The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1869-11-11
Queer Qualities Of Steel.
Ksw Burned steel may be Restored Yhe Raiaeus
Hammer OF mDrovlng lhe Article. 81 y
From the New York Mechanic.


paid to steel and it's manufacture, tt |
somewhat singular thst, although its ms
ture may be understood and it's compsn.
ents full Y known, VIC are unable to Sccount
for certain! changes occurring by means
apparently inadequate to produce the
result. t3A8 ~ ha.-
For instance, it is we'll known that cast
steel may be burned by overwhelming Al
though to produce it the heat must BE-
sufficient to fuse il; and. make it -fuii, yet
an ordinary white heat will surely dncom
pse it and render it brittle and friablt,
utterly destroying it's 'enscity Some
ciaim. however, that steel thus burned
may he restored by immcrsing it ~ u high
heat in cold water Singular ~ this may
! appear, w. know that IL has been done.
Ro,, stediy in our experience as manu-
| fsctur r, we have in our vocational dabs
az the forge, burned piece Of steel and
nv this simple process not only restored
1 its tenacity and It's capability to receive a.
| wAodsfempei, but found it to he superior
Z smother piece wrought from the same
bar at ordinary heat for steel tfa5 1e
| Occasionally the best qualities of com
m rc:al steel allharden by the ordinary
| proc but When drawn to a straw or
~ rson blue" bo as soft as when first
worked, either from the manufacture
direct orsaffer being drawn in charcoal.
and lime In such eases we have richest
| ID the Frightened steel to. color and then
cooled itsWith satisfactory results. This
statement seems paradoxical; but it is
really true, although We cannot pretend
I ~ give the reas m why. g. .+..s.Ns'-'
We have seen piece If cast steel drawn
down under the hammer to wedge shape,
then turned over, doubled ON itself and
welded with the ordinary dux Of sal am
moni:.c and borax, with perhaps a little
resin; vet when again heated and ham
mered the weld was not perceptible, and
1.-THE piece thus treated made an excellen
Icold chisel nr turning tool. -i'f 50
/ A yet more surprising thing in steel is
the fact Sufficiently we'll established by
|rhc experience of old hands,, that steel
Improves in quality by long exposure to
The atmosphere. The best steel workers,
or manufacturers, thus expose their ngots
Il f,r months nr years. by piling them up in
cob house style out of doors. Steel of an
inferior quality thus exposed has proved
g. be of superb r quality after such expo
4iire. A remarkable Case was lately rela
ted TO us by gentleman whose oppnrtu
mites for observation and whose pers nal
veracity are beyond question. He said
| that he knew a case where a number at
steel ingots of an inferior quality, almost
worthless, wtrc .bnilt into sea wall I'D
thinning the concern that produced them,
and thus remained fiFe years. In the
meantime the concern passed into other
hands, and the new manager discovering
4. &c siascar.ied ingots, and understanding
the attributed valueof atmospheric infin
ences. had them taken out and worked,
when they proved to produce steel Of ex
cellfnt quality. 1t would be, supposed
that this discovery might be attributed to
the want of knowledge If his predecessor,
but that he employed the original work
men to rnanipul ate the rejected ingots.
This plan of exposing the newly cast in
gots is followed by the steel workers
generally, md it is certain that this tx
| pensiye mode would not obtain advocates
unless it produced really corresponding
beneficial results It certainly does so;
| for we have seen tests made from the same
run. or cast, of steel JUST from the cruciblc,
and also from the same ingots thus ex
posed. to he manifest advantage of the
| latter. It's well recognized fast that
| iron as well rs steel thus exposed, either
to the action of the atmosphere or of sea
water, is highly priced as material tori
manufacture into articles OF. use. 4 Ola
anchors, chains, cables, and other articles
| If iron long sunk beneath the sea and at
last, recovered. have been eagerly sought
4 fter as superior material ter the mant
fac,uree of articles of iron, and even of
steel, for the finest implem nts. used in
the arts. A case comes to our recollectionsI
! that of the rebuilding OF one OF the
old bridges of London, where the piles
shod with iron were drawn, and the shoes
were bought mp. by q cutter At an enqE- |
NOUS prict, tobe manufacturedln raizP2rs|
aud Packet knives .Iaas..g w9g 3 bsny5f i
: We. cannot account fnr, this singular
action of the atmosphere, or of sea water. |
an, iron or steel, Oxidation we usually
bslieve to b. fcanfned. to the surface, or
re ching but ,iise below the SUFFICE; bat |
II would seem hat its effects are not 81 |
peffcial only if we can trust the expert
ence and sta emenrs of those who should
know. and who acr from their knowledge. |
We have ahvpbtliesis on, this subject, but
prefer to hear from others. 1t is a subject
worthy ofiinvestigation, and we shall be
glad to publish any theories bearing On
this subject, or entertain any statements
that may be made by those who under
stand it.. 49,. $500
E.sruouAKE SHocK.-A special cable
dispatch. dated Nov. ID, states That the
cities of Frankfort. Weisbadcn and May
ennce, with the surrounding csuntry IN
- ,lro< - nj