New-York tribune., 1901-08-25
i MODERN BLAST FURNACE
AUTOMATIC DEVICES HAVE LARGELY
SUPERSEDED MANUAL LABOR IN
MAKING PIG IRON.

The With the WheelDafroW ana SiioNei htiS
ceased to he a factor in the complicated ma
ohinery that runs a modern blast furnace
Since the first furnace was fired his labor has
been indispensa Die; when he ceased TO work
the furnaces did not pour. Then invention
stepped in and wiped his name from the pay
rolls.
TTnthinkng creatures Of iron and steel. with
cogwheel brains and members that are limited
to single function, untiring, never perspiring,
aId without ambition beyond the performance
of the particular duties for which they were
moulded and cast. have taken his place, at
lcc.t far modern furnaces are concerned.
They do this wheelbarrOw mans work in less
time with more accuracy and at much less ex-
pense. They belong to labor union, and
they never strike. except for a just ration of
oil from absolute mi-treatment.
of course, a blast furnace has not yet been
peri, cted to such degree that it can be planted
in the midst of forty acre lot and left to run
itself Man st plays his part in the smelling
operation. He touches buttons that loosen the
giant strength of electricity; he pulls hydraulic
levers and turns steam valves but longer
does he toll in the original meaning Of the word
\ good demonstration OF these facts is to be
found in the new blast furnace which Joseph
Wharton has just built at Port Gram y. J.. and
which was blown in the other day. 1t is the
nearer approach to mechanical perfection
than any other All Of the skill Of the best in
'ontors has leea drawn to perfect the works
ana the result is wonderful.
pue who attempts to describe the new Port
'r"ri furnace has valid excuse for overwprk-
ins the word aut pmatic. 1t is the one word in
Webster that accurately sums up the working
of The furnace. The mind of man planned the
vhole his hand directs the sork. but machinery
to' the rest.
From the time the iron ore leaves the mines,
twelve miles back in the Jersey hills. sometimes
called mountains by those who have never seen
tho Rockies il is not touched by human hand
until it lies a molten mass at the bottom Of the
furnace The same is true Of the coke. coal and
limestone used in smelling. The doors Of the
furnace are opened hy pulling a lever. and the
melted ore, without handling. finds its way
through series Of stages until 1t Is push"d by
Uachinery into natcars. finished. clean cut pigs,
ready for rolling min use. The entire process
from mine to rolling mill is automatic
The ore used at Port Dram comes from the
Wharton mines at Hibernia. Miners shovel IT
Ito big "skps," which haul IT up tie mine 81 .ie
and dump il automatically into a cony"ycr-
Machinery pushes it into the hopper of power
fUl crusher, ani then carri- the crushed o.e T.
q magnetic separator Another conyeyer takes
chutes from below. In this way the Wharton
steel cars can be filled without handling
to their fifty ton limit The cars pulled 10y
q locomotive over the old Morris County Rail
road, now known the Wharton Mine Railroad.
to the furnace. distance Of twelve miles.
When the IS directly Of a long
line of bins, its bottom drops away at the touch
OF a spring, and the contents, obeying the law
Of gravity. fall into one OF the patent roasters.
Gas. taken from the furnace stack. furnishes the
fuel 1t is forced through the dense body OF
the by two big fans placed at the end OF
the boiler huc This roasting process IL is said,
puts New-Jersey ore on a level with the SUI
peror quality which comes from the mines in
Lake Superior. Roasted takes less time in
the furnace, and in consequence the output of
the furnace is increased by the process.
An electric road runs underneath the roast
ing bins and also extends under the storage
bins for coal, coke and limestone. The ears
used on this road most important factor
in the modern automatic furnace. They
loaded by pulling levers which raise the bin
gates. Automatic scales tell the operator just
how much of n load ne has board. There
different sets of balances for iron, coal.
coke and lime. They can be called into use by
moving the Indicator the side of the scales.
II is important that exact proportions be main
Gained IN filling up the furnace with the differ
ent materials. That this may be done accu