Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1856-12-25

wash all our readers anu the resi- "a "'a'A'.''
merry Christmas.
Mmnsfacssre 81 steel.
Tho newspapers are noticing the discovery o'
process BY which il is claimed steel may Do
manufactured In as many hours as it has hereto
FIRE required weeks sand that too Of quality that
..dei;es competition" the advertisements say.
Exoeriments have been made which indicate. with
GOOD degree of certainty. its success. They
have been in progress for about year. during
which time it has been perfected
An association for the manufacture OF steel by
the new process has been formed. and is called
the Damascus Company. The works are located
at Port Richmond, Staten Island. and Mr. John
p. Farrar is the manager. Within the past few
DAYS there has been an exhibition at the works
in the presence of number OF gentlemen VINO
we're invited to be present. The process theh
zone through with is thus described IN The New
York Times which journal was 80 fjrtunate asto
have very Intelligent representative present;
F,nr black lead crucibles taken and into
each 30 pounds of mixture ofthc pnnchings and gas
pipe ends were placed. Into each oftwo Of these the
following were added. Half an ounce of the yellow
prussiate of potash one ounce Of sal amonaci forty
pounds of iron, eight ounces Of charcoal one gill oil
salt three and half ounces OF manganese or brick
dust, and 1t predicted that these two crucibles
would, for ounce, with the iron, give steel OF
the FIRST quality.
To the other two precisely the same materials were
added with the exception of the yellow prnssiatc but
in dideren, proportions, as follows -Four ounces of
sal ammoniac; three and halfounecs OF Manganese
one ounce charcoal; one gill OF salt.
The contents Of these crueibles, il was predicted,
would turn out pure and exceedingly tough iron
The crucbes were covered with lids OF clay and de-
posi- ted Mt 20 minutes after 10 oclocktAe two pots
for iron together in furnace, and the two for steel
together Ia another. The furnaces had never before
smelt the FIRE, the mortar still green, and
warned in view of the newness of everything about
the premises, that some delays might occnr bat in n
few minutes the blast in operation, and out OF
every furnace mouth tor, besides those which our ex
pertinent engaged, dozen others had been filled by
the workmen in the natural conrsc oftheir day swork
around the slabs of clay that lightly covered them the
delicate blue and white flames streaming
At twenty minutes past ten-three hours having
elapsed-two brawny "pourers. with their boots
and legs developed In many thchnesses of WOODEN
rags still dripping with cold water pushed aside the
furnace tops lifted out the erncbes, skinned oil the
scorig, and slowly with even stream poured their
contents into iron moulds. In lew minutes the
moul Awere knocked apart, and tie gnots wert left
TO codSdpon the sand; now il requires some three
hours for snch cool az thoroughly ms it !
ought to-ior the atoms 20 grnnulae-io become us.
ed to their new condition and TO assume all their
characteristics. The English manufacturers let theirs
lie for six months before they will consent work
them up When one hour had elapsed, however, our |
gnots taken in hand again thrust into the heat
ing furnace, and brough, TO red heat Then tbey
were put between Immense rollers, aud rolled into
bars and sheets.
Aher the rollers had brought one of the hars t. a
workable thickness, the bar forged hy hand \
thin piece oft WAS shaped into cold rhlsel, which,
when tempered and ground, stood well the sevorcst
tests. II cut iato the iron of the rip.haumer very
much as il that had been much lead Other pieces
were broken. These showed beautiful fracture,
whose line grain no microscope present could reveal
crystal in. The crucibes containing the IRON
meanwhile turned out, and, AFTER cooling hour,
their contents thrust into the heating oycns aud hen
subjected 10 The rollers. Pieces that rolled
thin as sto,eppe seemed for toughuess and for beau
~ scarcely inferior 10 tie beat Russian iron. Othcr
pieces were rolled into bars andforged by hand-thus
showing us another marvel to-wit that iron which
we had seen cast coul Lc rolled nna forged, all OF
which the old worker ia iron arc in the habit cf tel
ling us is quite impussihlc - fnr could Judge
the experiment has beea entirely successful aud the
steel seemed to he oi The hncst quality
The inventor or dsooyerei of this process Is
Mr.. John Neville; and il is known AS "Neve'-
process" for converting lion into steel. Mr.. Ne.
villeis q native of England. but from his infancy
has resided in this country. Fit prove reliable,
its value hardly be estimated ltis worthy
the attention Of mechanics and chemists who will
understand. be afforded. in "A short time, nm
opportunity to Judge for themselves of IL merits.
1t has already achieved. however, an honorable
fame. which jus,iics it's taking rank rmong the
important discoveries of III" timer.
NJ. M hot 4 Il tta1t t,.tI