The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-12-21
BROKE THE RECORD.
A Nickel.steol Ingot of Fifty Tons
CAST at Homestead.
THE TEST is VERY SUCCESSFUL.
a. Naval Officer Present Praises tho
Work in tho Highest Tcrn,s...Evcn
bigger Fcnts TO be Attempted in tho
Future Mt tho Works.

PiTTsDuno, Pa, Dec. oO.-Eriday after.
noon there was cast in tho opcn hearth
department OF tho Homestead steel
works OF Carnegie, Phipps 4 Co., a
nickel.stcel ingot weighing over 80
tons. This, without a doubt, is tho
largest nlckel-stcelingot YET cast in the
United States, Its Dimensions being 40
iuches thick, 60 inches wide and 1870
inches long. f
1t required two "hcots,n or, in other
words, tho contents OF two melting iur-
naces TO make the cast. The ingot was
cast in what IS known as IL sand mold
OF a unique design and used exclusive
~ by the Carnegies. 1t IS claimed that
with tho sand mold cast much better
results aro obtained, and armor plates
rolled from steel, cast in 4 sand mold,
havo shown up well in tho tests re.
Gently made. Tho casting OF the 5O-ton
ingot was an event in the history OF the
works, but it is mere handful com.
pared 10 series OF ingots to be cast in
tho near future, the lightness oil which
will be 100 tons.
TIE TEST Az ENTIRE SUCCESS.
The casting OF the fiity-tonangot was
asuccess from start TO finish, there bs-
ing neither hitch nor break OF any
kind. And to give the reader IN idea
OF the systematic methods and perfect
discipline practiccd in tho Homestead
steel works, tits well to say that not n
word was spoken during the time occu-
pied in casting this monstrous chunk Of
metal. Everything being in readiness.
the forty-ton 1adlc was swung under
( the spout that connects with the tap
hole of tho furnace and wave OF the
hand from the general manager, and the
tapping hole is closed another wave OF
the hand and several OF tho furnace
crew fall upon along rod and with'grcat
vigor ram it home through the tap.
hole, when there IS a glow, then 4
swish and Il spattcr, and finally the pure
white metal comes with u steady. even
flow, filling the ladic almost to over
flowing. ~.
The ladle was then raised by the by
draulic crane, placed on q bogy, and Il
putting sneczing, wheeling li;tlc din
key engine whisks it away to the cast
ing pit, where the ladlc WAS snatched
up and swung around to the mold and
the'moltcn metal run into it.
4 FOUND TO BE 4 PERFECT lSGor.
But as the contents OF ono furnace
wero not sufficient to make the cast, it
was necessary to tap another. All this
had been anticipated, and the opera
ton above described was again re-:
peated. Tho ingot was stripped ycster-
day and found to be perfect. a most
interesting operation in connection
with the ingot was the shearing OF its
ends yesterday under the great hydraul-
&c press. The press, which is used for
bending and shaping the armor plates,
was fitted with great steel blades and
the ends OF the ingot, one at 4 time, were
run between them, and the power be-
ing applied, the monster blade de-
sccnded and cut its way clean through
the forty inches OF tough, unyicldinc
mass just as easily as if it had been old
cheese.
One OF the naval officers that wit
messed the casting OF the ingot said:
"The discipline, skill and precision
exercised in the open hearth depart
ment during the casting could not be
equaled by the crew OF man-of-war."
. . & . b . 4