The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-02-07
FACTS ABOUT STEEL.
what II Is, How II Is Made and what
u VIII Do.
From the Manufacturer.

From the Manufacturer.
The term steel signifies iron containing
a small percentage of carbon. which may
vary from less than / to Is per cent.
In modern times steel signifies iron that
has an infiniteslmal amount of carbon In
it, provided it is produced by the open
hearth or Bessemer process.
Meteoris iron is a close representative
Of nickel steel and was used by the an
GENTS
The majority Of steel in the early times
Was obtained from wrought iron.
Wrought iron Is produced from cast iron
melted in contact with iron cinder and
iron ore. and when cooled and worked
again heated in closed vessels with shaw
ings of horn and similar material
The most important invention in con-
nection with the production of steel was
that OF Sir Henry Bessemer, and termed
the Bessemer process.
The Bessemer process dates back to the
sos. The essence Of this invention was
the production Of steel from pig iron by
the use of an air blast Ablast of air 10
forced through the molten cast iron 80
that the carbon and silicon contained IN
Il are burned out they forming the fuel
The converter in which the metal is treat
cd by the Bessemer process in an egg
SNdDeu NtSstl udVinS "A capacity OF from
several tons, which is turned on its side
to receive the charge and afterward
brought into an upright position. Its
bottom is full of holes, through whicn
the air blast is forced.
Steel under the intense heat of a con-
yerter is as liquid as water.
In 1878 another great advance was made
In the art by Sidney Gilchrist Thomas, by
which ordinary grades OF iron ore were
rendered available for steel making, The
Thomas invention related to the addition
of a quantity of lime to the charge and
the lining of the converter with special
bricks formed of lime, which absorbed the
PHOSPHORUS in the cast iron
the Stag obtained by the Thomas process
is so rich in PHOSPHORUS it is employed as
a fertilizer
The Thomas Improvement is the great
est yet made on the Bessemer process.
Following the Thomas discovery The
next important Improvement In the process
was that made by William Siemens In
1882, which consisted i'm burning the fuel
so as 10 produce a gas which was burned
in peculiar furnace, containing thereby
high temperatures and great economy of
heat.
The tenacity Of good steel is very high,
exceeding that Of any other metal
The fractured surface of steel generally
presents crystalline appearance uniform
In strength.
Much carbon makes steel close grained
and lustrous.
Natural steel is obtained by refining
cast iron SO as TO deprive IL of a suffi-
cient portion of carbon to bring Ii to the
malleable state.
Indian or WOotz steel Is made by melt
ing one pound of malleable iron In a crucl-
bic with 10 per cent by weight OF the
wood and leaves OF the plant "Cassia aurI-
culata."
Mild steel contains from 2 to $40 per
cent carbon. When more is present II is
termed hard steel
Steel in its hardest state Is too brittle
for most purposes. and the requisite
strength and elasticity is obtained by
temperng, which is performed by heat
ing II to a certain color dependent on
the use to which It is to be put, and
cooling quickly.
The tensile strength Of steel ranges
from 1900 to $4,000 pounds. The average
Is about 5000.
A hemp rope 1876 inches I'm circumfer-
ence would be the equivalent in strength
OF a steel rope five inches in circumfer-
ence.