The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1859-07-19
The Stolen Sccret..Iron and Steel.

! steel ia, onn holds carbon, or tho matter of
charcoal, whcreas the other does not. The
amount OF chrcoal Is trivial, and is impair
ted ~ heating bars for long period to.
gcthcr surrounded by powdered, broken
charcoal in box. Having regard, then,
10 this operation, it seems natural enough
that the outer portion of each bar should
become moro steelifed, Gf l may be allow.
ell to coin an expressive word,) than the
internal portion. Nov, steel Of this sort,
though good for many purposes, is obec-
tionabla for others. To give an example,
it is by no means good for the manufacture
watch.sp,inIs; nevertheless, before the
invention Of cast Steel to which the readers
attention is shortly to be directed, watch
springs had to be made of it.
Til ere lived IN Atterclffc, near Sheffield
about tio year 1850, matchmaker, named
IIuntsman. lie was very much dssutisf.
ed with the quality Of steel Of which
wa ch.sprincs were mao in his day, and
he set himself to the task Of thinking out
the cause Of infcriorty. Mr.. II. consc.
qucntly inferred that the impcrlection Of
such watch-springs rs came in his way
was rcferable to the fact Of the irregular
conversion or stceHfcation Of metal Of their
manufacture. "lG" thought he, II can
melt piece of steel and cast it into an in
got, the composition Of the after should be
regular and homogeneous. lie tried, and
succeeded. The fame Of Huntsman's steel
became widely spread, but tho discovcrer
took care not 10 designate it as cast steel,
under which it is now famliarly known
Tlls was his secret.
About the year 1870, largo uanGfac.
tory Of dis peculiar steel, was established
at Attcrcl,fG. The process was wrapt in
secrecy by every means which tho inven.
tor could command. None but workmcn
Of credit ard character were engaged, and
thev were fJrbdden to disclose the secret
OF the manuflctory by stringent form OF
oath. At length Huntsman's secret WAS
stolen in the following manner.
One mil-winter night, as the tall chin.
ney of Attercliife steel works blcnched
forth into smoke, giving promise ola roar
ing fire within, traveller, to whom tho de
sire Of placing himself near a roaring fire
might seem a reasonable longing, knocked
at the outer door OF Mr.. IIuntsmnn's facto
~. 1t was \ bitter cold night; the snow
fell fast, and the wind howed 5cross the
moor, nothing then, could seem more nat.
ural than the tired way farer should seek
a warm corner where he might lay his
head. Ho knocked anl the door was o.
pcnol. a workman presented himself,
whom tie way farcr addressed, humbly
begging almjttancc.
No almittanco here, except on bgsi.
ness The reader may well fancy how
this intimalion fell upon the tired travel
cr's ear, on such an inclcmrnt night. But
the workman, scanning tho traveller over
him, granted the request, and iot nlm IN.
Teigninr to be completely worn out with
cold and fatigue, the way-tnrer sank upon
the floor Of the comfortable factory, AMI
soon appeared to have gone to sleep. To
90 to sleep however, was far from his inen.
ton. Tho Traveller closed Lis eyes III. but
two little chiak3. Through these two lit
tie chinks ho saw all he cared b SEQ. He
saw the workmca cut bars ofstecl into lit
tie bits; then place them in crrcibles, and
with enormous tonGs pour their liquid into
mould. Mr.. lIuntsman's factory had
nothing to disclose THIS ,gas Ire secret
Of cast Slesi.
It would be easy to extend the lit Of
manufactured sccrota disclosed in the dis
honest way indicated above. The subject
i, 50 unpleasant to dwell upon, that am
snro the reader will rcjaic, with ne that
The eircnn tlnccs under which r'anufaclo-
lics are row carried on, neither a0Drl tho
opportunity nor tho iHlQramout to the
lEUt, sach as have described.