Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1906-03-24
MODERN FENCE WIRE.
An Opinion as to Why 1t Goes to
Pieces So Rapidly.

Pieces So Rapidly.
The bessemer process is the great
modern method for converting iron into
steel Manganese plays an important
part in the bessemer process. 81. n.
Howe, an experienced metallurgist,
says:
TN order to make this steel very soft
so that it will draw easily it is likely
to contain a quantity of blowholes
which form centers from which rusting
begins.
1.-The steel contains much more man
ganese than wrought iron does, and
this manganese may not always be
distributed with absolute uniformity
Wherever there Is the least lack of uni
fOrmity there is a difference of poten-
tial, which may lead to rusting"
EIectroIysis.
Wire that is hung in the field Is in
just the condition to suffer from cleo
trOlysis If the metal is not perfectly
homogeneous in structure-that is to
say, if the manganese and other i'm
throughout the metal All rain water
contains small amounts of salts dis
solved from the dust In the air and is
therefore q conductor of electricity.
Water collected during a thunder
shower is particularly rich in sub
stances that conduct electricity as the
sparkling of the lightning through moist
ofT fOrTYoC croo1I quantities ~ Nitric
acid, and acids conduct electrical cur
rents even better than salt solutions.
A moments thought will show that I'M
der the conditions cited we have all the
elements present to cause electrolysiS
to take place. Differences Of potential
will occur in the WIRE local circuits
will be established through the wires or
through the wires and ground, and cur
rents will flow. These currents can
only be generated at the expense of
something, and in this case 1t is the
iron or steel if it is not the zinc of the
galvanized covering.
Ground Connection q Remedy.
Among the wire fences that have
been under the careful observation of
the writer for long time Is one woven
wire fence, FIVE years old, that contains
among its twelve horizontal wires, all
Of one roll, seven wires that are per-
fectly good from beginning to end, four
that are partially rusted, and one that
Is badly rusted, without a particle Of
zinc remaining on it. OF the seven per-
fectly good wires six are on the bot
tom. Now, If the theory of electrolysis
is left out of the question it would
seem that the good wires had received
q better coating Of zinc than the bad
wires. This explanation is not support
ed either by observation or experiment
Two wires are made in the same mill:
pass through the same zinc bath; are
wiped off In precisely the same way;
chemical analysis shows them to have
practically the same weight Of zinc
covering per pound of metal, and yet
one wire will outlast the other five to
one on the fence. If, however, electrol-
ysis takes place and if the action can
be diminished by keeping the wires
electrically neutral through frequent
connections to the earth, we should
then expect that wires which were kept
along their whole length in constant
contact with the earth would show
greater lasting quality. Experiments
are at present being made to test the
effect Of earthing the fence by fire.
quent connection to the ground.-A. S.
Cushman, Department of Agriculture