The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1875-12-18
The Joliet Iron and Steel Works.

THIS corporation Owls oue M the most prn-
ductlve farms in WI county III. Its Io-
Gated just outside TIE city limits " Joliet on
the north. ana about a quarter II mile
south ~ thc State prison on the west side
" TIE railroad stands the blast furnace ana
other buIldirg, used for the production Of
pig iron. The blast furnace u ID an incom-
plete state. ana has never been run at ALL
Ou the east side ~ the railroad D. the steel
furnace Like the blast furnace, this build
ing s also a spacious and substantial ~truc--
ure Along the north side nj the farm Is
large one-story building This D. the iron
rail mill Along the cas- sIir D. 'he steel
rolling mill Near tie centre are the ma
chine shops, storage buildings and adjoining
the railroad. also ~ the centre north and
south. stands the office The buildings are
all large. roomy. substantial structures. TIE
walls beng built 81 brick aud stone and the
roofs constructed Of iron A narrow gauge
railroad connects the steel furnace with the
steel rolling min, ard both ~ these with the
storage buildings On the farm.
At present the iron mill is engaged ia -,-
rolling Ola railroad bars, and making them as
good a. new. TIL, old bars are cut into
lengths Of about SIX feet These sections ave
then heated 30 che ordinary heating furnace
o. almost a white at and are then rolled
fat Each section Is cut INTO lengths Of
about five fret. and these iattened pieces are
piled one upon another until there is more
than enough IRON 70 make a rail These
pieces, while still lot. are wheeled into the
mill proper, where they are again clnsi gnei
to the heating furnace. aud again raised AL
most 10 a white heat, when hoy 20 to the
rolls and n a short time they come uut bran
new iron rails The time required t. trans
form old. ragged, worn cut rails int new
rails Of the latest improved pattern does I.
exceed half an hour There are four heating
ng furnaces M use to heat the cold iron and
prepare Il fur is hltteuing process, and there
are ten men and many boys required u
prepare, heat and roll these sections. Ia the
rolling MN proper there are "a heating fuf-
nace-, Oily portion Of which are Nv use
ana over 100 men employed in heating, hand
ling, rolling ana caring for the new bars. A
powerful engine VI about 100 horse power
Keeps the rolls running constantly, but as
there Is u.t enough Rot iron on hand. much
time is lost men stand idle and steam runs
to waste. When business is brisk, SO thar
every moment is made to'count, the cost Of
producing bars Is diminished, the meu will
earn more, as they are paid BY the ton, and
all results willr more satisfactory.
" busy times can be expected
in the near fuAe Or not is one Of those
things 10 fellowNau find out We are Of the
opinion that no change fur the better need be
expected, until the specie resumption law Is
repealed.
Let us now 20 to the furnace The Dig
iron is put into a great retort, with an open
mouth on one side, near the top. and melted
Through this seething mass Of melted iron
air is forced by means Of powerful air pump.
worked by steam engine Of at least 200 horse
power This keeps the iron boiling and
bubbhng more funously than Macbeth ;
cauldron ever did. The air in passing through
the iron takes up all Of the impurities and
carries them off in a gaseous form. This
blowing has precisely the same effect as pud-
ding, with tins difference, it does the bust
ness more quickly and more effectively Six
tons Of pig iron are put in at each heat, and
the air is brought in contact with every moli-
cule Of iron. so that the iron is rendered al
most pure after it has been "blowed" Dur.
ing this blowing process the seething mass
gives of the most brilliant scintiIlations, nj
vAlling if mot actually excellinR the most