The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1869-12-23
Important Discovery In Iron
Working.

AS many Of our readers are either direct
ly or indirectly interested in the manufac-
ture of iron and steel. the leading industrial
interest Of this county. We need offer no
apology for deVoting the requisite space to
the publication Of the following article rela-
tive to new process. recently discovered by
Dr.. Fields, of Wilmington, Del, by which
steel can be manufactured In an ordinary
pudding furnace. The article originally
appeared in the Troy On " Press. but
we copy it from a Wilmington paper hand
ed to us BY DR.. A. P Fields. of this place
who Is son of the inventor of this new and
simple but most important process. DR..
Fields, the senior, who will be remembered
by the old residenters of Johnstown as hav-
ing been practising physician in that place
some eighteen or twenty years ago. has also
taken out patent for the making of an ar
ticle of sheet iron equal in all respects to the
celebrated Russian sheet iron.
For few days past interesting experi>
ments in the manufacture of wrought iron
and steel have been going on at the Rensel-
aer Iron Works which have thus far been
attended with such unusual success that the
new process bids fair to supeIsede the uure.
liable and tedious methods which are now in
general use.
DR.. William Fields Of Wilmington. Della
ware. Is the inventor, or rather the discov-
erer Of the new process. Mr.. Fields is a
gentleman OF pleasing appearance. sixty i've
years OF age. He has a massive head, well
set features. and that peculiar sharpness of
expression which is so characteristic of the
Yankee" He has been practicing ply
sicIan at Wilmington for the past I9 wears.
and is the inventor of various machines and
processes. Among these be has invented
new steam engine, blasting powder of uu-
usual power, propeller for towing on the
canal. process of generating steam aud of
melting iron whereby-as he claims-a saw
ing Of sixty per cent. of fuel is made. DIR.
Fields has not brought these inventions be-
fore the public to any extent. About six
months ago, as he says, he conceived the
idea one day that steel ard wrought iron
could be made in the pudding furnace, and
IN such manner that chemicals would do
the work and supersede the tedious and Ia
borlouS process at present in use
The Doctor gave the matter two or three
hours attention one evening. and finally Sc
lected certain chemicals. or ingredients. of
which he formed powders. He experiment.
ed with these. and found by the use of his
ingredient he could manufacture wrought
iron aud steel. He visited this city recent
~, and desired to test his process in this
community Of iron workers Messrs. John
A Griswod & Co. kindly permitted Doctor
Fields to test his process at the Rensselaer,
Iron Works. granting every facility for the
purpose. and we would say that the Doctor
expressed himself az deeply grateful to the
proprietors of the mills. and also To Col
Babcock, the Superintendent, Mr.. Eras,,,s
IL. Waugh. Assistant uperintendent, and
Mr.. Hugh Trainor. 'Jr.. foreman of the pud-
ding department, for their kindness in as-
sisting him in his experiments.
The process of manufacturing wrought
Iron and steel is simply as follows: Doctor
Fields charges one of the ordinary pudding
furnaces located at the Iron Works with a
quantity of American pig iron; when the
iron is thoroughly melted DR.. Fields throws
into the seething mass a small package of
powdered substances. which unites by chem
ical action with the sulphur as PHOSPHORUS
of the iron, and then pass off in the form of
gasses. leaving the iron free from injurious
ingredients. The iron thus becomes tough
and strong. and can be rolled or worked
with ease and facility. To work iron of
superior quality. it is necessary to free it
froD sulphur or phosphoroNs, ard DR.. Fields