ECCLESIASTICAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XI, Issue 3987, 22 August 1874, Page 2

ECCLESIASTICAL.

Services will be held in the following places of worship to-morrow (Sunday), as under: — Wesleyan Chapels.—Pitt-street: morning, Rev. J. Warren; evening, Rev. W. C. Oliver. Grafton Koad : morning, Rev. H. H. Lawry; evening, Rev. J. Warren. Parnell: morning, Rev. Vf. C. Oliver; evening, Mr. Wykes. Scandinavian services by the Eev. Edward Neilson, from Norway, will be held in Parliament-street Chapel on Sundays at 11 a.in., and on Wednesdays at 7.30 p.m. Wellesley-street Baptist Chapel.—Rev. P, H. Cornford, pastor: morning, "Positive Proofs of Personal Salvation." Evening, " Our Daughters." High-street Independent School-room. — Rev. A. Mac Donald, 0.30 p.m. (opening service). Congregational Church, Beresford-streoc (late Albert-street). —Morning, Rev. Warlow Davies, JM.A. ; afternoon, service for ehililren. conducted by Rev. T. HameT ; evening, Rev. R. P. Macnieol. Renmera Independent Chapel.—The Rev. T. Hamer will preach in the morning at 11. Xewtoii Hall.—Services at 11 a.m. and 6.50 p.m.

A VISIT TO THE PHCENIX FOUNDRY. Lokd Clarendon wrote, "There is no art or science that is too difficult to industry to attain to; it is the gift of tongues, and makes a man understood and valued in all countries, and by all nations. It is the philosopher's stoue, that turns all metals, and even stones, into gold, and suffers no ■want to break into its dwelling. It is the north-west passage, that brings the nier•chant's ships as soon to him as he can desire. In a werd, it conquers all enemies, and makes fortune itself pay contribution." A visit to the well-known foundry of Messrs. Fraser and Tinne, the engineers, would confirm the impression that industry such as is to be been seen there is the stepping-stone to the prosperity of this "Britain of the South." All is labour, noise, and clatter, everybody busy, from the draftsman with his apprentices in the office, to the skilled artizans and labourers in the workshops below finishing some m;issive piece of machinery that is destiued to assist in developing the resources of the colony, either in gold wining enterprise, in steam navigation, or in locomotion. A brief description of the foundry, in its piesent enlarged state, may not prove uninteresting. .Situated in Stanley-street, Mechanics' Bay, the visitor becomes aware of his presence in the vicinity of some antipodean Sheffield or Wolverhainptoii, by the dm and clatter that greets his ear on his approaching the establishment. The foundry faces the Domain, and eorers some ten acres of ground. A few years ago it assumed less pretentious proportions, but as business increased new buildings have been added to thepremises, and it isnow, without doubt, the largest foundry in New Zealand. On entering the gate, the visitor is accosted by Tubal Cain, who. having wiped the sweat from his hnnest brow, offers to conduct the stranger through the premises. The first building inspected is the MACHINE SIKH'. This is a long building, where about thirty workmen are engaged. It is rightly named the "machine shop," for in two rows, along the whole length of the shop, are various machines, at once puzzling to the stranger, who is wrapt in wonder as to their use. Tubal Cain describes them as being used for shaping the casting into its required dimensions. Large pieces of iron, steel, or other metal, are thus planed down, turned, bored, or otherwise treated to the nicety of the hundredth part of an inch. Many of these machines are newly imported from Home, and cost the tirm some thousands of pounds, and others have been made by them on the premises. It is by the aid of this additional machinery that Messrs. Frazer and Tinne are now prepared and able to undertake the manufacture of any machinery that may be required in the colony, no matter hovr intricate or how ponderous. Amongst the machines at work i:i this room, are a planing machine of the following dimensions :—I feet by 4 feet by 13 feet. It has been newly imported by one of the last vessels from England, and only recently ntted up,—a radial drill capable of taking in 5 feet diameter with 5-inch hole. A nibbling, or what is more intelligible, a shaping machine, having a 12-inch stroke, with moveable head. This machine was made by the firm. A pulley lathe, also manufactured on the premises. * It is capable of trimming pulleys up to G feet diameter. A slotting machine, recently imported, having a 12-inch stroke, and taking in 5 feet diameter, with circular and rectangular feed complete. A new lathe, just lauded from the Miltiades, ■with 12-inch head stocks ; a similar machine with 9-inch head stocks. Three lathes, capable of taking in two feet diameter, one capable of taking in 4 feet diameter, aud a large lathe capable of taking in S feet diamater. There are also three radial drills, two plantrs, three slotting machines, three nibblers. three small S-inch lathes. The whole of these machines are driven by a 20 liorse-power horizontal enynft, fitted n.t the upper end of the workshop. The work now on hand and being performed in this shop consists of the turnings and castings for the screw steamer Kennedy, made to the order of Messrs. X. Edwards and Co., of Nelson. Thi3 machinery has been made by the firm here, and will be sent down and fitted on board the steamer at Nelson by their workmen. There is also on hand an extensive order for the Union Steam Saw Mill Company, consisting of engine, fittings and frame, including circular saw, breakingdown frames, and moulding machines, &c, for the Aratapu new saw-mills, recently bought by the Sash and Door Company. A number of private orders for various descriptions of machinery are in course of manufacture. Tubal Cain next conducts his visitor to the

SMITHY. In this workshop there is a Nasmyth's 15 cwt. steam-hammer, the largest in use in the colony. A furnace for making blooms and forgings ; above is a travelling crane for lifting the same from the furnace to the steam-hammer. Crank shafts have been here forged up to 9 inches in diameter, also double-throw crank shafts, 7 inches in diameter, have lately been forged for the new screw steamer building at the North Shore (H. Niccol and Sons' yard) for Captain McGregor, of the Kowena. A small steamhammer (1 cwt.) is also attached to the smithy. The next is the

BOILER SUOr. The boiler makers are here busy manufacturing a multi-tubular boiler, for a steamer building by Mr. Ross, at Freeman's Bay, for Messrs. Kinross and Co. (Napier). A boiler is also being made for a loco-mc-tive, to the order of Messrs. P. W. Longdill and Co., being similar to the one supplied for the locomotive now running on the Tararu tramway. There i 3 another boiler in course of manufacture here, measuring 10 feet in diameter by 10 feet, with two furnaces each 2 feet 9 inches. This is intended to drive "Captain MeCeregor's new steamer, hereinbefore mentioned. In this shop there is a platebending machine, and a plate for surfacing the same, two powerful cutting aud shearing machines, two small drills, hydraulic and screw punches. There is also a blast furnace for welding plate joints, and a coke oven. Boiler-making forming an important branch of Messrs. Frazer and Tinne's business, it will be again referred to in describing their new boiler-shop at the water's side in Mechanics' Bay basin. The next shop is the

FOUNDRY, in which are two furnaces, capable of bringing down respectively one and two tons of cast iron per hour. The artizans are now employed in casting here a high and low pressure cylinder for Captain McGregor's new steamer, the dimensions bein" 20 inches and 3S inches respectively. Referring to the engines erecting by the firm for "this steamer, it may be stated that they are the largest ever made complete in the colony. They are being constructed from designs furnished by Mr. W. Humphreys, the draftsman to Messrs. Frazer and Tiune. The foundry is fitted with a travelling-crane, capable of lifting 15 tons, for bringing the molten metal from the furnaces to the moulds and boxes, and also for lifting the castings out of the sand. Amongst other jobs in hand in this workshop is a new propeller for the steamer Star of the South. A new building, just completed, is described by Tubal Cain as the

ERECTING SHOP. The dimensions of this building are 100 feet by 60 feet. It has a travelling-crane attached capable of lifting some twenty tons —a very important adjunct—with the heavy pieces of machinery put together here, inere are in this shop, just completed, a spur-drmng wheel, 14 feet in diameter, with 10-inch face for driving the new Aratapu saw-null, and acting as flywheel for two 16lncn horizontal engines now building by the nnn for the Sash and Door Co.; threl patent valveless engines, respectively 5, 7, and 10 niches in diameter, with pumps attached; an engme fitted with surface condenser for the!boiler mentioned as building in the boiler«aop, for Messrs. Kinross and Co.'s new steamer; thrc- wood-iaonlJ:,.. machines for

the Union Sash and Door Company, the first of the kind ever made in the colony, the firm having succeeded in successfully competing with the English market. There is also in this shop, just finished and ready for removal, one of the largest pieces of complete machinery ever erected in New Zealand. This consists of a piston and a piston-rod, made to the order of the United Pumping Association, attention to which has already been drawn in the columns of the Herald. The diameter of the piston is eighty-one inches, and of the piston-rod nine inches, and it is seventeen feet in length. The piston and rings were turned in the lathe, and afterwards scraped by hand,the bolts,&c. fitted, and all executed to the satisfaction of the company's engineer. The weight of the whole is seven tons. The successful completion of this heavy work is a proof that the largest class of machinery can be constructed at the Phoenix Foundry, and it will be found far more profitable to have orders for machinery executed here on the spot, under the direction and supervision of the purchaser's own engineer, to importing costly machinery from home at enormous expense and risk. FiTrixf! snor so. 2 contains a marine horizontal engine of S herse-power, suitable for a steam launch, for disposal; a pair of marine engines, 20 horsepower ; and a quantity of other machinery made to order. In the PATTERN SHOP there is a Daniel planer for planing wood ready for the pattern-makers, two lathes, aud a jig-saw for cutting out sweeps. A number of first-class pattern makers are here at work at innumerable patterns from designs furnished by the draftsman. The j patterns for the condenser aud guides for i Captain McGregor's new steamer are also in course of construction ; also the top frame for the circular saw for the Aratapu new mills. Above this shop is the PATTERN LOFT. Here are stored patterns of all work that lias been executed by the firm since the commencement of its existence. The whole are sorted, marked, and placed away in case required at any future time. Duplicates of the same can always be obtained. THE DRAWING OFFICE is superintended by Air. W. Humphreys, instruction and employment being given to another draftsman and two apprentices. In this office the drawings are made of a", work ordered. NEW BOILER SHOP. On one of the allotments of the recently reclaimed land in Mechanics' Bay Messrs. Frazer and Tiune have erected a large boiler shop occupying SO square feet of ground. A boiler tower 53 feet high forms a portion of the building. In connection with this building furnaces are being built with a view of carrying on iron shipbuilding, and the firm will shortly be enabled to execute any orders in this branch that may be required. The boiler shop being situate alongside the quay offers facilities te vessels drawing 10 feet of water to come alongside in the basin to ship boilers and machinery by means of the sheer poles erected in close proximity to the shop. The work at present in hand in this department consists of three boilers, each 45 feet long by 3 feet 10 inches in diameter, for the Aratapu new saw-mills. Four iron steam launches for the General Government are also in course of construction. They are being built of J-inch plate, and will all be ready for the principal ports siniultaueously in course of a month or two. As before mentioned the boiler tower is 53 feet high; a steam travelling crane is located in the tower, capable of lifting a boiler weighing 15 tons a height of 45 feet. Beneath this is fixed the steam riveter. This novel piece of mechanism may justly be described as a hand-labour saving machine, from the extraordinary amount of power given by it. It is a patent of R. Harvey and Co.'s, of Park Grove Ironworks, Glasgow, and is now in use in all the Government dockyards at home. Indeed, hand-riveted boilers have not been allowed in the Government yards s>iiiee the introduction of this valuable invention. The

STEAM-RIVETER is composed of a lGin. cylinder, acting on a lever fitted with two eccentric straps, which force the one die or stamping head on to the standard or holder up, the rivet being placed between the driving die and the standard, and thus by one powerful " squeeze" the rivet is finished, thus obviating the necessity of finishing or hamineriug the rivet when cold, and so crystallising the iron, and causing the rivot in many instances to breai. This machine is capable of fixing ten rivets per rninute, and as an average day's work for one gang of riveters is SO to 100 rivets per eight hours, some idea may b.j formed of the amount of work capable of being performed by the steam-riveter. It is the only machine of the kind at present in use in New Zealand. In closing this account it may be mentioned that contracts are at present in hand by the firm to the amount o£ £20,000, the whole to be finished before Christmas. One hundred and fifty skilled artisans are employed on the premises, the whole of whom are earning high wages. Engineering has been described as the highest stage of civilisation, and a visit to Fraser and I'inne's foundry would convince a casual observer that we are indeed in a very high state of ciyilisation. Certain it is that work can be executed here 15 per cent. cheaper than in Sydney, a fact which has been proved by comparing the repairs of the s.s. Phoebe at Sydney with those of the s.s. St. Kilda in Auckland. The reason of this is partly owing to the combination of masters in New South Wales, who base their estimates on scale charges, while no such compact exists in Auckland, and competition here is the order of the day.