The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-04-24
SOMETHING NEW IN STEEL.

SOMETHING NEW IN STEEL.
How Siege Guns Are Made Of the Weigh
OF Field Howitzers.
Following the recent developments il
the usc OF dynamite shells in common
field cannon charged with powder. is s
new departure in the manufacture o
cannon. 1t comes from the apparently
endless variety of uses made of mild, o.
Bessemer process, steel, and is probabl,
the most astonishing application yet
made of that metal.
In 1880. about the time mild steel
came largely into the market, the Presi-
dent OF a company manufacturing seam
less brass and copper pipe concluded tc
try mild steel as substitute in certain
directions for the more expensive brass,
copper and other metals used in his es-
Enlistment. The process of manufact-
ure was simple. A plate of metal was
placed over die and mandrel forced
the plate into it Just as lady might
place a piece of tissue paper over her
thimble and then force it in with hel
finger. The mau,lrel would force the
metal into shape like deep bowl,
with sides of uniform thickness. BY
repeating this process with other dies
and mandrels. hydraulic process being
used to shove the mandrel through the
die, the plate of steel eventually became
a steel tube of uniform thickness and
perfect bore and circumference. The
steel was found to work as easily as the
brass or copper, and no change of tools
was necessary.
AS steelwas cheaper than copper, the
advantage of substituting drawn steel
seamless tubes for brass or copper ones
was manifest. But the saving in price
was altogether the smallest gain. To
the astOnishment of those engaged in
the experiment, the steel was found to
have radically changed its character in
the process. 1t went into the machine
soft and pliable. 1t came out, although
drawn cold, beautifully tempered
spring. If tube was compressed, it
would instantly resume its shape when
the pressure was removed. If struck
with hammer. it rang like bell,
while tests of the increased strength of
the metal showed n change that was
wonderful. To fully test its strength a
boiler of the size and style used beside
every range in New York flats wa,
made from the steel b. this process.
Tie metal of the boiler was drawn out
to Il thickness of about onc-ihirtieth of
an inch. and it then stood pressure of
six hundred pounds 10 the square inch,
giving way when that limit was passed
After this IN other tests the expert
mentors began TO wonder why n gun
barrel could not be m lde of steel BY
this process that would be superior to
any other. They first male tube OF
six inches bore and half IN inch thick
ness of metal. This was drawn cold.
Then ano her was made of the same
thickness of metal. and of bore that
would permit it to be showed over the
first one by the hydraulic press when it
was warmed. the first remaining cold.
A thiri was then drawn over the two,
and thus was completed cannon. IL
was found that it would stand Il water
pressure of Scventy-tive thousand pounds
TO the square inch. This cannon has
BEEN sent to Sandy Hook. and the Off
GERS of the artillery corps will try to
BUS it by the usual tests applied to
new cannon. They have before them
TIE astonishing spectacle of gun that
will throw a solid shot weighing one
porn IS. although the metal is
only one inch and a-half thick around
the powder. To people accustomed 10
seeing the common cannon. enormously
thick at the breach, it VIII seem in
credible that IN inch and a-half of this
meal will serve the purpose better.
1t is well known that one cause of the
high price Of Illuminating gas to the
consumer is the great quantity Lost by
leakage through the. cast-iron pipes
used. In Pittsburgh it was found that
this leakage of the natural gas was so
great that serious and fatal expl osions
occurred. Every foot of the cast-iron
mains here has in consequence been
out The great size of the bore
needed prevented the use of the lap
welded wrought-,ron pipe, and the
seamless pipe OF paper thickness viii be
used, its great density beng proof
against any leakage o: gas or liquid
uader any pressure. The tendency to
oorrodc even under ground is very
small. but this objection to steel will be
wholly obviated by coatings either of
tin or aluminium bronze within and
without. TIE steel pipe is not only bet
ter but cheaper.
Milk cans are being made of the new
steel tubing. The bottom is IN eighth
Of an inch thick, and the sides about
of an inch. The banging of
the most vigorous Yankee cheese maker
or of the most reckless bI akeman on a
milk train can not dent them or serious
ly injure them.
The eNrer menters have also turned
their at eniion to clock springs, and
they have found that the new process
not only makes cheaper but n superb
or quality OF spring Just what change
the metal undergoes in this process of
drawing has not been determ ned. That
it becomes iihrouS is plain. Iron drawn
into wire becomes tbrous also. but it
does not become tempered spring