The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-11-29

ever, that in spite OF these devillsh five
o'clock rites Mr.. Estes and his men are
trusted and respected by their fellow la
borers.
Many Of the castings which are made must
be smoothed, or bored, or worked upon in
other ways before they are completed. The
place for the work Is the machine shop, uD-
der the charge of Foreman Charles Ii. Hol-
land, one Of the Oldest employees Of the com
pauy. The machine shop is large building
about 100 feet long by 60 feet wide. Here
all the smaller fittings for the large machines
are made, as well as the repair work, of
which the company does considerable. This
Building Is full Of lathes, planes, shapers,
drills, etc.. each for cutting or turning or
boring iron or Steel A small room in this
shop is devoted to brass work. In the whole
shop are Sc machines, or 'tools" as the ma
chinsts call them. The heavier work Is not
done In the machine shop; but in another
building. where also Is the "setting up"
room, where the locomotives, snow ploughs
and other manufactures of the company, are
pat together. For the heavy work some
immense lathes and boring machines are
used; and their operation Is one Of the most
impressive and interesting sights In the
works.
Lovers Of music will be most pleased with
the boiler house. The first impression OF the
visitor upon entering the building is that all
the dins in creation have been captured and
confined here. 1t Is a music that has an In
dustrial, profitable sound about 1t. This
boiler building is large, commodious struc-
ture. built within the last six months. Into
1t have been put about forty thousand dol
lars worth of new machinery Of the most
modern type. The performances Of these
machines seem wonderful. There, for in
stance. are the heavy rollers where huge
steel plates an inch thick. ten feet wide and
of almost any required length are bent cold
into the form required to make the largest
boilers. and the huge reeeptaeles, called d.
gesters, now used in the paper mills of this
State. Then there Is rivetting machine.
with huge arms worked by hydraulic power.
When these arms take, the largest rivet in
their tremendous grip 1t Is compressed so
easily that 1t seems like q rlyet OF lead.
Then there are heavy punching machines.
and presses for forming the plates into any
desired shape, and huge furnace fit for a
Nebucadnezzar. All Of these machines are
new and Of the latest designs and they have
increased the efficiency of the company's
plant immensely. An illustration of what
work the company is able to do now Is shown
by an immense steel digester which is build
ing for the new sulphite mill Of the Manu-
featuring Investment Company. which is
now nearly built at Madison, In this State.
This digester Is huge receptacle, large
enough almost to house an ordinary family
for the winter Mr.. j. w. Estle is foreman
Of the boiler building.
Another excellently equipped department
is the blacksmith shop. of which r. NJ. Gould
is foreman. Here are made all the heavy
forgings for the large machines built by the
company. This is the best appointed black
smith shop to be seen in the State.
The woodworking shop, of which Mr..
George q. Davis is foreman, is an important
portion Of the plant, since here Is done the
woodwork on all the contracts of the COM
pany. As cars are among the manufactures.
this woodworking shop Is necessarily well
equipped. Just now the most conspicuous
objects in this shop are frames Of the great
rotary snow ploughs, and a pew plough Of
the old style. which the company are max
log for the Boston s. Albany railroad.
The tank shop, where tanks for vessels,
aud the paint shot where woodwork re-
ceives its finishing touches, are well-equipped
for the purposes desired of them.
The last department to which Mr.. Mllliken
takes US is the "setting up" shop. Here the
different part of the machines manufactured
are brought together. Castings come from
the foundry, driving rods and pistons from
the machine shop, forgings from The black
smith shop and woodwork from the wood
working shop. Here the parts are put to-
gether and here locomotives grow into form
and completeness day after day. At the
present time in this shop a small locomotive
for the KennebecCentIal road is nearing COM
pletioD, the larger parts of two Of the huge
snow ploughs are going together and the
frame Of large passenger Locomotive for
the Maine Central has been laid out.
The Visitor in going through the plant
will be impressed with thu order and sys
tenn of the work aud the appliances for de-
ing everything In the most economical way.
Mr.. Milliken has adopted the system Of
keeping accurate store room accounts, and
all the supplies Of smaller articles like nuts,
bolts, brass valves, etc, are In charge Of an
employe who keeps minute account Of all
supplies received and given out. The tools
of the company are all kept in the same sys-
tematic way.
Another economy has been effected by the
introduction OF system OF tracks extending
through all the shops. These tracks enable
the heaviest forgings and castings to be moy-
ed from shop to shop and from one part Of a
long shop to another with very small ex-
pendture Of labor. Then the Grand Trunk
also has large standard gauge track run.
ming into the works.
Conspicuous objects In the yards are the
large boilers which are made for the com
pany which is introducing the complete
combustion smokeless boilers. These boilers
are so constructed that the draft goes down
the fire instead Of up through il. In this
way large portion Of the gases ordinarily
thrown of as smoke is consumed. The
company Will undoubtedly build great
many of these boilers, which are expected
to be used with much success.
Having made the tour OF the works the
visitor will be better able to appreciate the
immense advantage to the city and state Of
mandatory like this. Here can be built all
the large iron work needed in the mills and
factories which are called for by the advanc-
ing prosperity Of Maine; and here hundreds
of Portland's skilled workingmen are finding
profitable employment at home. All success
to the managers and owners OF this great
Industry.
nEaAG