Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-01-29
STUDIES IN STEEL
Brain Takes Look at Brawn at the
Edgar Thomson Works, and
MARvELS AT THE MECHANISM.
The Press Clubs Convention Holds Another
Session, and Adopts
PART OF THE LEAGUE CONSTITUTION


women, including half score local work
ers spent the afternoon of the second day of
the International Congress ot Press Clubs in
viewing the extensive works OF the Carnegie
Association at Braddock.
The early forenoon was occupied in trip
to the Southside, where Ripley & Co. IS
tableware factory and George A. Macbeth &
| Co. IS chimney house were visited. At the
former, each visitor was presented with
souvenir of the occasion in the shape of a
glass goblet with his initials engraved upon
| il. On return the business of the second
| session wasSentered upon.
A special train Of vestibuled cars con-
| veyed the visitors to Braddock over the
Baltimore and Ohio. departure being made
at little before o'clock. The run down
was accomplished at slow speed to allow of
! a passing inspection of the SoLthside works,
but the heavy mist which oyerhung the
river obscured this idea, simultaneously
with the view.
A drizzliug rain which arrived at about
this time mostened the atmosphere and the
railroad ties, but it in nowise diluted the
spirits of the voyageurs, who passed the half
hour between the depot and Braddock in
exchanges of quip and repartee, joke and
story--hard luck and otherwise-in such
philosophic manner as only newspaper men
| can summon at will.
Tour of the Edgar Thomson Works.
| On arrival at the Edgar Thomson, General
Superintendent c. NJ. Schwab was on hand to
| welcome his visitors, who. under his guidance,
| made a heightened tour through the extensive
| works. The nine blast furnaces with their
stokes, pumping and blowing engines, were
| duly inspected and the manner in which che
metal was run from the furnaces and carried:
by means of a locomotive and elevated track,
| direct to the converting house, explained.
| A short walk through the stock yards where
the accumulations of ore, limestone and coke
| were noted, brought the sightseers TO the con-
| verting department Around this most inter-
| est centered and very many of the visitors had
not before seen the conversion of iron into
| steel on such large scale. and the operations
| in the converting house were watched with in
| terest. Mr.. Schwab described the various
stages through which the metal passed,
| also drawing attention to how the steel
| was poured into the ingot molds from the four
| ten-ton converters, aud explained the subse-
| Quent treatment whereby the lngots were
rolled INTO molds apd hnalIy into rails. Inc - ne
| contents of a couple Of converters were cast,
| and fine sight it was agreed 1t was, to witness
| the myriads of sparks leap from the vessels un-
| der tue pressure of the strong blast. The
| visitors were surprised to learn that the molten
| metal they had seen in the blast furnacss was
| tapped into ladies; hauled by locomotive to
| the converting house. and there converted into
| Bessemer steel in the short period Of Az mln-
utes
Passing from the converting house look
| was had at the blowing engines, which perform
| such a necessary part in the Bessemer process,
and the ingot furnaces were visited. Here u
| was explained how the ingots were charged
| into the furnaces, and, after relocating, taken
on a car TO the three-high 36-inch blooming
\ train.
| Careful Inspection of a Curiosity.
The machinery which distributed the blooms
to another set of reheatins furnaces was
pointed out and described. and a careful in
spection made of the ingenious devices for
drawing the blooms and bringing them within
| reach of the first roughing traiE. Lengths
| of rails were gazed at as they passed In rapid
| procession through the second roughing train,
! thence through the finishing train. and ulti-
mately came within compass Of the saws which
| cut the material into three length rails.
| As some of the ladies were passing the saws a
| golden shower of sparks fell around them: just
| rs if the stolid power within was Offering
| tribute at the shrine of beauty, or expressing
| Acknowledgement of the presence of so much
| talent as might have been found in it. The hot
| beds and coldbeds, the Strengthening and drill
| ing shops were next inspected, and then the
| cars were reached and entered Tor tile return
| trip.
though many of the visitors had been in
| PlrtSOurC De1Ore, lew Oh them naQ seen Jue
| Edgar Thomson works. The latter were much
| pleased with the trip. and expressed gratifica-
| tion at being afforded the opportunity. They
voiced their views in different ways.
| Il don't think these workmen have much to
| fear" said Foster Coates.
| "How?"
| "They can surely never expect to find it any
| where warmer than they experience it now"
| DR.. John Frederick, of New York, remarked
| that this visit had been pleasant one, and full
| of new experiences for him.
Much Pleased With the Trip.
William R Worrall of New York, was much
| pleased with the trip. He had been through
| the works before, but he always finds some
/ thing new in the contemplation of such an ex-
tensive undertaking as that at Braddock.
The New York delegation, headed by William
| Berri, afterward kept open house at the Du-
| Quesne and extended a hospitable welcome to
| the members of the craft who looked IN.
The Southside trip taken by the visitors was
so extended as to interfere with the business of
| vention got down to work. The Chairman of
the Committee on Plans and Scopes reported a
| constitution and by laws which were adopted,
| two sections of which being referred back for
| amendment
| The following Committee on Nominations, to
| nominate the permanent officers of the league
| was appointed: Hennessy. New York: NJ. II
| De Young, San Francisco; Anderson. Boston,
| Remington, Buffalo. and Miss Barton, Chi
cago.
The convention adjourned at l:5O p. NJ. until
O'Clock to-day, when the business viii close
The delegates last evening nearly all attended