New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-11
1T Is AMERICAN TIN.PLATE.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: We have Just received this day clipping nN
to have been taken from The Newly Tines Of
December 1, headed sit Is not American Tn,' md
remarks In this attributed TO Mr. Wells clearly shov
utter lack of knowledge Of what tinplate really Ia
plate is simply sheets Of iron steel coated With
pure tin or a mixture of tin and lead. That coated
with pure tin Is called In the trade bright Tin thza
coated with tin and lead is calling roofing tan terna
The word terne is French, and means dull Preyicu
to 1880 sheets Of bright tin were put together ard
passed through a bath Of lead, thereby giving them
a much heavier coating than could be put on tho
bright tin. Later on, the Welsh makers began mixing
lead in their tin pot, and gradually Increased the pro
portion Of lead from time TO time, until at the present
time the coating on some plates is almost all lead
Plates cannot be coated with all lead because II VII
not adhere TO the iron, excepting By an electrical
process, which is very expensive, and the tin must
therefore, be used.
The tin plate shipped b Messrs. ]. p. Barstow
Co. was made from American Steel which was rolled
in Pennsylvania These sheets were made into 10
plate in Philadelphia, by workmen born bred and
raised in Philadelphia, and IL the plates were n0s
American we would much like TO know by what nans
they should be called. The remark is made that the
tin Is not American tin but simply American terne
Terne is only the word used In the trade 10 designate
roofing tin as distinct from bright tin, and the plate
In which the coating contains proportion OF lead
not entitled to be called tin plate would IKE 10
know where the line should be drawn as there arc
many plates made, the coating Of which contains AZ
sorts Of proportions from IS per cent OF TIN down
10 per cent of tin. Tho remarks In regard 10 m'
plate being manufactured In America for years Vee
probably brought about by the knowledge that III
1880 bright tin plates passed through oan "
lead and then were called terne plates. lie renAn
about the trace of tin 10 whiten the product arc
perfectly ridiculous. The tin is used to make ue
coating adhere to the ron The appearance OF roonns
tin has nothing whatever TO do with the qualify ana
attention is only given to appearance In TIE VT
poorest grades for instance, in those cheap grades
roofing tin In which two and 0ne-half pounds OF ne'S
cover 400 square feet of surface the coatng IN m,s
cases. Is beautiful and highly polished. whereas ins
best grades, in which twenty-s pounds OF eoauS
cover the same amount of surface, the appearance
rough and dull, and what Mr.. Wells seems 70 cohsae.
the funniest looking tin that ever exhlDltea' was
probably superior In quality TO any he ever saw. ~
roofing tin the Is the true test OF value ana ever
effort should be used TO put on the greatest quahhH
coating without any regard 10 appearance H.
Is OF no value whatever, because a root snou" !"
painted as soon as finished. J., An.
The remarks that no American tin Is for SAFE 70 VIZ
world clearly show lack OF knowledge OF VIA h,s
going on or are published for some purpose N HAS.
we have no interest We have simply b say that w
are making American tn-plate here In Phlane.pmS,
capacity amounts to half million dollars per snnu.
While We do not consider this small business N a..
means, 1t, of course, does not meet our rey.a.
ments, and expect to soon have IN 9p per co
much larger plant \. d G. IAlLoh w.
Philadelphia, Dec. 5, 1891.