Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-01-04

SOME NOTES CONCERNING THE DIAMOND STATE IRON
cos BOILING MILL-rHE ORIGIN OF THE WORKS,
THEIR GROWTH, AND PRESENT ATTAINMENT.
Pursuing the subject OF our iron industrie
begun in these columns few days ago we
come now to notice the rolling mills Of the Dia-
mond State Iron Co. They are located st Third
and Church streets, snd have frontage on the
Christiana River. They cover an area of
about two acres of ground, on which
are erected substantial buildings, viz The
pudding department. loo by 1870 feet, in spans
of Is feet each, and connected together by
building which is 100 by IS feet in the shape of
an " L" this being the main finishing depart
ment The next is the brick machine ,hop, ,
stories high, l06 by IS feet which also forms an
" l." for blacksmith shop, but in which are also
manufactured spikes, bolts, &c. There is also
large warehouse where all the iron spike and
bolts are stored ready for sale.
The machinery of this Company is Of the most
improved style. In the pudding department
there are SINGLE and double furnaces, scrap
iron furnace and heating furnace for finishing
lron , trains of Is inch rolls and a rotary
squeezer, all driven by ali engine the cylinder OF
which is Is inches in dismster and with IS inch
stroke. There is also in this department an
s inch train of rolls, for making
the smallest iron. which is driven by an engine
with cylinder - inches IN diameter and Is inch
stroke, making speed averaging $50 revolu-
tons per minute. The machinery i'll the main fin
! ishlug department consists of heating furnaces
| 10 inch and an IS inch train of rolls, both Of
which are driven by sn engine whose cylinder Is &c
uchet in diameter and Il inches in stroke; slso =
| blast engine with cylinder l6 inches in diameter
| and 81 inches IN stroke. which drives fan Of
| the Dimpfel pattern. supplying blsst for all the
| furnaces named. In these buildings are sever
| a shears for cutting iron Of all .slzes. In the
machine shop are located punches. lsthes, plan
! ers and all necessary tools for railroad supply
works. In the blacksmith shop there are
spike machines. $ bolt and hot press nut ma
| chine furnaces. fres &c, driven by engine
with II inch cylinder and So inch stroke.
After the foregoing minute description Of the
| works. machinery, etc. perhaps few details Of
the manufacture Of pig INTO bar iron might not
be uninterestlng 10 s large number Of our read
ers. The process is about a. follows Pig meta
varies in quality snd is designated by IRON mel
as red short, cold short and neutral. The mix
ing Of these metals 10 make good IRON depends
entirely upon the skill OF the superintendent
Red short iron will bend at s cherry red hest
cold short will break when bending cold, seutra
viii bend when hot OF cold. and 10 get the atte
requires the exercise Of much skill by the super
lutepdeut.
pudding furnace has two sides ~ cast .rol
plates with hre chamber II one end. and
stack in the other. with a boiler on top. Be
tween the stack snd fire chamber Is auothe
chamber with door IN front. resting on sal
and below this sill shout 10 inches, Is bottom
plste inches thick. around which is lsed
wall Of iron ore called " tx This constitute
the middle chamber, aud or this plate Anothe
bottom Is made by throwing in scrsp iron. ali
wasting It away 80 as 10 lesye shout inches d
cinder on top Of the plate When the c.nder
cooled of or "chlued 1t becomes ard. I'll
pigs, a. the oval shaped bars rough from Il.
smelling furnace are cAlled. are either broken {
thrown in whole. and are weighed out in th
prnportlon OF 500 pounds 10 a single and / ,0l
pounds to double furnace. and are thrown int
the chamber where they remain until me!tet
which operation takes about 80 minute
The helper then takes the pudding too
snd stlrs the mixture until II comes to boil a
high as the door sill. The puider now takes
III hand and works ST It until 1t becomes thick al
drops INTO 3 solid mass. This mass il worke
M into or balls for single furnace. and
10 balls FOR double furnace. When they are a
completed. one after the other is taken out
huge tonss, placed upon an iron buggy true
and taken 10 the rotary sQneezer. which reNo.v
them around in its ponderous cogs and throw
them ont in al oblong shape. This obloi
shaped mass is then run through the rui.er- II
tarned ont into bars Of iron g. or inches N !.
a. required
These BAR are then taken to the bauA vhe
they are left TO cool of. sfter which tne :;
ker' cuts them into short pieces, snd.I!ed
s high secorilng 70 the weight required % ma
s merchantsble bar They are then taken
the hesune furnace. where they are heated Il
welding hest and then taken TO the ro.lel
rolled into bsrs, sawed, trimmed. siraghieue
n. ind put into the warehouse ready for The mi
nd ket.
. The capacity Of these larse iron works. when
full operation, II isbout lo,eo tons Of finish
bars per Annum. and they employ from 2oo
81 hands. At present however. there are o;
shout lpbhands employed. and running on
minishe3 time.
They manufacture q their own iron ra.lro
traoA ta>tenins>, consisting q fish p.ste> irs.
be Is, splkes hot and cold pressed uuis, wash,
and bolts q s.! k.ud> fol bindings. cars triis
snd FOR aN other purposes :or which bolts a
nuts s. used.
These WORKS we're es;all lied IN ISIS ty
;.rrn of Mepau.e.. Cra.e 1 Co. Al that time
capacity was Iot more than $50 toas per auna
The superior lualiiy Of the goods usUufsetuI
has. from time te time. re lurei IN, reasei Is,
.tles. Until they have reached their present ca
city. In lS6J the works we're lucoTVra
under the name aad t!i.e q the Diamond ST,
Iron Co. and are now operated by thai coinpA
;t some q the original owners beng .uteres
si.... The ofticeTs 4 the Company are
lovs H Meui!nha.!. President Clement
Sulyth, Nioe President sid Treasurer eoi
W Toii, Secretary. Jahn 7. Davis Is Super
tendeut and Aas tie genera charge of
pI1~ks