The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-02-02
Airhmnnh pispattt.
SATURDAY MoRNING......fEB. 2, 1861.
How the Iren Plates for the Great War
Steamer were Conxtructed.

How the Irsm Plates for the Great War
steamer were Constructed.
The London Engineer gives the following
interesting account OF the process by which
the iron plates for the new English war steam
or Warrior are constructed:
The tests which were applied to The plates
furnished by the builders of the Warrior Were
of the most trying character. Some plates
were fred at with 6s-pounders, at 2oV y.a'u o..
range and were literally cut in halves py
balls, fired one after another, on ine ea teIx
ON the surface each ball striking immeul. ~
hslovr its PREDECESSOR Upon some othei ~ - a.
the balls made circular indentaion I'll Of
surface nearly as deep as the piates, thongb =.
. the form of the prolectile, ana '.s Nssea.,s
,unnld had been taken OF II IN SOM SOM 81
Welding substance. Ii was oniy ,a. ,na niates
trials thai it. was decided .'a' nv ny - -.
.hould he of anuealed scrap Won. ~ -. haoo'
sn,'.i In buildng up these plates Is enor-
,nans In the first instance, small scraps OF
trnn ara thrown into the Hires, ana, Wheh IN
- tote of red heat, are subjected To severe
Snmarinr under the steam hammer, until
,hs whole is beaten and amalgamated into
solid mass of about half ton weight. rms
Iump is then placed on the top OF similar
ass abe whole made red hot, and hammered
and welded together. Repeated additions OF
This kind are made until about five tons OF
metal are thus welded together in one huge,
shapeless body. This is then brought to "A
glowing white heat aud placed under the huge
hammer, the laundering blows OF which grad
ually reduce il into shape. Again and again
the enormous slab is put into the furnace and
hammered into one piece, 10 feet long . feet
wide and 4. inches thick. From ten to dozen
men are engaged in the work of moving these
popderous masses of iron, which are moved
about apparently with the most perfect ease
Powerful cranes swing the molten mass from
the furnaces to the hammer; nicely ADJUSTED
balance is provided by a massive iron lever,
one of which is welded into and forms part OF
the metal, and this is provided with dozen OF
more of horns or handles, by which the IRON
can be turned in any direction for the plates
are not only hammered on the broad surface,
but at the sides and ut the top ana Doltoh.-
The plates after having been roughly formed
into shape are compile tely planed ana squared.
planning machin of enormous size mug tIiese
mates in their resistless arms ana bear them
sIowly and silently under the sharp cutting
edges OF the TOOLS and thin shaNings OF the
metal which, as they are cut on, con up IN
long bright ringlets of iron, attest the trernen-
dons mower OF these noiseless and all but ON
nirotant machines When the edges and sur
faces are made perfectly smooth, Ike the finest
work of the cabinet maker, the plates are
placed on an end, grpped firmly by Il morris
ing machine, and rs they travel SLOWLY back-
ward and forward in the framework against
small tongue of steel, a groove OF about one
inch in width and depth is formed, into which
The corresponding projections formed on the
side ofanother plate VIII lit with the most per
feet accuracy, the plates all being made to
doyetaiI ON each of the four sides.