Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1901-06-20
THE SHOVEL
FACTORY
A Visit to This Interesting Plant Described
Odd Intricate Machines.

Through the courtesy of James L.
Barber, general manager of the Danville
Bessemer Company, representative of
this paper Monday was permit
ed to make a tour of the shovel fac
tory which is being equipped in this
city.
n shovel factory is something new in
this locality, and the visit, which was
not lacking in interest, was a privilege
most highly esteemed. As might be ex-
pected the machinery being installed is
of kind that mill workmen of this Sec
ton are unfamiliar with. There is not
a piece that does not strike one as odd
and intricate and whose special func-
ton III the manufacture of a shovel one
would never guess, if he did not hear its
use explained.
The factory will not be able to start
up before some time in August. A great
deal of the machinery is slow in arriv-
ing. The biggest delay, however, will
be occasioned by the remodelIing of the
roll train, which is in the hands of
Curry d Nannan of this city. Two ad-
ditional sets of rolls will be installed
one set of cold rolls and the other a
short set for finishing purposes.
The handle factory is being installed
in what was formerly the 'tchair fac
tory on the North side of the d. l.. &
W. track. The machinery here-sOme
twenty pieces-along with lot of new
shaftng is already in position.
The equipment of the handle factory
embraces everything that is new and
modern in woodworking machinery and
appliances. 1t is quite easy to trace
the process of evolution as the rough
plank enters one end of the building and
passing successively through the differ
ent machines emerges at the other end
a smooth and finished handle. Each of
the machines will be covered with a
hood and by means of heavy air cur
rent produced by fan over head the
chips, ,shavings and every bit of sawdust
will be carried out of the building and
conducted in an elevated duct across
the railroad into the mill proper. In
the iron work department where great
deal of the machinery remains to be in
stalled the process is not so easy to un-
derstand.
The number of men to be employed
when the plant starts up will not be less
than l5O. The number at present en-
p!oyed varies. Monday there were
over 40 employees at work. Herbert
Wharton, who removed to this city from
Wyoming four months ago, is superin-
tendent.
General Manager Barber is de-
termned to guard against loss by fire
He has adopted a system of fire protec-
tion which can not fail in efficiency.
Throughout the plant he has installed
five modern fire plugs-two in the han
die factory and three in the large build
latlon cotton hose is attached, the nozzle
connected and all neatly coiled beside
the plug ready for use.
Among the employees he has organized
a fire brigade with Charles Gibbons as
Chief and Samuel Sainsbury, Assistant
BY way of drill during the visit Mon
day the alarm was sounded, locating the
supposed fire at certain point AT
nearly the same instant sixteen employ
es as tiremen came pouring out of the
mill-dragged the hose from the small
building in which it is sheltered and
just fifteen seconds after the alarm was
sounded had a stream of water. In
the aggregate there are 900 feet of hose
about the plant. When the works start
up another brigade will be organized in
the handle factory, where the employees
with few exceptions will be boys.