The Sun.
London, England, 1857-05-21 00:00:00

THE GRAND DUKFI CONSTANTIIVE.

A letter from Creusot, dated Sunday evening, at
6 o'clock, says :
" The Grand Duke Constantine arrived yester-
day morning at 5 o'clock at the station of Chagny
(Saone-et-Loire), and thence came across the coun-
try to this place by post, a distance of about 20
miles. The Prince was accompanied by M.
Schneider, director-general of the establishment,
and by the Marquis de Belmont, Colonel Fave,
and Baron de Bourgoing, appointed by the
Emperor Napoleon to attend him while in France,
and by his own personal suite. The iron
works of Creusot are justly celebrated, and may be
reckoned superior to anything in France. The
establishment is admirably situated, and presents
a most picturesque appearance. The commune of
the same name, which lies to its left, contains about
15,000 inhabitants, two-thirds of whom are em-
ployed at the works. The establishment is an an-
cient one, but its products did not begin to be
sought for until 1822, when it entered on the fabri-
cation of iron by means of coke. Since then it has
gone on constantly increasing, employing in 1837
2,400 workmen, in 1847 5,500, and in 1857 nearly
10,000. It contains not less than 150 coke-ovens,
using each year 250,000 kilogs. of coals, and 10
large blast furnaces, transforming into iron
160,000,000 kilogs. of ore. The head of this great
establishment, M. Schneider, Vice President of the
Legislative Body, was accompanied on the occasion
of the Grand Duke's visit by his son, a lad of 16,
who is pursuing his education in one of the colleges
of Peri'. After the Prince and his party bad par-
taken of some refreshment, the inspection of the
different workshops began at about nine o'clock.
Atter having gone rapidly through the princi-
pal parts of the establishment, the Prince
visited the foundry, witnessing the casting
of a large cylinder for a steam engine. The whole
was effected in an instant, in the usual way, by
two workmen manoeuvring an immense cauldronof
liquid iron, which, by means of a crane, they
poured into a mould prepared in advance. The
Imperial visitor then inaugurated a new furnace.
Receiving a torch from the foreman, he set fire for
the first time to the charge which it contained.
His Imperial Highness laughed heartily on learning
that the fire, thus commenced, would be kept burn-
ing without intermission for seven years. The por-
tion of the foundry which concerns the articles re-
quiredin thena,vy particularly interested the Prince,
and his inquiries were numerous. In the part of
the works where copper boilers are manufac-
tured for the navy, six were heated and made be-,
fore him in the course of a few minutes, the whole
being riveted by steam with almost the rapidity of
enchantment. The Prince then spent some 'time
in the locomotive department, and nearly an hour
in the model room. He also spent a considerable
time in examining the engine which had been
made for the Bayan corvette, 300 horse-power, in
course of construction at Bordeaux for the Rus-
sian Government. The Imperial party then pro-
ceeded to the adjusting and turning rooms, and
were much struck by the iramen-e amount of labour,
some 'of it of a most delicate character, per-
formed by steam. On leaving that part of the
building, M. Schneider directed the attention of
the Prince to a military railway lately invented by
the Emperor Napoleon. It consists of rails and
chairs all fitting exactly into each other, and firmly
secured by means of bolts and screws. Curves of
various radii can be effected without difficulty, and
every possible direction can be given to the line.
According to trials made, a regiment can easily
lay down in' 10 hours two miles and a half of
this railway. Tee painting rooms for locomotives
were next gone through ; and the pariy then
came to the other part.of the foundry works, where
the noise and activity which prevail would almost
give one the ideaofPandemonium. The Grand Duke
was particularly struck with the powerful action of
the Nasmyth steam hammers. These tremendous
machines, weighing 2,000 to 12,000 kilogrammes
each, and which can cut equally through a beam of
iron or fall on a watch-glass without breaking it,
perform an immense quantity of work at Creu-
sot. The Grand Duke was so struck with all
that he saw that be added to the order which had
previously been given for the Russian Govern-
ment that of an engine for a frigate of 450-horse
power, and another of 400 horse power for a yacht
for the Emperor. Of the men employed on the
works each pays into a fund 2 per cent. of his
wages, which sum provides them with medical at-
tendance when ill, pays for teachers for their chil-
dren, and gives a pension to such as become infirm.
In addition to the schools, there is a large workshop
where the female children are taught to make lace.
This establishment was formed by Madame Schnei-
der, and will hereafter be of immense benefit to the
country, as the lace made there is already much in
demand. After the inspection of • the prem'ses,
the Grand Duke and his suite were entertained at
' an early dinner by M. Schneider, who proposed
1 the health of the Prince, and thanked him for
' having honoured his establishment with a visit.
During the dinner, the Orpheonist Society, com-
posed of young men belonging to the works, ex-
ecuted several morceaux, which drew forth an ex-
pression of admiration from the Prince. The Grand
Duke quitted Creusot at a quarter past three,
passing through a compact crowd, by whom he
was hailed with the loudest acclamations."
The Grand Duke Constantine arrived at Bor-
deaux on Monday evening at a little before seven.
Early in the afternoon, crowds of persons began to as-
semble in the streets through which the Prince would
pass. Although no official reception, properly so
called, was to be given, General de Tartas, the
Commandant of the Division, M. de Mentque,
Prefect of the Gironde, the Mayor of Bordeaux,
and the other municipal authorities collected at the.,
terminus to welcome the Prince. Immediately
after the special train bad reached the station, the
Grand Duke entered an open carriage, accompanied
by the General, the Prefect, and the Mayor, and
proceeded to the Hotel de Ville. Five or six other
carriages followed, containing the suite of the
Prince and the personages of the court in attend-
ance on him. The cortege was headed and closed
by a detachment of Hussars. On reaching the
Hotel de Ville, which was splendidly illuminated,
the principal authorities were presented to his Im-
perial Highness. A grand dinner then took place,
covers being laid for thirty. Among the persons spe-
cially invited by the Grand Duke were General de
Tartas, the Prefect, and the Mayor. The band of
the 27th Regiment played during the repast. At
half-past nine the Prince left the Hotel de Ville
and proceeded to the theatre, being hailed on his
passage with acclamations by the crowd. When
the Prince entered the Mayor'sbox the second act of
"La Fanchcnnette" was being performed, but was
for a time interrupted by all the audience rising at
once and welcoming the illustrious visitor with
several rounds of applause, while the orchestra
struck up the Russian National Hymn. At
the conclusion of the act a cantata composed
for the occasion was sung. When this was
finished the Prince left the house and returned
to the Had de Ville, where he slept. The
next morning the Grand Duke visited the frigates
which are being built for the Russian Government.
His Imperial Highness was present at the launch of
a French vessel, at which all the authorities were
also assembled. 'The Grand Duke was to leave flu)
next day (Wednesday) for Rochefort.