Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1872-12-27
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The process of pudding was invented
by Henry Cort, an Englishmau, and pat
ented by him in 1888 and 1854 as n new
process for "shineling, welding and man
ulacturing iron and steel into bars, plates,
and rods of purer quality and in larger
quantity than heretofore by more etlectu-
al application of fire aud machinery" For
this invention Cort has been called "the
father of the irou-trado of the British ma
ton" and il is estimated that his invention
has, during this century, given employ
ment to six millions Of persons, and in
creased the wealth of Great Britain by
three thousand millions of dollars, In his
experiments for perfecting his process Mr..
Cort spent his fortune, and though it prov
ed so valuable, he died poor, having been
involved by the government in lawsuit
concerning his patent which bcggared him.
Six years before his death, the government
as an Acknowledgement of their wrong,
granted him yearly pension of a thous-
and dollars, and at his death this misery
recomponse was reduced TO his widow To
six hundred and twenty-five dollars.
When iron is simply melted and run in
to any mould, its texture is granular, and
it is so brittle as to be quite unreliable for
any use requiring much tensile strength.
The process of pudding consisted in stir
RIG the molten iron run out in a puddle,
and had the effect of so changing its atomic
arrangement as to render the process of
rolling it more ef1icacious. The process of
boiling is considered an improvement upon
this. The boiling furnace is an oven heat
ed TO an intense heat by fire urged with
blast. The cast-iron sides arc double,
and a constant circulation of water is kept
passing through the chamber thus made,
in order to preserve the structure from fu-
sion by the heat. The inside is lined with
fire brick covered with metallic ore and
Stag over the bottom and sides, aud then
the oven being charged with the pigs Of
iron, the heat is let on. Tho pigs melt,
and this oven is filled with molten iron.
The puddler constantly slirs this mass with
a bar let through n hole in the door, until
the iron boils up, or "lerments,' as it is
cIlled. This fermentation is caused by the
combustion of a portion of the carbon in
the iron and as soon as the excess of this
is consumed, the cnders and Stag sink to
the bottom of the oven, leaving the semi
fluid mass on top. Stirring this about, the
puddler forms it into balls OF such size
as he can conveniently handle, which are
taken out and carried on little cars, made
to receive them, to "the squcozer"
To carry on this process properly re-
| quircs great Judgment and skill in the pud-
| dler. The heat necessarily generated by
| the operation is 50 great that very few per-
sons have the physical endurance 10 stand
| it. So great is it that the clothes upon the
person freduently catch fire. Such a strain
upon the physical powers naturally lead,
those subjected to it to indulge in cxcesses
The perspiration which flows from the pud-
dlers in streams while engaged in their work
is caused by the natural effort ofthoir bod.
ies-to preserve themselves from injury by
keeping their normal temperature. Slct
consumption of the fluids Of the bod
causes great thirst, and the exhaustion O
the labor, both bodily and mental, leads Of
ten to the excessive use Of stimulants. In
fact, the work is too laborious. Its condi-
tions are such no one should be subjec,el
to them. The necessity, however, for judg
ment, experience and skill on the part o
the operator has up TO this time prevented
the introduction .of machinery to take thC
place Of human labor in this process. The
successful substitution in modern times o
machines for performing various opera
tons which formerly seemed TO require
the intelligence and dexterity Of a living
being for their execution iustities the ex
pectation that the study now given to tht
organization of industry will lead to tn,
invention of machines which will Obviat,
the necessity for human suffering in the
process of pudding. Such consumma
ton would be an advantage to all CLASSES
concerned. The attempts which have beer
in this direction have not as yet proved en-
tirely uccessful.-Ljppincotf Magazine.