The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-02-20
1T ACTS LIKE STEEL.
The Hastings Process Works
Better Than Before.
THE ROANOKE TIMES BUREAU,
HOTEL LUCERNE, SALEM, VA.

HOTEL LUCERNE, SALEM, VA.
Mr.. j. B. Hastings new process of
converting iron into steel in moment
was tried yesterday for tho second time
since Mr.. Hastings has been in Salem.
The experiments and tests yesterday
began at $3.50 +. m, at the Salem foun-
dry, and were much moro satisfactory
than those of last Tuesday.
Yesterday the iron was rightly
gagged. Tho pig iron was No. 3
foundry from Roanoke furnaces. There
were number of iron mon present at
the test, besides other prominent oiti-
zens of Salem, among others President
Bowman, of the Development Company;
A. Powell, Prof. Crabtrcc, of the South
Salem Land Company, II. 5. Barnett; +.
Baughman, superintendent Of the Salem
iron furnace; 0. ID. Oakley, proprietor of
the Salem foundry, where the expert
ment took place, and j. B. Camden,
foreman OF the same.
The announcement in TIE TIMES
brought David II. Morgan, supcrinten-
dent of the Roanoke Rolling Mills, to
sec the test, and Mr.. Morgan and Mr..
Hastings found that they had both
worked together some twenty-five years
ago in the iron works at Wheeling. w.
Va
Three different moulds were prepared
in the sand Of the casting department
of the foundry, and three ladies were
successfully filled with molten iron from
the cupola, into which Mr.. Hastings
put his darkish looking powders, he
having prepared three different mix
lures one for each ladlc of the melted
iron. In each ladle were, as nearly as
could be calculated, twenty pounds OF
iron. AS Mr.. Hastings poured the pow
der into the ladle, Mr.. Camden stirred
it in with his iron rod
At first black scum was formed on
the surface of tho molten iron. This
Mr.. Camden broke up with his rod and
as he stirred the scum became mixed
with the liquid and gradually disap-
peared. the liquid changed in color from
the bright fiery yellow to yellowish
green, the latter color being very faint.
The three moulds were side by side and
when the bars thus moulded were cooled
and the casting of the steel begun, it
was found that the middle or second
mould proved to be the most satisfac-
tory as steel. 1t stood the tests best.
The iron was the same as that used
Tuesday, and Mr.. Camden says it is I'M
fit for chilled instruments. 1T won't
chill" was tho verdict of both himself
and Mr.. Oakley. However, the bar that
was run on the chill in moulding was
fixed in wise and Superintendent Nor
gan, of the Roanoke rolling mills tested
it with the chiscl and the chisel had its
edge taken off, while the steel was
hardly indented. 1t was then put un-
der a drill and, although the drill
pierced it, the edge of the drill was
slightly turned and had to he sharp
cned before it could be used again.
A piece of the steel was then tenn
pered in the forge, this process being
closely watched by Mr.. Morgan. The
steel was turned over several times, SO
that tho heat would soak through it,.
When taken out and placed in the wise,
the chisel refused to indcnt it,
A piece of this tempered was ''drawn
out" When it had become little
cooled it was put OH the anvil and Mr..
Hastings with q sledgc hammer and
Mr.. Camden with smaller one ham
pered the iron until it took shape. 1t
was hammered to an edge, and acted
according to Mr. Morgan and Mr..
Camden, as true steel Cast iron won't
draw" said Mr.. Morgan. This edged
piece of steel appeared very hard, the
test with the file proved it to be hard
''Hou can say that this is cast iron con-
verted into steel in a minute and half"
said Mr.. Camden.
Superintendent Morgan, when Ques-
toned by a TINES reporter, said: II
think the experiment success, al
though you can't make fair test in
cupola, where the iron still has all the
dross and impurities, graphite, phos-
phorus, silicon, &C., in it.
81 think Mr.. Hastings has made steel
of grade for plate, Sheet rods or wire
and such as is to be used for rails, in
bridge-work, in boiler plate and wire
nails
Mr.. Oakley says "iIc certainly changes
the grain Of the metal, and after his
steel has gone through the rolling mill
1t may be great success"
Superintendent Baughman, of the Sa-
lem furnace, said he preferred not to
express himself until the steel had re-
ceived a chemical analysis.
Mr.. Hastings says he is now satisfied
that he can do all he claimed to do. IN,
has sent on to West Virginia for some
more chemicals; some for Il combination
yet untried in Salem. This will be
here in a week or longer, perhaps, and
then Mr.. Hastings will repeat his OK
periments at the Roanoke rolling mills.
4 MYSTERIOUS PARTY.