Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1871-04-20
Iron Paper.--How a Yankee Inventor
Sets England A-Or.

We mentioned the other day the fac,
that letter had been written upop .
thin sheet of rolled iron and transmit
ed from the Sligo Iron Works. Pitts.
burg, Pa, to Manchester, Eng. In an
exchange, we have since found the fol.
lowing very interesting rehearsal ol
facts In connection with that circum.
stance:
The maker challenged all England to
surpass 1T for strength and tenacity.
This is no novelty for at the Exhibit
ion in 1851, book of this iron paper
was shown. A lively competition in
iron rolling ensued among British iron
manufacturers, excited by the above
challenge from America, as to the
thinness to which steel could be rolled
cold. Mr.. elliott rolled sheets the
average thickness of which the 1SOOth
part of an inch. In other words. 1900
sheets piled upon each other would col
lectively measure an inch in thickness.
whilst the thinnest tissue paper to be
purchased in the stationers shops
measures the 1200th part of an inch.
These very thin iron sheets are perfect
ly smooth and easy to write on, al
though porous when held up to a good
light. 1t may not be out of place. con-
sldering the great interest that is taken
by those connected with that great
branch of industry, the iron trade, to
give a few curious particulars relative
to the extent that iron can be welded,
and the thin sheets that can be rolled
out. Brother Jonathan little thought
what hubbub would be created in the
old country when from Pittsburg he
sent that wonderful letter, written on
sheet made from iron, which took no
less than 1000 sheets to make 1 inch In
thickness she dimensions being s in.
ches by 81 inches, or a surface of "a
inches, and weighing 90 grains. The
fact had no sooner made its appear
ance in print but that Britain's sons
began to work, and soon we heard of a
sheet containing the me number of
surface inches, but weighing only 46
grains, had been made at the Marsh
field Iron Works, Llanelly, Carmarthen
shire, being exactly one-tblrd less in
weight. But soon the Welsh leek had
to the rose of England, for Stafford
shire was ANXIOUS to take its wonted
lead. The Hope Iron Works succeed
ed in making a sheet of 11S surface in
ches, weighing but SO grains which.
reduced to the American and Welsh
standard of "A inches, gives about S3
grains /; Messrs. r. Williams & Co,
so inches, 49 grains. reduced to the
same standard, about 81 grains. For
a time Staffordshire wears the belt; but
Wales becomes very restless, and is
anxious for the honor of st. David, so
further attempts must be made.
Marshfield comes again into the field.
They succeeded in making one sheet,
8 inches by 81 inches, or surface of Al
inches, of the astounding weight of 81
grains only, which required no less than
1858 sheets to make inch in thickness:
another sheet, 8 inches by 6, or 4S sur
face inches, weighed 25 grains but,
brought to the standard of II inches,
gives but % grains, and requires 295O
sheets to make one inch in thickness.
The Pontardawe tin. works next come
into the field with sheet of II, inches
by 5 16ths, or surface of 115.17 in
ches weighing sixty grains; but being
reduced to "A inches, is 24l grains
trifle heavier than the Marshfield but
Pontardawe claims 3799 sheets to make
inch in thickness. We now come to
the climax. The mill manager of
Messrs. W. Hallam & Co., of the Up
per Forest Tin-wOrks, near Swansea,
has succeeded in making q sheet of the
finest appearance and thinnest that has
ever yet been seen by mortal eye. The
iron from which the sheet was rolled
was made on the premises. 1t was
worked in finery with charcoal and
the usual blast; afterwards taken to
the hammer to be formed into regular
fiat bottom; from thense conveyed to
the balling- furnace, and when sufficient
lyheated taken to the rolls, heightened,
and cut by shears into proper lengths,
piled up, and transferred to the balling..
furnace again; when heated it was
passed through the rolls, backing again
into the balling furnace, and when duly
brought to the proper pitch was taken
to the rolls an3 made into thorough
good bar. Such is its history in CON
nection with the forge department.
1t was then taken to the tin mills and
rolled till it was supposed to be thinner
than 23grains, afterward passed through
the cold rolls to give it the necessary
polish, and now it stands on record as
the thinnest sheet of iron ever rolled.
The sheet in question is 10 inches by
81 inches, or 55 inches in surface, and
weighs but 20 grains, which, being
brought to the standard of 8 inches by
81 inches, or A surface inches, is but
10 grains, or 30 per cent less than any
previous effort, and requires at least
1900 sheets to make one inch in thick
ness.