The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1871-06-10
LOCAL coRREsPoNDEsCE.

Dear Freemdn-l have often referred to the
immense iron works at this place, which have e
capacity TO turn out two hundred and forty
tons OF rails per day, but the
NEW STEEL WORKS
deserve a special and an elaborate notice
These works consist of five distinct buildings
with the machinery in each one l will first
and afterwards the machinery in each.
1st The first building is a brick wing to the
dred feet, and fifty feet Vide. y 0i'' Ai'i IL
I'd The main building is about one hundred
seventy feet.
Sd. a large building, one hundred feet by ff-
ty, located about ten rods from the other build
ings already mentioned.
18th. a building about fifty feet square, stu
ated about eight rods from the last mentioned
5th. a store house not yet erected, to be about
BOILERS AND ENGINES.
In the first building are located the furnace
ana an boilers for prodducng steam which are sim
paratus. The boilers are all connected with
each other by supply pipes, through which wa
ter can tow or be checked at pleasure. The en-
gine is a powerful one and has two heavy fly
wheels to regulate the motion. This engine is
is adjacent to the main building. \ partition
separates the engine and boilers. In the engine
department is located the feccirer: which is an
immense boier-shaped cylinder. 1t is suspend
cd directly under the slate roof and will be fill
sd with compressed air by the engine, which air
Is conducted by pipes to the cupalos and blast
furnaces. This engine also pumps water, which
is used as hydrostatic pressure to move the
heavy labOr-saving machinery located in the
main building. q say hIdr0Stdtic pressure in
preference to hydraulic pressure, inasmuch as
this water does not act OF itself but is acted on
Gefore 1t movesD In the engine building stands
also the CItmUlItOT, which is n cylinder, standing
on end and filled with scrap iron, creating an
immense weight, which presses a a II times up
on the water used for hVdraulic pressure thns
securing uniform motion of tho water
What q fy-wheel is to steam this cUnuldtOr is to
] %aer or to GhangG iad the eompasoGn IN rnT n what
10 a carriage, this cumulator is to the action of
the watcr, aftording elasticity to the motion of
the water.
In the main building are the cupalos, (three in
nuInher,) a furnace for melting hard iron, Il fur
mace for drying cores, tw o large converters, the
circular pit in which the iugot moulds stand, an
the pulpit, and ipnu merahle steam and water
pipes. All this machinery * operated by hy-
are heated in the center OF perpendicular col
unns OF cast metal, which water. under pow
erful pressure. can be turned of or on at will,
to propel this pondcrous machinery.
THE CUPALOF-
The cupalOS are used to melt Scotch pig metal
and are blasted by air pumped by the engine
before mentioned, through the receiver, into
the fire beneath the cupalos. These cupaOs
are elevated about sixteen feet, and are sup
ported by sixteen immense metal columns. In
weighing the melted metal. At the right hand
is located the furnace, in which is heated the
hard iron, which, at certain moment, is to be
mixed, in the c0nyerters, with the S7tt iron, to
produce steel. This process Is called Sl3jfgJiizg.
The soft metal from the cuPaios is first weigh
cd, then conducted by troughs and run into the
cOnvcrters, which are two immense pitcher
shaped vessels, swung upon pivCts, and which,
ton. Directly beneath these is a jack, which is
moved by water pressure, to lii the cores, or
bottoms p. to be fastened into the,CouYeT-
ters. \ portable furnace, wheels, is also
used to heat these converters before receiving
THE CONvERTERs.
The cOnverters hold about -four tons of melt
ed metal each The soft metal i5 first poured
into them, and n current of cold (oxygenatedl
air forced through the boiling metal which
makes it as porous as hOncy-cOmb then the
n,
breaking the little globuieS, and trgnsf using
this hard metal completely through the soft
thus creating steel. When this manganese en-
ters the cupalOs the most beautiful sparks OF
crystal fire fly in every direction, and a blue
fame fits over the metal as it becomes settled.
The cOnVerters are then gently turned over,
like pitcher when water is poured out, and
tia NIL l. c,,,,t;nd INTO on tTnr,are l. Letti.
carried around q crane. The metal is then
poured into a large number of inrot nOulds,
placed in Il circle around the outer edge of the
moulding pit. ~ hCTe it cOOlS gradually. After
being cooled it is lifted by machinery, mould
by mould, from the pit the moulds omptied,
the ingOts piled away, and all the machinery
again placed in readiness toraEother operation:
There are elevators TO carry the metal up, and
cars with iron hoppers TO carry away the Gin
der and ashes.
The pulpit is q platform at one side of the
building, where the engineer stands. Some
right rods, which rods are connected with quad
rant, ratchcd wheels beneath. and are turned to
let the water power on or of at pleasure to pro-
pei the machinery.
is a peculiar blast furnace in this building
There are subterrancau passages beneath the
heating furnaces, into which gas is forced,
which, when iGnited, produces the heat. These
furnaces are SOmcW hat like the heating fur
metal frame work, with doors and air drafts
In this same building is immense tilt ham
bars, which are cut like iron bars and built
into piles, heated and then rolled into rails.
The rolls are not unlike the rolls in the three
high mills.
The fourth building is "a house used for the
manufacture OF gas, ana has vast amount OF
retOrts, furnaces and pipes laid in every direc-
tion. The gas is not purified, but is used in q
crude state, and is conducted to the furnaces
in the third building by means OF subterranean
pipea.
/ have thus given brief description OF the
great steel mill at JOhnstOwn, which will 60
into operation soon, and which is said to have
cost S42O,UO0.
4 Pa. r. r.: brakeman named Fred k George
wife and family residing, was knocked from
his train at East Conemaugh on the 1St instant
and falling under the cars, shOckingly
mutiated that he died in n short time after
He was standing on top of his train when the
accident occurred and came in contact with tho
overhead bridge and the sad result followed as
q matter of course. Coroner Harold held ar
inquest the same day, and verdict of accident
al death was rendered.
am glad to note that Mr.. John Furlong ant
daughter, Of Franklin borough, whose injury
by lightning | detailed last week, are in q fail
/ way of recoV cring. Mr.. Il. is able to be about
once more and his daughter has recovered hel
/ speech, and both are considered out of danger
The same glad tidingsit is my pleasure to com
municate with respect to Mr.. Thos Howe, wht
was so severely burned in the face at the rollins
mill a few days ago. There is no doubt now
/ that the sight of one Of his eyes is uninjurcd
and there is good reason to hope that the othel
! one will also be saved.
/ gentleman named J. w. Rodgers, who wa
/ at one time an Episcopal minister of the Ritual
/ istic order at Memphis, Tenn and prominen
/ leader of the Episcopal Church South up to tn,
time of his conversion to Cathoiicity, delivered
/ a lecture TO an overwhelming audience in st
johns Catholic church, in this place, on sun
/ day evening last. His effort was Of cOntro
/ yersi3i character, and was delivered in a man
| ner highly Creditable TO the CratOriCal power
! of the speaker That it convinced any of thu
| ''dissenting brethren" who listened to it. anI
( there were many such, is more than say
I AS the admission price was twenty-five cents
the amount realized for the benefit of the speak
or must have been quite handsome.
Hay Brothers have baskets and stoves, anC
pipes, and corresponding and everything in tn
line of house furnishing articles made of tin o
iron.
Mr. Kinney, our popular druggist, keeps
! great variety of garden flowers for sale. Nov
is the time to furnish houses with choice plan IS
mi