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again the lighting is excellent, the window openings being at least onethird
to one-half of the floor space. Artificial lighting is by means of
electricity. The ventilation here is effected by the Sturtevant system,
as already described. At the time of our visit, the factory was at full
work, the full number of employees being present. In every part
supplied by the Sturtevant system's ventilating tubes the atmosphere was
quite fresh and clear, and was maintained at a comfortable temperature.
In this building the process carried on is the making, fitting,
assembling and testing of various kinds of electrical apparatus. There
were electric installations for the lighting of railway trains; at one end
of the workshop, castings and component parts were going through
different processes and different hands; then the whole were assembled,
fitted and finally tested under exacting conditions before being sent out.
One cannot describe here all the different processes in the various
workshops. We saw everything in the way of ships' fittings from a
window to a propeller (weighing tons) for a battleship; from a lamp to
a huge watertight bulkhead door; from a small valve to a powerful
pump ; gas and water pipes and fittings, everything that a piece of
metal could be turned into. In another workshop we saw nails, rivets
and burrs being made from wire or strips of metal.
All these shops are well lit and ventilated, the lighting being effected
by windows and skylights. Most of these shops are of one storey.
Artificially, electric light is in use. Where the Sturtevant system is
not available there are louvred openings or skylights in the roofs.
Where necessary the workshops are also heated by large slow combustion
stoves. In the foundries, brass, iron, aluminium and various
metal alloys are smelted and the castings are made. In some cases
the metals are smelted in pots heated in coke furnaces; the opening to
the furnace is through the floor level and the pots are lowered through
these. In other cases, gas smelters are used. We particularly noted
that the atmosphere was quite good and clear in spite of the heat, fumes
and dust that is generated and created in the process. In these
foundries, castings from pounds to tons in weight are made, some for
use in the firm's own factories, others for places at home and throughout
the world. One item in the direction of economy took our attention;
in this, the waste metal was recovered from the sweepings of the
workshops and foundries. Where the metal scraps and fragments
could not be collected, they were swept up with other floor refuse. All