26

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

January 2, 1914

temperature of not less than 70 degs. Fahr. The
horizontal pipe referred to above terminates in a bend
which is connected to a Suters heater. The water from
the town main passes through a water meter (seen on
the floor on the left, fig. 2), thence it passes under the
floor and enters the platform about the middle. A
short horizontal pipe furnished with a hand valve con-
nects the water pipe and the base of the heater. By
means of the two levers at the top of the heater the
temperature of the water is controlled. The vertical
pipe from the heater conveys the hot water to a 500
gallon tank. The temperature, which is indicated by
a temperature gauge, is kept at 100 degs. Fahr.; the
water enters the showers at a temperature of 95 degs.
Fahr, to 97 degs. Fahr. The amount of water in the
tank at any time is seen by the position of the pointer
attached to the tank.

The hot water leaves the bottom of the tank by means
of a down pipe and thence passes through the right and
left galvanised pipes to the shower aisles. The pipes are
provided with hand valves on either side of the tee
piece. A vertical pipe, furnished with water cocks, is
connected to the distributing pipe in the first and last
cabin on each side. By means of these pipes the cold
water standing in the shower pipes over the cabins can
be discharged before the men take the showers.

The amount of water required per bather on the
Continent averages 8 gallons, but at Atherton the quan-
tity of water used per bather is considerably less, being
4| gallons only; this includes the cold water standing
in the pipes, which is always discharged before the
men take their bath. On the Continent the bather
allows the water to run while he lathers, because he
does not take the trouble of closing the valve for this
operation. At Atherton Mr. W. Speight, the mechani-
cal engineer, has introduced a simple and ingenious
device whereby the valve is closed automatically when
the bather is not under the spray. The valve in each

a month the building is disinfected by burning 20 lb. of
sulphur. Two attendants are in charge of the establish-
ment, one during the day, the other at night.

The method of storing and drying the clothes is by
suspending the individual bundles from hooks hanging
in the upper part of the hall, where they are subjected
to the drying effect of the heated air. The form of
suspender used consists of six hooks projecting from a

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Fig. 4.—Gen'eral View of Interior.



passes over two small pulleys. The latter are supported
by light steel frames spaced horizontally at intervals of
22 inches. The cord descends to the pin-stands, where
it is wrapped around the upper and lower pins. The
cord has a metal link tied to it at a predetermined
point, so that when it is threaded on the top pin the
hanger is at the proper height from the floor. Through
a hole in the end of the pin a padlock can be







Fig. 5.—General Plan of Installation.

Reference:—1, entrance ; 2, distributing platform; 3, pin-stands and seats; 4, water-tap for house ; 5, drains ; 6, water meter ; 7, windows; 8, discharge pipes;

9, show valves ; 10, sprays; 11, cabins; 12, entrances.

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cabin is opened by a lever to one end of which a chain
is attached (fig. 3); the latter extends to the floor, where
it is attached to a footboard. While the man is under
the spray and has his foot pressing on the board, the
end of the lever descends and thus causes the valve to
open and a fine shower is maintained, but when he steps
off the board for lathering, the valve closes by means of
the tension of a spiral spring, one end of which is attached
to the chain and the other end to the spray pipe.

The time taken by each man in the cabin averages
seven minutes. The workmen take their dirty clothes
home on Saturday.

The building is washed out after every shift with a
douche from a hose which is connected to the two
vertical branches which appear on the level of the floor
of the dressing hall. The water on the floor is at once
conducted away by the three drains in the hall and along
the gutters alongside the outer wall of the aisles. Once

Fig. 6.—-Type of Hanger.

central flat stem. A small enamel dish fixed between
the lowtr and upper hooks holds a piece of soap (fig. 6).

Each suspender is hung at the end of a cord which

inserted which thus serves the purpose of a locker for
the clothes suspended.

The position of the suspender is determined by the
location of the pulleys and the pin-stands. In order to
utilise the available room to the best advantage and
provide for good ventilation, the pulleys for adjacent
hangers are set behind one another on the adjacent
joists: thus, the pulleys being 22 inches apart, 1 will be
on the forward joist, 2 will be on the rearward joist
22 inches behind 1, &c. The separate bundles are thus
22 inches apart. The pins on the pin-stands are about
3 inches apart.

The clothes on adjacent hangers are not raised to the
same level, thus a good space is kept which allows room
for the air currents to play between them.

In the building there are eight pin-stands placed
parallel to the width of the building (fig. 4). These
consist of iron posts 5 ft. 6 in. high, to which are