The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-11-27
STUDENTS ON THE WING.
Excursion of the Senior Class in Engineering
of Purdue University.

L
Correspondence of the indianapolis Journal.
LAFAYETTE, Nov. 25-We left the university
with the intention of seeing just as much as pos
sible but We were rather expected by Professor
Stahl to devote the most of our time to sight
seeing in the machine shops mills and manu-
factories of Chicago. Arriving there, we were
ready for work early Tuesday morning, and
made our first visit to Cook g. Rathbone's plan
ingmill and box factory. This establishment
is located pier jutting into the lake, and had
some very fast-running rotary cutters and saws
Boxes were made in great numbers and very
rapidly. We saw here printing
press for operating on wood, which was
quite novel, The government lifesaving
station No. II is located here. We were shown
through it and found everything extremely neat
and we'll kept In the afternoon we visited the
engine-room of the cable-car street railway.
Here we found four large, beautiful engines
with modification Of the Corliss valve motion,
each capable of exerting 20O-horse power. Two
were in use, the other two were held in readiness
in case of accident. Here were also the ponder
Gus gear wheels and pulleys for giving correct
motion and tension to the miles of wire cable
in use The cars grip the moving cable by an
ingenious device and are propelled at rate of
six miles per hour On Wednesday we visited
the Fowler railroad spike mill. where the only
rolled spikes in tine United States are
tain virtues, by of their peculiar
shape, not found in other spikes. After dinner
we left the city for Pullman, the consummation
OF the giant scheme of the palacecar builder.
The streets are well kept. and very clean. The
houses are built of brick and stone, in long, reg
ular blocks, after modern plans. The town is
admirably laid out, and possesses all the conven
fences that town of $500 people demands.
The hotel, which is a handsome structure is the
only place where liquor can be had, and there
whole of these immense works is supplied by
the huge Corliss eugine which did duty at the
Centennial. The shops are supplied with
wood and iron machinery, paint Shops marble
into the making up of one of these
model cars. The Arcade is a large two-story
building, and gets its name from the glass roof
which covers the tagged pavement running
through the building On either side of this
covered way are the stores of the town, with the
exception of the meat and vegetable market
located elsewhere. On the second floor of the
Arcade is library, handsome. complete and
we'll filed with volumes and current literature
1t was observed that periodicals of a mechanical
nature were the most numerous. A theater
bank, and other conveniences found on this
floor. The water tower is 200 feet high, and
supports over 1000 tons of water. We were
treated with much courtesy here, and thoroughly
enjoyed the visit. Bright and early Thursday
morning we boarded train. and were soon at
the South Chicago iron works This company
make their own pig metal in four
huge blast furnaces of about 120 tons
capacity per day each. The blast for these
furnaces is supplied by eight enormous
blowing engines, ard they, in turn, are fur
nished with steam by seventy boilers Here Ne
witnessed the process of making Bessemer steel,
from beginning to end. We saw the ore charged
into the furnace, and fluid iron drawn into iron
cars. This iron was taken to the converters of
the Bessemer plant was blown, and the spiegel-
eisen poured in. 1t was then east into huge in
gots and rolled into rails 120 feet long These
rails were cut into lengths of thirty feet each
Strengthened and drilled and were then ready
for market. The whole was magnificent sight,
and would excite the admiration of anyone. On
Friday, at the city water-works, we saw the larg-
est pumping engines we had ever seen. There
were four of them, and each had about
eight feet of stroke. Blatchford 81 Co.'S lead
pipe and oil factory and shot tower next engaged
our attention. The oil was pressed from the
faxseed, and the lead pipe made by
the application of hydraulic pressure Here we
were shown an iron cylinder ten inches thick,
which had burst from an internal pressure of
5000 tons, obtained by hydraulic means. I'm
fortunately the shot tower was not in operation,
and we did not see the shot process Our next
visit was paid to the shops of the Western Elec-
trio Company, where telephones, and insulated
wires. and cables are made. On the same day
we witnessed the manufacture of wagons on
large scale. The Ingenious and unique wood
working machinery aroused our sincerest wonder
and enthusiasm Our last visit one paid to
Cranes wrought-iron pipe mills. The small
pipes were butwelded and the large lapwelded
by being passed through tongs and rolls, respect
lively. The connections are made here and both
are threaded by machinery And 80 the first
professional visit of the class of sc
is ended, and we have received much
pleasure and instruction from the experience
A great deal of theory that we have learned in
the class room as.been firmly fixed in mind by
seeing its practical application. We knew the
theory of the Bessemer process-we have seen
the process in practice, and can never forget it.
This tour of inspection" Is a part Of our course,
and we thank fortune that we attend an institu-
ton conducted on the liberal and sensible basis
that governs Purdue. s. B. MILLER, '86.
Gen. Logan for President of the Senate.
To of fha ypdi lie