The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-01-14
~ what Material .,naIl IN. Csh.e. be ,Iaac,

Tho Brooklyn Bridge Trustees, by vote
ofseven 10 eight, at their LAST meeting rcfu,in:
to instruct the executive committee to report
the lowest bidder for cruciole wire, Indicated
IN II there was stron: party in tue board IN
f.vor Of Besscmcr or Siemens-Mirtin steel.
although one or two rho voted against the mo-
ton declared that they were committed to
neither STEEL In Cnief Engineer Ro,bling's
original n, cincations III the cable wire lac er-
Guided Dc'scmer and open hearth stcels, and
asked only for tbs Tor otucioc cast steel.
on the tAe r. that the other kinds Of steel
could not be IN dc 10 come 10 10 tue
standard required. The trustees altered
tho Specifications, opening the field To- all.
In three months OF active work. the wire
makers manifested through actual SAMPLES OF
open hearth and Bcssemer steels that these
stcels could I've 80 ca inipulatei a. to III 'et the
req frle"t, III every RESPECT iuc engineer
saws tnis ia his repO I, anu ADDS that he sam
ples pussess9d uniformity eqIal TO and even
superior 10 an pfdud OF cast Steel aud tns. too.
Without gong rough the process of hirdeu-
ine aud tcmpsring This Let proves all tho
more import u i, in.smuch ms the steel wir, ~
these Kinds can De made ut about one-hulf the
priCe Of good est steel wire, SAVING 10 The two
a. les On the pridgs ctblc. be wsau W. ',nd
three hundred thousand dollars. As the Hes
sriuer wfe has never been used In the manu-
Lecture Of CABLES number 81 the mem-
mtsing an experiment at tns time.
s,crinclns nn,tniug To cneapness. MT Hewitt,
Nnu l. 'tMllldf vi n the ma Iuf.CfuIe o. wire,
does not regard ths tests rs arranged bv tue
engineers as ahordlng sutii ,icut protection
a. inst the delivery OF STANDS of wire OF I'M
sultno.e quaiiIi ~ tnev arc maze Of Bes-emer
steel. ne REGULARITY he say, u ia / rlat.-
rial Is thai Il Is api 10 have weak spots. Of
winch lneTr H. no extern i indic ton ana VIII
can only be deyeiopeI by actual test applied az
tne point - weakness. due probably 10 tne q
closure Of ruDOles VI AR In the mass Of toe
material. or LOssibly the oxld .tiOn of minute
priicies o. the material where the AIR Is ucing
ariven INTO tue converter unier hign Pressure.
No amount Of visual inspection can determine
IA wn4t part Of tue in-Ot rod or strand OF v ire
-lch deiects VIII occur. lie says that he has ie.
peatedls seen tue rods OF Bessemcr steel ire.k
under inal' qnato strain. Ine str.ln t. ~tnvn
toe rod ~ 1irctel on oeiug drawn into Nitc a,
not sufilcl Mt 10 develop al the defects. A.
sometimes happens thIi II Is Jus. wilhin tie
useaNlug imt 81 the wire whicn. having thus
been suDjectei to test beyond its elastic iInlt,
Will -uuscqden.y break ~ i1Ad much less
tnan that wuic1 II nd- ulgra ~ sustain Il. there
fuI" there l. nos fciy IN the Be-srmer wire IN
less every strand mould be suuJ rc ed for Us pn-
tire ngth To u ties adequate IL proverbs utuoss
tue apparent economy iuNoNei IN th1 Use Of the
Bc-seiuor wire shOdii not "eigu against the risk
Involved.
he Inference in the price Of crucible and
lisssener steel 1, illustrated In the bids
oi tue hoeolinss ihey offered cruclD,e
steel tor . cent, IN gold pound, or Ia All
sSl2,Do IN Goid. and lies,emer s'csl Al a.. cents
a ppuni, or s+lS.OI In all Ine mOiui l. Of et.--
ti,ity OF their 81 seinrr steel is u Vcloprd b,
the Test. w.s .0,,igiOs, tue .dLlns OF their
c,uciule steel Is @iHis,s9J. iho lrs-tmer tt,cI
stood a strain ., Is, Ia pounds pvr ruuare lucu,
steel re ion: the cruclule stc'i, l1gOlg. IN,
cast steel at Rirhhrd Joansun n NrpteM showed
"a tensile strength Of about sJJiJJ pounds 10
the "a ARE IuGh. Tie whole subject /, to to
discussed again on the receipt Of the lids fir m
AL the makers for the Bessemcr wire Thuse
VINO favor tho Bessemer steel do so princip nv
heca zee Il will 40 al required Of It, ana VIII
cost tAo or three hunlred tnous M dollars
less,