The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1859-01-25
The stolen secret.

The Stolen Secret.
The main distinction between iron and
steel is that one holds carbon, or the matter
of charcoal, whereas the other does not
The amount of carbon is trivial, and is i'm
parted by heating bars for long period to-
gether, surrounded by powdered broken
charcoal in box. Having regard, then, to
this operation, it seems natural enough that
the outer portion of each bar should become
more completely "steelifed (if may be
allowed to coin an expressive word) than
the internal portions Now steel of this
sort, though perfectly good for many pur-
poses is Objectionable for others. To give
an example: it is by no means good for the
manufacture of watchsprings, nevertheless,
before the invention of cast-steel, to which
the readers attention is to be directed,
watchsprings had to be made of it.
There lived at Attercliffe, near Sheffield,
about the year 1850, matchmaker named
Huntsman. He was very much dissatisfied
with the quality of steel of which watch
springs were made in his day, and he set
himself the task of thinking out the cause
of the inferiority Mr.. Huntsman correctly
inferred that the imperfection of such watch
springs as came in his way was referable to
the fact of the irregular conversion or
sterilization of the metal of their manu-
facture. off" thought he, 81 can melt a
piece of steel, and cast it into an ingot, the
composition of the latter should be regular
and homogeneous" He tried-he succeeded.
The fame Of Huntsmans steel became
spread, but the discoverer took care not to
designate it by the name of cast steel, I'M
der which it is now Familiarity Known
That was his secret
About the year 100 a mandatory OF
this peculiar steel was established at After
cliffe. The process was wrapt in secrecy by
ever means which the inventor could COM
mand. None but workmen of credit and
character were engaged, and they were for
| hidden to disclose the secrets of the manu-
| factory by a stringent form of oath. AT
| last Huntsman's secret was stolen in the
! following manner: One night in mio-
winter, as the tall chimney of the After
| cliffe steel works belched forth its smoke,
and giving promise of roaring fire, a man
knocked at the door of Mr.. Huntsman's fac
| tory. 1t was bitter night; the snow fell
fast, the wind howled across the moor !;
nothing, then, could have been more natu-
| raj than that the tired wayfarer should
| seak warm corner where he might lay his
head. He knocked, and the door was OPEN
ed. A workman presented himself whom
the wayiarer addressing, humbly begged ad-
mission.
70 No admission here, except on business"
The reader may well fancy how this in
timation fell upon the travellers ear on such
an inclement night as this. But the work
man scanning the traveller over and dis
| covering nothing suspicious about him,
granted the request and let him in. Feign-
| ing to be completely worn out with cold and
| fatigue, the wayfarer sank upon the floor Of
the comfortable factory and soon appeared
to have gone to sleep. To go to sleep, how
ever, was far from his intention the travel
| Ter closed his eyes-all but two little chinks.
| Through these two little chinks he saw all
that he cared to see. He saw workmen
cut bars of steel into little bits, then place
| into crucibles, and with enormous tongs
| pour their liquid contents into mould.
Mr.. Huntsman's factory had nothing more
to disclose. This was the secret of cast
steel.
1t would be easy to. extend the list OF
mandatory secrets disclosed in the dis
honest way indicated above the subject,
| however, is so unpleasant to dwell upon,
that am sure the reader will rejoice with
me that the circumstances under which
manufactures are now mostly carried on
neither afford the opportunity nor the in
ducement to theft such as have described
I
\ DIVORCES SET ASIDE AFTER A SECoNn
MARRIAGE.-Some three or four years ago, g
Mr.. McTwigg came to indianapolis, and APP
piled for divorce in the Marion Circuit
Court. Seven or eight months elapsed-the
gentleman had ostensibly became q resident
of the State, and circumstances seeming tc
justify ii, the Court granted the DIVORCE
The next day McTwigg left the State. Al
the late sitting OF the Court the case wa.
renewed on, application of Mrs. McTwige
THAT was, and the jury found that the gen
tleman's sudden departure from the State
as soon as he had secured his object, wa:
conclusive evidence that he had never in.
tended to become citizen of the State
Accordingly the former decision was re-
versed, and Mr.. McTwigg finds himself the
husband of two wives, having married soor
after the granting of the divorce in 1854
~
A HARD CASE. - The attendants upon
the Marion Circuit Court at Indianapoli:
were deeply affected one morning last week
when the Sheriff brought into Court little
boy, whom the Court had ordered into the
: custody of his father. The parents had beer
divorced for several years, the boy living
with his mother in this city. The littl,
fellow wept and piteously entreated to stay
with his mother, and finally had to be taker
from the Courtroom by force. His father
lives in New York
, DOUGLAS AND FITCH DUEL.-Special dis
, patches from Washington, dated Saturday
A last, report that the difficulty between
e Douglas and Fitch, in the executive session
on Saturday, was of the most grave charac
2 ter. Douglas has availed himself Of fighting
friends, and a hostile correspondence has beer
:, opened. Fitch charged Douglas with false
!, hood so Douglas must send the challenge
: The friends of Douglas say that the Admin