The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-03-01
Steel at One Cent Per Pound.

The letter of Mr. William w Chapman,
which wepublish to-day, is well calculated to
attract attention. In this progressive age new |
processes ofmanufacture and new and start
ing inventions must be expected but when
claims such as in our correspondents letter are
made, and not only made, but proved, they
must command universal attention. 1t is diff
cult to overestimate the vast Importance of this
new process for making steel, at a cost stated
to be not over one cent per pound for the very
best quality. Not many weeks ago gentleman
who has had much to do with iron and steel in
this country, as we'll as in Europe, stated to the
writer of this that it would not be long before
steel rails would be manufactured in this coun-
try at such low cost as to make $40 ton a
profitable selling price. Ifthis statement is to
find a realization in the near future through the
process described in our columns to-day, it will
create revolution in the iron and steel trades
and exert vast influence upon many varied
industries. The Graphite Steel and Iron Com
pany is the name of the company already or
ganized and in practical working order, for car
rying out to its full extent the new process de-
scribed by Mr.. William W. Chapman. Ba'ts-
more Manufacturers Record =
NEW YORK, February 7, 1888.
Editor Baltimore Manufacturers' Record: i
With reference to the process patented by me for
making steel direct from ores of Iron and from
slags, hardly know where to commence. n
MY claim Is for the manufacture Of steel direct
from ores OF iron and from slags, by melting such
ores and slagsin furnaces or crueibles, having an
lima otrrfae mn of nlumhaQQ
pound thereof 4
The theory Of the process is that the melted OK
ide of In contact with such lining, which
furnishes the carbon required for the reduction of
the oxides and conversion into steel.
The mechanical hiking OF ore and carbonaceous
materfals Is moi ali new; but attempts to make
steel by such mixtures have failed because OF the
impossfbfty Of keeping the ore and carbon in con-
tact. A reliable result could never be obtained.
By my method the carbon is fed automatically in
justine required quantity and at Just the proper
The finest quality OF steel has been made by the
process at cost of not more than one cent per
pound. Steel, worth from 10 to 10 cts. per pound,
can be made as cheapiy pig iron. This statement
will not extravagant when 1t is seen that the
cost is simply the expense OF melting the ore plus
the value OF the graphite consumed, which is incon
No aux whatever is used and the result is aLaoays
steet-of any required grade; the grade, q course
bago lining few minutes making the dfnorence
between very low and very high STEEL Prof.. Otto
Wuth, of Pittsburg, who analysed sample OF the
steel, pronounced 1t the best ever MADE IN This
country.
The most eminent scientists and metallurgists in
this country and abroad asserted positively and
unequfvocally that 1t absolutely impossible to
make steel direct from in an open hearth OF
reverberatory furnace by the process as claimed by
me, though they admitted that might possibly
do ttin crucible. The fact that It has been done
repeatedly and can be done at any time shows that
science, rather professors thereof are not infal
lible.
depends on the weight of charge and size OF fur
mace; in small reyerberatory furnace about three
hours will sunice Starting with the raw ore,
once made in Jorty.6ue minutes a polished cold
chisel Of most exquisite steel,
am yours most truly,
WILLIAM W. CHAPMAN,
so Broadway, New York.