Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-10-10

my own personal experience. 1 have, WITHIN
the past two months. as chairman OF shipping
company, entered into contracts for the pur-
chase of several new firstclass cargo steamers,
to be built of steel, of the most improved de-
sign. with triple expansion engines, at the cost
OF 97 per ton registered tonnage These snlPs,
of a carrying capacity of 900 tons, will be
built and atioat within few months from the
laying of the keel. This example will suggest
to you that our methods must be economical:
and that great attention is given to economy OIL
management. For this we are much indebted
| to the researches of our chemists, not only in
England, but also in Germany and France. An
interesting example of which is the use OF
basic Stag rs a manure.
This was first applied as a manure in England
| in the summer of 1885 by Prof. WrIghtson, OF
Downton, Salisbury, who was employed by the
Northeastern Steel Company to make series
| of experiments. The results were so satisfac-
tory that basic Stag Immediately became mar
ketab.e article instead OF waste product Ct
Now in the II months ending June $780, l03,6o
tons were delivered from works in Great
| Britain. Owing to the very much more rapid
development of the basic process in Germany,
| a very much larger quantity of Stag has been
produced; and during the past three or four
years. not only has the whole make been
| utilized, but stocks have been used up, as well
as considerable proportion of the total guam
tity exported from England. The make OF
basic Stag in Germany is estimated as about
325.OOO tons for the year 1889.
SOME OF THE ALLOYS OF STEEL.
The alloys of steel with other metals continue
TO be the subject of research and experiment.
Many of our members have devoted earnest at
tention to this fruitful field of inquiry. Com
munications by Mr.. Riley, Mr.. Hadfeld, M.
Osmond, and others, will shortly come before
the members, in papers or notes. in the IfdnSdc-
toms OF the institute. 1t may be stated in gen.
eral terms that, owing to the high cost of alum.
tn1um, 1t cannot at present come into extensive
use. Mr.. Hadfield and M. Osmond agree that
iron with silicon and iron with aluminium have
many points of resemblance. But when the ad-
dition of 10 of aluminium, the minimum
amount that has been found efficacious, means
an addition of from lbs. ID. to 20s. per ton on
the cost of steel ingot, its employment in COM
petition with silicon, as "ferro silicon" or
SILICON spiegel," cannot be more than expert
mental
l hear. however an American company
promises the production OF aluminium at a
much lower cost than the cost of year ago;
and that German chemist, now living In Chi
cago, promises to produce it at a cost of about
I'd per pound.
The remarkable success which has rewarded
the researches of ibquirers and experimenters
on the alloys of steel with chromium, tungsten.
aluminium, and nickel, gives us good reason to
stimulate our members to continue their eX-
ploration of this field Among these alloys the
most important results appear to have been
obtained from the use of nickel as an alloy of
steel.
1t will be remembered that when Mr.. James
Riley's valuable communication on the subject
of the alloys of nickel and steel was read be-
fore the Iron and Steel Institute meeting in
May 1889, Mr.. j. +. Hall, of Messrs VIM Jessop
& Sons Sheffield, at once rose and laid claim to
priority of invention, informing the institute of
the innumerable experiments he had been max
ing with alloys of nickel and steel during
several years past. Since then, continuous ex-
permental research has been made into this
matter. Under the superintendent of Mr..
Hall, armor plates have been manufactured
from this material, and tested by English
Admiralty officials, giving results which rank
about IS per cent above any similar plates ever
tested IN England.
GOOD RESULTS IN ALL TESTS.
During the same period Messrs. Schneider &
Co., of LIE Creasot, France have furnished
nickel steel armor plates which have been
tested by the French, Danish and Chilian
Admiralty authorities, with results almost
identical with those obtained by Mr.. Hall.
Within the last month a nickel steel armor
plate of Mr.. Schneiders manufacture has been
tested in the United States, and has given
similar results. At the present time Mr. Hall
has under course of manufacture breech-load-
ing ordnance cannon and projectiles for the
English War Office, and he has already applied
it in the producuon of rifle and sporting gun
barrels, boiler tubes for torpedo boats,
telephone , and telegraph wire: When
be made in various tempers giving
trusils strain of 107 tons per square inch
with an elongation of per cent in s inches; 81
tons trusils with an elongation of per cent; so
tons trusts, with an elongatlon of IS per cent
il is impossible to foresee to what uses this
most remarkable material may not be put; and
now that the various patents and interests
Marbeau of Paris, William H. Schneider, of
lie Creasot. and Mr.. James Riley, of Glasgow,
have been associated, their joint labors promise
to give rapid development TO this interesting
alloy. Works have already been erected by
this association in France for the special man.
ufacture of ferro nickel. and will shortly be
followed by others in England and in the
United States of America.
CONTINUAL EXPERIMENTS MADE.
Since Mr.. James Riley's valuable communi-
cations on the subject of the alloys of nickel
and steel, continuous experimental research
has been made into this matter. The treatment
of large masses of steel by tempering harden
ing and annealing. in water, oil or molten metal,
has been carefully studied. but the secrets OF
the behavior OF masses OF steel in heating and
cooling are yet far from being unfolued. NJ.
Osmond, in his excellent paper delivered before
the International Congress in Paris last year.
points out that tempering in oil was known to
the aDclents-being mentioned by Pliny;
and Shakespeare also knew that the Moors had
the knowledge that different temperatures of
water effected the results of the hardening
process. OtheIlO says: II have another weapon
in this chamber: it is a sword of Spain, the ice
brooks temper" One day, III conversation with
Mr.. Gladstone, related this to him. He at
once capped the quotation by saving: "Yes, and
l remember that II Homer. in the Odyssey says:
AS when the smith dips into cold water great
AK or an adze, and 1t Kisses loudly as he is
temDering it. for so IL is that iron is made
hard '-(Odyssey tx. 39l AZ
l have ventured to make passing mention of
some of the men and of some of the inventions
which were conceived and brought forth in our
island home. i have named some of the in
quirles and experimental researches which are
being conducted by our metallurgists. You
will see that we have need of MANY precious
metals which your prolific country contains to
enlarge the properties of the materials de-
manded by our engineer, our army and navy
our ship and bridge builders. 1t is fortunate
that we can make known these wants to men
like the mining engineers of the United States,
whose knowledge of those materials and their
localities is as wide as their continent We
need these metals; we need also to feed and
clothe our vast industrial population. For
your grains and fruits, your cattle and cotton
your remarkable mechanical devices, we
have no precious metals to offer in return: hut
we have the products of our miues. the labor
of our looms, the service of our mercantile
marine. 1t is well that we should meet thus
eye to eye and voice to voice. to discuss the
interests and the scientific aspects of the great
industry which absorbs US. 1t is thus we learn
that by persistent and intelligent labor. how
remains to be achieved; and that by free ex-
change of ideas and of productions friendly
understanding Is promoted, and personal
acquaintance is built up. Through such order.
ings we are convinced that Providence has
designed to wind the silken chain of commerce
round the world. [Applausel.
BESSEMER AND HIS PROCESS. |