The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-03-24
Sir Henry Bessemer
and His Life Work

From the Chicago Evening Post.
n 7 IS refreshing, in considering the
notable achievements Of great inven-
tors, to happen upon an occasional
instance where fortune has not only
smiled on but has well rewarded
genius. 1t is far too often the case that
the successful inventor closes his life in
poverty and distress and leaves to others
the harvest of substantial benefits which
in Justice should have been his. Sir Hen
ry Bessemer was a marked exception TO
this class, and his death, occurring so
recently, makes considera ton of the most
important inventions timely. While Bes-
semer did not invent steel. he discovered
a process for it's manufacture that has
reVolutionized the iron and steet working
industry of the entire world. Up till the
time when his experiments were crowned
with success the making of steel was a
very slow, and consequently, very la
boriOuS process, and steel had compara-
lively restricted application Ia the indus
trial arts. Besscmer brought it so near
perfection and at such reasonable cost
that it is today one of the most widely
employed and most useful of all materials
which man has pressed into service for
his advantage and comfort.
In measure the discovery of Besse-
mer's process was accidental. To begin
with. he had no knowledge of chemistry
and metallurgy when he first set about
his Investigations to turn iron into steel.
| But he visited many places where iron
was wrought and he kept his eyes open.
| lie saw that in the slow process Of
| pudding" the particles of molten metal
were gradually brought into contact with
| the air, and that this seemed to in time
| produce a fair quality of steel. Had he
| known the chemistry which was at work
! during pudding Bcssomer steel undoubt-
| edly would have been made some years
sooner than ii was. But he only saw the
| mechanical part of the operation. He
knew it was a great deal easier to stir
| air than it was to stir iron and it was
! while recovering from a severe Illness
| that the idea came to him of blowing air
| through the melted iron. AS lie lay in
| bed the breezes from an open window
| famed his check, and this turned his
| thoughts IN another direction. which
proved to be the beginning of the prob
| lem's solution.
| As soon as he was sufficiently recovered
| to resume his Investigations he set about
making retort in which he could test
| his new idea. 1t was so constructed that
a blast of cold air was forced into the
! bottom so that 1t would pass through
melted iron in the upper part of the re-
tort. The day for the test arrived and
| Henry Bessemer was naturally not the
| least excited of the group that gathered
around the new contrivance 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. 1.-THE molten
iron" to quote one present, bounded
| from side to side: q violent ebullition was
| heard going on inside, while a vehement
violet flame, accompanied with dazzling
| sparks, burst from the throat of the
cupola, from which the Stag was also
| thrown in large foamlike masses. A cast
iron plate of the kind used to cover holes
| in the pavement, that had been suspended
over the mouth of the vessel dissolved
in cleaning mist, together with half a
dozen yards of the chain by which II
hung"
1t is not surprising that such an unusual
sight should have frightened not only the
men but the daring experimenter. Besse-
mer thought he saw i'm this terrific dem
onstration of two prime elements the
complete failure of his plans. He want
ed to shut off the air before the charge OF
iron was spoiled or the furnace burned
but the stop-cock regulating the supply
was so close to the retort that no one
dare go near 1t. This proved fortunate
for soon the commotion within the retort
subsided. the fury of Decentralization haC
expanded itself and the product was rur
on. The result was not quite satisfac
tory. The product was, for the mos
part, burnt iron, but Bessemer saw
enough In the experiment to encourage
him in making a second trial. and tn,
product from this proved to be malleaol,
iron. BY further experiment II wa'
found that by interrupting the process
before the Decentralization of the iror
was complete the product was unmistak
ably steel. which when tried proved to b,
OF very good quality. Here was a dis