The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1888-07-27
The Great Gums of England.

England's big guns are made OF bars
such us that just described, coiled
spirally. and welded into u solid
mass by the hammer. These red hot
furnaces contain u straight bar; ut n
word the door is slightly raised, and
with huge nippers its head is seized by
loops made for the purpose. A
steam which draws out the glow.
ing mass, and brings it to a
horizontal capstan fixed before
tho door. A water hose il, turned
upon the loop, and while it blackens
under tho chill u stalwart fellow,
welding u heavy slctlge, fixes the loop
ON a nut projecting from the capstan
wheel. Then the machine rcvolvcs
with rcsistlcss force, curling the hot
metal round and round Oh its drum
neatly and smoothly, and as easily
as Ole of Jordan Marshs girls would
wind ribbon. So the coil is formed,
whether for the brccch piece or the
body OF the gun, or for its jacket
This again is cooled, and after u while
is refined for welding under the ham,
mcr.
You ought to SEQ this Woolwicl
hammer. 1t weighs forty tons sl,cel
weight, and when it drops itfallsforty
feet on to Il block that rests onspiles,
massive masonry and enormous
quantities OF iron. Between two
great shafts this hammer is suspend
ed, II solid block, which, driven from
above by steam, and gathering impe
tus us it fall, strikes with IL force Of
many hundred tons. Avcteran work.
man has charge OF this massive ham
mer. lie starts and drops it by /,
touch OF his thumb and finger. saw
an open face watch laid down OH tn,
block; then he dropped the hammer
and he stopped it just i'll time to break
the crystal-and nothing more. They
call this last operation OF the iurnuc,
the "great heat" and about every
monarch there is i'll Europe has seer
il Just as did. While am wonder
ing what they thought about it, tho
furnace to he cnlptieu is ilarins with
impaticncc. Through the entcrstice>
OF its great door blue, red and purpl,
flames are leapins out. A huge crane
swings around IL pair ofpincers, at TIL,
end OF which u dozen Britons cluster
The door rises little, the white light
blinds IT'S, and, although am at le;lst
twenty yards away, the heat burns
my face uncomiortably. Water is
thrown into the awful gap, and thcl
the men perceive their prey. Tn,
huge arms p;lrt nnd firmly close, tht
door rises to its fullest extent, q
clash O! the crane gear, shout iron
the men and out 1T comes, casi
" and softly, u monstrous coil
The c";llo swings about and
places il on end upon tlicanvil. T!el
the hammer falls, shaking tho solid
floor beneath us, crushing the red hot
mass inches down at II blow, wcldin.
its coils together SO that they car
never part. But the inside hollow has
been knocked out OF shape by thispro
cess, so, when the tube has been re
ducel to its proper length, IL solid
mandril is deity Slipped bctwixt th.
hammer and the iron. For two Oh
three blows tho contracted coil ut
tcmpts resistance, but it gives way
and the mandril slips to its base, u.
into butter. Then the great pinrcr.
arc used again, and it drops the mass
on its side, where aSnin it is battered
and struck all around. heirreg,,;,ri
ties caused by ali this hammcring ur,
aitcrward removed by the plane, as
llve already mentioned, and tlcl
the gun ma'ls by other mnchinery.- ~
Correspondence Boston Herald.