Page:Miscellaneous Papers on Mechanical Subjects.djvu/152

 and the heat is admitted into the drawing room above, through several apertures pierced in the floor.

Thermometers are placed at the side of the room, and can be inspected through glass from the outside.

44. Fishing-net Machines—Baltimore.—These machines combine the general features of the powerloom and the lace machine.

They are made from 6 to 7 feet wide, according to the size of the mesh. One machine nets a ¾-inch mesh, and can be used for netting meshes of 1½ and 2¼ inches. It works at the speed of twelve picks per minute, and a complete course of 100 knots is made in the width of this machine at each pick of the shuttle.

One woman with the machine can do the work of upwards of 100 hand net makers. The meshes are made rectangular, in the direction of the length of the net, and not diagonally, as in hand-made nets. The cost of the machine is $800 (about 16Ol.).

The manufacture of sailcloth is carried on in the mill where these machines are at work.

The throstles for spinning yarn for the sail-cloth spin six hanks to the pound. The carding engine sliver is carried by the railroad system along a trough to the drawing frame. The main