The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1891-03-19
Adams Direct Steel Process.

Adams Direct Steel PROCESS.
A company has been organized to es-
tablish plant at Buchanan to make /
steel by the Adams direct process. The
stockholders met at Buchanan, Va. on
the 25th, and fulfilled the conditions
necessary to secure the control of the
process in this State. The capital stock
of the company is 100000, of which the
patentees, Messrs Blair & Pratzman, of
Pittsburg, take one-half and the stock
holders the other half The irGanian,
of Lynchburg says:
By this process. which is an open hearth pro-
cess, steel ingots of superior quality can be
produced at cost as low as that of pig iron and
after paying this company royalty OF $3.50 per
ton, the producer can sell it at $50 per ton tS3
ess than Hessemer) and make large profit.
The steel is made directly from the ore and
neither coke nor limestone is used. Eight hun
dred pounds OF coal produces a ton Of steel from
the ore.
Several furnaces in Virginia have already
made application for the use of the process and
others will follow suit. 1t is not improbable
that it will be used by one of the present fur
naces OF a new one in this city, steel company
cipal office of the company viii be located l..
Lynchburg and its business conducted from.
point.
To indicate how valuable this process is likely
to prove it is only necessary to state that the
daily consumption of steel ingots in Virginia
alone is about 400 tons and that none of it is
made i'll the State.
From an article in the Virginia
Manufacturers published at Buchanan,
we take the following statement of the
cost of making steel by the Adams pro
cess:
The cost of steel made by this process, with
ores containing 30 per cent of metallic iron Ct
Ing delivered at Bdchanan say So per ton, re
quiring two tons of ore to make a ton OF metal
lie iron, with forge pig iron at $l2 per ton, using
in the process three fourths of sponge, and one
fourth of pig iron, would be as follows:
Two tons of iron ore, at So per ton Sc u
Cost OF reduction OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES, u
Total cost Of 100 units metallic in sponge s. OF
Using three -fourths Adams sponge and one
fourth pig iron:
Three -fourths ton sponge, at 500. 70 ID
One fourth ton pig iron, at $l2OO u
Total ................ ..................... IS p
Add L. per cent for Waste. ............ l u
Total .......... 50 >;
Add the cost of open hearth practice, less
waste ,..-........-. -.,..,.f.. b On
Total COS : of one ton steel ingots made by
Adams process ......,..-....-...-..... 80. Sl5 y
Three dollars per ton will put these ingots in
to billets, making the cost of-the billets exclu
sive of royalty, $IS.25. These billets worti
from $50 90 to $45.00 per ton in New York.
The results of costs just stated are based upol
the cost of manufacture at Buchanan whichfo
the purpose is peculiarly fortunate in location
being near supplies of ore and fuel. However
other points can adopt the process to advantag
and it is the purpose Of the Adams Direct Pro
cess Steel Company OF Virginia to grant license
to use this process, one having already been is
sued to Howard Sears for Craig county.
The same statement may he made TO
other localities, especially at Clifton
49, Forge, Iron Gate, Low Moor and Gov
ington, with this difference-the cost o
the ore would be less by nearly one
third than the quoted cost as above, IA
Buchanan. The Rich Patch mines will
in short time, be able to furnish il
quantity ores suitable for this process
By the time n plant could be erected
the mines of the Rich Patch Compan
will be SO far developed as to meet al
demands upon them and assure 80 pc
cent. ore in any quantity desired.
1t is only question of time when TIL
Rich Patch district, which includes tn
stretch of country from Iron Gate AM
Clifton Forge to Covington, will attrac
much more attention than it does now
and when capital and enterprise will G
there to avail of the unequalled advan
tages for making iron and steel. All tn
essential elements are found there t
make both steel, by this process an
iron at a minimum cost, to be followe
by other industries related to the irol
business, to work up the raw materia
and convert it into higher finish. ID
versified industries are what make man
ufacturing town, and these will come a
soon as those interested in such pursuit
become acquainted with the exceptions
opportunities there presented.