Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-11-19

and now has between thirty and forty per-
sons, mostly females, in the
OPERATIVE DEPARTMENT,
which will employ capacity for two hun
bred hands. This department occupies the
main building, and has 1920 spindles, de-
signed to turn off eight ounces of yarn each
per day, for which $50 looms will be required,
weaving fifty yards to the loom of stand
ard four-quarter sheetings, one experienced
hand attending four looms. The work win
be principally done in pieces or cuts, so that
each will be paid according to the amount
done; for instance, a weaver will weave by
the cut or piece of forty yards, while others
| will work by the pound or hank.
PROCESS.
The first step taken in the manufactur-
ing of the cotton cloth begins in one Of the
wings on
| THE FIRST FLOOR
| where the cotton is INHALED and run through
what is known as a compound opener"
which converts it into ''laps,n which is the
| first process. In other words the cotton is
opened and pressed by this machinery into
| laps which are then put into the "finishing
lapper'' that constitutes the second opera
ton. From the finishing lapper the cotton
laps undergo
THE THIRD OPERATION
by being carried from the first to the fourth
floor, where they are run through what is
called the cans, which are deposited by a
mechanical process, in a covered trough and
thence into large cans called railroad heads,
which is the fourth operation. The cotton
by this is reduced to twists of large size,
called ''slivers" which undergo
THE FIFTH PROCESS,
or operation known as the draining, that is
a reduction of the sliveis. They then I'M
| dergo the sixth operation by being placed
into other smaller ''railroad heads" and I'M
dergo a still further reduction or drainage
as in the above manner. They are now
passed from the finishing silver to the sew
enth operation, where it goes through the
| slubber, by which it is twisted into rowing.
| These rovings undergo the eighth operation
! by being placed upon fly frame and pass
| ed through this to two other rowing fly
| frames, getting smaller as they go through
each consecutive one, every draft on each
roller over which they pass. From the ny
frame they are taken to the
SPINNING FRAMES,
on the third floor, where there are 1l,52O
spindles, part of which are used for warp
and part for spinning. Here it is made
from the railroad head into thread Of
various size, wound on to spools called
bobbins, which are carried to
THE FIRST FLOOR,
where the thread is run on to spools proper,
each holding about three pounds. These
spools are placed on the "warper creeds"
and passed by it to the "beam," which is a
large cylinder that does the varying These
beams, which hold $50 pounds, are placed,
five at time, in what is called the "slash-
err" which consists of two steam cylinders,
five and seven feet each, over which the
cotton yarn passes, and is thus dried. From
these cylinders it comes forth sozed and
dried on to the loom beams, which are
placed on upright frames. After the ends
of the thread are drawn through the har-
ness and reed by girl it is ready for
THE LOOMS,
Of which there will be two hundred and
fifty-six, all situated on the second floor.
Two elevators do the hosting of the warps
from the first to the second floor, where
they are woven in the looms into cloth and
then pressed and folded by machinery.
THE MACHINERY
used is of the best patterns and has given
satisfaction. The "slasher and warper'
were made by Howard g. Bullough, of Eng
land, and the ''folder'' by j. Harrison &
Sons, Blackburn, England. The ''cOm-
pound opener" and ''finishing lappers" were
made by r. Kitson, Lowell, Mass. The
silver and other machinery on the fourth
floor was made by the SacO Water Power
Machine Company, of Biddeford, Me, The
shearer and dressing machines were made
at Worcester Mass; the hydraulic press
and elevators at Cincinnati, and the pulleyS
and shaftings by Lane q Bodily, of that city.
These are looked for every day, and will be
put in place Immediately, to be ready for
the weaving of the looms, which will com
mencs running by Tuesday. The 'tfolder'
not only folds the cloth neatly, out also
measures it accurately. or course all Of
the machinery necessary for the cotton mill
proper has not been put up, but will be so
soon as 1t arrives. In rsgard to
THE LABOR
employed at the factory there are only three |
foreigners, consisting of German boy and |
girl and plummer who is an Englishman. I
As regards the hands employed they are all /.
of good character and sober habits. No one /
unaccompanied with a good recommends /
ton will be engaged by Mr., Tabor, who has |
charge Of the labor and the factory. Ne /
groes will not be employed, there being one /
or two merely for temporary and outside |
work. Females form by far the greater /
proportion of the hands, and many could |
make an honest living here instead of seek
ing the more disreputable means resorted 4
to by deprsved women. But the most at
tractive and wonderful feature of the in /
stitution is to be seen in
THE MAIN ENGINE ROOM,
where we behold one Of the most beautiful,
fine and powerful specimens of mechanical
achievement to be met with anywhere in
this country. We find double engine, of
225-horse power, each having two fly wheels
each Of % feet diameter, and surface rim
of % inches each, over which pass two
thick 20 inch double thick belts, (made by
Fair Brother, Patucket, Rhode Island.) One
of these connects with the pulley and gear
ing apparatus on the first floor and turns
all of the machinery for the operative
department of that and the second
floor. The other belt is much longer
and extends to a central gearing wheel
on the third floor, working all of the
machinery on that and the floor above.
These engines are of very improved pat
tern and each having four feet stroke and
twelve feet shafts, with two eccentric rods
connected positively from the eccentric to
the valve stem. The cylinders are twenty
four inch diameter, incased with "steam
jackets" of wood and felt, to prevent refrig-
Grafton, which is most desirable, since the
steam can be worked expansively and regu-
larry at all times. There is condensation
even in the coolest weather. Immediately
over the door opening into the boiler room
are three steam gauges, one for indicating
the pressure on the boiler, the other for that
on the engine, while the third gauge indi-
Gates or registers the revolution of the en-
CINE per day, week or month.
Mr.. R. II. Fryer, the engineer in charge,
is only twenty-six years Of age, yet he is
man of much experience, having had charge
of a steamboat in New York HarbOr
at the age of fifteen, since which time he
has had fifteen charges and that he is ca
pable of holding so important a position
may be known from the fact that by his
own continuance he has managed to tell the
exact number of evolutions made by the
engine per minute. This is done by an in
dicator which he has connected with the
governor. By thus having indicating in
stantly the average revolutions, the engineer
can run the whole mechanical department
of the factory without varying a revolution |
in any part. 1t is an improvement upon the
other register gauge over the door, which
indicates merely the revolutions per day.