Daily Yellowstone journal., 1885-06-10
A NEW PROCESS
oF MANUFACTURING HIGH : GRADE
STEEL or FlRST-cLAsS QUALITY
a Discovery of Immense Practical Value
What Has Been Done at Pittsburg
"A Similar Process Em-
ployei In England.
[scientihc AMERICAN.

lScientihc Amercan.l
There recently appeared statement in
The New York Tribune from tittsburg
correspondent which seems TO confirm
ihe fact that steel is to take the place OF
IRON in most places where the latter has
been used. The metal manufacturers
seem 10 be alive 10 the change which has
some over the public in its appreciation OF
he superiority Of steel.
Early last year people about Pittsburg
had their curiosity much aroused by
mysterious performances at the works Of
Oliver Brothers A part of the establish.
menl was carefully boarded and locked.
aud jealousy guarded from all intrusion,
and for q long time nobody was ad-
mitted Indeed, while everybody won
iered what was going on, and among
iroE.workers particularly great deal OF
curiosity was excited, the secret was so
well kept that the nature Of the operation
did not become known TO anybody until in
the last month, unless il be TO those who
had special information OF the affairs and
prospects nf the firm Of Oliver Brothers
afler 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 new process for working
iron has been thoroughly tested, and has
not only met the scrutiny of experts, but
has demonstrated its immense practical
value.
Its effect upon the future wages of
skilled ironworkers will probably be ap-
preciated from the statement now made,
that. while steel Of peculiarly excellent
quality, and specially adaped 10 many
uses in preference TO mal,ea bic iron, has
been produced in large quantities aud
placed upon the market only one work.
man in the whole establishment has needed
such skill or training as % re eive wages
averaging a. much as 81 day. BY
the new process, which is eatitled the
Capp.L ri tbs process, the silicon is SO
completely removed frJm the iron that
notwithstanding the presence of proper.
tion Of phosphorus usually found fatal,
steel of high grade and Of 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 PittsGurg. 1t
Is reckoned that il costs Sl2 70 rer ton TO
make muck bar IRON pig iron. but by the
new pro ess a metal far more useful. in
better shape for handling. is produced at
less waste. with a cost Of only SO a ton
added TO the cost of the pig. Moreover,
il is shown that, by applying the compar,
atively inexpensive plant required in this
process In connection with ordinary blast
furnaces. and taking the molten iron as il
is required hot from the blast furnace for
treatment In the converter. the cost of
producing the ton OF steel will be only So
or 81 more than the cost of producing the
Ton Of iron
As respects the cost, Mr.. Witherow, of
New Castle Pa who has been associated
with Mr. Oliver in the work. presented q
paper in which he stated that careful &C.
count of expenses while making about
1000 tons Of this seel 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 process it did not ex-
oeed s6jO per ton over the price of the
pig iron u'ed 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 max.
ing processes is announced in England,
which, according to The London Iron
and Coal Trades Review. will put an al.
most certain end to the malleable iron
trade at once, as steel ingots could be
made at far less cost than that AZ which
pudded bars are now made. 1t VIII be
observed that this process appears from
the description TO be like the one so sue.
cessfully introduced in Pittsburg. at least
ia general results, and in probable econ
omy of working