Smyrna times., 1884-06-04
TinWare.

-hdiN pSQplC sun lulhh IlHWdI6 IS
pure tin, and astOnishment is often de
picted on the cOuntenances of the un-
sophisticated when told that only from
two to six parts in a hundred of a piece
of tin plate is pure tin, the rest being
sheet-iron or steel, and the tin only
thin coating. The process of coating
iron plates with tin was first invented
in Bohemia, or Silesia in the fore part
of the seventeenth century but. like
everything else in those times the pro
cess was very crude The iron plates
at that time were produced by ham
mering, and of course varied much in
their thickness, and seldom exceeded
six or eight inches in width and length:
these plates were heated, dipped in
water mixed with WOOd-aSh, then pol
ished by scrubbing them by hand with
sand, covered with greasy substance
and dipped into molten tin. On ac-
count of the uneven surface of the iron
plates,a heavy coating of tin-frOm fif-
teen to twenty pounds per hundred
pounds of irOn-Was necessary to pro-
duce a bright appearance. The plates
that were made in those times were
very costly, and were mostly worked
into cuirasses for warriors, ornaments
for church steepleS, and occasion
ally into vessels for family USE but the
latter were so expensive that a piece
would be kept as valuable inherit
anee by several generations
These plates were used in England
largely, but were imported, because
all experiments to produce them cheap
enough at home remained unsuccessful
until about 174O or 1850, from that
time on the tin-plating industry began
to prosper in England The process
of reducing iron into thin sheets of
more uniform thickness was soon after
invented, and gradually, England got
control of all the markets of the world
in this commodity, and since the adOp-
ton of the commodity for such general
use in the United States, the consump-
ton here has been enormous. This
country now consumes about two
thirds of England's production. FOI
the fiscal year ending June 80, 1892
the number of pounds Of timed plates
imported was III ,S63, 900, representing
in value $l6,634,000.
THE BARTHOLDI PEDEsTAL.-Tht
foundation for the pedestal and statue
( of Liberty is completed, and rises 2C
/ feet above the old ramparts on Bedloe's
Island, New York. 1t was formally
inspected last week by officers and
members of the executive committee
under the guidance Of Gen. Charles p
Stone, engineer in charge The foun.
i, ]. -, Il =
fort. Gen. Stone says it will last long
er than the Pyramids. 1t is sunk /;
feet and s inches below the surface oil
the ground, and rises - feet and ten
inches above. 1t is 81 feet square at
the bottom and 81 ut the top. From
the top the mountains of PENNSYLVANIA
can be seen. The pedestal is to rist
III feet above this, and the statue ,lji
feet is to cap the mass. making &
height from low water to the top of the
torch of $50 feet. THE great prob
lem" said Gen. Stone, "is to guide
against the whole mass, with 1000 feet
of surface, tOpling over into the harbOl
before the strong winds. Four large
iron bars will be cemented into the
base and pedestal, and will connect
with the steel works which are To sup.
port the statue. 1t will be as immovA
Bile as the hills. Two anchorages pas.
through the base OF the foundation a
right angles, and shaft for the stair
ways runs up the centre. Elevator
will run through the pedestal and thu
statue. Holes through the foundation
have been left for lightning conductors
Work will be Immediately begun oI
the pedestal.