Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-05-24
THE WIRE CLOTH.
A GOOD SIZED CROWD VISIT THE
PLANT
see How it is Made and Ask Many
Questions-Over Thirty Thousand
Dollars Worth Of Orders in.

Two car loads of the leading business
men of the city yesterday accepted the in
vltasion of Captain George E. Harris to
visit the wire cloth factory on the West
Side. Quite a number also went over in
carriages, accompanied by their wives.
At B O'Clock most of those intending to go
by street ear were on the corner of Doug
las and Main. A few minutes after the
crowd started for the plant. On the way
there was considerable talk about the
| plant and how the work was done, as
most of them had little idea as to the pro-
cess that led to the wire cloth result. In
| due time the plant was reached and the
spectators were examining the work being
done. There were in a few minutes
many questions being asked, and Mr. Har-
rls, president of the company and general
Manager Atkins were kept busy impart-
ing the desired information. The ladies
were especially interested and gave close
| attention to the many explanations made
OF course they did not ask questions, but
were perfect in the role of listener.
1t might be difficult to explain how the
work is done in such way as to interest
one who has not visited the plant or who
is not acquainted with similar factories
| 10 the average spectator visit is quite in
teresting, and in the main the process
simple.
The brass and copper wire is purchased
in New York and comes in rolls. known
IN wire cloth factory parlance as ''hanks."
Tnls is course wire and each 'hank"
contains $50 feet. The first thing done
with 1t is to put in receptacle containing
chemicals, which remove all dirt and
Particles foreign to the wire. After being
thoroughly cleaned it is SUBJ
Jected to another process wherein
is hidden the leading secret of the business
and is known only to Mr.. Atkins 1t is
called the softening process. For this a
hot-air furnace four feet wide and long
and three feet high is constructed. With
in are four pots each holding two hundred
and fifty pounds Of the wire. After the
wire has been treated to some chemicals
they are placed in the furnace and sub
jected to intense heat for certain time
when they are removed and given some
more chemicals for change. Again look
ing like wire, very much like it did before
taking the heat and secret chemicals, it is
ready for the first effort at stretching it.
The apparatus for decreasing the wire is
known as block and the wire is simply
drawn through a small hole and wound
around q spindle in the factory
are ffty--six blocks and they
have been handling ton of wire per day,
and have a capacity Of five times that
amount But through the block once it
goes again to the furnace, then to the
block until each "hank' goes to the fur
mace six times and to six blocks, each of
different sizes. AS stated, each hank is
composed of $50 feet of wire weighing ten
pounds, and when it is through with all
the blocks it weighs just the same, and in
length is little over three and half
miles. This may give some idea of the
work done in the furnace and block, max
ing the wire much finer than the hair of a
pompadour gentleman.
The stretching feature of the work is
done in the second story, and getting
through with that the wire
is ready for the looms, which
are located on the first floor. There are at
present four looms and four more are ex-
pected in few days. The loom reminds
one of the blue jeans days and in pattern,
shape and general appearance differs but
little from the once much used apparatus
Each loom will be attended to by two men
and will turn out one hundred and fifty
square sect of cloth daily. This will give
the plant a capacity of twelve hundred
square feet of cloth daily.
The power for the plant is furnished by
forty horse boiler and thirty-ive engine.
The copper cloth is used mostly in mining
machinery, while the brass for strainers,
screens for windows, residences, cars. etc.
Much of the wire is used in paper making.
The company is known as the Wichita,
Kansas. Wire and Wire Cloth company,
and has for its president Cap. Geo. Z.
Harris; j. S. Garrison, vice president: Geo.
Edwards secretary and VIM. Matthewson
treasurer, with Mr.. II. Atkins general
manager AS is known some months ago
Mr.. Atkins came to the city with the in
tention of locating plant. He has spent
many years in similar work in
the east and desired to start a
similar business in the west. A few weeks
ago the first cloth was made and today
the plant is commencing to show business.
There are now fifteen hands employed and
in a few weeks thirty or forty will be given
regular work. Concerning the outlook
for selling the wire cloth and output Of
the factory, Capt. Harris said the plant
already has orders amounting to over
thirty thousand dollars, which he seemed
to think a good starter. He seemed per-
fectly confident the product could be sold
and that the enterprise would soon be |
one of the important institutions of the
city.
SENIOR RHETORICAL.
An invitation yvoS yeSte ord av raceiye6 tG |
attend the rhetorical of the senior class of |