Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-01-22

lug costs so much that the profit In IL
is doubtful II "sCrapping" is decided
on the engine goes to the graveyard
ana ~ torn TO pieces for old metal. For
that purpose locomotive that cost So
900 Is worth only $3.50, It's material be-
ing melted up for the construction of
new engines. The graveyard at the
Philadelphia works is an open space of
ground whore scrap iron of all sorts Is
gathered In what look like Heterogeneous
heaps. In reality, however, the stun Is
carefully assorted, each of The great
piles being composed of particular
Kind of iron. So many pounds of each
sort are put into the mclting-pot for
whatever may be required. according TO
recipe each pnrt of locomotive hav-
ing It's particular description of metal
Other heaps are of ordinary PIG iron.
which supplies the fresh material
needed. Recently the firm bought in at
Il bargain a lot of tuiTets Of old monitors.
which are to be converted into wrought
iron wheels.
The manufacture of Il locomotive be.
gins with castings Of the yuriOus parts
which can bc made Of iron in that
shape. For this purpose so-called dunn
mics are turned out In certain regular
forms, the material of which they are
composed being a mixture Of -four. mo
lnsses and sand The dummies having
been baked in ovens, are put into the
moulds and the molten metal Is poured
around them, after which they are
broken up aud the castings are taken
out. In this way II is possible 10. pro-
duce an elaborate casting like the
cylinder Of an engine, with all its attach
ment8 in the same piece. Formerly
PENNSYLVANIA flour was used for maxi
ing the dummies, but the zinc which ID
Hufr cd al lao
an adulterant, being the refuse of zinc
factories, which was put IN TO add
weight. Az present the Hour h got from
the West, where there are no zinc factO-
ries. The iron Is melted in great fur
unces, and the huge pots into which it
is 70 be poured are kept filled with burn
ing wood 80 that no moisture shall be
IN them. III there were any moisture In
one of these pots when the molten metal
was poured into IL, n tremendous and
probably disastrous explosion would en-
sue. Accidents from this cause have
cost many lives.
The steel for locomotive boilers is sup
piled by contract in the shape of Hat
rectangular sheets. Before il is accept
ed the tensils aud breaking strength of
each one Is tested. Next, IL Is marked
on by measure with chalkllncs for
Iivvt holes. which are punched
through II by machine that does the
slice of cheese. Then the sheet is trim
mo- tp he prouer Nzc Jy great steel
knife which cuts OF the edges like paper.
Finally. IL is turned into cured shape
10y passing between huge rollers, and IL
rvrtrI to other sheets which make up
the cylindrical tube of the boiler. by
means of red-hot iron bolts. A boiler
making shop is VIGOROUSLY the nosest
place on earth, but il Is surprising TO
find how soon one gets used 10 the claln1
or, SO that Il would be possible to lie
down ; u sleep amid it all. There Is moth
iucing like getting accustomed TO things.
Every now and then man is killed in
the works By having boiler roll up
ON him. He has had such long practice
in Guiding dangers of the sort thnt he
becomes too Indifferent. stepping out Of
the way n moment too late
The most picturesque feature of the
manufacture Is the hammer shop,
where parts of locomotive frames are
formed out of huge steel bars. The lat
ter, coming whte-hot and glowing from
the roaring fuInnces, are quickly swung
by machinery TO enormous anyls wherO
hammers weighing several tons run by
steam perform the functions of so many
titanic blacksniths. II is marvellous
thing TO see how different portions of the
engines mechanism are turned out in
this way as prettily ms II they were east
In the shapes desired workmanship of
the utmost delicacy being accomplished
by the eNartiOu of gigantic forces. After
every few strokes the bar is turned, so
that the crushing blows shall make it
SPARE Or, IL an axle Is being wrought I'm
this fashion. the hammer has n semi
circular strip cut out Of It's fiat bottom,
so that II shapes the bar into cylindrical
form This kind Of work severely taxes
the physical powers OF those who perform
! a. 'tNu nri must hold eAcn DIR aHd inrl
| Il on the anvil by means Of a long steel
/ handle which Is fastened 10 the bar
I when the latter comes from the furnace
/ by attaching Il with blow Of the ham
mer. AT every stroke Of the hammer
/ tpc t,.narirutc D tremendous Jar
Consequently, though the men who are
/ rntsagrl ir this labor are strong ard
hcarty-looling, not one Of them Is sound
/ An the men are badly spruined or rulr
/ tuned so that they are Obliged to wenr
| trusses and other such devices. The
work requires great skill and commands
/ from $40 10 500 Il week for capable
| operators.
They tell q story at this factory Of two
men who came there not very long Qgo
| IN search OF a job As it happened
| hammer men were wanted, aud the We're
asked II they could do hammer work
| Oh yes. they said. they were experienced
! hammer men. AS a matter Of fast they
! knew nothing about the business. Being
! put at a white-hOt bar fresh from the
/ furnace. with orders 20 make a connecting
\ rod out OF g. The only thing they knew
| how 10 do was 10 tix the handle ON
| They had net thc knack 10 turn the bar
on the anvil, and the hammer fell oil
ways on the same sife Of ~ ilattening
! il out wider and wider. The more i
/ spread, the more difficulty there was in
| turning Il. and fpaly one Of the pair
| OF fakirs said 20 the other
'iet her 70. Fms we,ll make 4 shove
] out Of the bloOniu' ihins.