The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1910-09-23

g huge portion of a girder was lifted
by two hoists. The iron weighed many
tons and without Witnessing the DEM
onstration, the majority of persons
would believe that it would require an
immense crane or derrick to hoist
such a weight The hoists are in such
positions and are so constructed that
eli points of the main shop can be
reached by the hooks and objects car
ried to any point
The company has purchased one
large machine which has not been set
up completely as yet but it will be in
the near. future. 1t is a combination
shearer and punch. 1t is equipped with
fifty horsepower motor and is on a
turntable and can be turned in any
direction.
The assembling department in the
main shop is where the various parts
made in readiness in the other de-
partments are put together and riveted
with wrought iron bolts. A number of
men are engaged at this point and 1t
Is amazing to see the amount of work
done apparently without any great ef-
fort.
The reamer is machine for the en-
larging and dressing Of the rivet holes
made by the punches. In very particu-
lar work, 1t is necessary to use the
reamer in order to make the holes
more exact. This huge machine Is OPP
Grated with ease and is propelled by
electric power.
Attention must necessarily be at
tracted by the bolt maker. This Is
noisy machine by which the steel riy-
cts are made for the joining together
of the pieces used in the construc-
tion of bridges or other steel work.
1t Is a pleasure to witness the opera
ton of the apparatus and to see the
results A long bar of wrought iron
is heated to a white heat in a gas
furnace and then thrust into a small
hole in the end of the machine. 1t is
so constructed that certain lengths Of
the hot metal bar are cut off and the
small piece, which has been severed
from the bar, is cooled to a certain de-
gree and head is rounded on one end.
All of this is done by the machine,
which will make between eight hun
dred and one thousand riyets in one
hour.
The straightener is another appara.
tus in which an immense amount of
power Is shown Crooked pieces are
placed between the pressers of the
straightener and they are brought out
of the other side in such a condition
to defy level.
The plant Is constructed of cement,
brick and steel. The rafters or iron
work near the roof are so constructed
that the more pressure there Is
brought to bear upon them, the strong
er they become. There are hundreds
of tons of iron in the stringers and
steel work of the supports. This will
bring to mind one remarkable fact.
There Is an area two undred and twen-
ty-four feet in length and one hun
dred and thirty-five feet in width in
the main shop with only one support
ing column of steel to the ground. This
Is easily explained by the fact men
toned above, the supports above are
in such position that the more pres
sure brought to bear on them, the
stronger they become.
The yards are practically the same
as before the fire, although trifle
the size of the buildings. Two der
ricks in the north yard are capable of
lifting or hoisting any piece of work
which Is constructed in the plant. In
the south yard, the immense derrick
has a sweep Of two hundred feet and
will reach to almost any point in the
yard.
Going outside to escape the din of
The hammers and the machines in op-
Grafton, IL seems remarkable to look
at the mammoth structure and know
that It was erected in the space of on
ly few short months. The buildings
are well lighted by the numerous panes
of glass which are run entirely around
the building. There are 1866 of
these panes and II was necessary to
use almost four tons of putty in fasten-
ing them in their places. The building
proper Is 496 feet in length and 135
feet In width,
The engine room is supplied with
the most up to date furnaces and has
four boilers with capacity of one hun
dred and fifty horse power each. There
Is also foundation for the erection of
two more boilers should they be found
necessary for the carrying on of the
work In the shop.
1t is useless to say that the commit
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