NEW YORK INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION. SPECIAL REPORT OF MR. JOSEPH WHITWORTH. Presented to the House of Commons by Command of Her Majesty, in pursuance of their Address of February 6, 1854. [ 1718] [74] LONDON: PRINTED BY HARRISON AND SON. RETURN to an Address of the Honourable the House of Commons, dated February 6, 1854; for "Copies of the Reports made to the Foreign Office, or to any other Department, by the Commissioners appointed to attend the Exhibition of Industry in the City of New York." MR. WHITWORTH'S SPECIAL REPORT. HAVING been unavoidably prevented, as explained in the General Report of the Commission, from making a report upon the Machinery exhibited in the New York Industrial Exhibition, I have drawn up in a concise form the results of observations made while visiting the principal seats of those manufactures which came within my department. The statement thus prepared embraces a variety of subjects, somewhat miscellaneous in their character, and which do not conveniently admit of a regular classification. I have endeavoured, however, as far as possible to overcome this difficulty, and to adopt an arrangement by which the substance of the information which I collected may be distinctly and fully appreciated. This Report does not affect to embrace the whole scope of American manufactures, nor even to exhaust the interest of those particular departments upon which it touches; it is merely intended to direct attention to such facts connected with the Machinery of the United States as came within my observation, and which it appeared desirable should be known to those engaged in mechanical and industrial pursuits in this country. To the general reader many of the descriptions of manufacturing processes will, I am aware, be uninteresting, and in some cases perhaps unintelligible; for, looking to the persons for whose information I have more immediately written, I have thought it proper to adhere to those technical terms which are in use among men who are more or less acquainted with the application of mechanical science. For instance, when in describing a cotton mill in America I have said, "One man can attend to a mule containing 1,088 spindles, each spinning 3 hanks, or 3,264 hanks on the average per day," I am aware that I am using technical language incomprehensible to the ordinary reader, but these few words convey all the requisite information to those practically acquainted with the subject. I have not, therefore, attempted to impart a popular tone to the Report; and the very few general reflections which I have ventured to offer, are given at its close. Some works have been noticed for their novelty and interest, others for their practical utility as affecting our native industry, and in some instances the information which I have collected has been directed to convey a general idea of the extent to which particular branches of manufactures are developed, of the conditions, as to management, under which they are carried on, and of the causes to which their flourishing condition is chiefly due. The accidental absence of principals at the period of my visits, the limited time at my disposal, and my anxiety to embrace as wide a field of observation as possible, have severally constituted impediments where more minute information might have seemed desirable; but whatever may be the defects of this necessarily imperfect Report, I desire to record my sincere acknowledgments for the great courtesy and the kind attention which I received on all hands during my visit to the United States; I am the more bound to do so as the plan which I have pursued has precluded me from mentioning the names of many gentlemen who so greatly facilitated the objects of my visit, by showing me over their own establishments, accompanying me to those of others, and affording me all the information in their power. TABLE OF CONTENTS: CHAPTER I. STEAM ENGINES AND MACHINERY. New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Boston, Lowell, Lawrence, Holyoke, Worcester, Hartford, and Springfield. Paragraph. 1. Number of establishments visited. 2. Marine engine works. 3. Locality of works-Beam engines. CHAPTER II. PROCESS OF CASTING, COOLING, &c., RAILWAY WHEELS, AND ANNEALING RAILROAD SPIKE MAKING-NAIL AND RIVET MAKING-CAST STEEL WORKS-ENGINE TOOLS. Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Lawrence, Worcester. 7. Iron castings. 8. Pickling castings. 9. Annealing railway wheels. 10. Railroad spikes. 11. Nails and rivets. 12. Cast steel. 13. Engine tools. CHAPTER III. BUTTONS-DAGUERREOTYPE-FRAMES-PINS-HOOKS-AND-EYES-CUTLERY, &c. |