

172 FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT 



would easily raise a 10-pound block. I don't tbink there are 

 many people who recognize the force that is obtained by 

 the screw process. Possibly Mr. Root could give us some 

 idea. You have seen buildings that have been raised with 

 jacks, and the thread on the wax-press is something like 

 that, which would indicate a large amount of pressure. 



Mr. Wheeler — I have used one of those presses and I 

 have had to do away with one of those top sticks. As Mr. 

 Reynolds said, it was too light, and kept bending, and bend- 

 ing, until it was a regular rainbow, and finally we had to 

 put in twice as heavy a stick of oak, 3 by 4 inches, and that 

 works tip-top. The hot steam seems to soften the wood. 



Ernest R. Root. 



The first one gave out entirely. After it got a bent shape 

 I turned it over. 



Mr. Root — What Mr. Wheeler says is true. We found 

 that out to our sorrow, and I will say we have replaced those, 

 and any one who has had one that has given them trouble, 

 we desire to give him a new one. We put an iron brace 

 under it, and a piece of sheet-metal to protect the wood. 

 I perhaps ought not to say it, but I will say it, that wax- 

 press is something we sent out and we thought it was per- 

 fect. There is a great deal to learn about a wax-press. My 

 brother has been three months working on this wax-press, 

 ten hours a day, doing nothing else, and sometimes clear 

 up into the evening, and we have learned this, that great 

 pressure is not necessary. During the last year we changed 



