The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1894-08-17
IN THE STEEL MILLS.
INVESTIGATING HOMESTEAD AND IT'S
PERlLOuS TRADES.

ing Hot Stag I'm the "Bcathtap"
Reason why Noue Of thc Men L. Beyond
Middle Agc.
A cold, thin October rain was Ealing as
took the little fcrryhont and crossed the
MunungJhcln river To- see Homestead and
its iron mills The town UNANIMOUSLY his.
toric already. sprawlud over the Irregular
hillside, circled by the cold gray river on
the 1ats close To- the waters edge there
were masses of great sheds out Of which
grim smoke-tacbs rose with a desolate
effect, like the black stumps OF q burned
forest of great trees Above them dense
clouds of sticky smoke rolled heavily
away.
Higher up the tenement houses stood ia
dingy rows, alternating with vacant lots
Higher still stood some Queen Anne cot.
tagcs, toward which slender sidewalks
climbed like goat paths
The streets of the town were horrible;
the buildings were poor, the sidewalks
were sunken, swaying and full of holes, and
the crossings were sharp edged stones set
like rocks in a river bed Everywhere the
yellow mud of the street lay kncadcd into
a sticky mass, through which groups Of
pale, lean men slouched in faded gar
monts grimy with the SCOT and greases
Of the mills
The town was as squalid and unlovely
as could well be imagined, and the people
were mainly of the discouraged and sullen
type to be found everywhere where labor
passes into the brutalizing stage Of severi-
ty. 1t had the disorganizcd and incoher-
ent effect of a town which has feeble pub
lie spirit Big industries at different eras
have produced squads Of squalid tenement
houses far from the central portion of the
town, each plant bringing its gangs of
foreign laborers in raw masses to camp
down like an army around its shops.
Such towns are sown thickly over the
hill lands Of Pennsylvania, but this was
my first descent into one of them They
are American only in the sense in which
they represent the American idea of bust
ness.
The Carnegie mills stood down near the
river at some distance from the ferry land
ing, and thither l took my way through
the sticky yellow mud and the gray fall
ing rain
Tho converting mill was the most gor-
geous and dangerous Of all Here the crude
product is turned into steel by the Besse-
mor process 1t also was huge, shedlike
stood supports for two immense pear shap-
ed pots, which swung on pivots 10 or 12
feet from the floor. Over each pot was
| huge chimney Out Of each pot roared
alternately ferocious geyser of saffron
and sapphire fame, streaked with deeper
| yellow From it a light streamed-a light
that flung violet shadows everywhere and
made the gray outside rain a beautiful blue.
a fountain Of sparks arose, gorgeous as
| 10000 rockets, and fell with a beautiful
curve, like the petals of some enormous
| flower. Overhead the beams were glowing
orange in base of purple. The men were
| yellow where the light struck them violet
| in shadow Wild shouts rcsounded amid
| the rumbling of an overhead train and
| the squeal of a swift little engine darting
| in and out laden with the completed cast
| ings. The pot began to burn with a
| whittier flame. Its flutterng, humming
roar silenced all else.
lit is nearly ready to pour said my
| companion. The carbon is nearly burnt
away"
"Why docs it burn so fcrociously?"
Through the pivot blast of oxygen
is delivered with an enormous pressure.
| This unitos with the silicon and carbon
and carries it away to the surface He'd
better pour now, OF the metal will burn -
Underneath the other pot men were
shoveling away Stag in the rain Of falling
sparks. They worked with desperate haste
To their wrists dangled disks Of leather to
protect their hands from heat 1t was i'm.
possible to see what manner Of men they
were. They resembled human beings only
in form,
A shout was heard, and a tall crane
| swung a gigantic ladle under the convert
ing vessel, which then mysteriously VI
ended, exploding like cannon a prodi
gious discharge of starlike pieces Of white
hot Stag. The blowers on their high plat
form across the shed sheltered themselve.
behind a wall.
drew back into the rain, "They cal
this the deathtrap," shouted my compan
ion, smiling at my timid action.
Down came the vessel until out of II
streamod the smooth flow Of terribly beau
tiful molten metal. As it ran nearly emp
ty and the ladle swung away the dripping
. Stag fell to the ground, exploding leapinl
viciously, and the scene became gorgeous
: beyond belief, with orange and red anC
green flame,
. Into this steam and smoke and shower
: of sparks the workmen leapt and wer,
prying off crusted Stag, spraying the ladlt
! and guiding the cranes
Meanwhile high up above them in th'
s tumult an engine backed up with loat
a of crude molten iron, discharged into tn,
- converter, and the soaring saffron ant
orange and sapphire flames began again
, We stood to watch the making of rails
A and as the rosy serpent grew slenderer ant
1 swifter it seemed TO take ON life. IL cury
q ed lightly, unaccountably, and shot viii
/ menacing mouth past groups of workmen
D Sometimes they break said my guide
land then they sweep things" And his
words pictured the swing Of redho
scythe
, The wonder to me is you don't all dit
] Of exposure and the changes OF heat ant
- cold "
My guide looked serious you dom
Z notice any old men here I" He swept hi
hand about the building 1t shorten
, life just like mining There is no ques
tion about that That of course, doesn'