The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-05-04
CARNEGIE COMPANY BEATEN.
settlement of the Long Legal Battle
Over Nickle Patents.
Copyright. 100

Settlement of the Long Legal Battle
Over NickIe Patents.
Copyright 1901.
Washington, May 4.-The long contro-
versy over the infringement of the patent
rights of the American Nickel Steel Com
pany of Philadelphia by the national gov
eminent and the Carnegie Steel Company
has been finally settled in this city. The
contention involved the right of the
American Nickel Steel Company in the
Schneider Nickel Steel patents, the valid
ity and scope of the patents, and co7se-
quent thereto large sum of money accru-
ing and accrued as royalties. The legal
battle has been fought in the courts for
some years. and the settlement was per-
sonally negotiated by the Secretary of
the Navy in behalf of the government, by
Messrs. Knox and Reed of Pittsburg, and
Messrs. McCammon and Hayden of
Washington, in behalf of the Carnegie
Steel Company, and by Mr.. Philip Mauro
of Washington, in behalf of the patentees
and American Nickel Steel Company.
BY this settlement the Secretary of the
Navy has acquired the right for the gov
eminent to use the patented inventions
in a government armor plant, the estab-
nshment of which has long been in con-
temptation, and the Carnegie Company
has made over to the American Nickel
Steel Company the nickel steel patents
formerly owned by lit. The American
Nickel Steel Company has received a
large sum in settlement for royalties, sus-
| tanned its contention a s to it's rights in
| the Schneider nickel steel patents and es
ia blshed their validity and scope. Ii is
now in absolute control of the Schneider
! and Marbeau patents which cover the en-
| tire field for nickel steel. This important
| decision will doubtless shape the course
| to be taken by other infringers who, it
| is said. will be sued for royalties and in
| fringements if they do not follow the eX-
ample of the Carnegie Company and the
| government.
The introduction of nickel steel as a
new armor plate, in 1890. revoutionized
the naval armament of the world. Infor-
nation of the greet discovery or inven-
ton made by Mr.. Schneider of lie Creusot,
| France was confidentially impaired to
| Hon. Benjamin F. Tracy, then Secretary
| of the Navy. With the view of making
| a thorough test of the best plate then in
use by other countries, Mr. Tracy ordered
| three plates from Europe-one from Eng
land and two from France. The one from
| England was of the same character as
| was then specified by the admiralty for
| varehips One of those ordered from
France was of plain steel and one was
| of nickel steel These three plates were
| taken to the navy testing grounds, at
| Annapolis, and set up side by side and
were then fired at by 6is-inch gun at
a distance of so feet. The result was that
the British plate was smashed to pieces.
the French steel plate was badly cracked
and battered, while the nickel steel plate
suffered little injury.
These tests produced revolution in the
naval armament of the civilized world.
| Congress at once voted a million dollars
for the purchase of nickel, and the de-
partment changed all its contracts for the
manufacture of armor plate. and speclned
nickel steel to be used thereafter. Mr..
| Schneider had In the meantime applied
for letters patent in France, Great Bril-
tain and the United States for his inven-
ton. Mr.. Tracy deemed it of such i'm
portance to the public service that he
| made official request to the Secretary OF
the Interior to expedite the examination
of the application and the issuance of the
patent
Mr.. Carnegie. OF the Carnegie Steel
Company, on learning the resuN of the
Annapolis test, Immediately proceeded to
London and negotiated license from the
Nickel Steel Syndicate. the owners of the
| Schneider patents granted to him by the
United States Patent once. Carnegie
agreed to pay a royalty of cents per
pound OF armor for the right 40 use the
! invention Mr.. Carnegie, having secured
this license, was then enabled to obtain
contract from the Navy Department
lated Nov 90, 1890.
1t is a fact, therefore, that the United
States government secured, through a
citizen of France, the first use of this
! valuable invention. Mr.. Schneider having
communicated in confidence to the Sec
rotary OF the Navy the substance Of his
discovery. and the secretary having been
thus enabled to secure tests aud estab-
fish the value Of nickel steel for defensive
armor for the benefit of the United States
before any other government had oppor-
| tunity TO do so. The discovery came at
such a time as to render the government
a signal service by introducing an armor
plate made OF nickel steel that has built
! up our navy and made II what It is to-
day.
The use OF nickel steel has been extend
ed from the making of irresistible armor
plates to steel commodities in commercial
use such as tools. etc. 1t has been used
In the axles of the big steel cars In rail-
road rails on curves and switches. The
PENNSYLVANIA Railroad having found Il
peculiarly valuable on the Horseshoe
Curve. 1t is claimed to possess advan-
tages over the Bessemer process. The
new cup challenger. Shamrock II. Is built
OF nickel steel.
The American Nickel Steel Company r
capitalized at Si.500,00O Its stockholders
are largely English and French capitalists,
although a few Americans arc heavily in
terested. Among the latter are several
Philadelphians whose Identity Is not yet
disclosed. Col. y. X. Jamison Is under
stood TO represent European interests in
the transa elton. and has been made pres
ideut OF the company. with John W.
1 Woodside, treasurer. W. T. Manning.