The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1873-01-25
The Pudding Of Iron.

This process Of pudding was invented by
Henry COrt, an Engllshman, and patented
by hlm IN 1888 aud l1S4 as new process
for ''shIngllng, welding, and manufactur-
M iron aud steel Dars, plates, and rods oi
Purer quality and in larger quantities than
heretofore, by a more etiectual application
Of lire machinery" For this invention
CUrt has been called ''the father of the
lron-Jrade of the British nation, and IL is
estimated that his invention has. during
this century, giving employment to 9 900,
OUO Of persons, and increased the wealth 0f
Great Britain by 81, 900 900, ,OUU. In his
experiments ior perlectmg ms process, MIR.
COrt spent his fortune, and though it proved
SO valuable, he died poor, having been H.
volvcd by the Government in a lawsuit
concerning his patent which beggared him.
SiN years before his death, the Govern
ment, as an acknowledgement If their
wrong, granted him a yearly pension Ot
81 900, and at his death this recompense
Nas reduced to his widow t0 S625. When
IRON Is simply melted and run into any
mold, It's texture Is granular, anu 1t Is So
brittle AS tO bu quite unreliable for ANY use
requiring much tensile strength. The pI0-
cess Vt pudding consisted IN stirring thu
molten IRON run out ia puddle, and had
the effect IF 50 changing its antonio al-
rangcmeLt as to render the process vi roll
ing It more etficacious. The process of BOIL
ing is considered an improvement upon
tins. The boiling furnace is an oven heated
to al intense heat by fire urged with a
blast. The cast-Iron sides are double, and
q constant circulation Of water il kent pass
a. h el IL L. a.
der 10 pr,ser tie structure from fusion
by the heat The inside Is lined with fire.
brick covered with metallic orc and slag
over the bottom and sides. and then TIE
oven being charged with the pgs of iron
the heat j. III on. The pigs melt. and the
oven Is filled with molten IRON. The pud-
der constantly stlrs this mass with a Oar
let through a hole III the door, until th8
iron rolls ~, Or 'ferments, As it is called.
The fermentation is caused bv the cOuhus-
tlOn Of portion ut the carbon i'm the iron
and AS soon AS the excess Of this ~ con
sumed, tile cinders ana sag sink t. the
bottom of the oven. leaving the semi-tuii
mass on the top. Stirring this about. the
puddler forms 1t into balls of such a Size as
he can conveniently handle, which are
taken out and carried on little cars. made
to receive them, To the sguygzer' ro
carry on this process properly requires great
skill and judgment III the pudler The
heat necessarily generated by the operation
Is - great that very few persons have the
physical endurance to stand it 80 great
Is it that the clothes upon the person frl-
queutly catch fire such a strain upun tha
phy sicaI powers naturally leads those sub
pcr~plr4tIpu which flows from the pIdUlers
IN streams while engaged in their work Is
caused hy thc natural effort uf their bodies
{" preserve themselves fruminju by keep
ing their normal temperature Such \
consumption of the fluids Uf the body
causes great thirst, and the exhaustion NJ
the labor. both bodily and mental, leads
often tn the excessive use of stmuants TN
fact, the work is Jou laDUrlOus. It's CuuiI-
tiJrs are such that no one should bc sub
j-cled W them The necessity. however.
fHr Judgment, experience, and skill ON the
part ot the or ratOr has mp this time pre-
vented theiutIO luctiun of machinery ID take
the phase If human labor III this process.
The Successful substitution Iumodern times
of machines performing various opera
tons which formerly seemed t. require tile
intelligence and deXterity Of living beu-
lor their execution, IustlEcs the eApeUta-
tinn thHt tae study now being given to the
nr-tnizatIeu Ny industry Viii lean to the
Invention of machines which viii obviato
the necessity for human suffering in the
process of pudding. such a consumma-
tiun would be am advantage to All classes
concerned. TIE attempts which have been
made IA this direction have not as vet
proved enLIreIN slIccessfnl.