THE WELLINGTON WOOLLEN COMPANY’S FACTORY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 7947, 2 December 1886, Page 4

THE WELLINGTON WOOLLEN COMPANY’S FACTORY.

The Wellington Woollen Manufacturing Company’s manufactory on the banks of the Korokoko stream at Petone have already been pretty fully described in these columns. The work at the factory, however, is now in full swing, and a brief account of the processes through which the wool is taken, and of the progress of the works, will no doubt be interesting, not to say instructive. The locality of the factory is well known ; as to the buildings themselves—an immense T-shaped brick building, iron roofed, with a number of small stores, houses, &0., of the sirae material, detached, and the fence lined on the yard side with little sheds used for storage purposes. The visitor who would observe all the processes and watch the wool from the time when it is st 'red in the ru uoil in bales till it is turned out in tweeds uf the most attractive pattern, or blankets and flannels of the warmest and woohoet, first enters a store-room where the wool, greasy looking and raw, is sorted Having b-en sorted, it is scoured, and this is done in the front apartment of the main building. Here the wool is scoured, aud afterward placed on the perforated galvanised iron 11 ior of a room above, where the atmosphere is always sultry. Here it dries, and after having been duly washed, dried, and dyed, is put through “ the willow.” “ The ■willow” is a machine the principal factor m ■which is a big cylinder fitted with rows of tooth or spikes. These teeth open up the wool, and by a sort of sieving process, clears it of dnst. Another machine opens up the ■wool and blends it in different shades, while »t the same time it automatically oils it, it being necessary for safe passage through multitudinous machinery that the material should be oiled. This is of course a great improvemeut on the old system of stacking the wool on the floor and oilin</ it by hand. Having been through these machines the wool is ready for "the scribbler.” From a sort of platform tho wool is taken over a senes of Tellers bristling with fine sharp teeth. The effect is that the wool is as it were _ combed out as it is taken from roller to roller, and finally comes on to a large roller, Iheuco it is combed off by a sort of brush, and, turning off in a rope, is wound up on tbobbms about din long, the whole being one prooeas by tho same machinery. From this machine the wool is taken to the “ clearer, on which, by the same principle as in the last case it is combed out, but comes off in a thick web’ and is carried overhead in the web to the condenser, where, going over teethed rollers it is condensed into threads by leather covers working backward and forward on rollers somewhat on the same principle as oa*i would rub tho wool in the palms of the hands. Then it is taken to the “ mule,” by which it is carried over small rollers, and subsequently placed on spindles, which are continually twisting, and by this means the wool is brought to threads, either line and hard for wearing, or not so line for other purposes. In unity there is strength ; and the wool which at a certain thickness of ■ thread, presumably for use in knitting and so on, is easily pulled apart, if it is twist-a a little finer becomes as tough as twine. The wool is now in threads, aud it is sent into another machine, where, on a cylinder, it is wound into tho required width, &0. If the wool is to be made up into “hanks” it is wound round a wooden cylinder. But, if it is for weaving, it is taken to the weaving machines. There it is placed on a weaver’s wooden beam, and thence it goes into the loom. It goes in in threads, and comes out—how, it is difficult for the uninitiated to say—cloth of various thicknesses and patterns. The cloth is thou made, rough and unfinished, but cloth all the same. It is put through a cutting and finishing process, and washed and scoured. In another place it goes through a “ burling ” process, by which all the knots or burls are taken out ; and after that it is put into a milling-machine, which shrinks the cloth and makes it heavier and more compact and durable. Then it is washed once again, and put into a hot room and pressed through a series of hot steam pipes, whence it issues quite dry. Another machine which has yet to be encountered is the “cropper.” In this the face of tho cloth is levelled and trimmed off by passing under a small roller, with spiral blades. The cloth is then wrapped up with pieces of thick cardboard between each layer, and Dressed by a hydraulic press, where there is a pressure available of four tons to the square inch. After ail these adventures the tweed is ready for tho market, and has only to be rolled up. With blankets there is the same process of milling and washing, but the blanket, after it has been dried, instead of being “cropped,” is put into a “raising gig,’’’ which raises a fluffy face upon it. Subsequently the edges are hemmed—if turning the edges down and stitching them can be°oalled hemming. These are the processes through which the goes. It is, impossible, however, to do justice iu an article of this kind to the works, which are as interesting as they are instructive, As far as can be seen by a casual visitor, the factory (in which about 100 hands are constantly employed) is beautifully clean, ami is well lighted from the roof. Tho floors throughout are concrete. In that! particular part of the factory where the carding, &c., is done, it has been found necessary to work up till 9 o’clock at night, and the electric light is used. The dynamo, which is a No. 1 (1250 revolutions), was lent by Dr Lemon pending the arrival of one which tho Company has ordered from Homo. About 60 burners are in use, and there has, we are informed, been no difficulty with the light at all. Lately several new buildings have been found necessary, and have accordingly been erected. It will bo remembered that some little time ago there was a narrow escape from a fire at the factory; and the result was that two machines, technically known as “the teaser” and' “the willow” have been stored in a fire-proof shed; where they are now working. A wool scouring room and a yarn store' are also being erected. Cottages are also being built in the vicinity for the operatives. At about a hundred yards up the little valley, beyond the factory, fellmongery works are being put up on the banka of the stream. The necessary tackle, &o„ is almost in readiness, and the Company propose starting operations very shortly. It is eminently satisfactory to learn that the Company's business, young as it is, even now promises to be an excellent one, and that up tc the present, and for the next three or four months, the Wellington orders are alone sufficient to keep the factory hard at work. The Wellington market has, so far, been the only one tried, but the Company how has travellers out in other parts of the Colony. On the whole, the industry, well established as it now is, promises to be a most successful and beneficial one.