THE VACUUM CLEANER.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 589, 18 August 1909, Page 6

THE VACUUM CLEANER.

AN-INTERESTING TEST. ; .• Quite a crowd gathered outside Barrett'e Hotel yestcitlay afternoon, attracted . by the whir of an engine of a vermilion-coloui'ed motor-car, from, whioh- leads of hose reached and disappeared into a room upstairs. The first impression was that the hotel was on fire, .but as there was no smoke,- no: firemen; and'.no insurance agents.around, that iiupression passed away. . On inquiry being made the. apparatus was discovered to bo: a vacuum-cleaner, guatanteed to dust : a, house mo'ro speedily tnan, and

ten times' S3 effectively, as, fifty housemaids with whisks.. iThe particular house-cleaner is tho joint invention of, Messrs. C; H. "J .Anderson and E; W. Hursthouse, A.M.I.Mcc.E., of Wellington, who have.patented their invention far and wido, and it is being ,used-in this cityby the Central Cleaning Company, for the brightening of hearth and home.-, .Tho patent of Messrs. Anderson and Hurstho-nso consists of a kind of pump, which, in action,'creates a'continuous'vacuum in'tho attached hose,, the suction at the nozzlo caused'the'reby being sufficient to draw all grit and dust from anj; floor, wall,'or article of• furniture to Which'it is'applied; When; seen in action in Barrett's. Hotol yesterday, one lead was being: used to-6uck.up' all. the-dust and-'dirt from the ..architraves round an interior. door, and, another with a wide nozzle, having a slit opening,' was cleansing a setteo, upholstered in Utrecht velvet. ' Before' tho cleaner was applied to..tho, velvet oovering, tho operator raised a cloud of dust by banging ono of tho upholstered arms! but after the nozzle had been drawn,over the .part not;a< particle'of dust'could-be raised b'v "striking Uw place ever so hard. So powerful is the suction that ■ matches,| small pieces of paper, and- anykind of vermin is dra\yn up with, ease, and conducted, by means' of tho. pipe' to 'tho receptacle in the car l>elow. In this rcooptaclo. is a tank containing, a chemical'solution, which turn's everything into-a harmless mud. In: the ordinary.way the dusting of a'room only .meang the displacing of matlor, often'into: the air. where it is breathed by. tho .-next- occupants of tho apartment. Tho vacuum cleanser oarries it away, and effectually ends its career as dust, sft that.it.must be considered a hygienio power of the greatest value. . . .. Messrs: Anderson and Hursthouse have not rested ; at the house-cleaner. They have completed plans and patented tho design of a , streetcloaner. This consists of, a powerful , engine and pumps,'with the'-'necessary hose attachments that will clean tho, streets. . At present iiion have to .-go'.round the. city sweeping' tip .tlie street refuse into heaps - and clearine-. tho sumps with-long-handled shovels, tlio'dirt being removed by others with horses ; and carts. Tho new vacuum street-cleaner willy it is claimed, do. they work much'more effectively!in' one operation. By the same sumps will'b* cleared.-- .: <• -■••■ ■.■,•...: .... ..■ .