The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-07-19
THE MACHINE WORKS,
What is Going on in the Differ
ent Departments.

noke to-day. Notwithstanding the fact
that business has been slack there since
last November, it has kept hundreds OF
men in employment, and has been one
of the mainstaYs Of the city during the
recent financial crisis.
Everybody is constantly inQuiring
when the Machine Works will begin to
run full force of hands. The employ
ers themselves arc interested inuuirers,
but no one knows before hand, except
the head officials, what these works are
going to do. 1t has come from good au-
thority. as already published in TIE
TIMES, that the present indications were
good for speedy frightening up of work
in all the departments.
Since last wintcr the shops have been
running slim force, owing to the smith
shop disaster and other unavoidable
matters. The men have been kept in
employment mostly with repair work.
OIL which there has been great deal. "A
few hundred coal cars were also built
and lot of flats. But with the recent
order from the Norfolk and Western for
$50 coal cars and about twenty. five
cabin cars, the men employed there
seem more encouraged and look for
better times.
AT present there is 4 great quantity
of repair work being done in order to
clear the shops and yards for the new
work. Tho erecting and boiler shops
arc fuil of engines, which arc being
overhauled. and all the men arc busy.
The machine shop, A. Sautcr, fore
man, Is the busiest department in this
whole works. Mr.. Sautor is now work
ing $50 men, and every machine in his
department is running a largo num-
placed in the wheels, which are being
bored. This is exceedingly heavy
work and requires n good number of
men to handle the machinery.
In the smith shop business is picking
up very rapidly, and more fires are run
ming than since last year. The foundry
is making big lot of wheels for repair
and new work. This department does
not run on Saturday, but works ten
hours tho other five days of tho week.
Down in the car building department
business looks pretty lively. Mr..
Ehrhart is just finishing up twenty-five
box cars, preparatory to beginning work
on the thirty ton coal hoppers which are
being turned out in the planning mill.
John Well, foreman of the passenger
shop, always has plenty of work. II
there is nothing else on hand the com.
pany generally runs lot of old coaches
in the shop to be overhauled. When
they are turned out they look like pal
acc cars. This department. has also a
largo quantity of furniture and other
equipments to build for tho Offices and
dcpots along the entire line of the road,
which usually keeps several men in con-
slant employment. At present several
coaches are being repaired and over
hauled, and considerable engine work is
being done.
There is good stock of lumber in
the yards, and ii is continually coming
in for the new cars.
Tho appearance Of the shops is de-
cidedly neat and trim, especially about
the offices of the Messrs Ehrhart and
Welz, where some Of the finest flower
beds and pretticst landscape grading in
the city may be seen.
The engine to the largo turntable at
the car shops broke down a few DAYS
ago, and is now propelled by four col
ored mon, who with long levers at
either end turn the immense table with
an engine and two cars
The work on the new engine will be-
gin this week in the machine shop. a
portion of the work has already been
turned out in the smith shop and foun-
dry.
AS general thing the indicat ions for
speedy revival of work is better than
ever, and in the course of thirty DAYS
the shops may be expected to be run
ming to their fullest capacity.