Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1902-09-12
LETTER FROM PITTSBURG.

LETTER FROM PITTSBURG.
Correspondence of the Alexandria Gazette.
Pittsburg, Pa, Sept. 10.-We left NeV
York on day train the over the Pennsyl
vania Railroad so that we might enjoy tn,
scenery from Harrisburg to this ci ty
as we had been over the first part of th'
route on other occasions. From Phila
delphia to Harrisburg the railroa'
traverses the rich and beautiful agricul
tural section of fLancaster county Pa, salt
to be the wealthiest farming section il
the United States with the possible
exception Of one county in the State o
Illinois. The railroad follows the Sus
quehanna for some distance both east
and west Of Harrisburg and crosses it on
the west over fine solid bridge seven
eighths of Il mile in length. Aftel
leaving the Susquehanna the track
proceeds up the valley of the in.
niata through the mountain. But
we missed the Indian girl A.
farata from this stream of romance and
song, and at once saw the touch OF
poetic license in the lines
"Where sweep the waters
OF the blue Juniata,"
for to our eyes they had the clear gray
ish color of so many of our streams.
Our train arrived at Altoona just as il
was growing dark, so we could only get
an indistinct view of the famous horse
shoe curve, to the west of that city,
This will become thing of the past in
comparatively short time, as with
more modern methods of engineering,
the ascent Of the present grade can be
accomplished without the curve. In
the dark the wall of the Allcghenies
loomed before us, but we soon passed the
crest through tunnel. The general
effect Of the mountain scenery Of west
ern Pennsylvania is picturesque, none
of the views seen from the train can be
called bold or striking. Night enveloped
Johnst0wn, so all that could be seen
was the glare of the electric lights
and a few glimpses of the cross
streets. Pittsburg was reached at
last, little after eleven p. m. aud We
found even at that hour it mcrited its
name of the Smoky City" When
morning dawned the smoke Obscured
the rays of the sun and gave it the ap-
pearance it has when seeking to pene-
trate fog along the Potomac. But We
soon awOke to the fact that we were III
the centre Of the worlds great iron in
dustry and while we would not care t.
pitch our permanent tent here, Pitts
burg is a sight to see. Our residence
was near the MOnongahela. Behind Us
glowed the coke ovens, lighting up the
sky at night, reminding us of the fires OF
Gehenna, which never 60 out For
miles on both sides of the river stretched
mills and furnaces. the busy hives OF
human industry. The furnances are uni
que in that nearly all of them have Ia
miliar names. One is called the ELIZA, "
another the isabella" another the
Carrie, and 50 on. On inquiry 1t
was found that furnace is considered
to be in danger of bad luck, unless the
blast is first lighted b. a woman, and
it receives the christian name OF the
woman who insur,s its future success by
starting it. But we are in this connec-
ton bound to state that this interesting
tradition is beginning to 90 the way OF
the myths Of the past, and one or two
of the latest furnaces have dispensed
with the fair-handed patroness of their
fortunes. As we love old customs, we
think they should deserve anyill success
that may come to them through such
neglect. Nearly all the ore now used
in the production of iron in this city
comes from the celebrated district
around Lake Superior IL is of a brown
color, and while rather low in the per-
centage of iron, it abundantly makes up
for this in the ease with which it is
collected as it lies ready to hand with
out the trouble and expense Of mining.
The oreis mixed with proper proportions
of coke and limestone and so accurate Is
the chemical analysis that the amount
necessary of each for separating the iron
from the ore, is strictly gauged in max
ing up the burden for the furnace.
Though the courtesy of the Rev. Mr..
Alexander and Mr.. Murray the heac
chemists of the Carnegie Steel Works, w
had an opportunity of going through th'
well known Bessemer Steel Mill at Brad
dock, suburb of Pittsburg. Here the
molten iron is brought at once from The
furnace to the converter" a great cal
dron made of iron and lined with a certain
kind of clay in which magnesia FREEDOM
mates. chosen for its resistance to intens'
heat. The blast from large engine in
adjoining room passes through the ''con
ysrter' and purifies the molten mass 0
iron by burning out the silica and graph
ite This causes brilliant flames ant
great heat. The time for this Is accu
rately gagged and on the pressure OF
lever the huge converter easily turns owe
and pours its fry mass into caldrol
below. Into this caldr0t the proper
mount of spiegel' is poured and within
fifteen minutes the iron becomes molteI
steel. The caldron is then hOisted b.
pneumatic pressure upon a platform be
meath which run trucks carrying tn
molds. An orifce at the bottom o
the caldr is opened, and the liqui'
steel fills each mold as it passe