The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-06-22
A DAY II HOMESTEAD.

Experience of n WorkmIn on His First
Day In the Great CarneEs, Works.
From "Nonn<cd Z, r., b. o7>Qy il yorim-l''
IN .H:ClEsS N.5a=ES to- July
When | went 20 the superintendent
and asked tor work, he said, "What can
you doY'
Anything. I am large, strong, active
and willing. I have been about ma.
chinery all ny LIE, and want work
badly"
He touched @ button, and a boy ap-
pcared. SHOW this man down 10 the
converting mill aad ask Fred ii he can
DO anything for him. Good morning."
ue said, and nay Interview vas over.
I put on NY new ovsralls and jumper,
and followed ray guide down through
thd mills. We made our way through
piles OF stock, raw material, rolls, etc,
and came Il, last 20 the huge converting
mill. The superintendent was found,
and the word delivered. He glanced as
me q moment; then said. not u~nkiuLly:
you look good and strong; jump IL
and help those fellows there on those
vessels"
I hardly knew what he meant; but
| through the smoke and steam ! saw
some men beneath one o: the vessels, or
! couver;ers, working With sletCes 4
| bar. 10 get the bottom oL. The mill
with its poaderous and massive cranes,
| the immense vessels all covered Will,
black scale and soo., the hy!n: sparks,
| the roaring flames, the lights coming
! and going, the air filed with steam and
smoke, AID, finally, the shsiil and deaf
euinG noise, aTed, confused. and even
| tigconcer;ci me more than l should
| hsye liked 10 acknowledge.
l seized 4 sledge lying rea and
| Jumped in" We /, lastcot the 'Hkeys. y
as they call the wedges which hold the
converter together, and by the help OF
q hydraulic -aIp took the bottom OF.
| IhIs lei. a white-hos opening eigh! feet
| in dismeter and about six feet from tho
ground, under which We must work Il
| seemed to me as though the skin OF ny
neck and hands would burst With the
heat. Ny clothes yer steamed and
smoked. How I wished had been any
where under the sua GOOD old Soil.
rather than under this lendisnly hot
sun hanging go very neas Cs.
When We had the le= bottom on We
wen, up 10 the platform above Ihe con-
ver.ers, and drove the keys home more
securely. and stopped any sm1i! hole
| there might be with bail stuff"
i shrieking engine passed BY me and
| swiftly poured into the converter .
heal" OF lion. Then the blast vas
turned on, and 8 cloud o: yellow and
saiTton flame, mixed with sparks aud
SINAI! particles OF MEAL, rushed our Q:
| the mouth OF the converter into the air.
One OF the men caught me BY the arm
and pulled me away justin m 20 save
me from being seriously burned for l
was not expecting the fame.
By noon I was go tired | could hardly
stand, bu. ! stuck to II Tor all | Was
worth. During the afternoon | tre-
| oueatly fell down because my knees
were 700 weak to hold NE W. My
hands we're burned and blis.eEed, and
nv new overails were filled with holes
burned by flying sparks. About i
o'clock in the afternoon. while working
under the platform. l was startled 10
see a stream OF red fire run over the
edge OF the platform and strike in the
midst OF some workmeu. A~sittouched
the vet cround it exploded wiki i re-
nor, like that Of 4 cannon. Tho molten
metal flew in every direction. Many
workueu were burned more or less
severely; and in the case OF one poor
iellow-it makes ne sick still 70 thlnS
OF 1.-THE steel came down directly on
the head and back. We got bin out OF
the steam and smoke, and carefully and