The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-11-30
A ROYAL LAUNDRY.
How Queen Victoria SuperintOnds the
Washing end Ironing.


Washing aud Ironing.
Queen Viotoria's laundry is a
square, ivy covered building, with u
wing projecting from ono side. 1t
has no pretentions 10 architectural
beauty or appearance, but It's inte-
rior has been designed for the special
purpose for which it is fitted. In
this the personal linen of the queen
is dealt with, and no strangelt under
any circumstances, is permitted in
side its walls. Tho solled linen ar
rives from the royal palaces in great
white square baskets and is takon in
hand at once by the sorters and
compared with the lists that accom-
pany it. The personal linen OF men,
bers of the royal family is sent and
returned in wooden boxes with brass
plates, on which are engraved the
names of the owners and numbers
These are taken TO sorting room
kept specially for them.
Two washing rooms used for the
household and table linen lead from
the general sorting room. From the
rinsing tub everything goes iinme-
diately into the wringing machine,
which, revolving at the rate of 700
revolutions a minute, delivers the
articles very nearly dry. Across the
passage is the mangle and press
room, where daily great piles of ta-
blecloths, towels, sheets, etc, are
dealt with. Towels form by far the
largest number of items dealt with,
and when Victoria is at Windsor
several hundreds of dozens O week
60 through this establishment, and
all the household linen dealt with is
from the queens establishment
alone, for, though all the personal
linen of the members of the royal
family is oleansed here so as to Sc
cure the greatest amount of safety
from any infection, the household
linen of tho different branches is
sent principally to private firms.
Drying and ironing rooms arc on
the first floor. That devoted to TIE
former purpose is elaborately fitted
with slides over the furnace, but is
principally intended for use in wet
or wintery weather, as there is q
splendid drying ground attached,
and adjoining this is large CORFU
gated iron she'd, with open ends and
sides formed of revolving shutters,
for use on showery days and damp
nights. In tho ironing department.
a rule is in force that seems strange,
involving, as il does, much extra
work and expense-everything here
is thoroughly dried before it is
ironed. OF course the patent iron
ing machine saves good deal of
the extra labor, but the scores of
flatirons speak eloquently for them
selves of their share of tho work.
The royal tablo linen is of the fin
est substance and is specially manu-
factured. The designs woven in are
very handsome and elaborate, the
queens monogram predominating,
with roses, shau~ocks and thistlcs
among armorial bearings. It is also
made in sets, each tablecloth having
o number of serviettes to match it
in design, etc.
The queen herself periodically SUI
perintends the throwing out of worn
articles at her palaces. AS she is
seated in tho linen room at Bucking-
ham palace each thing is held up
before her and condemned or passed,
as the case may be- If the former,
its destination is at once fixed-ei-
ther hospital or some other charita-
bic institution.--and it is certain 20
reach that destination as soon after
it is cleared from tho books of the
palace as possible. House Furnish
ing Review.