The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1893-08-31
THIN SHEETS OF IRON.
Some Recently Rolled Run 4soo toan1

Some Recently Rolled Run 4, 800 to an Inch.
Among the novelties introduced on
the Continent lately are visiting cards
made of thin sheets of iron, revival
of the exhibits made at the first Uni
versal exhibition, held in London in
1851. The French and Spanish journals
have been lately treating this matter
of fine rolling of sheets of iron as a
novelty, but, in truth, the affair re-
suited in competition between Amer
lea and English metallurgists arising
out of the exhibit of specimen of iron
paper, if it may be SO termed, made in
1851 by an American firm. A lively
competition in iron-rolling then en-
sued among British manufacturers as
to the thinness to which steel could be
rolled cold. Mr.. elliott rolled sheets
the average thickness of which was the
l,s00th part of an inch. In other words,
1SO0 sheets piled upon each other
would collectively measure an inch in
thickness, while the thinnest tissue
| paper to be purchased in the stationers'
shops, or cigarette paper, measured
| llt /, -UUIn part OF an men.
These very thin iron sheets are per-
fectly smooth and easy to write on, al
though porous when held mp To a good
| light. It HAY not be out of place, con-
sidering the great interest that is
taken by those connected with that
! great branch of industry, the iron
trade, to give few curious particulars
| aS n fba ~ iron h., xx,a1loI
and the thin sheets that can be rolled
out. Brother Jonathan little thought
what a hubbub would be created in
the old country forty-two years ago,
when from Pittsburgh he sent that
wonderful letter, written on sheet of
| iron, which took no less than one
| thousand sheets to make one inch in
thickness the dimensions being eight
inches by five and one-half inches, or a
surface of forty-four inches and weigh
ing siXty-nine grains. The fact had no
sooner made its appearance in print
than Britains sons began to work. and
soon we heard that sheet containing
, the same number of surface inches, but
weighing only forty-six grains, had
been made at the Marshfield iron
| works, Llanelly, Carmarthenshire, be-
ing exactly one-third less in weight.
But soon the Welsh leek had to give
way to the rose of England. for Stat
| fordshire was anxious to take its wonted
| lead. The Hope Iron Works succeeded
| in making sheet of II surface inches,
weighing but 80 grains, which, reduced
to the American and Welsh standard of
A inches, gives about 33 grains Messrs.
r. Williams Il Co.. 80 inches 40 grains;
reduced to the same standard about 81
grains. For time Staffordshire wore
the belt, but Wales became very rest
less and anxious for the honor of st.
David, SO further attempts were made
Marshfield came again into the field.
They succeeded in making one sheet
Sx5H inches, or a surface of A inches,
of the astounding weight of 231S grains
only, which required no less than 2,5Sa
sheets to make l inch in thickness; an.
other sheet Sx6 inches, or 4S surface
inches, weighed 25 grains, but brought
to the standard of "A inches, gives but
% grains. and requires 1850 sheets tc
make l inch in thickness. The Pom.
tardawe Tin Works next came into the
field with a sheet 14Ax7 CLIO, or a sur.
face of 115x17 inches, weighing &C
grains; but being reduced to "A inches
is 24h grains. trifle heavier than the
| Marshtield, but Pontardawe claims 799
sheets to make inch in thickness.
We now come to the climax The
mill manager of Messrs. w. Hallam &
Co., of the Upper Forest Tin works,
| near Swansea, succeeded in making a
sheet of the finest appearance and
| thinness that has ever yet been seen bv
| mortal eye. The iron from which the
sheet was rolled was made on the
| premises 1t was worked in tinerY
with charcoal and the usual blast;
| afterward taken to the hammer. to be
! formed into a regular fiat bottom;
| from thence conveyed to the balling
| furnace and when sufficiently heated
! taken up to the rolls, heightened and
| cut by shears into proper lengths,
| piled up, and transferred to the balling
| furnace again; when heated it was
| passed through the rolls, back again
into the balling furnace, and when
| duly brought to the proper pitch was
| taken to the rolls and made into a
! thorough good bar.
Such is the history IN connection
with the forge department 1t was
| then taken to the mills and rolled till
it was supposed to be thinner than %
! grains, afterward passed through the
cold mills to give it the necessary
polish, and it stands on record as the
| thinnest sheet of iron ever rolled. The
sheet in question was 10x5% inches, or
55 inches in surface. and weighed but
20 grains. which, being brought to the
standard of SX5]5 inches. or A surface
inches, is but l6 grains or 80 per cent
less than any previous effort, and re-
quired at least T. 500 to make one inch
! in thickness. Makers Journal
| American and Oriental Architecture.
| Travellers in our southwest, and espe-
cially in Mexico, find striking re-
| semblance between the domestic archi-