The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-09-14

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nRCo 81 acres Of ground and 200 acres o
coal, all lying within the corporate limit
OF steubsnville and Immediately at the in
correction OF the O. & 7. aud p, o, & 81
l.. Railroads.. This furnace Ia 70 feet higl
by Is feet in diameter at top OF bosh. I
has three iron pipe stoves, 8 boilers, 4
feet long by II inches In diameter; twt
blowing engines, IS inch stroke by Z:
inches diameter,
THE sTERL PLANT,
Located on property adjoining the bias
furnace ut Bsnwood Is the Riverside stee
plant, which made its irat blow June II
'S4, 1t was the second steel plant eIecGal
in the vicinity, and the BellAlTe plant haC
only been in operation seven weeks whsI
this one was started, 1t ran smoothly
lrom the start and has never succeeded II
supplying the company with steel for it
other works and filling the orders which
came pouring in, and so has never had az
idle day except when necessary to make
repairs, and the necessary repairs have
been few and FAR apart,
This steel plant has a capacity OF l,5OC
tons q week OF steel blooms, blllsts and
slabs. OF this product moro than one-hRll
Is consumed by the company in It's other
works, the rest being sold and widely dis
tHbuted through the country for all the
different purposes to which mild steel
may bs applied,
The erection al this plant was com.
menCai August @, 1888, and 1t made the
first blow Of steel June IL, 1881 This
plantwRs designed by competentengineers
alter careful atndy Of existlng Besssmsr
work., and every means brought to bear
to rbnder II perfect in all It's details, II
Is equipped with the best machinery
obtainable, and alllsbor-ssying appliances.
The foundations we're carefully construct.
cd with r view to psrmauenCe and
strength, and the buildings are fre-prooi
wherever exposed to danger,
THE EQUIPMENT,
The steel plant proper consists Of cupoIa
house, converting works, blooming mill,
blowing engine house, boiler house and
water-works, The raw materials Of sysry
description are conveniently delivered by
railroad cars on tracks and treaties In close
to the different departments OF
tho plRut, though it Ia intended ultimately
TO convey the hot metal direC. from the
blast furnace to tue Convertars. The
three Cnpo!as are eight feet In diameter by
tlty-9ix feet high, From these the steel Is
poured into ladle, which is transported
by crane to the casting pit, The steel Ia
cast into mpulds which form 1t into in.
gOts, flty.inur inches long bYtwelvs inches
thick and II inches vide. The molls are
placed in the pit aud stripped from tho in.
got by an iugot hydraulic crane. This
crane also lifts the ingots from the pit and
deposits thom on the scale for weighing.
This heating furnaces are charged and
drawn with the aid Of another hydraulic
crane. The ingots, altar proper heating,
ara taken from the furnaces by this crane
and placed or the table in front OF the
mi.,. The driven rollers OF III
table are put In operation and the ingot
passed back and forth through tho rolls
OF the reversing blooming mill until re.
duCed to slab 3El5 inches cross. section.
This slab is then conveyed by means OF
tables supplied with driven rollers to a
very powerful vertical shear, where II Is
cut into blooms Sxl5xl6 inches long.
TIE BLOOMING MILL.
The blooming mill is q 32.inch two.
high reversing mill driven by pair Of en-.
gines with steam cylinders 2S diameter
by IS inch stroke. The rollers OF the
tables are driven by pair OF small On.
gines. The reversing Of the engines 0per-
Aiing the tables and cleyatiug the rolls Is
effected by hydraulic cylinders operated
by levers conveniently arranged for tue
engine and rollers. The shear Is driven
by a vertical engine II lS.inCh stroke.
AL Of this machinery Is unusually heavy,
OF the latest design, and emhodying oil
the improvements suggested by practice
in other blooming mills. The blast Ia
supplied to the CupOlas by two No. 10
sturtsVaut fans, located on the second
floor Of The blowing engine house. The
blast Is supplied 10 the ConYerters by two
very heavy.construoted vertical blowing
englnss Of special design, each with steam
cylinders AZ 4S.inGh stroke and air cylin-
ders 81 4Siuch stroke.
The hydraulic pressure for tbs entire
plant is furnished by two pressure pumps,
each with steam cylinders 24x24 inch
stroke, and water cylinders Sx2i inch
stroke, located in the blowing engine
house. A large accumulation Is placed in
the converting works, Tho platform or
pulpit for opening the blast regulators
and pressure valves IL loclted In the con-
verting works. The water supply Is fur
nishGd by two vertical plunger pumps
placed near the river bank, each with
steam cylinders lSx3G inch stroke, and
water cylinders 1885 inch stroke. The
water Is forced into three tanks located on
the aide Of the hill lsar the works, and
thence distributed through the plant.
The steam is supplied by IL boilers, with
provision made for four additional, each
4S inches diameter and 20 feet long, with
two Aues IL inches diameter. The gases
from the boilers and heating furnaces are
carried away by underground fues con-
Meeting with brick Bta'k, which Is 10
feet high by feet Internal diameter.
The intention Of this design was to con-
solidate the workings Of Bsssemer plant
without crowding, and, by bringing all
the parts practically under ole rooi, rem
der 1t possible to operate plant OF mod
crate capacity without excessive cost, by
many Of the charges incurred
in the larger plants for handling, trucking
and tramming.
THE rLATE MILL,
Carrying out the same idea Of securing
compactnesS and convenience OF inter.
change Of material and product, within
fifty feet Of the steel works the company
built last year the largest and most com.
pleto nail plate mill 10 the country. Il
consists Of one train Of two high 9l.inGh
rolls, and = second train OF three high 81.
Inch rolls driven by one large aud power.
fol engine. The mill is equipped with
four patent re2enerAtive gas furnaces for
heating steel, and Is otherwise thoroughly
uquippsd with shp2rs adapted 10 t1slr
work, aud all the necessary machinery.
These three branches are located Of
Benwood and conveniently arranged with
reference TO proximity, and thoroughly
equipped with ample railroad facilities for
tile interchange and delivery Of material
between the different departments.
The works are situated on the bank Of.
the Ohio river, between the Panhandle
and Ohio Rivor railroads on the west and
the Baltimore & Ohio on the east,