West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1881-04-06
rrSTVIRGINIAFR
THE HOME FOLKS.
r, ,RITY HoLLENBAcK, Housekeepe,
THE PROFESSORS CHAIR.
BESSEMER STEEL.

.Hore's a conundrum for YOU,
~. said Herbert. What is the
b3st valuable thing in the world y
~Ho" said Oscar, chats easy
|rough, everybody knows that gold
no." said Herbert, shaking his
kead: sit is not gold. Try again"
/ us it iron?" asked John.
Yes" replied Herbert. 81 sup
,,e that iron, if we include all the
,rious kinds, such as wrought
Fan, cast iron and steel, is Of more
[,Iue than any one thing in the
orId."
i This conversation took place on
he r. torn of a railroad car just
\ aying the city Of Pittsburgh. The
$pcakers were Mr.. Herbert Wallas-
H. his Cousin John, who was
%bout twelve years old, and friend
\ Johns called Oscar Mr.. Wallas-
n N has Just graduated at Il scien-
Fl fc school, and now he took great
pleasure in showing and teaching
8obn all he could about the curious
H., of science, in their various
halks and excursions. At present
Hhev had Just left Pittsburgh on an
EyDedition to the little town of
Bessemcr to see the great steel
@orks,
II Now" said Herbert, while we
Are riding along, you shall be the
&udicncc and / shall be the Profess
H., and will give you lecture on
iron7
Il That's good" said Oscar. Il
Should like it ever 50 much
II ladies and gentlemcn,' began
lerbert-
Il But there are no ladies'" said
Oscar.
a "Hushw replied Herbert, you
must not interrupt the lecturer;
Besides that is the way they always
begin
Iron is Il metal it is one of the
Strongest metals that there is. A
par so big round"-herc Herbert
heldup his fingers in the form of
circle about an inch and a half in
8diameter-"will hold $4,000 pounds.
you can form some idea of this
enormous weight if you imagine
twenty-five coal carts tied together
Pnd hung on a bar of this size"
q My" said Oscar, in low tone,
Rwhat string Of carts. | should
fhink the horses would kick"
IF, continued Herbert, "you
put the iron into furnace with
some coal and heatit very hot it will
aneIt, and then by pouring it into
= mold it may be cast into any
shape you please"
Just as we cast some lead bullets
Pie other day ?" asked John.
Yes" answered Herbert; "iust
PIKE that. When the iron is melted
p4 the furnace" he continued, sit
Ifbsorbs part of the coal'-
How does it do that ?" asked
Oscar
"Aoone knows exactly how" said
|her0ert; "but this coal has pc
BRITTLE"
Yes" said John, q tried to use
5oe stove cover the other day for a
hammer and broke it."
All" replied Herbert, "if break
ing stove cover will teach you that
ESSC IRON IS brittle it will be very
tSneap way of learning an important
.aGt: Steel is made from iron by
'aEIng part Of this coal, or carbon,
the IRON"
d, But" said Oscar, "you said that
,ne carbon made the iron brittle,
ana steel is very strong"
J true" replied Herbert, "a good
I 'vtl Vi carbon does make the iron
plItue; but if we take some of it
p roaI ana leave only a very little, it
makes a4 a compound which is very
''Lohg, and this we call steel"
o, don't understand that" said
NO, answered Herbert, "no one
tTbi nV rs it; they only know
'nat this is a fact. About twelve
tIo illCeen years ago an English gen.
''eman named Mr.. Bessemer discov-