The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1894-03-31
THE GREAT WORKS
Ofthe Carnegie Company at Homestead
"A Correspondent Describes the
Process of Steel Making.


ted in previous letter | made appli-
cation to the proper authorities and
through the kindness of the Messrs.
Swope was soon armed with the
proper credentials and ready for a
trip through the "steel works" The
gentlemen above named being well
acquainted and familiar with the
different departments inside, kindly
offered to show me through. 1t was
night when we made our visit. The
entire grounds are lighted by cleo
tricity; this in addition to light
caused by the hot metals in different
parts of the plant, gives the entire
grounds wild and weird appear
ance.
Our first in PRODUCTION was to the
melting of the raw ore. will be
remembered that the Bessemer pro
cess of making steel consists of fore
ing a blast of cold air through the
boiling metal as it falls from the la
del into the moulds. While this
does not produce the finest quality
of steel, still am informed the pro-
cess makes a very fair article and is
easily converted into the very finest
grade, 10y still finer process of re
fining. No naked eye can stand the
glazing brightness of the boiling
metal.
Alter becoming cold there blooms
are again heated to nearly the melt,
ing point, and are then run back and
forth between rollers until they are
reduced to plates, varying in thick
ness from four to ten inches or more,
and of various lengths, but all of
about the same width. While yiew-
ing the process it must be remember
ed that the immense heat and power
to accomplish all the work comes
from beneath where one is stand
ing. The furnaces are located below
the ground level, but as we declined
to visit this region can not attempt
to give description.
The rolling of the plates is not
different from the ordinary process,
but here the similarity ends. The
stamp or date when the plates are
made, is indented in the side of each
plate while it is still red hot. This
is accomplished by sort of sledge-
hammer, look ing affair. The stamp
is inserted in the small end and the
work is accomplished by three hard
blows and each makes an impression
nearly one inch deep. 1t is needless
to say that it would be an impossi-
bility to alter or erase this after it
becomes cold. The plate is now con
veyed on rolls to another part of the
mill, where it cools. After this it is
ready for the finishing process. 1t
is not perhaps generally known that
these plates are dressed and fitted
to an exact pattern before being
shipped away from here. This work
requires the labor of those skilled
workmen" about whom there WAS
so much said during the late strike
and gave rise to the high wages
earned by the employees, We must
bear in mind this applies chiefly to
the skilled labor" class The United
States government inspector is sup
posed to be present during the work
after the plates are stamped and un-
dergoing the finishing process. Az
ter being properly fitted the plate is
yet presumed to be as soft as I'M
tempered steel. Then it is swung by
an electric crane over a regular lake
of oil, large enough to receive the
entire piece, and not less than twelve
deep. In order to temper, of course
it is again brought to cherry red
and as TO why, or what is mixed
with the oil to prevent It from tax
ing fire when such mass of red hot
sleel is immersed, l really can not
tell. This is the tempering process,
and upon it depends the utility of
the piece. If tempered too high it
will crack or fly when tested, and if
tempered too low it will be easily
penetrated by projectiles fired from
cannon.
Some of the plates are bent the
exact circle to fit the curved sides
of the vessel. This is accomplished
when the pieces are heated quite
hot, and are very difficult to handle
owing to their great weight and phi
ableness which is necessary in order
to give them the proper shape The
nice and exact workmanship requir
ed in order that the joints come prop
erly together, can be conceived on
ly by such as know the difficulties
encountered in simply cutting two
circular pieces of wood, and then
call to mind the great weight of
these plates, and that their thickness
runs from four to ten inches and
width not less than four feet. In the
edges and ends are drilled holes one
to two inches in diameter and per.
haps ten inches deep, into which are
inserted dowel pins, which hold the
pieces securely in their places. Some
of the test plates are considerably
worsted in the trial, and l am inform.
ed are returned to the mill, with
holes shot through them. These are
too soft. Other are cracked or brok-
en-; these are too hard We must
bear in mind that "Uncle Sam" does
not want any shoddy goods foisted
on the government and always con-
dennis material that fails to come up
to the requirements.
noticed that nearly all the heav-
lest work was accomplished by the
aid of electrical cranes. l do not
suppose you have any cranes in your
town yet that are operated by cleo
tricity. l would like to tell you,
what is being done here by electrici
ty, and what may happen in the way
of new things in that line in the
near future. But / have now occu
pied enough space for this time.
Perhaps at some later date l may
give some pointers as to the evidence
that better times are coming as
judged by the outlook down here
Some of the trains that were laid off
during the late dull times will soon
be put on again. This shows how
business is picking up down this
way. S. d.
A Coward in the Militia.