Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-08-16
LOCAL MATTERS.
AT THE EDWARDS MILL.
Progress Being Rapidly Made on Elk
tensive improvements.

Work on the repairs and improve
ments at the Edwards mills are now
well along and the changes made are
considerable. The new machine shop
is, OF course. the gre center OF m
dustry as result of the change or
quarters and the installing of much
new machinery. In this department
three new lathes have been added. one
of which is Il monster. weighing about
tons and being capable of turning out
heavier work than any machine in
these parts. The work of moving the
machine from the station was quite i
task recurring eight horses to transport
the lathe from the station to the mill.
This work was superintended by Yard
Master Elwcll and was accomplished
without great difficulty. Another new
machine in the shop is a bolt machine
of a later and more improved type than
those now in use.
The shop itself will be n model of It's
kind. 1t will be perfectly flreproor in
every particular so that there will be
no possibility of any fire that should
start i'm the room igniting cotton in
adjacent parts Of the building. Every
window is freprOof with galvanized
iron sashes and fire glass. The top OF
the room is also carefully timed so as
to prevent fire reaching that part of the
ROOM Aside from the main room, III
the southwest corner will be the Office
of Master Mechanic Moorlen who has
complete charge of the machine shop
of the company. Adjoining this room.
is the tool room, where each man in the
machine department gets supplies for
his tools and which is charged up to
him by the man in the room. A check
system is used in this connection and
the work of each man is thus carefully
kept track of. There are q number Of
men ut work in the shop. this summer.
under Master Mechanic Moorlen. and it
is a busy and interesting place to visit.
The movement of the machine shop
into its present quarters makes room
for the change of location of the car
pcnter shop. which is now located in
the room where the machine shop was
formerly located.
The entire plant of the company has
received more or less Of an overhaul
ing in the way of repairs and improve
mcnts. Every ELEVATOR in the mill is be-
ing replaced anew and Il new tower is
being installed in the plant. a new
steel bridge will replace the old one that
separates the two sections of the mill,
and which will be great Improvement
over the former one.
The picker department will receive Il
new set Of pickcrs, a number of brand
new machines being installed in this de-
partment which are of an improved
type over the old ones. In the weave
rooms a complete new set of moiSteners
has been installed, the work having re-
Gently been completed by Boston con-
tractors. About 100 looms are also he
ing repaired. The new piping for the
heating of the mill is another change
made. This work is done by Contract
or Smith of Lewiston.
The electric plant of the company has
also received some ovcrhauling, two
new 9-fOot ru1lcys having arrived and
will be installed IN the dynamo room.
What is known rs mill No. 4 has been
completely rcwircd and will be IL great
Improvement over the old. Formerly it
was necessary to light the whole of this
section in order to light one row of
lights, whereas under the new arrange
mcnt it will he possible by means of Il
switchboard. to light any row of lights,
with the remainder of the rooms being
still unlightcd. This is a very desira-
BILE thing, in that the center
of the rooms become dark long
before the sections near the windows
and it was entirely unnecessary to
light such Il large area. Many other
parts of the mill have been ovcrhaulcd
i'm IL similar way, new pieces of floor
ings and similar repairs being made.
In all about 200 men are employed on
the repair work while the mill is shut
down