Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-11-23

HRyRY BEssRxER AND HIS WORKS.

Sir Henry Bessemer, who has recently
been presented the freedom of the city of
London, is known to all the world in con-
nection with the steel manufacturing pro-
cess which bears his name The less IA
miliar incidents Of his life. however. pos
sess many strong points OF interest for
nation of inventors, and are, moreover. al
most as exciting reading as the story Of
prOspector's search tor hidden gold.
While still young man his sister one day
asked him to buy her some gold pswder
at the paint shop. The price-7s. per
ounce-astonished him. II was too little
for gold and too much for base metal.
On further investigation he discovered
that the value Of the material was l.. per
pound, and that the cost of the product
was due to the labor of hammering Dutch
metal" into sheets and then grinding
them into powder. His first attempt to
initiate the process was an utter failure,
but perseveIing about year later he pro-
duced the working drawings for selfact-
ing machine. which enabled two men to
do the work Of go. and reduced the cost Of
bronze to about So. per pound Of course
he controlled the market absolutely.
This invention he never patented. The
machines, at least at first, were made
each wheel in a different shop. and some
in widely separated towns. The various
parts were then assembled by two trusted
workmen, who having guarded the yalu-
able secret faithfully for many years.
were rewarded by the gift Of the whole
business. The profits Of this invention
supplied the funds for the long series of
costly experiments in manufacturing steel.
For another early invention now in use in
the English stamp Office, and which has
been calculated TO have saved that gov
ernmet fl00.0O0 per annum for more
than 40 years. he has never received
penny. Within six weeks after his COM
mnnication with the stamp Office an order
was issued calling in all the old stamps.
and replacing them with stamps dated
with perforated figures, and which It was,
therefore. impossible TO transfer from one
document to another and thus deirand the
revenue. Lord Althrop. then Prime Min
lister. promised to reward the inventor
with slnecure of $500 year in the
stamp office, but he went out of power be-
fore doing so. and the claim was never
recognized by his Successors. Another
early invention was IA machine for stamp
ing Utrecht velvet, and part of its prod
ucts were used in Windsor castle
From these examples it will be seen
how diversified are the products of his
genius, and how impossible it would be
in such sketch as this to even catalogue
his | IA patents. Reduced to its lowest
terms Of statement, his process of steel
manufacture is to blow a blast of air
through fused iron, thus burning out the
excess of carbon. II is as simple as the
balancing of the egg by Columbus. but
the whole history OF applied science has
no other example of the attainment of
such stupendous results by the brain work
of one man.
Piior to the invention, which was an
nounced in 1856, the manufactures of
GreatBriiain annually consumed about 80
600 tons of cast-steei. which cost 600 to |
EGO per ton. And 1.-The process was as
slow and laborions as costly. After the |
invention, rs one of the first experiments |
showed. 20 tons of cast-iron, worth ESQ, |
could be converted in % inmates into 90 |
tons of steel. worth goo
This year the product of England will |
be $50, 900 tons. and of the world 5000
900 tons. Taking the value of a ton of
steel to be ESQ in 1850. and ff0 (the Eng
fish price, in $780, here is a saving that
is to say. gift-to the world of f120s1
000,0 600, or four tunes the total present
value OF the product. not to mention an
economy of 5000. 200 tons of coal in the
process of manufacture. and the fact that
many processes and structures arr posi-
BILE which would not have been dreamed
of in the age of iron. These are magnifi-
cent figures. and the reward .057, AS
Of the beautiful little gold medals which
are issued by the ROYAL Mint" rs Sir
Henry puts it's not disproportionate
llonors came late to Sir Henry, but when
hey began they came thickly
A catalogue of his crosses. medals.
titles. &c. is impossible here. but it may
be mentioned that one of our western
owns is named after him. file was born
Jan. .. 1918, and he is now engaged in
he elaboration of new method of man.
specula for rejecting telescopes
which may yet give us cheap and perfect
Darabolic mirrors almost without limita-
If size.-New York Times.