New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-09-25
NEEDLES FOR THE WORLD.
AN AMERICAN Plant TO COMPETE WITH
THE ENGLISH MAKERS-HOW NEEDLES
ARE MADE.
From Tho Pittshurg Dispatch.

From The Pittshurg Dispatch.
Pittsburg proposes to enter into competi,l I,f
with WORCESTERSHIRE England, and bring iorth
IN. Nations supply OF needles. options nave
already been secured on II tract OF Iand yIns
along the Mouongahela, near mere, ana iuc'-
tions are .aVoTabi, FOR the establishment OF a
rlaut within a few months. The Industry IS 10
be introduced into this city, and at the same
time into the United States on much larger
and more modern scale than that OF hhelsh
plants enabling the Iron city 10 compete easily
with European factories that have thus iar
maintained "A monopoly OF the worries OUTPUT
The company Is to be known as the American
Needle Company and 1t Is the intention 10 nave
at least three plants in the United States, Win
an aggregate capacity almost double that or the
Old World factories.
All grades from the delicate cambria needle
10 the huge darniEg and sailors needles VIII
be turned out. The steel needle was tirst SHOWN
TO the world at Nuremburg at the close OF the
fourteenth century. An oldtme Spaniard I'M
proved slightly over the pattern then IN use
after which an Englishman conceived the idea
Of growing the thin steel wire and polishing IT,
Then the industry became established at Red
ditch In Worcestershire, England. This was
over two hundred years ago. since which time
the English mandatory has been supplying
the inhabitants OF the globe.
Before Emperor William thought
OF even before Bismarck had received his first
slash at fencing tourney In Heidelberg. the
Germans were concerned In the manufacture
OF needles. In the celebrated Westphalian dis
triCt near TO the present locality OF Krupp's
great gun works they set up plant for the
manufacture Of the sharp pointed steels. But a
clever Englishman came along. bought the out
fit. and removed the entire works to his own
land This. to an extent is the history OF the
needle industry. To-day England is turning
out thousands OF boxes OF the shining steels
and shipping them all the world
Needles are made OF crucibe steel OF the
finest quality. Their manufacture requires great
skill on the part of the operatives and all ma
chinery used must be OF special construction
From the meters the steel comes In small pots
the molten metal being Immediately transferred
TO gauges. which brig 1t forth wire. from
one-fiftieth to Oncseventieth Of an inch in thick
ness. This wire Is delivered to the next proc
ess, and by the aid OF gauges the coils are cut
with precision into proper lengths. each suffi-
cient for two needles. These lengths having
are next Strengthened. The bundle thus to be
equalized contains from 1900 to 5000 lengths
packed In strong iron rings. II Is then heated
and pressed on an iron plate having two paral-
lei grooves in which tie rings At Over this
plate the bundle works backward and forward
by the pressure of an oblong, slightly curved
iron tool. having two longitudinal Sits through
which the edges OF the rings project BY com
pihed pressure and rolling the lengths become
straight
The pointing OF the needles is done on a dry
grindstone, and is attended with great danger
10 the operative. srsing from the sparks and
uust created One operative In ten hours is
able to point 100000 needles The polnting
machines consist OF wheels TO the periphery
or which the wires to be pointed are held by a
rubber band In cycling the needles they are
again heated Each Is separately slammed nv
means OF a die. with the grooved and round
Impressions OF two needle heads set end 10 end
through these stamped heads the eyeholes are
perforated by a screw press. working pair OF
me steer punches or prongs. The polishing
process Is done on an emery wheel Acid "a
also used In this process
The projectors Of the plant have not COM