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

As open-hearth steel melting is simply
pudding by charcoal reaction unalded by
manual or mechanical force, the remarks
under that head hold good here, The
molten metal being subjected TO the direct
action Of the flame, the quality Of fuel used
has q decided influence on that OF the fin
iahed material, with q marked improve
msnt due to natural gas,
The reversing furnace Is PROFESSIONALLY
the furnace for steel melting 1t 10 for pud-
ding also, though not to a great extent
used for the latter,
The temperature OF the furnace for both
these operations should be uniform Rll
over, and this is only attained to perteC.
ton in the reversing type Of furnace.
The gas introduced as before described,
and atthe low pressures, gives entire salts
iatiOn ndany degree OF heat requisite.
Under steam boilers the gas is perhaps
more severely tried than anywhere else;
II Is used in all ways and at all pressures;
but no matter what the method OF its use
the universal verdict Ia, superior 10 Goa"
Ehe heat Is more REGULAR no opening OF
furnace doors admittinga rush OF cold air;
no letting tho fires run down accidentally,
then covering them with three or four
inches OF wet slack, which etleCtnally pre-
vents their coming up hot again Tor half.
hour at least; no more exRsperating
watches Of steam gauges running away
down below zero while the green fireman
cleans his CRATES.
All these tribulatiops arc but dim mem,
ories Of the past, knocked out by natural
gas.
HEATED AIR.
The application OF heated air in the
combustion OF the, gas is here also found
largely beneficial. Tubes OF refractory
clay are placed under the boilers, open at
the back wall TO the air, the CRATES are re-
moved aud bridge erected about sixteen
inches from the front wall or firing doors.
Between this bridge and the front wall au
open Aue about ten inches wide Is left, ex.
tending the width Of the Furnaces. Into
this aus the air ia drawn through the
tubes, and at tho upper part 1t meets the
gas, both mingling and combustion occur
ring ps they How over the bridge wall.
The air bsing heated 10 fifteen hundred
degrees Fab, in ils passage through the
lubea an intensely hot though slow mov-
ing and hot flame is had.
Boilers requiring pound pressure OF
gas to furnish steam have done their work
equally as we'll with q ounces after being
equipped with this system OF tubes for
supplying heated air, no other change
being made; the gas entering through u
I" ptps in each furnace door, and i'm.
plgnining directly on the bridge wall ind
spreading out in the tlue, the heated air
rising underneath, no cold air being al.
lowed to enter In any manner.
In ordinary practice the gas is blown In
through the furnace doors, drawing sulli.
cient air with 1t to produce combustion,
the crates remaining In their places and
being covered with q layer OF hre.briCk.
There are innumerable notifications OF
this, but the principle Is tho same In all,
cold air and gas,with widely varying pros.
sures Of the latter, according to steam re.
quirements.
For many minor purposes, such as.heat-
ing hteel molds aud ladies', natural gas is
exceedingly convenient, being led with q
hose wherever desired, the hose having
au iron pipA attached for q no2Els, from
which the flame may DO turned in any
direction or be made to penetrate to any
corner Little ets Of tho gas arc also
used to prevent the freezing Of watOr
pipes, n lot from hose being turned on
any spot where freezing is liable to occur.
As an illuminent for workshops the gas
is entirely satiSiactory. Burners Of oil
kinds are used, tue main point being to
spread the flame az much ~ possible, 1t
then emitting very fair light.
PROVIDING AGAINST ExrLosioNs.
Explosions Of serious nature may