
ings in the spring, for the purpose of removing
from its present location Mr., Washburn's extern
siye iron foundry, where are manufactured his
patented cast iron car wheels, acknowledged
everywhere to be the best in the country, and the
whole establishment will then be consolidated at
one locality, where railroad iron. locomotive and
car wheels and car axles can be turned out to an
almost unlimited extent, and furnishing employ
ment to at least two hundred men.
Adjacent to the rolling MILL and upon the
sanas.eligibe locality, Messrs. Washburn Gill
have alse erected spacious brick buildings for the
manufacture of every description of iron wire,
which have been leased to HenrysS. Washburn,
late of the Quinsigamond Works. in this city.
Mr. Washburns establishment embraces fine
brick building, sixty feet long and forty feet wide
and two stories high. an engine house, thirty
three feet long and twenty-seven feet wide, and
an annealiDg house, seventy-four feet long and
thiTty-fve feet wide. His motive power is de-
rived from splendid double cylinder steam en-
CINE, Of seventy horse power. The capacity of
his present machinery is equal to the production
of only about 1000 pounds of wire per day, but it
is his purpose to add it, from time to time, as
business again revives, until it shah become one
of the most complete and best appointed wire
factories in the Union, capable of filing at short
notice, the largest orders for either coarse or fine
wires Of any dissertation.
At present, Mr.. Washburn is engaged upon
large order of telegraphic wire, for a company in
California It affords US great pleasure especial
ly in these times Of gloom and disaster, to chron
icle such indications of thrift, enterprise and en-
ersy, as we have done in the above article, upon
the operations of Messrs. Washburn & Gill dur.
ing the past season. They have struck out boldly
upon new path, they have invested their capital
largely in new business, which must have an
important influence upon the prosperity Of the
place, and give employment to a large number of
hands, and they deserve, and doubtless will re-
ceive, the best wishes Of the whole community,
for the full realization of their most sanguiue
wishes and desires. -