The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-04-14
A BUSY ROAD
The 0. r. & L. Company
Rushed with Work.
An Ideal Machine-New Passenger
Cars - A Young Filler I'm
doubted Prosperity.

One of the busiest sections of the
city today is down among the shops of
the Oahu Railway & Land Co. There
the hum of industry is at its loudest.
New cars, new engines, new machin-
cry are all being put together. The
working hours have been stretched TO
ten and a half in some of the depart
ments, and the employees, instead of
Directing, rejoice that such an act is
necessary. 1t is a sure sign of pros
perity.
An interesting feature of the many
new and recent innovations is a lathe
machine. This is the particular pride
of Harry Roberts, master mechanic of
the machine shops. AS he dwells upon
its merits and shows how powerful and
yet how easily controlled it is, one can
not help but become interested.
The machine is really remarkable
one. 1t is a double spindled lathe,
triple geared. 1t combines two lathes
in one a medium size for the common
range of work, and a large size with
ample power for handling heavy work
up to the full swing. 1t is remarkable
and about ideal.
The head is extra long and rigid, and
is well supported. The rail spindle has
very long travel and is provided with
a. tightnut to take up wear The cross
feed is operated in a very simple man
ner by means of movable pin that is
pushed into engage and pulled out to
disengage. The geared feed is ar
ranged 50 that very fine or coarse
feeds may be obtained of the screw by
using the regular change gears.
j. T. McCrosson, who was here a
short time ago and who obtained the
contract for the boilers to be put in at
the Kalihi pumping plant, was sur
prised to find an agency Tor this ma
chine in Honolulu. Repeated efforts
have been made by different San Fran
cisco firms to obtain an agency in that
city, but they have never succeeded.
Harry Roberts had done what the big
firms of San Francisco have failed to
do.
is another busy man. He has the
whole building filled with cars in var
ious stages of completion. He has just
which are as nicely finished as could
be found anywhere. These will be
used for the first time next week.
The number of freight cars being
built is very large Ten have just been
turned out that comply with all the
specifications of the standard freight
car. New orders are coming in con-
stantly which necessitate. longer work
ing hours.
The new engine has at last been
completely put together 1t was found
when it was nearly completed some
time ago that certain parts were mis-
sing. Later it was learned that they
had been dropped in East River, New
York, by shipping firm. They landed
here few days ago, still covered with
East River mud, but in good condition.
The engine is a monster, weighing
about sixty tons. 1t will be taken out
in few days for its trial run, with
Harry Roberts at the throttle.
Superintendent Denison now flies
along the line on the patent gasoline
tricycle., which was ordered some time
ago. 1t is a beauty and more than full
fills the claims made for it. On the
first trip it reached a speed Of twenty
four miles an hour, which is fast trav-
cling for so small a machine. The gas
oline consumption is very small. and is
a great deal cheaper, Mr.. Denison says,
than foot power.
The road is undoubtedly prospering,
and today is one of the best equipped
for its size and time of operation Of any
Of. the roads of the country.