ever put together before; and I suggest that it may possibly be of interest to the Association. At any rate, the Board of Government will decide that. I hesitate a little about it, because I have imposed so many things upon you; but you are at liberty, if the Board of Government see fit, to cause the first printing of this to be had in the report of this meeting. It is proposed to illustrate this work, not only with diagrams and descriptions of the best factories, but also diagrams and descriptions of the best American machinery; and the machine-makers will be called upon to furnish the drawings.

At the last meeting the subject of spinning-banding came up, and a reference was made to the bands which Mr. Woodbury had found in Oswego. They are made in England, and you observe that they are fastened by the little wire device. The band is adjusted by putting in a little more or less twist. If it is too long, put in a little more twist. It runs with exceeding smoothness. These are the bands intended for worsted spinning. I thought it worth your while to call your attention to them; and the advertisement of the agents in this country, Messrs. Stoddard and Lovering, is here. Here are the bands for your inspection.

CONCRETE FLOORS.

Mr. ATKINSON. A good concrete floor that would not work into dust has been among the things that we have been seeking for a good while. Mr. William H. H. Whiting called my attention some time ago to the concrete floor laid in the basement of the Harmony Mills, and painted. It is made of the Neufchatel and Trinidad asphalt, laid on ordinary concrete. It appears to wear perfectly, not to create any dust, and to keep its coat of paint. I requested my friend Johnston to allow me to give an account of it, to repeat here. He says, "The flooring to which you refer is asphalt, almost identical with that used for paving, composed of Neufchatel nine-tenths, Trinidad one-tenth, with a small amount of clean sand. I am using this as a ground floor, and also as a top floor, in water-closets and places where ordinary wood floor is likely to decay. On plank floors I first lay a double thickness of roofing-paper.

"The material is cooked a while, so as to easily spread, laid three-quarters of an inch to an inch thick. When cool, it will stand any weight. If it be painted it first requires a

coat of shellac, and then will take any ordinary color. For basement floors, cotton-rooms, damp places, and trucking, our experience of twelve months is most favorable for this material." 1

This next sample of flooring has been prepared for me by the Warren Chemical & Manufacturing Company, who furnish the materials. It consists of Trinidad asphalt, and is cheaper than if it contained so much Neufchatel, and may suit the purpose fully as well. This has been for years a very desirable point to be covered.

EDWARD ATKINSON, ESQ.

BOSTON, Nov. 22, 1879.

Dear Sir,-At the late meeting of the Cotton Manufacturers' Association, in the course of your remarks on the subject of natural asphalt floors for mills, &c., which, for certain purposes, may be improved by a coat of lightcolored paint, referring to such a floor at the Harmony Mills, Cohoes, N. Y., you observed that the surface of the asphalt floor was first covered with a coating of shellac, and then painted.

It appeared to me, from some little observation, and from a knowledge of the materials (though at the time my opinion was partly theoretical), that the coating of shellac was not only unnecessary, but that the paint would probably adhere more perfectly, and wear better, if applied directly on the surface of the asphalt. This opinion has since been confirmed by experiment. I find that paint will dry almost as quickly, and quite as well, applied directly on the asphalt surface, as even on wood. The reason why I think it will last longer so applied, without the intervening coat of shellac, is, that the paint-oil unites with the bitumen of the asphalt; and, being of a drying nature, which the bitumen is not, as soon as the paint-oil dries, the asphalt surface becomes just as hard and rigid as before; while, by the union of the two, a more perfect bond is formed of the paint with the asphalt surface, than can be formed when it is laid on an uncongenial surface, like shellac, with which the paint-oil cannot unite, and into which it cannot penetrate.

It has been proved, that by somewhat different manipulation, an equally good floor, and as free from dust, can be laid with Trinidad asphalt, as with that from Val de Travers, commonly called Neufchatel asphalt; while the cost is very much less. Such a floor can be put down over a plank floor, one inch in thickness, at about $1.25 per square yard; and an inch and a half in thickness, at about $1.50; and on earth, with rubble foundation, at $1.75 to $2.00 per square yard.

Yours truly,

SAML. M. WARREN.

At the same time, another invention has been just made, that has an important bearing on the keeping of dampness from premises, covering roofs, &c.; and that is an asphalt paper.

1 Neufchatel Asphalte Co., 54 Astor House, New York.

This is a simple waterproof sheathing, consisting of two thicknesses of paper, and a thickness of asphalt between. It is furnished, I think, at six dollars a roll of a thousand square feet. It seems to me, that on single-brick walls, where there is liability to dampness, this may be placed, and a plastering put right over it. It is a new thing, worth calling your attention to.

Another thing very desirable has been a white paint that would not become black or discolored under the influence of the acids and alkalies of bleacheries, print-works, and the like, or under other hard conditions.

My attention has been called to what is called the "Griffith's Silicate White," very extensively noticed in the English papers, and so much advertised, that, although the evidence appeared to be absolutely conclusive of its use, it appeared to me to be overdone. I therefore asked Mr. Moses Pierce some months ago to procure from the New York agents a specimen of the Griffith's paint, and apply it in the hardest place in his bleachery, where it was most difficult to keep it white. He telegraphs me that Griffith's paint stands heat and moisture well. It appears to have been adopted by the English Admiralty in the painting of iron ships of war, and also appears to be used for ships that are employed for the conveying of sugar, which is the most severe test to which any paint can be put. I merely called your attention to it as a subject which might be interesting.

CARBURETTERS.

There is a tendency on the part of a good many manufacturers to economize in gas by the use of carburetters. Underwriters are very much afraid of naphtha, anywhere and under any conditions; and the first fire that occurs from a carburetter, if there does one occur, will put every carburetter out of Mutual offices. But, among carburetters, if you will insist upon trying them, we call attention to the one lately invented in Providence, the Jackson carburetter, and suggest that anybody contemplating the use of a carburetter at all shall look at the Jackson carburetter first.

At the same time, in "Engineering" I have found an account of the enrichment of coal-gas in England by what is called the "albo-carbon process," - enriching gas by the evaporation of a solid product of petroleum. Whatever the nature

of that product is, is matter of patent. But it is a solid product of petroleum, which evaporates under the impact of a current of coal-gas, and enriches the gas the same as the liquid and dangerous naphtha; and it is of course absolutely safe. I have put myself in correspondence with parties who represent it, and I suggest not putting in naphtha carburetters yet awhile, until we find out what this means.

One hundred and fifty factories are insured by us that burn kerosene oil. We have never had a loss from that cause, owing to the care that has been taken in the quality of the oil burned; but there are some unfit lamps in use still, and I want to get rid of them. I now show you the J. Payson Bradley lamp, which no careless handling can break, because the glass is entirely protected by the tin. It is sold by the Union Glass Company in Milk Street.

"

Also a lamp lately invented in Providence, known as the "Westland Safety Lamp," which is now on trial. The "globe is double, and the space between the two partitions is charged with carbonic acid gas and water under a pressure of six pounds. They have tried to keep the lamp burning after breaking with the wick still in the oil, and after one hundred and twenty trials they have not succeeded yet in keeping it burning after breaking. The carbonic acid gas which comes from the breaking of the outer case puts out the fire. It appears to be a good thing. We do not indorse it: we only say to those who burn kerosene oil," Try it."

Mr. DEMPSEY. What would be the effect if you broke the bottom part?

Mr. ATKINSON. It makes no difference. There is said to be enough gas condensed between these two surfaces to make a vapor that puts out this flame. They have tried one hundred and twenty times; and Mr. F. Whiting of the Mill-Owners' Office, who is now empowered to sell these lamps, is presently going to break one hundred of them here, under the control of experts, and see if it is possible to keep one burning after breaking.

In showing you the asphalt paper, I should have exhibited this specimen. This is a cone made of asphalt paper, by pinching up. It has been full of water for nearly a week, and there is not the slightest show of dampness on the outside yet. appears to be absolutely impervious.

It

A MEMBER. Is the odor part of the paper?

Mr. ATKINSON. There is a slight odor of sulphur, but that evaporates and disappears, I am told. Understand me, I am not indorsing any of these things. In our business these matters keep coming before us; and this seems a proper place to call attention to them, in order that they may be tried. We do not indorse any of them.

PLANS FOR CONSTRUCTING MILLS.

The last subject to which I shall advert has reference to these various plans you see before you. As it is probable that there may be new mills soon being constructed, and in connection with the subject of the vibration of mills, we call your attention to that plan which is displayed upon the wall, which is the Renfrew Manufacturing Company's one-story mill. The larger building is a building covering an acre, the small one three-quarters. The cost is fifty cents a square foot of floor surface, and the looms are in operation at ten per cent higher speed than the same looms could be operated at on the second floor of the old mill, with less repairs and less imperfect work. The advantage is, that it is paying the interest on its cost in the gas which is saved, costing no more to heat, and being no hotter in summer, by actual experiment, than the second floor of the old mill, although in the weave-room all the machinery was in operation, and on the second floor, on the days of the observation, there was no machinery in operation.

The PRESIDENT. Before you go from there, I would like to ask one question. That idea of ten per cent additional speed would naturally strike all of us manufacturers as an important item. You say it will bear ten per cent higher speed on that floor than it would in the second story of the old mill?

Mr. ATKINSON. Yes, sir.

The PRESIDENT.

What was the old mill?

Mr. ATKINSON. It is a brick mill, not of the very best sort, as I understand it, and not perhaps as good as you would now build.

The PRESIDENT. That is a very important item. The question is whether the second story, or the way in which the building was constructed, was what caused it.

Mr. ATKINSON. I suppose the mere suggestion will induce investigation. I don't understand that old mill to be as thor