The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1873-11-13

Z
Steel not known Cast-stee1 When
First Made, and How Sto1en-C.
Aultman's Steel Company = The
Casting Room-A Shower of Sparks
The Steam Hammer-The Best Steel
and Cheapest.
1t is not our purpose TO describe the
manufacture of steel with any technical
precision. A newspaper article, and our
limited scientific knowledge will only al
low a rapid glance at some of the more
striking features.
The question, what is steel? is at pres
ent aglIating the manufacturers of steel
In this country and England, in order to
establish a satisfactory definition OF the
difference between steel, -cast-lron and
wrought iron. This Is question which,
has of iat5 been frequently discussed
while a satisfactory solution Is rendered
difficult by conflicting definitions Of the
word steel, the distinctions of which are
too often rather theoretical! than practical.
We inquire, What is gold2- And at
oIee EtIsy viii begin 70 tell US OF It's color,
weight, ducuity, malleabIity, value, use,
ETC., and may give US leng lecture on
It, or write Us a volume, but still the mys-
terry remains as profound as ever, for all
that is known of It's properties or quail
ties comes through the thing called gold.
And the question comes home with re-
doubled force, What is gold, independent
Of these qualities?
We ask, why such mystery in mate-
rial so common2 If mystery be some
thing hidden behind a veil from human
scrutiny, then certainly steel IS a mys-
terry, for we understand 1t not; that IS, We
know not the precise difference between 1t
and iron. Thus the metallurglst has his
mysteries equally with the divine. the
morahst, tie metaphysiclan. All We
know respecting the nature of steel Is,
that II IS IN iron sons state betl0ee11 pig, and
bar-lron; and, if melted, 1t becomes No.
plg-Iron, which contains more carbon than
Nos 2 to Thus steel seems 10 have
less Carbon than pig, but more than bar
IRON
The period when steel was first discov-
cred is not known, but it has been manu-
factured IN SIyrla since the eighth cen
tuly, and may have been known for ages
before. The manufacture Of cGSt-SteeL IS
a modern discovery, the invention of Mr..
Huntsman, a matchmaker at Attercllh,
near Sheffield, England In the year
1850 MIR. Huntsman became dissatisfied
with the watchsprings IN use, and set HIM
self TO the task of making them homoge-
neous. "If." thought he, 81 can melt
piece of steel and cast it into an ingot, its
composition should be the same through
out" He succeeded. His steel became
famous. Huntsman's iugots for fine work
were IN universal demand. He did not
call them cast-steel. That was MS secret
About ITO a large manufactory of this
peculiar steel was established at After
cliff. The process was wrapped IN Sc
erecy by every means within reach; true
and faithful men hired, the work divided
and subdivided, large wages paid and
stringent oaths administered. 1t did not
answer One mid winter night. as the
tall chimneys of the Atterelitfe steel
works belched forth their smoke, a trav-
eler knocked at the gate 1t was bitter
cold; the snow fell fast and the wind
howled across the meor The stranger,
apparently plowman, or agricultural la
borer seeking shelter from the storm,
awakened no suspicion. Scanning the
Wayfarer closely, and moved by motives
of humanity, the foreman granted his re-
quest and lat him in.
Feigning to be worn out with cold and
fatigue, the poor fellow sank nPon-the
hOUs and soon appeared to be asleep.
That, however, was far from his lnten-
ton. He closed his eyes, apparently,
only He saw workmen cut bars OF steel
into bits, place them IN cruclbles and
thrust the crucIble into furnace. The
fire vas urged to its extreme power un-
Til the steel was melted. Clothed IN wet
rags to protect them from them from the
heat, the workmen drew out the glowing
crucibles and poured their liquid contents
lnto a mould. Mr. Huntsman's factory
had nothing more to disclose. The secret
Of making cast-steel had been atolen.
VI n
us through the steel works of c. Aultman
q Co.. Canton, Ohio 70 the casting
room we proceed. We feel considerable
heat, but we see nothing except some CIR
cles of glowing light level with the floor
and beside one of the walls. The work
men remove lid; instantly ascends from
below a stream of heat. One Of the men,
whose legs are covered with wet sacking, |
hoVers over the hole while he removes the |
coke, and then boldly lifts out a cruclble !
tpll of melted steel, which he has grasped
with long pincers. The Whlte=hot mass |
weighs seVentY-fiye to one hundred |
pounds. The eye shrinks from the daz-
zIing glare of the fiery lump. An ingot-
mould stands ready, the cruclble Is lifted
up to It's mouth, the stream Of white hre
flows IN; shower of sparks, OF pale
green, shoot up; the whole scene Is beeutl-
tqI amidst Its apparent danger. In
short time the ingot of steel Is cool
enough for the mould to be opened, and |
the process is repeated by the three work |
men engaged in the operation, TIL cruci-
bic after crpcible Is emptied,
Ii we follow the steel ingots or steel |
bars to the forge we see them passed un- |
der heavy steam hammer weighing sew
eral tons. The blows are given gently at
first, owing to the crystalline nature of
the mass. But as the fbre is eliminated |
thh strength of the. blows is increased
bars aFA finished under much |
lighter hammers, winch move censidera- |
bly, quicker. They condense the steel to |
the utmost. The steel is now ready to be
carried forward into many of its subdi- |
visions, of tools, such as axes, flies and
cutlery.
The steel produced by @. Aultman &
Co. enables them, by their patent process,
to make steel for quality, utility and
cheapness that cannot be eXcelled.
Bat the question, What is steel? We
shall allow ''the Albion Steel Company, |
of Sheffield. England, to supply the cor
rect definition.