The Oskaloosa herald., 1906-04-26
Admitted at Last.

man himself. eA secs.
Admitted at Last.
At the gate our paper is examined
and Immediately punched, then handed
back for a relic of the adventure, and
we pass the gate. and are at last in
side.
At the foot of the bridge, which we
proceed to mount by means of
broad stairway, and find ourselves
over the tracks of their railway yard
with view of their arrangement Tor
unloading ore, coal, etc., and the many
cars occupying the yard.
Passing down the stairway at the
opposite side of the tracks, we pass
to row Of buildings perhaps forty
rods long, which are alternately boil
er and engine rooms, and it is the
central power plant containing the
main engines and pumps, air compress
sors, electric generators, ETC., Of the
plant. From this we passed to the
casting shed. Here we find shed OPP
en- in the center, with two large caul-
drons shaped something like a can
non with the muzzle pointing upward
and emitting a perfect volcano of fire.
In these the molten metal for the
making of Bessemer steel, and boiled
by forcing a stream of air through it.
When nearly done the cauldron is
tipped slightly to one side and the
stream of fire seems to redouble in
fury, then gradually cease, and the
cauldron is slowly tipped down and
pours its charge into the TASKS, then
turning upright it swings slightly to
one side, a spout is lowered to its
mouth and a fresh charge is poured
in. These immense machines are OPP
Grated by compressed air and respond
to the touch of lever with the great
est precision, rising and lowering
tipping over or swinging from side to
side around the upright pillar to
which they are attached with the ease
and accuracy of person handling "a
bottle and spoon.
Great FIasks for Metal.
The TASKS receiving the metal are
cast iron tubes lined with something
like fire clay, tapering slightly, and
measure about eighteen inches square
inside by four feet long. These are
set up in a cast iron block which
forms the body of a small car or
truck, and ABOUT six are filed from
one melting. These cars are then
90 l,,Y,nY nYofnn q rh
hauled out into the yard to cool, after
which they are pushed into the fur.
mace shed of the large rolls. Here
travelling crane seizes the flask by
Tugs on each side and by a side jerk
loosens it from the car body, then
jerking upward the flask slips off the
block Of metal, which has shrunken
slightly from the sides. Then large
pair of tongs attached to the same
crane seizes the "ingot" or bloom"
and raising it, moves it to the proper
furnace and sets the ingot down into
the furnace on end, the furnaces be-
ing below the Level of the ground.
After heating sufficiently, the crane
again raises the block and moves to
the bed of the rolling mill and places
it in line with the first groove OF the
roll.
The Great Rollers.
The roller consists of a frame with
three large rolls with grooves gradu-
ating from one end to the other, the
middle roll being mate to the bot
tom roll, and bed or table supplied
with rollers driven by countershart
at side, the bed jointed to raise and
lower at center. The ingot passes
the first groove between lower and
middle rolls, thus back and forth until
the last groove is passed and the
square block has become a bar about
fifteen feet long, when It is passed on