Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-01-11

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six columns of an eight-page STAR is completed,
the work moves along without any noise or APP
parent friction.
In the northeast corner of the room. away
from any possible hum of business, are the
proof readers.
The Stereotyping Foundry.
The work of preparing The STAR for the
press room has not, however, been completed
when the type has been .'locked up in pages
The eight original pages have to be multiplied
three times before they will be sufficient for
the three great presses which are necessary to
print the edition of the paper This triplica-
ton Is accomplished by stereotypng, and in
order that the process consume the least posi-
BILE time the latest methods and most skillful
operatives are necessary. AS each page of type
Is locked up it is wheeled through a wide door
way INTO the stereotype foundry adjacent.
Here the stereotypers and their assistants with
surprising rapidity make from each page as it
comes to them a matrix formed of prepared
paper. This Is an exceedingly nice operation.
but 1t requires only few minutes for the expert
operators employed on The STAR to produce a
natrN. Ihls matrix is placed in casting box
seml-cylndrlcal in form and from it three
plates are cast curved to fit the cylinders of the
press. When it is taken from the casting box
IL Is passed rapidly from machine to an
other, all the time deftly handled by the opera
TORS, by winch means 1t is perfectly trimmed,
routed. Its edges bevelled and its concave side
grooved. Then it is cooled by immersion in a
bath. placed on little elevator or slide and
rapidly lowered to the press ROOM three floors
below. The length of time occupied by the COM
plete operation of making both matrix and plate
varies little according to circumstances. but
as rule 1t amounts TO about nine minutes The
best time ever recorded is remarkably rapid
6m. Especially hurried is the work on the
last form that comes from the composing room
thehfth page of the paper-for The STAR prints
all the news that comes in up to the time of
closing the last page, and it has to be on the
street without the waste of a moment of time.
The Press Room.
In the press room. on the ground floor while
the last page is being stereotyped everything
Is in readiness for the final act in the making of
the paper. Every rod about the three huge
printing machines is wiped, every roller clean.
every bit of steel polished to brilliancy. In
the basement of the new building back and to
the north a giant engine is .throbbing and
communicating its energy to the whirling
! shafting overhead.
The foreman of the room goes from press to
| press inspecting the various shafts and arms.
turning screws here and there. lifting the ink
| fountains to see if they are full. adjusting the
| huge rolls OF paper that loom up high in the
| AIR like enormous bobbins. Soon the ringing Of
a small bell Is heard and the rafting of a box.
1t Is 3:45, and the first plate made from the last
! page has come from the stereotypers. In
stantly all is activity. A pair of strong hands
MT the curved piece of metal from the box
and thrust 1t into place on one of the presses.
the pressman on the other side instantly ad-
Justing the screws and clamping the plate upon
| the cylinder.
STARTING THE PRESS.
A 10 f,11 LII
there is a slight hum inside of the press. and
the wheels begin to move. Faster, faster,
faster whirls the great white bobbin. unwind
ing Its seemingly endless sheet of blank paper
INTO the press. Almost Immediately down at
he corner OF the machine appear scores and
hundreds OF STARS. neatly folded for delivery.
They come faster than the eye can follow IN
beautifully regular succession. An attendant
quickly gathers an armful and losses them
into an opening in the wall on the opposite
side of the room. In few minutes still other
plates come down from above and all three of
the presses are put in motion, making STARS
with Incredible rapidity.
BOILERS AND ENGINES.
During the summer the machinery that was
formerly used was supplanted by new and
much more powerful equipment, consisting of
a pair of twin boilers, built by the famous
Whittier Company of Boston. each capable of
producing az morse power, winch can be used
either separately or together. This improve
ment was accompanied by contract for "a pair
of engines of the celebrated Corliss type, built
by the Harris-Corliss Company of Providence,
RI They are so adjusted as to be capable of
running singly or together, the force ranging
from 60 to 220 horse power. In addition to
these engines the establishment keeps on hand,
ready Tor use, SpraSue electric mo-
tor, to be utilized in case of emergency.
There is also in the new building, commune
eating with the press room
SPACIOUS STORAGE ROOM,
where supply of paper is kept sufficient to
print STARS for a month or six weeks. Ar
rangements have also been made whereby a