The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1901-12-27
Moortowu, New Jersey.
SPARKS FROM THE FURNACE.


The following essay was written by
Miss Winifred d. Mitchell, i'll competition
with sixteen others, giving an account o
a recent trip to the steel plant at Spar
rows Point. This paper was awarded
second prize. Miss Mitchellis the Young
est daughter of Delegate elect, Noble L.
Mitchell, a member of the Bel Air bar.
GAS had been previously arranged, q
large number OF persons from Baltimore
and Hartford counties, attended an ex.
cursion to Sparrow's Point, on October
the twenty-siXth, nineteen hundred and
one.
Sparrow's Point is situated in Balti-
more county, about twelve miles from
the city of Baltimore, on peninsula ex-
tending into the Patapsco River.
| will not consume time in describing
the trip to the great steel works, but will
at once attempt to relate what l saw
there. Immediately on our arrival at
our destination, we began our journey of
sightseeing. We were first conducted to
what we were told, was the Pump Room,
and were shown the large pumps, which
force the water in from the bay to be
used i'll the large boilers and for all other
required purposes of the great plant.
Passing from the Pump Room we entered
the large Engine Room, where we beheld
six monstrous engines, ranging from
fifteen hundred to twenty-five hundred
horsepower each, which furnish the
power for the great steel plant at Spar
rows Point. | never before saw such
large wheels as l beheld on these engines
and was surprised to learn on inquiry
that the weight of one of these wheels
was about seventy-two tons. These
engines are so constructed, or built that
in case one becomes disabled no inter
ruption to any branch of work follows,
as the Others furnish ample power to do
the necessary work. All the machinery
works very smoothly, without friction
or Earring.
The next interesting thing we saw was
the furnace where the metal is melted to
be used i'll the manufacture of steel rails.
This furnace holds about seventy-tive tons
of crude metal, is circular in shape and Of
considerable height, we noticed numcr-
Gus small pipes on the outside of it and
were informed that these pipes were full
of water and were run around the out
side to prevent as far possible, the fire
lIOIu lllllS iii OuSH LIZ NSlIlos
Coke is the principal fuel used. The
fires are hot enough to melt to a liquid,
the metal placed in the furnace. The
furnace is fed, we were told, from an
opening i'll the top; the metal is lifted
from the ground i'll elevators, and emptied
into this opening, as fast as it is consum-
ed, more is poured in, the principle of
feeding this great furnace is the same as
a selt-feeding coal stove.
We were anxious to see a cast and were
happy when told that we could see one
in a few minutes. We had only to wait
a short while when we noticed several
men pick up long bar and begin to force
an opening at the base OF the furnace, we
soon heard call to move back and iul-
mediately there came rush of the hot
fiery metal like water running down an
angry stream.
Sparks from the Furnace" how
beautiful! how Brilliant leapiug high
into the air, to the left of us and all
around us, which almost made me think
it was the glorious Fourth of July. The
liquid was run into paths to the ladle
cars, when these become full they are
drawn to the BesSemer Mill, there the
molten iron is put i'll a very large CONVEX
ter. The carbon is blown from il by blasts
which sends the formidable flames to
the very top of the building. Wenoticed
that the roofs of the buildings were burnt
by the Spark from the Furnace" and
by the flames. The converter which holds
the Bessemer steel is tilted and the steelis
poured into ladies. III these ladies an
opening is made near the base, through
which the melted steel flows into large
ingot molds. These ingot molds are taken
to the Rail Mill and lifted from the ignots
By means of the Shippers. 1t is then re-
heated and put on rollers which bring it
back and forth many times and thus the
ignot is made into a bloom. After the
bloom is taken off of the rollers it is put
on other rollers which make it into real
railroad rails. Very often when the rails
are being made there is a shower OF
Sparks from the Furnace, which fall on
the floor beneath. Water is put on the
rollers all the time while the hot steel
rails are passing over them so as to keep
them cool.
We next went to the Marine Depart
ment. We were first shown through the
Machine Shop, which, as everything else
we saw, was entirely new to us In this
shop all the steel is prepared for the build
ing of the ships. What struck me most
forcibly was the puncturing of holes in a
large sheet of steel whichit required three
| or four men to hold, these holes are made
| by a very great weight pressing punch
| down upon the sheet of the steel, we after
| ward found this steel that til holes were
cut in was to be used in the vessel, and
the holes thus made were for bolts. When
the bolts are put i'll they are red hot and
are driven i'll and riveted by machinery.
We next went upon the largest vessel
that was ever built at Sparrow's Point
we went up many steps along the side OF
it and thus reached the top. This vessel
is ninety eight feet high and five hundred
and eighty feet long. There is also
another vessel being built there, this is
not as large as The one previously
mentioned but We were not taken upor
| this one.
Another very interesting thing which
was shown to us, was the Torpedo
Boats, there were three, each having q
velocity of thirty-five miles an hour, and
the engine of each is equal to three-hun
dred horse power These Torpedo boat:
are named for three prominent nava
officers. The names are Tuxton, Whippl'
and Worden. They are used to blow VI
ships by submarine explosion.
We were next taken through the ma
chine room. There are many belts in thi
room, which keep the machinery working
all the time. We also saw very larg
piece ofiron, which was severalfee cir
conference and many feet in length. l
somewhat resembled log, upon inquir,
we found it to be the shaft of an engine
The next very interesting thing wlicl
we saw was the Shear Legs. 1t is a thre
legged affair, and it is used for lifting tn
great weights from vessels us they com
in, we were told. 1t is worked by mean
of pullcys. Inside a building near by
there is ladder extending along one sid
of it. The capacity is one hundred ton
but we were told that it had lifted a
) much as one hundred and twenty tiv
1 tons.
We were next taken into the Polishin
room, this room is where all the bras
and different metals are polished. Their
r are several buckets of acid i'll which tn
c articles are dipped. They are kept i
\ this acid few moments, then are take
out beautifully polished.
The day was full of pleasure and EMO.
: ment for all of us school children.
D We left Sparrow's Point about fly
5 O'Clock Though we were tired, we fe
v that the day had bccn a great benefit
S us nuROTHY MANNERS.