Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1863-04-24
The Manufacture OF GiunbOaC Plates
s In WheeifnR. se5

: ?
The manuraeIu.s OF GunbOaL Plates
nWheeIing. i.ss
1t is something We fancy not very gem
orally known among or people that the
iron plates for gunboats, Of which We read
SO much just now in, the papers. are being
manufactured in this city 10 very copsid-
cradle extent. Several months ago Msssrs.
Norton, Aeheson & Co., leased the old
Missouri Iron works, formerly run by J.
N. Todd & Co., for the purpose, primarily
of supplying their Belmont nail works With
what is called aMuck" iron, and with the
design also of trying their hand on gun
boat plates. They accordingly after run
ming awhile obtained several contracts
from the East for plates. and their experr
iment in making them was complete sue
cess. They have been at work continuous
ly on plates now for several months, aud
the other day they obtained contract
from CINCINNATI for eight huudred tons. TO
be used on the monitors building at that
and other points on the river.
Tue plates are inch aud half iuch 10
thickness, aud vary from eight to ten
feet in length, and from three and a half to
four and half feet in breadth. We wit
messed The process of running them out The
other day, including the operation OF
shearing them, and the whole programme
is interesting and instructive and well
worth seeing. The .'Muek" lion is put III
the furnaces in piles of about three feet in
length aud a foot 10 height aud. kept
there until the bars cement together
in white beat. They are then taken
ut and wheeled over to the iron roll
lers, and there caught with long nip
pers aud rushed through and through
the rolling cylinders until they come
at last, long, and broad and ia,
iron plates. From the rollers, they ar.
thrown down on the floor of the mill, and
as soon as they fall, several men spring al
them With large heavy mnuIs. the hubs Of
which are made of locust wood, and bea,
them out until they are perfectly fat and
level. AssoOu asthey get cool enough, they
are dragged down 10 the sheariug machine,
aud there raised up ADD put on platform
which runs back and forward on sort Of
rail road track. tile surface TO be SHARED
Cd being 6rst schalked by pattern. The
shearing is a very slow operation. 1t has
to be done with great care audruiosty, as
much SO as the planning or saving Of a
piece of timber iutended to be exactly of a
certain breadth. The sheariuR machine
is . new invention for the most part
and was built expressly for the firm by
Sweeney & 90. of this city. There is
NO estimating It's ponderous lower It's
steel:she4r works on the principle of the
common eccentric or cam used TO cut iron
10 all the mills. 1t differs from them ip
the gear by which It's power is brought to
bear. 1t cuts through an inch plate just
as a tailor cuts through a thick piece of
cloth With bis heavy shears, and makes
pretty much just suchfa sound. It's work
is done very completely aud perfectly
Great credit Is Etven. by those who work it
to the builder of It. Mr.! "a y. SWEENEY, for
his skill in adopting it entirely 70 the work
AuISuuto 10 oe performed g.
Nessrs. Norton, AcheSon 4 Co. have also
a contract for making The common long
triangular hinges used on barn. and cabin
doors in the wesSsnd Southwest, and on
many buildings of various kipds t6rr6oip,Ra g. b.
out the country. They are MANUFACTURING
a large. amount Of these At the Missouri
Mills. Sf'S&st
Altogether, the work being dons,by this
euterprisiug 6Em at the mills referred to,
is well WOFth.a walk uptown from e Se
one who has an hour or two to spend I'D
curious sight seeing. We are heartily glad
to see the skill aud enterprise Of our city
spreading itself into all kinds Of new and
profitable enterprises There is NO iimi,
to the variety of iron product that is yet to
be manufactured in our midst. & a'fsih
sr-=F--=---@ Fls ~
Dc TocQuEvILLE said that the ,EneIish
in derminIng policy towards any other
nation. did not ask, what is right s's but
what is our INTEREST,"" We find most
striking illustration Of this truth in the
English discussions abOut the fitting Of
rebel privateers in English ports. Some
of the Liberal papers aud speakers con-
denim the course Of the Government as
wrong and denOunce it in. eloquent terms.
But some of those who have never been
friendly % us, the Saturday Revie,o, for
instance, are also disappearing of the
course of the Government But they do
not oppose itsas wrong, bnt only as. ten.
ding to embaFFass and damage England
hereafter, "a afording a dangerous preCe.
dent for England to establish. They per
ceive,thas the tables may bye and bys 80
turned, that England may be MT war
with Russia or some other power, and
that We may then furnish England's cas-
my the. same facilities which she isEnoS,.,I
n y lH.