The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-07-20
HOW WOMEN WORK HARD.
Immense Amount of Energy Expended
on Holding Up the Trailing Skirts.

"In one afternoons shopping the
women of Greater New York expend suffi-
Gent energy to propel the combined
navies of the W orld!'
The Girl in the Mortar Board said this
and then looked about her for the effect
sob, oh, - groaned the two organdie
girls, falling Imply against each other.
But the Girl in the Ladysmlth Hat said
sccornfulIy. 'Lts that mortar board She
can't help doing sums when he's got it
on"
"They do it, continued the girl with
the headpiece, ignoring Interruptions and
beginning to figure, "by means of the
trailing dress skirt. In Create" New
York there are, according to the last es-
innate, 5000, 900 people, or 600, OCO families.
On the basis of two adult females to
each family there are 1900, 900 women,
most of VIII ON are addicted to the long
skirt habitat least 1,0O0, GOO of them.
The average length of time consumed by
woman in a day S shopping is about
five hours. Her dress skirt must be held
up continuously while in the street and
stores. The weight of an ordinary street
skirt as held by the hand is from two to
five pounds, but taking the minimum
WCtB1O VI bWO JONnOS Wu4CA 6dCu WOMAN
carries in her hand continuously during
the five hours, she expends a lifting force
OF two pounds every instant, 100 pounds
minute, 1920 pounds an hour and
36, 600 pounds during the five hours.
ph5 l. 900, 900 long skirted women of
New York would, on the same basis,
exert a lifting power Of l36, 000 900, 900, 600
pounds during the days shopping tour,
which is equal to 900, 500 horse power.
The average indicated horse power of a
first-class battleship in the United States
Navy is IL, 900. At this rate the power or
energy expended by the women of New
York in single day in carrying their
dress trains would prOpel1 900 ba6tleships.
And the Girl in the Mortar Board
looked on tr1Umphantly from her figures.
The others looked interested and the
mortar board girl began at her figures
again.
cit takes only 1 ,O22 horse power, y she
went on, Ito move a train of 90 loaded
freight cars twenty-five miles an hour.
With the equivalent OF 1,O90 800 horse
power expended by the women they could
move l,O67 such trains Applied to the
ordinary tasks of a household such as
sweeping, washing dishes, attending
ba bies, ETC., this enormous force now
wasted would solve the household problem
in a jiffy and leave muscle to spare. 1t
would sweep l, 800, 600, 900 rooms, allowing
20 pounds of energy to a room. 1t would
wash 30, 900, 900, GOO, 600 dishes, giving a
pound to each. dish. And it would carry
2,4O0, O0O,0 600 babies, each weighing Is
pounds.
BY investigating, it appears that the
vast majority of New York women feel
themselves unable to attend to their sim
pie household affairs because they are not
strong enough. In the matter of dress
skirts they are feminine Herculeses.
Then the Mortar Board Girl threw
down her pencil.
%'Dear me, l didn't know we were work
ing so hard. Wen never wear the hor-
rid things again. declared the Organdie
Girl.
Never mind. They are going out this
season, anyhow" murmured the Lady
smith Girl.