New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-10-15
THE MICROBES ENEMY.
Sterilization Process That E1term-
mates Germs ON Linens.

Although q steam sterilizing plant for linens has
for some time been an indispensable adjunct u
every we'll equipped hospital the Hotel Astor IS the
first lay institution, it is said, to make this NY
gienic svstsn1 a part of It's laundry. Every soiled
garment that enters the laundry. from sheet to
lace handkerchief now undergoes the sterilizng
process. which is said TO be absolutely harmless 10
the fabric and absolutely harmful to the germ
In the same big copper cylinder machlhes ~
which the clothes are washed. with alternate
streams of suds and clean water, by means OF SLOW
reyolvings and where likewise the rinsing and the
bluing of garments Is accomplished by the DRAINING
and change of water, the sterilizlng' TOO, 1aAee
place under a temperature Of ESQ degrees Fahren-
heit Heaps of soiled garments are Irted out OIL
hampers on wheels into the open mouths OF the
steriIizers the lids shut down again and steam Is
admitted to the necessary pressure. "heh the i8s'
s+ruqgi,ng germ IA overcome, after short interval
soft SOAP and water let in and again let out I'M
I'll the cleansing process is thoroughly effected.
Ge may, he imagined the laundry OF this hotel
"a the busiest institution under the roof Through
the big main Mushroom, where seventy lauhuiy
women and dozen and more machines worn al
day long there passes every day not only 'hieo
thousand napkins, but more than FOUR thOusa"u
towels Of every description, as many as n1teen
hundred tab1ecloths and table tops: a thousand
sheets and a thousand piowcases besides the IN
Vulnerable smaller incidentals, and the 'punuIs
wash as the guests laundry is called
Some idea of the way the work is done may be
gained by following the career Va q ONi4NAS --O-
the room of guest through all the stages OF ltS
reclamation.
Mrs DressweIl telephones downstairs to the oice
that she has ready a bundle Of laundry, where-
upon the clerk by means of pencil device puts
down on the pad before him the room number and
date of the order, and the requested date OF the
bundles return. simultaneously the same facts
are Inscribed by pencil nine stories overhead IN
the laundry The same entry is made in the BOOKS
and the bundle is Immediately sent for.
AS the bundle is brought In 1t is opened py the
sorter who stands at clean polished table and
counts sorts and lists all the articles it contains.
while the head Iaundress marks the list the
prices Another girl marks each garment for
identification and tacks the laundry list I'D under
one of the pigeon holes which shall receive the
articles of each particular bundle as fast as they
return ready for wear.
The bundle from Mrs. Dresswell is found to con-
tain a French handmade white swiss tub gown,
trimmed on skirt and waist with innumerable
founces and insertings of Valenciennes, tailor
made shirt waist a mans shirt, half dozen collars
and cuffs and the usual number Of indiscriminate
undergarments. The head Iaundress sizes up at
glance the number of hours that must be expended
on the extravagant French handmade rufties, and
pots down on the list judiicous estimate OF $40 II
is carried with others its class, from the ster-
lzer to porcelain lined tub where it is treated ten
DERBY by hand and afterward troned by an expert
whose dainty handling is worth $50 month.
The palmer garments go to the huge WaSnlns
machines where they first steriltzed and then
water and liquid soap and clear water again until
the dirt is we'll dissolved Large circular copper eX-
tractors, whose sides are perforated with noIeS.
receive the clothes dripping from the washers ana