The Opelousas courier., 1892-04-30
MAKING THE KRUPP GUNS.
HHE BIGGEST IRON WORKS IN THE
WORLD,
man Observation-Disclosures I'm.
piements of Destruction.

VRlEDRlCH ALFRED hRUPPS
- gun works, at Essen, Germany,
y are immense in their proportions
and the entire city is dependent
upon them, the population being to a
great extent composed of more or less
skilled artisans who live in houses
built by Herr Krupp. The principal
entrance to the factories is through
gates by the Limbeeker Chausee, the
principal thoroughfare of Essen. The
department for casting tie steel crucibles
attracts attention first. Three different
processes for refining the steel are en-
ployed, viz, the crucible, the Bessemer
and the Siemens- Martin, the first being
most favored because it is possible to
produce larger pieces thereby.
The raw material for filing the cru
cibles is prepared in huge pudding fur
naces, that occupy an immense building.
The pig-iron used, which comes from
a mine owned by Herr Krupp himself, is
melted down in these furnaces, being
| stirred constantly so that air is thor
oughly incorporated In it, thereby re-
moving all injurious particles. The
puddler gathers the steel in large balls
as thew show themselves in the metallic
bath, and removes them from the fur
mace to an adjoining mill, from which
thsy are taken to d rolling-mill and con-
verted into huge bars. These are after
wards smelted and cooled with water un-
til thoroughly hardened and prepared
for the crucibles.
The crucibles, which are in another
building, are made of clay and black
lead, very carefully pressed and dried
before used. The filing of these eruci-
bles takes place in the smelter, where
the mixing with the required chemi-
Gals, according to the purpose for which
the steel is required, takes place. They
are then sent to another smelter. This
is situated in a large hall, in the center
of which is the huge casting furnace, in.
closed by many smelling furnaces, which
are kept at the proper temperature by
the use of gas of a peculiar kind. The
later is produced from the vast wastage
of the various furnaces, and its consump.
ton produces a temperature of $500 de-
grees Fahrenheit, which is necessary for
the purpose.
The sudden opening of the door of
one of these huge ovens displays a won
drous spectacle. The crucibles are re-
moved from the furnace by huge tongs,
ahd the molten metal at white heat is
emptied into a trough through which it
passes to the forms. The spectator stand.
ing on a platform in the center of the
hall views the scene with great interest.
The glow of the melted metal rsddens
the faces of the workmen, who appear
like glow worms, moving in apparent
confusion, yet, despite this seeming dis
Older, the work goes on with clock
like regularity. The stream of glowing
metal must come at regular intervals and
be of the same temperature. The iarg-
est block that can be cast weighs about
100, 900 pounds, and the contents Of
1000 crucibies is required therefor. The
temperature of the room is kept down b.
a scientific system of ventilation, which
makes it durable despite the great heal
from the furnaces.
The steam hammers are of immense
size, as might be supposed. The largest
of all has been named the ssHammel
Fritz and its striking force is said tc
equal fifty tons and may be much more.
This was constructed by Alfred KrupE
himself, who takes great pride in it. II
has formed the model for all other steam
hammers. This gigantic hammer has at
anvil to correspond, consisting of a solid
piece of iron weighing 1900 tons, and
is connected by powerful beams of iron
to a solid stone foundation. So perfect
is the mechanism, and SO perfect the con
troll of the hammer, that it may be made
merely to touch the pig of steel on the an
vii. Yet large as ssFritz"i is, it's too small
for the purpose, and two Others are un
der construction which will exert a force
of SOC, 900 and 1000, 600 pounds re
spectively.
The Bessemer works and the rail-roLl
ing mills have separate buildings. TIL,
Bessemer process was first introduced
on the continent by the krupp works il
1862. His process is used mainly in tn,
production OF second grade steel which
is used for car wheels. In the manufac
tuTe of Bessemer steel the heat must b,
even more intense than in the process de
scribed above.
The Siemens-Martin process, so-calle'
from its ~co-inventors, Siemens, a French
mau, and Martin, a German, is base
upon cooking the metal by turning oil
the heat as it lies in the forge.
The gun mandatory occupies th
greater part Of the works. The stee
used for them has to be hardened in OIL
which materially increases its elasticity
Every piece made is thoroughly teste'
before it is allowed to leave the place, tn
company owning a large tract of Ian,
which Is reserved for this purpose.
The show rooms offer an interestin,
place for studying the different instru
ments Of destruction. Models of all gun
ever made here are on exhibition.
But guns are not the only product {
the Krupp establishment. The list en-
braces steam engines, screws, and a grea
variety of machines that are exported t
. all quarters Of the globe. The world
renowned efficiency of the factories ha
given it an enviable positioa.
A brief review of the history of til
Krupp works shows that it is the result
! of three generations of effort. Fried
rich Krupp, the founder, grandfather 0
I the present owner, the descendant Of al
old and honorable family in Esson, wa
/. born July II. 1857, and commences
work very early in life as a forgeman