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4. The chimney shaft should bo, at least, twice the height of the
out at the Satchwell Street factory.
This Report was presented to the Vestry, by whom it was considered,
and it was resolved that before moving further in the
matter it would bo advisable to take the opinion of an expert;
accordingly Dr. Thomas Stevenson was asked to inspect the
factory and to communicate his opinion to the Vestry.
The following is Dr. Stevenson's report:—
Chemical Laboratory,
Guy's Hospital, London, S.E.,
November 22nd, 1SS8.
FLOCK FACTORY NUISANCE.
Sir,
On the 19th inst. I visited, without notice, the Flock Factory of Mr.
Sanderson, in company with one of the Sanitary Inspectors of Bethnal Green,
Mr. Weston. The machinery appeared to be in full working when I visited.
I have read the report embodying the opinion of your Medical Officer of
Health, Dr. Bate, furnished me by you, and also one by Dr. Septimus Gibbon,
sent to me by Mr. Sanderson.
The situation of the factory—at the junction of Satchwell’s Rents, and
Satchwell Street—and the limited area of the premises (for there is no yard)
render the site a most undesirable one; and I have no hesitation in stating
that, in my opinion, the factory is unfitted for the purpose, causes nuisance,
and entails danger to the public health. It is evident that endeavours have
recently been made to obviate nuisance; but with only a measure of success.
The report which you sent to me sufficiently explains the process of manufacture.
Briefly, filthy woollen rags are received in bags from the marine
store dealers, and without any cleansing or disinfecting process are fed by
hand, to the extent of 15 cwt. a day, into a machine technically known as a
"devil," and by this arc torn into shreds. Much flutt and dust are driven out
during this rending process, and a cloud of fine dust rises through the crevices
in the machine and is disseminated through the atmosphere, and thence through
the open door and windows into the outside air, and must be carried into the
houses situated in close proximity, in Satchwell’s Rents, Orange Street, and
Satchwell Street. This dust, I find, is of a highly complex character, containing
fine broken fragments of woollen and cotton, starch, animal cells,
mineral matter, and spores of vegetable organisms. The dirty fluffy roof of
the entry testifies to the escape of this dust.
From the devil the torn rags pass into a second machine, which by means of
a fan extracts the fluff, dust, and lighter particles which form a considerable
percentage of the torn up material. The flocks fall out of the side of this
machine and are placed in bags for removal. The lighter portion—fluff and
dust—is driven by the blast from the fan along a tube into successive chambers
of the aggregate capacity of nearly 1,200 cubic feet, divided into compartments.
Means are taken to divide and slacken the current of air entering these
chambers, so as to allow the heavier particles of fluff and dust to settle out of the