OUR INDUSTRIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1825, 12 November 1886, Page 13

OUR INDUSTRIES.

ROSLYN WORSTED AND WOOLLEN MILLS.

In a comparatively young colony like New Zealand, the promoting of any new industry is a matter of importance and interest to others besides those immediately concerned in its inauguration. It is perhaps not too much to say that the development of no industry in this colony has been so keenly and anxiously watched as that of woollen manufactures ; and the object of this report is to note the strides that have been made in this industry. About seven years ago, when our legislators were considering the best means of promoting and fostering colonial industries, a new era was inaugurated m the history of our woollen manufactures by the starting of the Roolyu Woollen Mills. Although previous to this tbe industry had been 'fairly established elsewheie, yet the enterprising proprietors of the Roslyu Woollen Mills (Messrs Ross aud Gleudiuing) with their well-known indomitable energy, combined by a judicious spirit of speculation, aimed at producing at their mills more varied manufactures than had hitherto been attempted in the older established mills. To this end the Ro»lyn Woolleu Mills were started with every appliance requis te, tho machinery being of the latest designs and patterns, aud the buildings of that s>ubstautial character which showed the confidence the proprietors had in the ultimate success of tudr enterprise. Nor has their confidence been misplaced, for on two occasions siucu operations were fir&t commenced io has been found necessary to extend the Koslyn mills on all sides As a detailed description of the buildings and machinery comprising ihe lioslyu Woollen Mills appeared about the time operations were commenced, it may be interesting here to note the progress and extensions that have been made since that time, which we will now proceed to do, especially as a new departure has just been made at the Roslyu Mills— viz.,

THE MANUFACTURE OF WORSTEDS. And the proprietors may justly claim to be the pioneers of this branch of manufactures in the colony. Although it has only beeu fairly started about three months, yet a considerable quautit y of worsted yarns for all classes of goods have already been turned out at the Roslyn mills, equal in finish and appearance to any yet imported; and worsted cloth — th». first manufactured in the colony from locally-made yarns — is now being turned out to the order of a Sydney firm. The visitor to the Roslyu mills, after having first been shown the process of sorting and classing the wool for tne various description of goods manufactured, is taken through the room where the wool is received in its original state for the process of washing, this being the first stage of manufacture. This is an entirely new apartment, of far larger dimensions than the one first used, and contains one of Petrie's wool-washing machines, 561t lung, and so arranged that at one operation tho wool is thoroughly scoured and cleansed, being made ready for the drying process. Originally this machine was only 16it in length, tivo operations being necessarj , one of scouring and another of rinsing the wool. It is in this department that the visitor is made aware of the visible presence of the " devil," a machine used for tenzing the wool previous to scouring. We are now taken to the newly erected wool drying-room adjoining the woolwashing apartment. Here the wool is placed on two frames 55ft long, covered with a wire network, on which the material is spread tor drying. This is accomplished by means of a propeller or fan making 600 revolutions per minute, and placed under the frames near the centre. la the middle of the ceiling of this room, which is somewhat low, is a range or pipes through which steam is constantly passing ; a strong current of warm air is thus produced, which is drawn through the wool, and after being turned once or twice the wool-drying process is completed. By tho method in use about 16cwt of wool can be dried per day. THE WEAVING ROOM. The visitor is next shown into the largo room of the mill, where great extensions and additions have been made. About four and a-half years ago the proprietors found it nece^ary to inert ase the weaving capacity of tho mill, aud to this end an extension of 45f fc was made to the length of the weaving room, which, when tbe mills commenced opetatious, was 120 ft square. Another 20 looms have been added, raising the weaving capacity to 40 looms, which within thfc last few months have been (supplemented by four high-speed power looms of the lah;st improvements by Platt Bros, and Co., of Oldham. The other additions to this room are thuse in the carding, spinning, warping and twisting branches, which have all been proportionately extended. THE WORSTED DEPARTMENT. We now pass from the weaving room through a doorway into a large room 147 ft by 78ft, newly added to tbe mill at the north end, which contains the most complete system of worsted machinery obtainable, and of tho most recent and approved patterns. There are four carding machines, two of which are used exclusrrely for merino wool, and somewhat resembles in appearance those used in the woollen branch. These machines prepare the wool for the combing process, which is effected by two of Nobel's wool-combing machines. These are of a circular form, and very intricate in their construction. By this process the wool is so combed that the fibre is laid smoothly and closely one way. At this stage the material is called the sliver, aud passes from tha combing machinps jn the form of an untwisted rope, the sbort fibres having bpen taken off separately into what is technically termed a noil. The sliver is now passed into tho gill boxes — two small machines, novel in their ennstructipu — which level and draw the fibre, making it firmer, This is then taken to th« bulling machine, which further reduces the sliver, at the same time rolling it into balls, as the name of the machine implies. There are als-n similar machines for winding the sliver on bobbins, which is afterwards taken to the weighing boxes for the purposes of adjustment. Other machines are employed in btill further reducing the fibre until it is ready for the spinning frames (of which there nre here 12), which draw it to the degree of fineness required, at the same time spinning it into yarn. The yarn on leaving the apinuhig frames, if required for knitting or hosiery purposes, passes to two patent six-fold doubling frames, which twist it to the required number pf strands up to six ply. A special feature of-

these machines is, that should one or more strands break in the process of twisting, tbe spindles on which the bobbins revolve immediately stop, and the connection can be at once remade. The mauutacture of the worsted yarn is now completed, aud it parses to another department for scouring and finishing purposes. The machinery iv this department is iuanufacture.l by Priuce, Smith, aud Son, of Keighley, with the exception of the carding machines, which are by Platt Bros, and Co. (Limited), of Oldhaio, and the combing machines, which are from the mauufactory of Messrs Taylor aud Wordsworth, Leeds. Notwithstanding the fact of all the machinery in this department being perfectly new and having only recently made a fair start, everything works uuexceptionally smooth, and reflects great credit on Mr Jabez Hird, a worsted spinner of considerable experience from the Houih country, under whose supervision the worsted machinery has beeu set up and who arrived here some few months ago for the purpose of taking charge of this department, which alone gives employment to about 50 hands when in full work. On leaving the worsted department the visitor is taken to the upper flat of the main building, which extends along the entire length. Here additions have been made in the pattern weaving department, which is in charge of a competent designer, another hand loom having been added. Iv this part of the mill the various ycrns are reeled into cuts and half-cuts. This branch has been very greatly extended. We were next taken to the milling and washing room, where the cloth, &c. is shrunk and washed, and saw in course of being fitted up a combined scouring and milling machine of the latest construction, and manufactured by Mr George Bums, of Galashiels. The next visit is to the ENGINE ROOM, aa entirely new apartment, more centrallysituated than the one which contained +he engine in use up to a recent date. This was a compound tandem engine of 70 h.p. indicated, which is now superseded by a pair of highly finished horizontal condensing engines of 340 indicated horse power, and having the cranks at right angles. The bore of the high-pressure cylinder'js 18in, and that of the low pressure cylinder 32iin, with a 4ft stroke. The engine is directly controlled by a governor connected to Jack's patent cut-oft" gear, and some idea of its hizn may be gathered from the fact that the fly is 16ft diameter and weighs 18 tons, being grooved for 13 s£in ropes. The engine was partly designed by Mr Thomas Stevenson, engineer, Koslyn mills (Messrs Turnbull, Grant, and Jack, of Glasgow being the manufacturer*), aud is a triumph of mechanical skill, reflecting great credit on all concerned in its construction. THE BOILER H USE. About four years ago a secoudboiler was added, the supply of steam being inadequate; this is constructed of steel on the Galloway principle. In connection with the boilers there has recently beeu added a Green's patent fuel economiser, consisting of a range of 96 pipes weighiug . bout 10 tons, by which tbe wa\er id heated to boiling point before passing into the boilers. Leaving the main building of the mills an inspection is made of the various additions outside, the principal of which is the DYE HOUSE, in charge of expert dyers. Here all dyeing operations are carried on, which iucludes that of wool, fancy yarns, cloth pieces, &c. Next in order comes the hosiery manufacturing department, a comfortable and well ventilated aud lighted workroom, containing about 16 machines, including a Scattergood steam frame. Here is made a large assortment of hosiery, such as pauts, shirts, sox, knicker suits for boys, footballers' suits, Cardigan jackets, &c, all of which are mounted and finished at the mills. ELECriIIC LIGHT. About four years ago the electric light was introduced into the Ro.-lyn mills, being the first mills in the colony to inaugurate the system, Siemens dynamo and Joel's lamps being used. Two years ago these lamps were super.»eded by the Swan incandescent lamps. These lamps are good for about 1000 hours, having an illuminating power of 20 candles, and are still in use at the Koslyn mills. The Siemens dynamo hitherto used is to give place to a Victoria incandescence dynamo, which is being fitted up in the new engine room. It is self-regulating, and can supply a current to from one up to 150 lamps. In connection with the dynamo is a switchboard of highly polished mahogany, with a series of knobs, by the action of which the circuit can be broken off the lamps in any one department when required. There are also a voltmeter and ammeter for registering the strength and quantity of the current respectively. WATER SUPPLY, The obstacles which have hitherto existed in the way of obtaining an uninterrupted supply of water for mill purposes are now entirely surmounted; the newly erected engines having been specially constructed for condensing the water obtained from a large dam at the rear of the mills, which is constantly full, being fed hv storm water. Part of the water so condensed is being constantly returned to the dam ; the remainder having been heated to about 90deg is forced up into tanks over the engine room aud is available for securing purposes. GENERAL. The various manufactures of the Roslyn nulls may be enumerated as follow •, Tweeds, costume tweeds, shirtings, flannels, blankets, plaMings, rugs, mauds, cricketing cloth, worsted coatings and serges, &•;., and yarns and hosiery of all descriptions; and notwithstanding the variety of these products each class will bear favourable comparison with imported goods manufactured by mills specially turning out one oi these classes of manufactures above referred to. The mills are under the entire and able management of Mr Jarn.es Lillioo, a gentleman of considerable pastexperlenceatHomeand also in the Australian colonies. The mills are connected by telephone with the warehouses of Messrs R;oss and Glendining, Stafford stveefc, this enterprising firm having been the first in Dunedin to apply the telephone to business purposes. There is a well-, organised fire brigade in connection with tbe Roslyn mills. The members consist of employes who are constantly drilled in the use of fire extinguishing appliances, of which ther« is a good supply ; there are al»o hydrants fitted up at convenient points around the mills. The doorway communications between the. principal departments are fitted with double doors of iron, thereby reducing to. a minimum the chance of fire spreading from one room to another in the event of an outbreak. The soblal aspect of the mills is highly satisfßotory, there being a yearly benefit society of which every emploje is a member. There is also a very efficient brsss band, the performers being composed of employes to the ui\to,berof 18. In concluding thja report we may express the bojjef 'tbat tljere is no douty; the inaugurating th.c manufacture of worsted is a most important stride in the progress of ou.r textile manufactures, and the fact qf Messrs Ross and Glendinmg being the first Itf the Australasian colonies to start this branch of tfio" industry is in itself

sufficient testimony to the zeal and enterprise of these gentlemen, who single-handed have made their mills tbe most complete, perhaps, in ■' the Southern hemisphere. It would be difficult indeed to find even in the old country a mill ' combining so many branches of textile manufactures as the Roslyn Worsted and Woollen Mills