New-York tribune., 1902-05-25
WHERE EBRASSISW0RKED
ALL SORTS OF THINGS MADE
FROM THIS METAL AT
WATERBURY. CONN.
VISITORS WHO WANT TO SEE THE
BRASS ORE-DRAWING WIRE FINER
THAN A woMAN'S HAIR.

II there IS raw material more than another
which Connecticut could least afford 10 be deprived
Of. that material is brass. The whole State knows
The many and diversified to which the metal
is put and the loss would be felt everywhere
Waterbury has pre-empted the title OF The Brass
City not because brass is made there in great
quantities. bur because SO many things are made
there out Of brass. II is used in everything from
watches, alarm clocks and cartridges 70 steam en-
gines and electric dynamos
For the making OF brass one must go 70 other
towns on the Naugatuck. TO Torrington. Ansonia or
Derby, but preferably 10 Torrington. where Is the
largest mill in she United States devoted solely
10 the manufacture of brass. It is now one of the
American Brass Companys mills. and has been in
operation since the early part. century.
II began a kettle shop at time when brass
utensils had to be imported from England. and
vat first the kettles were hammered out by hand.
1INow the low mill buildings acres, and some
Of the product is actually shipped 10 Birmingham,
England. which. to those who know the history of
the brass industry. seems almost improbable as
scarrying Goals TO Newcastle"
Every ought know that there is no such
thing brass mine. yet many visitors TO the
big brass mill ask the bins in which the
brass is kept. There bins 10 be sure.
but they hold copper and zinc from which brass is
made The zinc, or spelter, as the brass workers
call it, comes from mines in Missouri, Indiana and
West Virginia. The copper is in two forms-ingots
bars of refined from the great mines in
Michigan, and cathode copper, that which has been
refined by an electrical process. from Montana and
Arizona mines
In the casting shop the copper is sawed into
small bars and the zinc broken into chunks The
exact proportion of each according 10 the of
alloy desired. is decided by weighing The mixture
is placed in graphite crucible, which is then low
cred into the smelling furnace. This furnace is
below the floor of the casting shop. and extends
its entire length. At intervals round doors in
the iron flooring through which the crucibles are
lowered into Of fire The place reeks with
heat. and the griTny workmen need little covering
other than the coat OF dirt which they take on
soon after beginning work When the ore becomes
molten workmen with long handled ladies skim off
the charcoal which covers the top. The crucibles
sputtering red hot drops of brass raised by
means Of a crane, and the contents poured into
long. fat rnoulds. These vary in length and are
made in two pieces. which clamped together
When the metal has cooled the moulds taken
apart and a bar Of dirty brass is ready for the
rolling mill
There is another casting shop across the yard
where they mould the brass for tubing, but, TO
prevent confusion, would better follow the
bar through the rolling mill and then come back
20 the tube making. So it is handed TO the
'iscab' h1ers. none of whom taking the place
OF strikers, in spite Of the name which their work
gives them. The noise they make filing off the
"sczb Of charcoal. sand and refuse sets the teeth
of unaccustomed 10 IL edge The bars which
the men handle average Us pounds in weight and
the average proportion Of copper to zinc is two to
The bars loaded and wheeled
Into ar enormous room, where all sorts of opera
lions going IN seeming confusion to an out
Much Of the brass used in New England fac
tories is desired !n sheet form All stamped goods
are prepared from sheet brass. and jointed tubing
End sheeting are made from It. Brass wire also IS
epun, II such a term may be used. from sheet
brass. Consequently. the rolling mill is always