George R. Weber to Sumner Simpson on Dust Improvements at Manheim (1935)

A one-page reply of September 9, 1935, from George R. Weber, general manager of Raybestos-Manhattan's United States Asbestos Division at Manheim, Pennsylvania, to Sumner Simpson, president of Raybestos-Manhattan. Weber agreed that Metropolitan Life's survey of the plant "is unfavorable" and said the preparing room would be improved first, with the larger and costlier card room to follow. He questioned some figures, such as "15.35 million particles per cubic foot in 1935 as against 2.35 million particles in 1930" in the spooling and twisting departments, but wrote that "regardless of whether or not these figures accurately reflect the true conditions, we are convinced that improvements in the dust exhaust system should be made." While in England he planned to gather data on Turner Brothers' experience.

What it shows

The plant manager accepted the need for better dust exhaust even while doubting the insurer's numbers, and looked both to the company's own Charleston plant and to the English asbestos textile maker Turner Brothers (part of Turner & Newall) for the cheapest way to do it.

In Johns-Manville's index

Johns-Manville's attorneys indexed the Sumner Simpson Papers. Their index describes this document as follows:

Acknowledges that report of Metropolitan Life survey of Manheim plant is very unfavorable. Informs that the preparation room will be modified first and then the card room. Says that while Weber is in England, will check on data from the Turner Brother's experience. This information can then be combined with data from the Charleston plant to help modify the Manheim plant.

Related documents

• Sumner Simpson to George R. Weber on the Startling Metropolitan Life Report on Manheim (1935)
• E. H. Jeffords to Sumner Simpson on Manheim's Request for Charleston's Dust Control Designs (1935)

About this copy

This is document 02548 of the Sumner Simpson Papers, as numbered in the collection's index.