The machinery is driven by three turbine water-wheels, 8 feet in diameter.
55. New Cotton Mill.—Another establishment, lately erected, was being fitted with machinery for the purpose of manufacturing light cotton or cotton and woollen fabrics.
It is six stories high, each averaging 13 feet, 750 feet long, and 72 feet wide. There is also another building in the course of erection which will be 1,200 feet long, two stories high, with two wings, each 200 feet long, and three stories high, and is intended to be used for printing, dyeing &c. These mills are built of good bricks, measuring each 8 inches by 4 inches, and 2 inches thick.
The contract price for laying 100 bricks, including cost of material, is 1l. 16s. The entire erection was found to cost 50 cents (or 2s. 1d.), per square foot of flooring laid down.
The wool-combing machinery will be obtained from England. One woman working one of these machines will be able to comb 1,000 lbs. of wool per day, while a skilled hand wool-comber would only be able to comb from 8 to 10 lbs. in the same time.
The machinery of these mills will be driven by turbine water-wheels, of between 500 and 600 horse-power in the aggregate.