Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-01-25
To lie Erected ct Glenwood, in Which
TO Operate the Adams Open
Hearth Direct Process.
REVOLUTION In THE CRUCIBLES.
A Metal, the Production of Which Will
- Prevent the Drainage of Millions
Of Dollars, and
WILL BE ANOTHER BOOM FOR TEE CITY.
Plans Laid arr the Adoption tt The Process BY
Another Concern

clusIVeiv, year ago, the completion OF q
process for the production of open-hearth
steel direct from The ore at comparatively
low cost, there was a perfect food of labora-
tory opinions and theoretical ideas poured
forth that the method employed could not
fulfill half the claims made for it.
The experiments of the past 12
months have not only proven the absolute
truth Of all the statements made at that
time, but have demonstrated greater possi-
biliiies for the process than were even
thought of.
Everyone connected with it has become
so thoroughly satisfied as TO the practicable
ity and permanent success of the process
that company has been organized to oper-
ate it exclusively, in a new plant to be
erected in this city.
The new concern is known as the Adams
Iron Company, and is composed of tie Steel
and Iron Improvement Company. Of this
city, and a number of other local and East
ern capitalists.
Getting Ready to Begin Work
The capital stock is 5000, 600. although, as
often stated, the owners of the new patents
have been offered an almost unlimited
smount of support from capitalists all over
the country. 4 tract of land has been pur-
chased at Glenwood. Twenty-third ward;
plans are in the course of preparation, and
contracts will in few days be let TOR the
erection of plant there. The work will be
commenced in February, and it is expected
that BY the end of five months the mill will
be mt in operation.
The plant will have daily capacity of 60
tons at the beginning, but additions will be
built as fast as possible and the capacity
largely increased. Several hundred men
will be given employment and the products
Of the plant will be limited exclusively to
cruclble steel stock. According to facts
and figures collected on the subject, The
Adams Iron Company will be the only con-
cern in the country that will manufacture
crucible steel stock that excels the Swedish
bar.
The establishment of such a plant as is
contemplated at Glenwood marks a new
era in this particular industry. Swedish
bar is now used extensively in the manu-
facture of tool and other hich-grade steels.
One of the most requisite qualities of stock
for crucible steel purposes is that it shall be
low in phosphorus, and only through the
completion of the Adams process were the
metallurgists of this country able to pro-
duce material here which possessed the
requisite qualities for the manufacture of
high-grade tool steel.
Changing the Balance of Trade.
As a consequence Swedish has been i'm
ported to the extent of over $4,000 tons per
annum, and at a cost of from $50 to S1S5 a
ton. Taking the average at S105 ion the
cost per annum to the American manufac-
turers has been in the neighborhood of
S. O00, 600. Err
The Steel and Improvement Company re-
Gently made, at their furnace in this city,
crucible steel stock higher in quality than
the best Swedish bar, and at a very much
lower cost than the cheapest imported stock
1or similar purposes. According to the
analysis made by the Plttsburg Testing
Company the results of three different heats
were as follows: Carbon, 80; phosphorus,
.oiO; carbon, .15; phosphorus, .OO3; carbon,
.06; phosphorus .003. The material showed
no manganese or sulphur, and was below
.O1 silicon. The best Swedish bar averages
about .O12 in phosphorus, and .O3 or o. In
silicon.
The makers of tool and high grade steel
claim superiority of the product made by
the Adams process, as compared with the
Swedish bar. Another difficulty with the
imported material, which has been over
come by the new product, is the lack OF
uniformity. Swedish bar varies very cunsid-
erably in carbon, while with the Adams
process it is claimed that there will be abso-
lutte uniformity, as it is made direct from
the ORE at low heat and there arc not the
difficulties to contend with in its manufac-
ture which have been encountered hereto
fore by the methods in use.
A Big Benefit to Pittsburg.
As the new plant at Glenwood will have
an annual capacity of nearly 10000 tons,
Pittsbury will get the benefit of at least
So OOO. .0CO that would otherwise be invested
in the foreign product 1t will no doubt be
q source of pride to American manufactur-
ers that instead of paying such heavy
tribute to a foreign country, they will here
after be able to save this annual drainage of
capital; and especially will Pittsburgers
feel a local pride in Mr.. Charles Adams, one
reuuitv this revolution in the manufacture
of steel has been brought about.
Mr.. Adams has made almost life study
of the direct process, aad is now enioyiug
the consciousness of having perfected and
put in operation process that is the wonder
of the best metallurgists of the world. The
production of steel direct from the ore
making ton of steel from two tons OF
ore at SO ton, while Bessemer
is produced from pig iron at $40 to S25 a
ton with a % per cent loss by oxidation, is a
result the possibility of which was not be-
lieved few years ago. Mr.. Adams has re.
moved all doubt by the results attained, and
it is a matter of qualification that the ad.
vantages of Pittsburs as a manufacturing
center have not been overlooked since the
time for the practical appliance of the pro-
cess has come:
The Process Adopted Elsewhere.
The adoption of the process by the La
trobe Steel Works has excited considerable
interest among the steel manufacturers, a.
that company has a wide reputation on
locomotive and.car tires, and those idcnti
fed with the steel trade recognize that high
grade stock is therefore necessary for thi.
purpose. Mr.. Julian Kennedy, the CON
sultiag engineer of the Latrobe Steel Com
pany, advised the adoption of the
process, and his Endorsement will give con-
fidence to others interested in the. steel in.
dustry. The Latrobe people will begin
operations by the use of the process within
the next month.
The Norristown Street Company have
also adopted the process, while the Premier
Street Company of Indianapolis has beer
operating it for the past nine months. The
latter company has been compelled to en-
large their nlant. They hold a Territorial