New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-03-26


purposes than the manufacture Of clock-sprngs and
pendulums. We accordingly find him early en-.
deavoring to persuade the cutters Of Sheffield "
employ il In the manufacture Of knives and raEors.
But they refused to work metal enuch harder
than that which they had been accustomed to use.
For time, he gave up all hopes Of creating q
demand in that quarter, and turned his attenton
to foreign markets. He soon found that he could
readily sell abroad all that he could make. The
French were quick TO perceive the advantages OF
the new discovery, and for several years the whole
Of the cast-steel that Huntsman could manufacture
was exported to France. The Sheffield cutters now
became alarmed at the reputation which cast-steel
had acquired abroad, and attempted to influence
the Government N prohibit the expectation. Fall
ing in this they were under the necessity Of using
the article in order to retain their trade in cutlery
against French competition. They now endcavorcd
10 wrest from Huntsman the secret Of the process.
lie had taken out no patent for the invention, and
trusted for protection to making il as much q
mystery as possible. All his workmen were
pledged 10 nyolablo secrecy; no strangers were
permitted To enter tho works; the whole Of the
steel made was melted during the night. There
were many speculations abroad as 10 his process
1t was believed by many that his secret consisted
in the fux which he employed TO make tho motal
melt moro readily; and it leaked out among the
workmcn that he made use of broken bottles for
the purpose. Some OF the manufacturers, who by
prying and bribing got an inkling Of the process
followed IIuntsman implicitly in this respect but
would not allow their own workmen 10 1ux the
pots, lost they also should obtain possession Of the
secret. But il finally turned out that no such AUX
wss necessary. The first person who succeeded in
copying 1IuHsman's process s said 10 have been an
iron-master named Walker, who disguised himself
as tramp, and fcigning great poverty and distress
appeared hhivoring late night at the door of the
foundery, as the workmen about TO begin their
labors at steel-oasting, and asked leave to warm
himself at tho furnace fire. The traditional
story has all the colors Of romance.
" One cold Winters night, while the snow was
falling in heavy fakes, and the manufactory threw
its red glaro Of light over the neighborbood, per-
son Of the most AFFECT appearance presented him
self at tho entrance praying for permission TO share
the warmth and shelter which it Afforded The hu-
name workmen found the appeal irresistible, and the
ters in warm corner Of the building. careful scru-
tiny would have discovered little real sleep in the
drowsiness which seemed TO overtake the stranger
fox no eagerly watched every movement of the
workmen while they wont through the operations
OF tho newly discovered process. He observed,
first Of all that bars Of bstered steel were broken
into small pieces, two or three inches In length, and
placed in cruciblos OF fro clay. When nearly FULL
a little green glass broken into small fragments was
spread over the top, and the whole covered over
with closely fitting cover. The erucibles were
then placed IN furnace previously prepared for
them; and after lapse OF from three 10 four hours
during which the crucibles were examined from
time TO time to SEQ that the metal vas thoroughly
melted and incorporated, the woTkmen proceeded
70 M tho .-aHihlc from it's place the furnace by
means OF tonss, and It's molten contents, blazing
sparkling, and squirting, were poured Into mould
tered to COOL ', wSs1 sSo gsRs.sS here it ". sui
and the process repeated. When cool, the mould
WAS unscreweJ, and bar Of oast-stes present"d IT.
self, which only required the aid OF the hammer.
man to form finished bar Of cast-steel. How the
unauthorized spectator Of these operations effected
his escape without detection tradition docs not say;
bit it tells that before many months had passed
the Hgntsman mandatory was not the only one
where cast-steel was produced"
Such arc some Of the steps by which Iron has beer
raised 10 the position which II holds as an integral
element Of modern civilization. Tho progress is
detailed at full length, and in very interesting
manner In the present instructive volume. One Fact
may be alluded to in concluding this article which
illustrates the rapidity and oomprohcnsvoncss OF tho
movement. 1t is Just twenty-five years Gnce tho
first iron house was constructed in England by Mr.
Fairbairn for the Of the serasker of the Turk
ish army ct Constantinoplo. Since that time Iron
structures of all kinds have multiplied TO an aston
ishing extent. We have iron lighthouses, iron
and-cIysta palaces, iron churches iron bridges, iron
vesseis-of-war. We now use iron roofs, iron bed
steads, iron ropes, iron fences iron pavement. The
age OF chiyalry has past, and the Age Of Iron han
come.
POPULAR HANDBOOK OF THE NEW TESLA
EEET by GSoaoR CUsnBe hoWHoRTxh l2ino
PIP 2ss. Harper brotbei~
In preparing this work, the author has not had
reference to the wants Of the professed theologiaT
although il is fouIed 10 some extent on the results
Of modern theological learning. lilo has, on the
contrary endesyored 10 adapt Il To the use of those
who arc not In q condition 10 consult original su.
thorites, and who wish for splain and practical
guido to the knowledge Of tho New Testament. In
his views Of inspiration, hr. hcWhorter dissent'
from the verbal theory, which maintains that
every word is inspired or that the writer's we're but
mouth pieces Of the Holy Spirit" or, as 1t is rather
forciby stated by Tegelles, "that the sixty-sx