The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1901-09-22

No one can deny that Dawson
makes Damascus steel. Whether
he can do it in large quantities al
small cost or reasonable cost has
never been determined A few yearE
ago he went to Chicago with c. q
Mccarthy, who was then auditor OF
state. A room which contained 6
blast furnace was hired and the steel
Manufactured.
Vital Process a Secret.
Dawson allowed Mccarthy and his
friends to remain in the room and
watch all but one portion of the pro
cess. When the time came for the
mixing of the secret ingredient with
the melted ore he banished every
one from the room. What it was he
added he will tell no one save that
it was some form and quantity of car
bon. The finished product confirmed
all he claimed for it. 1t was harder
than ordinary steel. more plant, sus-
ceptible of a more brilliant polish
and keener edge, which 1t retained for
a longer time than other metals.
He made some beautiful knife
blades OF razor edge that would bend
almost double and also made heavy
saber or sword blade That, too. was
flexible. though much heavier than
the knife blades. To demonstrate
how much harder than ordinary steel
his metal was he fashioned cold
chisel from Damascus steel and test
ed it alongside of ordinary chisels
on the steel Orders of the Turner
building, a sky-scraUer then being
constructed The test was watched
by members of the company formed
to promote Damascus steel, and Daw-
son with his cold chisel went right
through the girder in much less time
than the other workmen with ordin-
airy steel cold chisels. The latter had
to change tools often in order to get
good edges. the chisels becoming
dulled quickly. When Dawson had
completed his work the edge on the
Damascus steel tool seemed to be
as good as before the work was
started.
Promoters Have Waited.
This and other tests so impressed
the men who formed the Damascus
Steel company that they have main
tanned the organization and have
waited patiently for the inventor to
emerge from prison that the work
might be resumed The directors of
the company were all more or less
active in securing his parole, and
they believe in gratitude for their
action Mr.. Dawson will consent to
place the secret in some condition
so that it viii be saved to the CON-
pany, no matter what happens to him.
They will attempt to get him TO CO
operate with them in placing the
whole project on a practical basis,
make a series of exhaustive tests as
TIC it's cost of production commercial
". and then turn the process over
to some great steel company on q
royalty or sell the process outright
The directors believe that there will
be no difficulty in securing Mr.. Daw.
sons cooperation, but as last re
sort the courts may be resorted to
that the company. may be protected
against the loss of the secret through
the death or other disability of the
inventor.
A startling feature OF the whole
case Is the point that no officer or
director of the steel company ever
saw the secret deposited in the safe
" vanlt- They delegated a man
friendly to Dawson II see that this
Was done. He reported. that the for.
mula was really deposited, but one
OF the directors said today that he
could not OF his own knowledge tell
whether the formula was for making
steel or biscuits.
Convinced by Mira Dawson.
However. Mrs. Dawson made des
perate attempts to secure control OF
the paper after her husband was sent
20 prison. and al one time threatened
suit against the company. This was
met with the preliminaries OF a suit
on the part Of the company to secure
control of the papers on deposit aud
the effort vas dropped The action
OF Mrs Dawson in trying so hard to
regain possession OF the paper in the
vault ecnviHees the men that the
secret Of the process is really there
n addition 70 the process OF Dam
ascus steel. Mr. Dawson discovered
a WaV tn harden rog,rer Kyo sz.sfo-e-