Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-10-10
ALL NOT OF ONE MIND.
MetallHrgists Differ as 10 the Prac-
ticabiIity of the System
OF REDUCING IRON FROM THE ORE.
Flint Glassworkers and Packers Have a
Slight Disagreement.
TROUBLE AHEAD IN THE RIVER MINES

Sir Lowthian Bells remarks in his paper,
printed elsewhere in this issue, concerning
the direct process Of reducing steel from ore,
did not meet with commendation among
some of the leading lights of the profession,
last night. 1t was freely said that the
honorable gentleman would not have put
himself on record as he did, if he had been
informed of later developments regarding
the process.
Both Mr.. Maynard, of New York, and
Mr.. Snelus, who took part in the discussion
following the reading of the paper, were
anxious to reply to the points in the paper
rejecting on the probabilities of the process
being successful. but were ruled out, they
said, last night, by the President.
With view of ascertaining what excep-
tion was taken to Sir Lowthian Bells COM
ments, Mr.. Thomas G. Blair, who is most
prominently identified here with the direct
process. was hunted out. Mr.. Blair is at
present engaged in demonstrating the entire
practicability and commercial value of steel
made BY the Adams process in an expert
mental plant on Park Bros. ground.
Asked if any remarks had been made re-
garding Sir Lowthian Bells comments, Mr..
Blair said that DR.. Wedding and other
prominent men had freely discussed the ac-
curacy OF some of the statements made. He
said that, while feeling deeply obliged to
Sir Lowthian Bell for the kind terms in
which he had been pleased to refer to him,
and finding certain mitigation of the pain
of defeat in his efforts to advance the art of
iron and steel making in the fact that his
efforts were sufficiently creditable to win a
place in his mention of the failures of the
past, he could not accept some of the con-
clusions arrived at by the learned baronet.
"My loyalty to the cause" said Mr..
Blair, sin which served with only this
measure of success to show for it, calls Tor
some observation regarding the declaration
of certain of the conclusions announced in
the paper. 1t appears to me to be imposs-
BILE that Sir Lowthian Bell could have rem
dered such conclusions had he been we'll
informed respecting certain facts of modern
practice, which, 1 truly believe, he would
have accepted as demonstrated had he but
examined into the evidence in the case.
BILL OF SPECIFICATIONS.
Iuat uo noJ speak lSnIlY upon mat
ter OF so much gravity. or venture to oues-
tion decision sanctioned by the authority
of his great reputation, without some rational
grounds-whether they may. in the judg-
ment of others, seem wholly adequate or not
let me specify what i am prepared to
establish to his own satisfaction. if he will
do me the honor to devote to a visit to the
Black Diamond Works OF Messrs. Park
Brothers & Co., in this city, such share OF
his mueh-occupied time as he may, on ex-
PLANTATION, deem proper to give to the sub
ject First
"That an open-hearth process is now in
prosecution, which compares with
the cost OF the Bessemer process thus: En-
hances the cost to the extent OF the excess OF
cost of the nulacture OF the open hearth
and those of the Bessemer process, and re-
duces it to the extent of putting one-half of
the iron through the blast furnace.
Secondly, that this ore and pig process
gives promise OF ultimately moving the line
Of demonstration between steel making and
non-steel making ores notably"in the direc-
tion of lower grade ores.
Il shall! be very glad to call upon Sir
Lowthian with view OF demonstrating that
the process is in fair way to success"