Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-13

mentioned ABOVE ana graspe0 one OF the
ingots. 1t looked like molten gold. Swiftly
the man worked his levers and the crane
came rapidly forward and deposited the
glowing mass on series or cylinders.
Then the other man proceeded to get In
his work. He stood between two handles
that looked for all the world like plough
handles. He pushed down one and the
cylinders began to revolve carrying the
immense mass Of metal to a large iron
cylinder poised above the carrying cyltn-
der. This cylinder had grooves in 1t
OF various widths. One handle was ma
nipulated and the ingot went under the
big roller. passing out on the other side
with siss like a great sigh Of relief. 1t
was visibly changed in dimensions. 1t ran
out on the cylinders on the other side and
then came back to the roller with a rush
and returned to it's starting place, changed
again in length and thickness.
Then remarkable thing occurred. The
man worked the handles in rotation and
that two-ton piece of steel hoped around
like a match. 1t was turned over and
then sent back and forth under the roller
until it was sent running away on a set
of narrow cylinders. having been rolled out
to thirty feet in length and seven inches
in diameter. The whole operation from
electric crane to the steel rail mill, where
the piece was to be made into seven rails
thirty feet long, required three minutes. I
followed one Of the pieces on its journey.
few yards away it was run under guillo-
tine sort of a machine and was cut into
seven lengths as easily as if it were
cheese.
Picturesque Scenes.
The furnaces were next visited and the
weird beauty of the scenes there were
nothing short of magnificent, and the i'm
pressions gained from the interior were
heightened when on departing I looked
back. The huge cupolas and the dim out
lines of the buildings gave a close resem-
blance to some old medieval castle in the
mn frovc of no r0nf
and up and down the sides came glow
of rosy light that made the picture beauti-
full beyond words to express.
A more satisfying night could not be
spent or one more Instructive. The works
are now running full time in all depart
ments and 1 had an interesting conversa-
ton with Mr.. II. H. Campbell, the isuperin-
tendent of the works. I asked him how
many more men were employed this year
as compared with the same period last
year.
THAT is not the question to put" replied
Mr.. Campbell pleasantly. You see, we do
not discharge our men when work is slack,
but furlough them. Their names remain
on the rolls. / can tell you, however, how
much more money is being paid in wages.
We now have about 4 800 men employed.
During September and October of this year
the money paid out in wages was about 81
per cent more than for the corresponding
months last year. For the first half of 40
vember, compared with the first haii of
80 per cent more"
Wonderful Increase of Output.
What was the comparative output of
steel for the three months of September.
October and November last year and this?"
inquired.
Mr.. Campbell drew forth table of fig
ures and made brief examination. He
showed me that in the months of Septem-
Der October and November 1896 the DrO-
duction of Bessemer steel was 10.497 tons.
and of open hearth steel 20,634 tons, a total
of 81 .131 tons and an average production
per month of 1877 tons
For the same three months of this year
the production of Bessemer was 3S 1859 tons
and of open hearth Al OBS. a total of 20 2O4
tons, and an average per month of % 401
tons.
ITO what do you attribute that great in.
crease?" 1 inquired Of Superintendent
Campbell.
ITO the generally improved conditions of
the country. owing to the good crops of
this year. was his reply. land return Of
confidence. The railroads are improving
their plants and the farmers their ma
chnery. wagons and such things. We are
making rails for the Pennsylvania road
which weigh 100 pounds to the yard. They
are sixty feet long and each rail weighs
2.OO pounds. We are also supplying the
rails for the slots of the new underground
electric system of the Metropolitan Trac-
ton Company of New York Rather in
teresting orders are two we have been fill
ing for several months past. They are for
500 tons together Of steel bars to be used
for the manufacture of wagon and carriage
springs. They are furnished to two par
ties
Mr.. Campbell is a young man. and I no.
ticed in the offices where the brain of the
great thing is situated that young men
predominated to very great degree.
CLITSKEY CROMk LII.