The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1881-04-08
STEAM COTTON MILLS.
THEIR ADVANTAGES AS COMPARED WITH
WATER Mills.

| "A meeting OF the SuOScrlDCrS TO the cap.
ital stock of the Charleston Manufacturing
Company will be held to- day, for the pur-
pose of organizing the company. The Char
lesion mills will be run by steam power, aud
this is good time, therefore. to reproduce
the report Of Il committee of citizens Of
Yorkville, on that subject. it is proposed
to build Il mill at Yorkvillc, and operate it
by steam power, and the practicabiity of
using steam, under favorable conditions, has
been carefully investigated. At the request
of those interested in the Iorkvillc mill.
Mr.. Joseph L. Wallace, the temporary Pres
idcnt Of the organization, and MIR. ~. w.
lugold, recently visited the steam woollen
anl cotton mills Of Mossrs L. g. ii. Fries;~
at Salem, n. G., for the purpose of obtain
ing information from parties who haye been
engaged i'll operating factory machinery with
steam power. From the written report of
these gentlemen, submitted to the stock
holders, the E"quircr makes the following
| extract
"Thc Salem Woolcn Mills, as they are
Familiarity known, have been in operation
ever since the year 1910, during the whole
of which period they have been driven by
steam power only, not being situated OH ii
water course. The experience and practi>
cal knowledge, therefore, Of the proprietors,
rs between st ;am and water, has been con-
fined exclusively t. the former as the motive
power. and they could not institute that
comparison which they said nigh, be nc
cessary, in view Of conflicting opinions n:
to the relative merits of either. for fair
clucidatlon OF the subject. But as prac-
tica man, thoroughly convcrsant with the
requirements Of the power used in driving
machinery for the manufacture of fabrics,
Mr. Henry f.. Fries had no reservation III
declaring his preference, unquallfcdly aud
unrcscrvcdly, in favor of steam over water;
and rs evidence Of his preference, he said il
such thing could be as the substituting of
water for steam power at their mills, with
out subjectirg them to cent of expense in
making such Il change he would not be viii
ling TO do so. This, he sail, if not an ar
gument in favor Of stcau was ccrtanl; the
strongest language he could employ to en-
force his position.
STEAM IN NEW ENGLAND.
Another point he urged, which to him
was an argument more forcible than any
theory, is the fact that numbers of New
England factories, as iavoraby located on
water as any. arc discardins water power.
substituting therefor steam. though not
changing the location of the mills. \ New
England manufacturer, he thinks, would not
substitute steam for water power if he did
not perceive economic advantages in max
ing such change. lie also pointed to their
present enterprise as further evidence Of his
falth IN steam. With their past experience
ol iorty years with steam, were il attended
with disadvantages, they would not have in.
vested the necessary capital in the erection
OF their new building in which they arc new
placing G,iSO spindcs, $50 looms, and the
necessary preparatory and finishing machi
merry, all to be driven exclusively by steam
Arguments in favor of water over steam.
perhaps at one time applicable, ar, inAppli.
cable now, owing to the high degree Of
perfection attained in the construction Of
engines combining the greatest amount of
power with almost absolute safety, ut an cx.
pense much below the cost of steam few
years ago, when the steam engine was C IN.
paratrcly in crude s ate and objections to
it were plausible.
REASONS FOR PREFERRING STEAM.
Gle, however, preferred to give us the
benefit OF the opinion of capable employ
&C IN his establishment, Mr.. f.. &. Romin
ger, who has had forty years experience in
the business, eight years of which time were
with cotton factories on lIaw River, driven
OF course, by water power alone, and the re.
naming portion Of the period, or thirty.two
years, with steam power exclusively. Mr.
Romlngcr was decided in his preference for
steam. First, he sail as to locition. If
water be the motive power used, OF course
| must lppltp f,pt,ry ho q; or