The San Francisco call., 1897-04-11
TONS Of
M0LTEN
METAL
Great Cast Made by the
Union Iron
Works.
THREE MONTHS OF
PREPARATIONS.
Two Minutes Decide the Re.
suits of Many MEMS
Labor.
WILL BEND HEAVY IRON
PLATES.
The Immense Piece of Metal to
Be Used in New
M Michine.
WILL BEND HEAVY IRON
PLATES.
The Immense Piece of Metal to
Be Used in a New
M ichine.

Daniel O'Neil, foreman molder OF the
Union Iron Works, cast his eye anxiously
over his corps OF thirty or thirty-tive ex-
pert assistants. Every man was on the
alert and at his post. From the huge
caldrons rose tongues OF weird, uncanny,
hungry flames. From score of vent
pipes wavering columns of fire consumed
the gas, which had generated in the
bowels of the mold. The supreme mo-
ment TO which this force OF expert work
men had been laboring for months had
arrived.
go on" shouted O'Neil, with a wave
of his hand. Two begrimed moders
threw their weights upon the levers that
controlled the huge tank which contained
the seething liquid metal. With dull
roar 10000 pounds of iron went pouring
into the great mold which had been pre-
pared for it. Interested workmen timed
the passing of the molten mass as they
might the performance of a favored race
horse.
The last of the yellow stream had
flowed into Ihe great receptacle of iron
and clay. The gas from the vent-pipes
fiicAered feeb!y and the workmen relaxed
their tension to heave sigh of relief
Two minutes exactly" announced one
OF the volunteer timers and so far it
couldn't have been nicer"
This casting was one which will be his
torlcai In the annals of metal working.
Seventy-hve tons is a huge amount OF
metal for single cast. Sucn a thing has
never before been accomplished on this
coast. In the whole United States there
are but two or three establishments which
would undertake such a problem and
there are ample reasons why any manu-
m i1h toto hofo -
ing it.
The piece which was yesterday cast is
for the Union Iron Works own use. 1t is
to be an important part of a machine for
the purpose of bending plates 10 be used
on men-of-war. This machine is calcu-
lated 10 exert 500 tons of pressure at one
time.
The formidable agency in this pressure
which was cast yesterday is "a feet long.
feet wide and feet deep. In its con-
s'ruction $50. 900 pounds of the best and
hardest iron was used. 1t is worth to the
works over $4,000, and single mistake
in its casting mlght have cost thousands
of dollars and months OF delay. That is
why the men in the rolling mill awaited
the TOW of metal anxiously. That is
why Foreman O'Neil smiled as he de-
scended from his commanding position
on top of the frame wherein was con-
structed the huge mold.
1t is an interesting process, this mold.
ing OF great masses of metal. 1t is an
exciting procedure when, as in the present
instance. mistake of an instant NAV
mean the loss of months OF labor and
thousands of dollars.
For over three months Daniel O'Neil
and his thirty expert moiders have been
preparing the great frame tor the casting.
There were cores and crevices to be
fashioned by deft hands, there were vent
pipes to be arranged for, skillful appliances
for preventing bubbles must be figured
upon, and last, but by 20 means least
Important, iortv tons of weight had to be