Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1866-01-31
,iahOning Steam Tannery.

Last week we hadthe pleasure of avisit
the steam tannery of Messrs. Warren &
McLain, situated on Main street, in the
south part of the town, neal the Mahon-
ing bridge. The buildings were formerly
occupied by Mr.. Amos Dunlap, who con-
Quoted the same business, but in the old
style, and without the many improve
ments now in use. The present proprie-
tors came into possession of the works IN
the spring of 1865, and commenced oper.
atoms on the fourth of July following, an
auspicious day. The machinery was put
up under the able direction of Mr.. VIM.
Cutler, a practical tanner from Massachu-
sets, and through his means the i'm
provements now in use were introduced.
The tannery is under his personal super
Intendence. We were first shown the
grinder which breaks the tan bark into
small pieces. and being run by steam is
able to grind a cord of bark in one hour,
which is as much as a horse can grind in
the old way in a day. The next object of
interest was the hide mill, a curious in
ventiou in the shape of a drum, about
eight feet in diameter. in which are many
hooks. The use of this mill is to break,
clean and soften the hides. 1t ~revolves
around, and when put in motion a stream
of water is thrown into it from a pipe !;
the hooks carry the hides to the top and
drop them into the water below. This
process is continued until they are thor
oughly cleansed, after which they are
taken out and others substituted. They
have three soaking and three lime watts.
In the lime watts are arranged machines
called +" England lime reels" for turning
the hides in the watts. When put in mo-
ton they create a current in the watts
which turns and brings the hides to the
top. This simple contrivance will per
form in five minutes the labor Of two men
a day. Near the lime reels is a coloring
reel which operates in the same manner.
They have also a s%tuffing mill" for thor
oughly impregnating the hides with oil and
tallow, a vast saving of time and labor over
the old method of doing it by hand. This
machine is circular and shaped like a
drum, and works upon the same princi-
pie as the hide mill. We noticed a ma
chine for splitting leather, the patent of
Richardson, Boston, Mass. The engine
is one of twenty horse power, and was
made in Cleveland by machinist nam
ed Joslin. A locomotive boiler is used.
only eight feet long, forty four inches in
diameter. The boiler is supplied with
water by an injector. Spent tan is used
for fuel, and thereby they are enabled to
disI ense almost entirely with wood and
coal. They have thirty watts under cover
and ten out of doors, with capacity for
one hundred skins per day, or between
thirty and forty thousand a year. They
consume between five and six hundred
cords of tan bark yearly. The hemlock
bark is obtained from Western Pennsyl
vania, the oak bark from the surrounding
country. They have a supply on hand
sufficient to last them until spring, when
the '~'peeling" commences. Water is OBJ
tanned from the Mahoning river which
flows past the buildings. Ten men do
the work which would require at least
twenty-five without the improved ma
chinery. The hands. wages range from
one dollar and a half to three dollars per
day. Curriers' work by the piece and
earn more. They manufacture upper,