Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1857-08-08

of their mother. He only gives this on his be-
lief, and not .'en information.
IFor the Wheeling IuteiliseResrl
The Iron Business in Wheeling.
no. 9.
THE CRESCENT MANUFACTURING COMPANY.
Editors IateUige,ee1,-o On Thursday morning
paid the Crescent Rolling Mill visit, with 4
view to the showing up of some of the doIngs
over in that quarter; where, after meeting with
Mr.. n WilkiSon, one of the Managers, l was
very pleasantly entertained with full descrlp-
iion of that grand monument to the noble enter
nrise of its founders. Such men should be
honorcd everywhere; they are the very soul oil
a nation. The success of the iron manufacturer
has proved the wealth, the power, and the glory
of England; and when we, as a people and
nation learn to cherish the interests OF this class
of our most valuable citizens as they dGseTrc, we
can be practically Treo HnH dndspendtnf' O!t
not tin then We should always view the fall
nre of nm iron or nail manufacturing company,
not as an individual misfortune, but rather as II
public. and To a certain extent, national calam-
itv. There is more real national wealth and
natriotis,n B,iried in one unfortunate iron man
ufacturer, than ever existed in all the Drawing
politicians, put together, who have hYed since
the DAYS of humbug began
These works are situated near the central por-
ton of the city, on the south bank of Wheeling
Greek, and within n few hundred yards OF tire
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and the Ohio
River. and are owned and worked by regularly
chartered joint stock company under the name
and style of the Crescent Manufacturing
COMPANY" The site is 4 most eligible one,
possessing advantages such as only IYheei1nJ
can afford which is saying great deal, hut
not more than truth demands.
The main building is 400 feet in length by
100 feet i'm breadth The machinery is of tho
best and embraces all the modern improve
men!s gotten up for the manufacture OF sheet
aud raIirUId iron. Il - driven by two powerful
steam engines, one having n cylinder of % In
chcs in diameter and feet inches stroke,
supplied by four boilers 40 inches in diameter
by % feet long: the other, cylinder 2+ inches
in diameter by t feet stroke, supplied by tw"
boilers 40 inches in diameter and "a feet long.
There arc 80 pudding and II heating furnaces;
of Burdens Patent SqueezcrS, trains OF
Muck Rolls, train of Sheet Rolls, and complete
sets of Rail Rolls, Saws and Punches and all
other necessary fixtures for the manufacture OF
railroad iron. One of the superior advantages
enjoyed is in the situation of the
COAL MINES
belonging to the Company the approaches to
which begin Immediately at the works, and en-
ter the hill at an elevation of some ten feet above
the floor of the building. This saves all the
extra cxpenSe for either hauling or handling, as
the coal is dumped down into the works from
the miners car, the total cost being when de-
livered in the mil, only t5o0 and three quarter
cents per JusHeL. This price includes all eXpcn
ses incurred in connection with the mines, and
also tb, interest a. i"TssttrIeht III coal
prnPerty.
To keep the Pudding Furnaces in blast, it
requires $50 tons Of pig metal per week, which
costs delivered, from S25 to $50 per ton, gross;
and the whole works III operation consume,
each week. 10000 bushels of coal. They arc
confined to the manufacture of sheet, boiler, and
railroad iron The sheet iron runs from No. u
up to any required size and thickness of boiler
plate: and in quality, from the ordinary to the
most superior. Having worked some of their
boiler iron, am enabled to speak from cXpe-
rience and hazard nothing in recommending it
as equal to the best made.
ROLLING RAILROAD IsoH.
The Crescent works can turn out 275 tons Of
rails per day, not running Mt night, of any re-
ouired weight per yard. The process of manu-
facture is much more rapid, than those who have
never seen the operation would suppose. The
crude pig iron is first placed in the pudding or
Boiling furnace, where il is melted down and
worked into balls of over 100 pounds each, in
weight, it is then conveyed TO the squeezcr,
where after being made to perform several rev
olutiOns, and giving uut a great portion OF its
impurities, in the form of jets and streams Of
LIQUID fire, it makes its exit in the more conve-
nent form of about six inches in diamster, by
fourteen inches in length, and passes on to the
muck rolls, where it is made to perform sundry
gyratioRs over and between the rollers, until 1t
is squeezed ont to the required size of about
/ Y 8 or ] inches, and in length about Il or
10 feet. 1t is now passed on to the shears
where it is cliptnto lengths of about three feet,
after which it is gathered Up and pile, into flag
| COTS, composed of four bars, q * l inch, and
eight bars > inches, measuring about three
feet two inches in length, six inches wide, and
some eight inches high, weighing $50 pounds.
This bundle, to use an expression that gill be
more generally understood is next place ~ the
heating furnace, where it is suffered TO remain
until perfect welding heat is obtained. which
usually occupies about one and quarter hours, at
the expiration of which time it is brought forth
from its fiery den, and transferred to tie rail
rolls, where the glowing monster mass makes
his appearance all drippingas though just hurl-
ed from the throne Of the fire King, and goaded
| to frenzy but not subducl, it rushes mady up
on new found enemy, to renew the mighty
contest; the fiery hero darts at the huge rollers,
and quick as thought he is caught between their
pondeTous jaws and sent crushing through,
where he makes his exit on the other side, sweat
ing great drops of liquid fire only TO return and
renew the charge upon another part of thegreat
iron rollers. Thus the action continues up to
the ninth charge, when the fiery monster is
finally subdued and yields willingly to the grace
full proportions of railroad bar.
As the rail passes through the rolls for the last
| time, tits caught upon movable carriage, hav-
| ing a traverse motion which carries it, red hot
as it is, on between two circular saws, placed
just 20 feet apart, each cutting off end as the
rail passes between them, which leaves ii 30
! feet long and 400 pounds in weight. After cool
/ ing, the rails are struightcncd, nirked for the
| spikes and punched.
! Rails have been made in these mills in the
! short space of one miaUt6 anil Il h1if'fr the
/ time the heated pile was taken from the fur
mace.
1 The quality of railroad iron made here has
! been thoroughly tried, and has proved to be
equal to the best and superior to the great ma
/ jority Of that made in other places. In proof
nr this il Is nnlr necessary tn statn tl,at the Il