The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-02-16
THE MILL STARTS UP.
Another New Industry Added
to Roanoke's List.

Tho rolling mill OF the Roanoke Iron
Company started up yesterday morning.
The new machinery worked in perfect
order and tho iron and ore held out to
the standard.
Eleven out OF the fifteen furnaces
were fired up and forty-four puddlers
were put to work. 1t was early in the
morning when the iron became molten
mass and was rolled together by the
brawny-armed puddlers. Then the huge
'squeezer" was started, and the first
bali whirled rapidly over the "tele-
graph" and was forced into the iron
jaws. The unshapely lump came out in
fine form and the iron proved to be of
first-class quality. 1t was tough and
did not crumble nearly so much as iron
usually does when mill is first started.
The big engine which drives the 22
inch train of rolls was started. This
engine is rated at 500-horse power and
has a 54-inch stroke. The fly, or bal
ance wheel. is twenty feet in diameter
and weighs thirty tons. 1t is q power
full machine and whirls the heavy bars
through the rolls as though they were
straws. There are six of these rolls set
in two stands. They roll the iron in
bars from two to eight inches in width.
The furnaces that were fired up
worked we'll. and the boilers above each
were in perfect order. All the ma
chinery was in first-class condition., and
when the iron melted the men went to
work like veterans.
The overhead telegraph used for con-
veying the iron from tho furnaces is
something that attracts attention. 1t
Is furnished with automatic switches,
har pf = he.
line. 1t takes but one man to handle a
ball and it goes from the furnace to the
squeezer like flash. The automatic
switch is something entirely new and
was invented by Superintendent c. Ii.
Lentz.
Tho mill started up with about 100
men, and as soon as the other four fur
naces are put in operation the force will
be increased to nearly $50. This does
not include tho finishing mill, in which
the machinery has not yet been placed.
G. II. Lentz is uperintendent of this
department and j. b. Sharp assistant
superintendent. Both gentlemen are
practical rolling mill mon, having had
large experience in different rolling
mills in Pennsylvania.
The ore which is being used comes
from near Christiansburg, and from the
experience with it yesterday, it is
thought that it will hold cut irstrate
1t stands we'll and is easily ground
Tho ore is prepared in a separate
building, and wheeled thence into the
different furnaces. The ore is first
crushed, and then placed in large flat
bottom hopper. Two immense iron
rolls, working after the order of flour
packer, revolve upon it and crush it
into powder. 1t is then mixed with
water until it has the appearance of a
tough mortar.
The pig iron is made at the company's
furnace in the West End, and, as was
observed yesterday, will make fine
quality Of bar iron
The large "squeezer" is propelled by
separate engine, and never cholxes up
When an incident of this kind occurs it
generally involves about two hours de-
| lay. The engine seemed fully capable
to handle the machine, and it worked
with great satisfaction.
The largo rolls needed no adjusting
| when they were started up. and the
long, serpent-liBe bars, glarins red,
were passed back and forth with light
ming speed.
General Manager King was present a
portion OF the time, and considered the
| hrst experiment very satisfactory.
The mill was kept in operation all
day. and the four other furnaces will be
| fired up this week.
TIE mill is we'll arranged for receiv-
ing material. There is an elevated
track on each side of the building, with
shutes to unload the coal at each fur
mace. The pig iron is rolled into the
mill on narrow track directly from the
furnace. When the finishing mill is
completed it will be one of the largest
industries of the kind in the South.
Officers of Grace Methodist Sunday