The herald., 1897-04-11
+ + r + + r +
]: A VISIT TO THE CARNEGIE STEEL WORKS
90

slngly and In piles, were sections OF ar
NOR plate, apparently enough to equip
fleet. The ingots of steel we saw in the
furnace buildings are taken to the roll
Ing mills and there rolled to the shape
and thickness required, and then brought
to this building, where there are numef-
Gus machines for shaping the plate,
trimming off the rough edges, boring
the holes necessary for fastening 1t to
the vessel, etc. Some of the immense
blocks of steel were from ten to seven
teen inches thick and worth from $4,000
to $4,000 each, 1t seems Incredible that
vessel can be covered with a number
of these plates, some of them weighing
100 tons each, and yet that is the pur-
pose for which they are designed.
1t was noticeable all through the works
that young men largely were employed.
Clear heads, keen brains directed by sci
entific and practicable ability produce
the results that have made Carnegie's
works world famed.
In this armor plate shop was a large
machine Weighing many scores of tons.
1t was circular turret- -borer, for use
in boring the turrets for monitors, but
the government having decided to use no
more circular turrets, this great machine
is now practically useless, and another
equally large and expensively construct
ed machine has to be purchased for the
new shape required. 1t Is necessary,
therefore, that large prices should be
raid for this class of work when such
extensive and expensive machinery is
required and is so soon liable to be cast
aside as useless. To the uninitiated it
would seem incredible the enormous ex-
pendlture required simply to prepare for
the manufacture of armor plate and when
! machines costing 100000 or more are
cast aside as worthless, one cannot but
wonder at the manufacturers seeking
to protect themselves. Such visit as
we made seeing the ponderous and elab-
crate machinery at work, all of which
| had to be especially designed and con-
structed for this purpose, noting the care
with which each melt of steel was chem
| ically tested, and the slow shaping of
these great blocks of metal to the ex-
| act curves or the vessels to be armored; !;
the complicated and intricate measure-
ments required for this purpose led us
to appreciate, as never before, why ar
NOR plate is such an expensive luxury
! The hammers used in this work are
such as would have frightened heavy
| handed Thor, or made Hercules flee in
dismay. Worked by hydraulic power and
capable of striking with the force Of
several hundred tons, all their power is
called into exercise to shape the plates
as required.
Among other objects of interest were
| a number of armor plates that had
served as tests of the power of certain
guns. Several of those made of the
ordinary homogeneous steel had been
pierced by the shot, a full account of
each being appended, giving the style
| of gun used, the amount and kind of
powder. the shape of the missile, etc.
Those plates, however, that had q car
BOMBED surface had received the shots
with but slight injury, thus demonstrat-
ing the superiority of this style for de-
fensive purposes.
Lowe kept up perfect fusillade of
questions and Mr.. Wood was equally
energetic in his questioning. Both men
were familiar with the subject, and it
was a great pleasure to listen to their
conversation on the scientific nature of
the processes taking place.
Just as we left the armor plate build
ing the professors keen eye was at
tracted to massive machine composed
OF two hammers operated by hydraulic
pistons. He Immediately turned and
asked Mr.. Wood if it were possible that
these two pistons could work in evenly
together. This gentleman was imme-
diately struck with the question and ex-
pressed his surprise, for it revealed that
Prof. Lowe had discovered at a glance
a difficulty he had experienced in work.
ing the machine, which he then ex-
planned, to the effect that the great cen
trail shaft two feet in diameter. was
supposed to be necessary for the pur-
pose of sustaining the stability of the
machine, and thus make the pistons
work together. One day when operated
steadily to its utmost capacity this
rigid support snapped in two. Conster-
nation fell upon all concerned as the
government had given urgent and i'm
perative orders for the completion Of
certain work in a specified< time, and
this great breakage meant serious de-
lay. I'VE at once commenced to make
another shaft" said Mr. Wood, "but
the work was so urgent that the next
day l thought I would risk trying to
operate the machine in it's broken condi-
ton. did SO. and to our astonishment
the breakage had given fiexibility to
the whole machine that made every
thing fit, and, consequently, 1t worked
better than it had ever done before.
I'm afraid II the maker were to come
and see it working in it's broken condi-
tion he would have fit"
After visiting other portions of these
vast works, which limited space for
bids my describing, we were invited to
dine with the manager and superintend-
ent, and thus agreeably close up our
tour. G. WHARTON JAMES.
The Gorilla club will be entertained on
the evening Of the 18th in the hall at the