Morning journal and courier., 1892-04-02
A MARK OF PROGRESS.

A MARK OF PROGRESS.
Brothers New Factory
on Hill Street-One of the Finest and
Most Commo dious Factories in the
State.
Among the most pleasing and satisfac-
tory of the marks of improvement and de-
ve1opment which we find about the city
now is the care that is taken in the con-
of new factories, and the atten-
ton that is paid to the comfort and con-
veniencs of its employees.
One of the most notable of these instan-
ces is seen in the new factory of Often
heimer Brothers on Hill street. Here we
find large and commodious building, |
capable of accommodating about four or |
fee hundred employees, and fitted with |
every convenience known to modern inven- |
ton. The building extends along Hill
street one hundred and sixteen feet and |
forty-eight feet back. 1t is four stories
high above the basement. On the first
floor, to the right of the main entrance,
are the private offices of the firm and
general business Office. To the left are the
stock room and the cutting, which are 24xo2
feet respectively. The cutting room is
said to be one Of the best in the country.
Here the raw material is cut and prepared
to 90 to the stitching department, which is
Immediately above and of exactly the same
SIZE The engine and boiler rooms are in
wing off the first floor. The power is
furnished by an improved Rowland patent
cut off automatic steam engine and
double set of Bigelow boilers of 100 horse
power. Here also is the electric light
lxyr pioho al
incandescent lights. On the second floor,
besides the stitching room where there are
100 sewing machines, there are the receiv-
ing room, cloak room and repairing
room. The space allotted to each
machine is 4x7 feet, which avoids
any crowding or cramping The large
stitching room is 82148 feet in dimension,
| with spacious high ceiling, high windows
and excellent ventilation. In fact. the
! ventilation is one of the special points in
the building, and in all the rooms the
| purity of the air is a noticeable feature.
On the third floor is the finishing depart
ment, in which there are eighty or ninety
| employees It is of a uniform size with the
other rooms below it. On this floor also
some of the most experienced of the en-
ployes are engaged in making up sam
pies. styles and specialties. On the fourth
floor is the laundrying and ironing depart
ment. Here are employed ten men in
sponging and ironing. The large stock
room to the left is at present used
as stock and store room, but it is proba-
able that at the present rate of increase
the business will soon expand itself so
that this also will be filed with the
busy hum of machinery. Then taking
the elevator from the top of the building
one can quickly descend to the cellar and
basement, where the raw material is
stored. AS the other parts of the build
ing, it is excellently ventilated, and it also
contains a fre-proof vault, where the val
liable papers of the firm are kept. Here
also is seen almost the only display of
wheels and belts that there is in the entire
building For it is one of the most pleas
ant features of the establishment that the
power is hidden, and thus great deal of
the noise and rattle, which is 80 disgust
ing feature in some factories, is avoided.
Taking the building as a whole, it is
pleasing in effect, strong in its const1uc-
it is full Of rapidly going machih teahous s1
superintendent in his private Office and
the accountants in the counting
room will not feel the least
mired is the quickness with which whole room
of machines may be stopped by the simple turn
any single line in sa nay pc tSps
tained precludes the possibility of any seri-
Gus accident.
| was begun on State street in January, 1891. 1t
rapidly. increased so that the firm was obliged
Started mr IN the shedon COS building
on Meadow street. This was in March of 81;
Their business still continued to increase until
126x33O feet, on Hill street, with.an addition on
Prince street 36x1OO, was purchased, and the
winter set in it was all under cover; They wished
1T Tsaa was e spared IN fSe
therance of their task. Thus on the 23d Of Feb
and and ready for business The ottenheimer Broth.
| ers are New York firm, but they were here at
the opening of their factory and expressed them
| ment of the work.
The building was constructed entirely under
| the personal supervision of Mr.. 1. Strouse; to
whom is due 10 great measure both the excel
lence of the structure and the systematic ar
strouse is the original corset man Of New Ha:
ven as well as OF the entire country, but he has
to it's pTesent state Of prosperty IL this
city. Ottenheimer Bros. bought the State street
factory Of him; he was the original owner He is
| now the general superintendent and manager OF
the factory and has been engaged for term of
years to take charge Of their affairs in this city.
Of Factores simmons Who said that
OF all the factories he had visited he had found
that saaasd this in to
sonai safety Of the employees And it is no un-
| merlted praise The whole plan OF the building
| and its location was with view to the comfort,
health and convenience Of the employees. Most
of them live in the part of the town west of bill
street, and the additional lot on Prince street
| was bought for the especial purpose Of affording
| them easier accass to the factory. This firm
seems to recognize the fact that the best pays
| every time that their help is in
much better health to be in a
| commodious well ventilated building. The loca-
ton of the building carefully considered.
and it was placed on Hill street, as most of the
| employees live in that part of the town and are
| home, and
thus have more of the advantages of their homes.
The whole number of those employed is over 800,
| which will probably in short time be increased
to 800 None but experienced help is employed:
If this business keeps up the steady increase of
| the past eighteen months it will not be long be-
fore even this building will be too small. The
been special study by Mr. strouse, are said to
| be superior to hardly any other on the market.
Ottenheimer Bros, besides their extensive man
ufactures, are also among the most extensive
importers in the country, being sole agents for
the celebrated G. P a la Sirene French corsets,
| also for some Of the best French and German
| woven corsets. The firm is to be congratulated
| on its additional new enterprise in this city.