The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-07-19
MES SILICON STEEL.
The Works at Elmira, n. Y.

lion of rolling mills for the manufacture OF
silicon steel rails any information in regard
10 the peculiar character of these rails, theil
merits, process of manufacture and the par
lies engaged in this field, cannot fail to be OF
interest TO our people. In Il New York pub
.lication, entitled "The Iron Age" publica
lion devoted to the interests Of the hardware
and metal trades, and the highest recognized
authority on such subjects in this country, We
have full account of the Mes Silicon Roll
ing Mills at Elmira, n, y, the parent of sim
lar mills about to be established at Sandus
ky, Ohio, at the Calumet, near Chicago, and
1T Ottawa, Illinois. From this we COndensc
Tie following facts:
The works at Elmira were established a
little over two years ago, and are thus describ
ed:
The Company's works cover about seven
acres, and consist of two large mills, with ap.
prOpriatc outbuildings-onc for silicon rails
and the other for merchant bar They have,
together, six pudding furnaces, eleven heat
ing and one scrap furnace There is a $500 lb.
steam hammer in the rail mill for hammer.
ng the iron and silicon steel into blooms,
There are three engines of $50 horse power,
one of $50 horse power, and three of 40 horse
power. The rail mill produces 100 tons Of
rails per month, and the bar mill 500 tons, va
riOus shapes and sizes. The Company now
employ about $50 men They are about
building a new puddle mill, containing 90
pudding furnaces, two train rolls, two large
engines and two steam hammers. Ii will be
3l9X10 feet, and a wing lG7 feet long. The
object of this enlargement is to increase the
ppt Of h.r, |, ot Inn
he run night and day. They are also cnlarg.
ing the bar mill. and other extensions and
additions are contemplated"
The works are owned by very wealthy
company consisting of Dr. Edwin Eldridge
and Mr. H. w. Rathbone, the former being
President and the latter disclarging the vari
Gus executive functions usually delegated to
half dozen of different officers 1t is the
intention Of DR.. Eldridgc not only to extend
these works until they are the most extensive
IRON works in the country, but, as We see by
The movement in Ohio and here, to have
branches all over the west.
DR.. Eldridgc is a man of vast wealth. and
during the last three years has expended a
great deal Of money upon public park about
TWO miles from the city, of Elmira) includ. |
ing over 100 acres, in the center of which is |
beautiful lake covering about Is acres, sur,
rounded by drives and winding walks
Throughout the grounds are many pieces of
.tatuary of great beauty, and in beautiful |
grove is chapel where services are held on |
sunday afternoons. The whole is free To the
public at all times.
The rails made by the company exclusively
arc those with what are called silicon steel
headS, and have already attained wide rep
utation for the excellent service they have
rendered for the past two years on the Erie |
railroad, which has thus far monopolzed all |
the rails the company has made. The variety |
Of steel is made by combining a certain per
centage OF what is known as Codorus ore--a
sort Of ore or sand found on Codorus creek in
York county, Pennsylvania, with pig iron
in the pudding furnace. II is peculiarly
adapted for rail heads, as it effects perfect
union with the iron used for the webs and
hanges, without losing, except at the point of
union with the iron, It's distinctive stccly char.
actcr. The process by which the iron is
transformed into steel, by the use of this Co.
dorus ore, is quite simple. The charge con.
Nists OF 1880 lbs. of pig iron to which is add.
el from to per cent Of powdered silicon
ore, according to the quality of iron used.
By this mixture, common mig iron can be
worked at single heat into good quality Of
TOOL steel. To prove this, such steel has been {
worked into punches and experimental tools
Of excellent temper and great durability
In making rails, the puddle bar is heated
aud rolled into flats, 30 inches wide for iron
and inches for steel. These flats are cut in
10 proper lengths, and are piled in such way
that two flats Of steel shall form the rail head
In the reheating furnaces the piles are placed
with tie steel flats downwards, but are, of
course, reversed when passed to the rolls
The rolling is the same as ordinary iron.
The rail. thus made have been found of
Uniform and peculiar excellence, and have
stood tests 10 which they have been subjected
on the Eric railroad quite as well rs the best
steel BesScmcr rails. The following service ,
record during two years on "A section on the p
Erie road shows the comparative durability \
of three kinds Of rails subjected To the same
rafic:
Good iron rails, laid 1901, taken up 81 q per e.
Bc,scmcr rails, 1863, 343
: Silicon steel rails, GS9jl, So .
great advantage Tor the Silicon rail is
claimed in il unsurpassed strength when sub
Iected 10 frost BY the fracture of awhccl on
he Erie road one very cold night last winter
a. it passed over a section of Bcssemer rails :
y rails were broken in line, while in passing
over a section of silicon rails not one was in
iured.
Other advantages are claimed for the Sill
,0n steel over any other, from the fact of its
80 much silicon and 50 little car
JOn. 1t will, for that reason, sustain high.
In,rrcn nf hnuf ~ cnrl.n,n I I..-,:l-l