The broad ax., 1898-10-29
SUCCESSFUL INVENTORS

- - ACAACsAAuEs u CUuelutfluI luc
n0table achievements OF great invsn-
tors, to happen upon an occasional IN
stance where fortune has not only
smiled on. but has well rewarded
genius II Is far too often the case
that the successful inventor closes his
life In poverty and distress and leaves
b others the harvest Of substantial
benefits which In justice should have
been his. Sir Henry Bessemer was a
marked exception to this class. While
Bessemer did not invent steel, he dis.
covered a process for It's manufacture
that has revolutionized the iron and
steel working industry Of the entire
world Up till the time when hts ex-
periments were crowned with success
the making Of steel was a very slow,
and, consequently, a very labOrious
process, and steel had a comparatively
restricted application In the Industrial
arts.
In n measure the discovery OF Bes-
semer's process was accidental To
begin with, he had no knowledge of
chemistry and metallurgy when he
6rst set about his investigation to turn
iron into steel. But he visited many
places where iron was wrought and
he kept his eyes open He saw that
In the slow process of pudding" the
particles Of molten metal were grad
ually brought into contact with the
air and that this seemed to, In time.
produce a fair quantity Of steel. Had
be known the chemistry which was
~ work during pudding. Bessemer
steel undoubtedly would have been
made some years sooner than it was
But he only saw the mechanical part
of the operation. He knew that il
was a great deal easier TO stir air
than 1t was to stir iron, and 1t was
while recovering from a severe Illness
that the idea came to him Of blowing
air through the melted iron. As he
lay In bed the breezes from an open
window famed his cheek. and this
turned his thoughts in another direc.
ton, which proved to be the begin
ming Of the problems solution.
covered TO resume his investigations
he set about making a Ietort In
which he could test his new idea II
was so constructed that a blast of
cold air was forced into the bottom
% that it would pass through the
melted iron in the upper part OF the
retort. The dir for the test arrived,
and Henry Bessemer was naturally
not the least excited of the group thai
gathered around the new contriyance.
When the pig iron was melted the
blast of air was turned in TO prevent
the metal filling the holes through
which the air entered. Then the
metal was poured in through the
charging hole by an attendant stoker.
A tremendous cOmmOtion Immediately
took place within the vessel. The
molten iron," to quote one present,
bounded from side to side; a violent
ebullitson was heard going on inside.
while a vehement violent flame. &C.
companied with dazzling starks, burst
from the throat CT the cupola, from
which the slang was also thrown in
large foam Ike masses. A cast iron
plate Of the kind used TO cover holes
In the pavement. that had been sus.
pended over the mouth of the vessel.
dissolved to a cleaning mist, together
with half dozen yards Of the chain
by which 1t hung"
1t Is not surprising that such an un-
usual sight sbould have frightened not
only the men. but the daring experi.
menter. Bessemer thought he saw
In this terrific demonstration of two
prime elements the complete failure
Of his plans. He wanted to shut on
the air before the charge of iron was
spoiled or the furnace burned, but the
stopcock regulating the supply was 50
close to the retort that no one dare
go near IL. This proved fortunate.
for soon the commouon within the
retort subsided. the fury Of decarbonf
cation had expended itself, and the
product was run OF. The result was
not quite satisfactory. The product
was, for the most part, burnt iron,
but Bessemer saw enough In the ex-
pertinent TO encourage him in making
a second trial, and the product fsDm
this proved to be malleable iron.
BY further experiment ii was found
that by interrupting the process be
fore the Decentralization of the iron
was complete the product was unmis-
steel which, when tried. prov.
ed to be Of very good quality. Here
was n discovery Of immense import
ance. IL malleable iron. and steel
could be produced Glrecr from pig iron
by q process 50 rapid and simple. 1t
could not fail before long to effect an
entire revolution In the iron trade.
And such it actually did many years
before Bessemer closed his long and
successful career.-Chicago Post.
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