New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-05-30

carbon Bars of iron were then packed in line char
coal. with an admxture of yellow prussste OF potash
or other cyanide and at high temperature these IN
surprisingly short time were thoroughly converted into
steel The object of the charcoal is explained by the
following rationale of the operation When cyanide OF
potassium which consists Of two atoms Of carbon sad
one each Of nitrogen and potassium is decomposed ~
high temperature in contact with iron by reason Oh
the affinity Of its carbon for the iron, the nitrogen
would be set free but that in the presence Of igned
carbon and an alkaline base 1t always will combine
with these TO produce cyanogen In this case an atom
of potassium being released all the conditions are IA
vorabe for this reaction. Thus the charcoal is added
to reproduce the cyanide Of potassium fast as il Ia
decompoeed and the action Of this salt as carrier
to convert the charcoal into the proper condition re-
quired for its being taken up by the iron. These
and other experiments led to the charging Of
meltng-pots with bits of maIeable iron and a
mixture of cyanide salts and powdered charcoal.
After melting, the product turned out into
inqot molds was found to be cast steel, which, in
the ordinary method, was then drawn into bars The
process proved to be more expeditions and economical
than any before applied to the manufacture Of steel.
In 1851 and 1852 its practicabiy was demonstrated
upon large scale, first at Rochester and afterward at
New York and its application to the reduction OF iron
ores and the production of steel direct from the orc
tested At this stage Of the history Of the process
Prof Eaton disposed Of bis interest in to other par
ties who directed their attention wholly 10 attempts to
work by of it the Of iron They neglected
to patent the process, and time afterward app
cation was made and obtained for patent by an indi-
vidual who, while the demonstrations were made in
New-York, had opportunity Of obtaining knowledge
of the materials employed Thus the discoyerer and
origin al propretors lost the exclusive control of this
method of making steel. Under the patented process
another sat lsal-ammoniac) has been used, which,
however, can have effect upon the result, as il vola
tzes at temperature much below that at which the
other ingredients of the mixture effected. The
manufacture s now successfully carried on at two
places in New-Jersey, without regard to the patent;
and On Staten Island BY the of the PATENT and
works about to be started at Pittsburgh The sue
cess of the enterprises has already greatly affected the
steel trade Of the United States and the introduction
of the process into England has been the means we
are informed Of enrichng the proprietor of the patent
who secured the exclusive right in that country. Tho
process, however, is ncumbered with the objection
that it is necessary to employ the best and most expen
sive qualities of bar iron in order to produce uni
form good quality Of cast STEEL and to the still moro
serious difficulty arising from the rapid destruction Of
the costly melting pots in which the malleabe iron Is
fused. These rarely stand than two or three
MEETINGS before they are rendered worthless. and some
only one.
That the merits Of this invention are due TO Prof.
Eaton is testified TO by Prof. ID. n. Cochran Of the
New-York State Normal School at Albany who, in a
letter which has lain by US since May 1851 aalrms
that the processes communicated to him by Prof.
Eaton ia $780, and that the experiments exhibiting the
effect Of cyanogen and cyanide salts iron into
steel we're since that time frequently repeated by the
writer before his classes in chemistry. The process,
however promises to be of comparatively little
practical importance, as il must be displaced by the
carbonate of soda method which involves great con
sumption of expensive cucibes only such pots ara re-
quired AS have always been used in melting steel for
casting it into ngos; and the temperature at which
,,.is 10 mat OF malleable iron,
which until recently has been regarded infusibe.
AS before remarked the carbonate of soda process
renders the of poorer and cheaper irons available
for this use than have before been applied to it.
Agreat variety Of new modes of producing steel have
been attempted in Europe and in this country of late
years. The process of Bessemer considered in tho
number of The TRIBUNE of May 49, Musbet and
others calling attention tomethods Of hardening and
improving steel by introducing tungsten and titanium
are presented and original the results only
those long since made known by Hassenfratz and Kar-
stem, and are likely to prove of practical import
ance The Adirondac iron of Northern New-York has
long been known in this country as an excellent iron
for STEEL and il has been understood here that its good
qualities in this respect might in part at least, he at
tribued to the taniferous character Of the magnetic
ores from which is made Such irons be obtained
when desired and it is not likely that ttanum tung
sten ores viii be sought for to add TO steel produced
from other sources.
At Essen, in Prussia is perhaps the largest steel
mandatory in the world. The method employed
here is peculiar one, and seems to have been con-
Quoted with great success. II consists in melting to-
gether suitable proportions Of cast and wrought iron
to produce in the compound the right proportion Of
carbon for the quality of steel required The operation
evidently involves the of the most expensive kinds
of from for so far known there s provision made
for removing the impurities which the poorer kinds
of iron their bad qualities II is known by what
means uniformity of product is secured. At these
works the largest of steel ever made have been
produced. One lie said to have weighed 20, 900 pounds
and another sent to the Paris Exhibition weighed
10 600 pounds steel shaft made for French
steamer was 30 feet long, and 10 inches in diameter
and cost $4,000.
The Iowa Republican State Convention met at
Iowa CITY ON Wednesday last, and nominated for