The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1897-01-23
q Ausg ELEcTRIc FuRNAoE.
a New Way to Treat IRON Ore-1t May
Work = Revoiution.

a New Way to Ereat Iron Ore-1t May
Work = Revolutioh.
The new process which De Laval, the
Swedish engineer. has invented for the
conversion ofiron oreinto pure metallic
iron or into steel is attracting attention
FOR several disanctreasons One IS that
The man himself has already derived
both wealth and fame from two OF his
earlier inventions, a machine for milk
ing cows and a steam turbine. Success
ike this justiies good deal of curiosity
n regard to any fresh scheme that he
nay propose. Another reason is that
he attempt is made, In the De Laval
rocess, to accomplish in n operation
Shat it usually takes two to perform.
amely, the complete elimination of the
Impurities associated with the metalas
pund in the earth. Instead Of produc-
sg pig iron first, and then convert
g this into commercial iron or steel
Rrss the ingenious Swede completes
E Job with a single heating. Thirdly,
proposes to employ electricity in his
prk On q colossal scale, and for that
Rson he and other capitalists whom
has associated with him are buying
q lot of the best water powers In
feden. Among those already secured
pne developing 10000 or 10000 horse
tvers The Iron Age, which makes this
aouneements says that four falls
one stream at TroIIhattan combine
giye the total here mentioned. While
re is no reason to doubt the state
emit II may be remarked that one cam
bit easily find this name in gazetteers
ALIASES. TrolIhattan however. is said
q be the place where, for the last three
years, De Laval has been carrying on his
metallurgical experiments.
Electricity is already used in large
quantities in the publication of Mon
tana copper and the production OF
aluminium at Niagara and Neuhausen.
But the processes in both cases are diff.
ferent from that which is involved in
the new system of reducing iron ore.
They r chemical in their nature, and
effect a disintegration of substances
dissolved in a bath through which a
current is sent. What De Laval does,
on the other hand, is merely to produce
heat. precisely as is done in an electric
welding machine, an electric cooking
machine, Or one of those tiny furnaces
in which M. Moissan manufactures dia-
monds. By Transforming his current,
so that it has an exceedingly low volt
age and q great volume, he obtains in
tense heat from the resistance offered
by a receptacle which he interposes at
the right point. In this manner he
gets a higher temperature than with
coal or gas, and gets it more quickly.
So huge a scheme for producing heat
with electricity is without precedent
in industrial usage.
The material out Of which De Laval's
furnace is made has not yet been mem
tio1ed in any reports at hand. Moissan
used bits Of lime. But his apparatus
was a mere toy in comparison with a
modern blast or regenerating furnace.
A little more information is vouchsafed.
though, as to the arrangement Of tho
contents. The ore is reduced to fine
powder and mixed with pulverized peat.
This compound is subjected to some
preliminary warming in rotating cyl
inder before being subjected to the
electric current.
How far the general PLAN here mem
toned is available for use in America
is a question not easily answered at
present. Swedish iron ore is different
from that found in England and this
country. Nevertheless, it might be
practicable to employ the De Laval
process here, and, if SO, would prove
particularly valuable in those parts Of
1.-THE country producing iron and not
goal, but blessed with water power,
which could be readily converted into
electricity.-N. Y. Tribune.