The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1891-11-26
New Methods of Making Steel.

We have never had a doubt but that
the inventive genius of our country
would be equal to all demands in miner
ais and metallurgy, and that every dis
covery of iron ore would be utilized to
the fullest extent in the interest of civil
lization. The phosphoretic ores of Vir-
ginia was at one time considered com
paratively of little notice, but discover
les for the elimination of the phosphO-
rus from the pig metal have been going
an offensive element, but as a bi>pro-
duct is a valuable ingredient, constitu-
ting a useful fertilizer The basic pros
cess for making steel is especially adapt
ed to the utilization Of the phosphoretic
ores, and as this method has been sue
cessfulIy tested in Germany, as we'll as
this country, it is only question of time
when it will be applied generally in the
brown ore districts. The following no.
tice we find in the Baltimore Ame7'ican
of the 18th. which further emphasizes
what we have said above, that the in
ventive genius of the nation will be
equal to all demands and all emergen>
cies:
INTERESTING experiments in q test of a new
steel making process were made yesterday ar
ternoon at the iron foundry of Stuart r. Carr "
Co.. 81 to 40 South Front street. A number of
capitalists and experts were present, and they
generally expressed themselves pleased with
Tvs
Mr.. !. b la stngs, of Petersburg, w. Va, the
patentee assisted by MIR. John ]. Smith, the
foundry boss. The process appeared to be a
very simple one. Certain chemicals, wrapped
in a paper. were placed in the bottom OF the
ladel which received the molten pig iron, such
as the regular foundry blast is made with, and
the molten iron was run in upon these chem1-
Gals After a few minutes this iron run
into a mould of the usual foundry kind. Seve-
raj blocks of the steel was thus formed. Mr..
Smith tested this as soon as it was cooled in wa
ter with a cold chisel He reported that the
outer service was thoroughly chilled-so much
so that it battered the chisel The interior
worked ike steel, and he supposed it was that
article. Mr.. Hastings explained that these sam
pies would be worked up into various steel tools
and articles as the best way to prove the value
of the invention. He exhibited a steel mandril
and an iron turning tool ma lie of this process
steel; also, a steel pillow point and other articles
of manufacture. He has United States patent
on the subject and claims that by its adoption he
| can dephosphoTize the low grade Southern ores
| and from them make a superior grade OF costly
machinery steel The chemicals are supposed
to act direct upon the pig iron, eliminating from
it all impurities aud carbonizing the iron. and
thus forming steel Tho grade of iron used yes
| terday was mixture of Alabama Nos and
pig and Pittsburg pig. The samples of steel ex
| hibited by Mr. Hastings were made from No.
| Pulaski (vaD pig and from similar grades One
! specimen was made in Moses Parker's foundry
| at Toronto, Canada.
| The steel made yesterday was tested side by
| side with samples OF castings made in the reg
ular daily run of the eupola. The steel showed
a rather finer grain and decidedly lighter and
more steel-like color than the iron castings Mr.
| Hastings claims that he can use phosphorus
iron. or low grade pig. such as is unsuitabe fol
car wheels, in that branch of foundry work
and he explained how this iron will chill.
| Some of the parties present at the test are i'll
| terested in the development OF the great iron
| ore beds near Covington, on the chesapeake
| and Ohio Railroad; others are interested III the
manufacture of the new hnrbor defense turret
and others in the transportation lines. Among
others present were Messrs M. V. Richards OF
the Baltsmore and Ohio Railroad: Max Lands
burgh, L. D. Passano, Bart Johnson, lsadore
Schonberg, W. H. Spooner. of Boston: J. NJ
| Buck of Covington, Va, and others. The full
value of Yesterdays experiments can only be
| known after the castings are worked into tools
etc. Mr. Hastings claims that, while it costs
Sc 50 to convert pig iron into BeSSemer steel. by
this process it can be done at a cost of $l-s5 pei