Arizona weekly citizen., 1885-07-11
A NEW PROCESS
OF MANUFACTURING HIGH GRADE
 STEEL OF FIRST-cLASS QUALITY.
A Discovery of Immense Practical Value What Has Been Done at Pittsburg A Similar Process Em-
 pIOyed in England
Scientific Americanl

lScientinc AuericanI
 There recently appeared a statement, ir The New York Tribune from a rittsburg correspondent. which seems tO confirm the fact that steel is to take the place of iron in most places where the latter has been used The metal manufacturers seem to be alive to the change which has come over the public in it's appreciation Oi the superiority of steel.
 Early last year people about Pittsburg had their curiosity much aroused by mysterious performances at the works of Oliver Brothe s. A part of the establish. ment was carefully boarded and locked, and iealously iarded from all intrusion. and for slOng time nobody was ad- mitted Indeed, while every body won. dered what was going on, and among iror-workers particularly great deal of curiosity was excited. the secret was so well kept that the nature of the operation did not become known 10 anybody until in the last month, unless it be tO those who had special information of the affairs and prospects of the firm of Oliver Brothers after its suspension But now, through papers submitted at the annual meeting of the American Institute of Engineers and publications in local journals. the public Is assured that a new process for working iron has been thoroughly tested. and has not only met the scrutiny of experts. but has demonstrated it's immense practical value
 Its effect upon the future wages of skilled ironworkers will probably he ap- preciated from the statement now made, that. while steel of peculiarly excellent quality, and specially adapted tO many uses in preference 10 malleable iron, has been produced in large quantities and placed upon the market. only one work man in the whole establishment has needed such skill or training as tO receive wages averaging as much as g. 70 day. By the new process. which Is entitled the Clapp-GriiithS process. the silicon Is SO completely removed from the iron that. notwithstanding the presence of a propor- tion of phosphorus usually found fatal. steel of high grade and of a remarkably useful quality Is made To the practical ironworker, however. the most startling fact remains that the cost of this treatment Is less than half the present costOf making the ordinary pig iron into muck bar.
 At the wages now paid in Pittsburg. ii is reckOned that it costs Sl2. 7J Ter ton to make muck bar from pig iron. but by the new prO, ess a metal far more useful, in better shape for handling. is produced al less waste with a cost of only $6 Q ton added to the cost of the pig Moreover. it is shown that. by applying the comyar atively inexpensive plant required in this process in connection with ordinary blast furnaces. and taking the molten fro as it is required hot from the blast furnace for treatment in the converter. the cost of producing the ton of steel will be only S3 or Si more than the cost of producing the ton of iron
 As respects the cost, NIT. Witherow, of New Castle Pa who has been associated with Mir. Oliver in the work. presented a paper in which he stated that careful nc count of expenses while making about ;. QUO tons of this s eel had been kept, and including cost of the ferrO-manganese. coke and keeping up the plant. expenses for steam power. labor. and everything connected with the proreSs. it did not ex- ceed S6.50 per ton over the price of the pig iron used. But. as he further showed. much greater economy can be had in a production of the steel blooms in direct connection with the blast furnace.
 Another great innovation in steel m4k ing processes Is announced in England, which, according tO The London Iron and Coal Trades Review. will put an al. most certain end Co the malleable iron trade at once. as steel ingots coulG be made at far less cost than that at which puddled bars are now made It VIII be observed that this process appears from the description tO be like the one so sue. .-Oduced in Pittsburg. at least in general results, and in probable econ omy of working.