Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-08-02
AN ENORMOUS CASTING.
Richmond Surpasses the Entire South In
the Manufacture of Machinery.

Several months ago the Richmond Loco.
motive aud Machinc-Works made and
shipped from Its enormous establishments
| in this city the largest iron casting ever
| made in the southern States. At o'clock
YESTERDAY IN exact counterpart OF this
casting was poured aad will be ready for
| shipment in about week.
| This ponderous piece of machinery is a
| cylinder eight feet in height and with an
interior diameter OF elghty-tour inches,
and weighing when properly finished $1,000
| pounds. II is being built for the Newport
News Drv-Dock and Ship-B Building Com
pany--the same company for which the
| other casting was made.
PRETTY SIGHT.
It was indeed interesting to watch the
white metal running like water from TWO
| enormous ladies and a reservoir into the
mould. which was Of such great size a. to
require an iron band around the sand
which had been packed III TO make the
| framing firln. =,
At 2 o'clock yesterday morning the
melted iron began pouring through the
| openings into the mould, and 1t flowed
| continuously until 1890 p. NJ, when the
| charge of nearly 10000 pounds OF metal
| had been exhausted. Four pipes pene-
| trsted the mould TO allow the flames and
gases from the intense heat TO escape, and
| for an hour red tongues OF hre protruded
from these. large number of experts IN
| foundry matters wore present to see the
ponderous mould filled with the white
metal.
| 1t was not quite an hour after the con-
tents OF the ladies and reservoir had disap-
| peared in The sand framing when large
| force of hands we're placed to work to re-
move the enormous weights that bad been
used to hold the mould solidly. II will be
! Wednesday before the casting will be taken
out Of the framing and the Work OF clean
! ing of and dressing begun.
This marks an era in the history of iron
| founding in Richmond and establishes 1t
as one of the greatest cities IN the country
| for such work.
FIVE LOCOMOTIVES SHIPPED.
During the past five months the Rich
mond Locomotive and Machlne-Wor
made and shipped five locomotives. four
| of which were built for the Louisville and
| Southern railway This road has an order
| filed with these works for SIX more en-
gines, which will DO shipped as soon as
they can be constructed.
| There are now in course of construction
! in these shops about thirty locomotives.
| all OF which are being built on order.
| The machinery for the battle-shlp Texas
| is now we'll under way, and it is thought
! the Inspector will soon issue to the COM
pany a reQuisitlon upon the Government
! for the sixth payment on this work.
The three-ton steam hammer, which was
erected recently for making heavy forgings,
| etc, is doing nice work. and is considered
a magnificent piece of machinery.
| COLONEL pAvIs's COURTESY.
When the DISPATCH man went into the
| Office Of the works yesterday Colonel
Davis, the superintendent, was extremely
courteous and at once proposed tour
through the different departments. In
all there are about five hundred men en-
ployed in the shops, and Colonel Davis
Yesterday asserted that the payroll for
the week would be about $4,000 ut some
times is more than this amount), which,
| when 1t is considered that this money IS
placed right into circulation every Satur-
day night, is al important tact.