The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-04-29
Judge Z. T. COIbOrn Gives Dem
OnStratiOn of Invention at
University.
RENDERS RODS FIBR0US
INSTEAD OF GRANULAR
Believes Method Will Prevent
Accidents on Railroads
and Bridges.

Metalurgy students assembled in the
blacksmith shop OF the University OF Utah
yesterday afternoon eagerly watched
Judge f. F. Colborn demonstrate his new
process OF steel making. which, according
10 the inventor. is a very old process used
at Damascus centuries ago and now lost
art, The specimen OF Damascus steel In
the British museum proves beyond a
doubt that the ancient steel makers could
make steel blade which was so flexible
ii could not be broken The Colbon proc
"Ss, OF DamhsceDc. as II has been named,
is intended to make just such steel.
The inventor himself conducted the eN-
pertinent. He took steel rod and after
an extended process of tcmperinS he pro-
nounced the experiment complete. The rod
was bent in the shape OF an arc and fur
ther proof thut il had lost It's granular
quality was attempted by saving. but
there was not saw in the shop which
could make any impression on the tenn
pered steel.
II am exceedingly sorry that we can
not saw it said the inventor because
that would furnish absolute proof that
the steel is hbrous now instead OF gran
ular.''
Judge Colborn also explained that with
the proper appliances the steel could ne
tied in a knot but the shock from the
trip hammer would cause IL 10 break. AS
that was the only available way OF bend
ing the steel any further, the experiment
mensely interested and congratulated the
but he said the lack OF n
highly tempered saw prevented him from
giving the proof desired.
Believes Lost Art Found.
When he was asked II he had really
rediscovercd the old process of making
Damascus steel Judge ColborR said:
III have anything at all. / have the
greatest steel discovery since BeSsemer |
the utility OF the cold air |
i.il 4 Er,fN "a h11 I
and by this experiment today l hoped TO |
prove it conclusively to others. Instead |
| have merely shown them can make |
steel that will bend. but | wanted TO !
prove that IL is really hbrous instead of |
granular.
'In New York City have an ordinary
| can take a steel rail and tie that in a |
knot The cause OF our railroad and |
bridge accidents is the breaking of gram
Ilar steel. but my ibrous steel VIII not
break even when 1t is bent double
"No other process since the old Da-
mascus method has ever accomplished
this, hence I call my process .Damas-
,enc' The Stevens Institute of Tech |
lology is Interested enough in the process
10 have invited me TO come back there
md conduct some experiments Tor the
AS soon as l can find time I
shall do So"
Scientists Are Interested.
Judge Colborn said that number Of
,ther scientific institutions were greatly
Interested in his process and every eN-
,ert with whom he had consulted agreed
hat il would prove a boon 10 humanity
W abolishing the great majority OF rail-
DAD and bridge accidents.
''one desirable feature OF the new
process" Judge Colboru said. is that
he process makes II possible TO use
lighter steel and there VIII be no more
broken rails l am absolutely certain
hat It will eventually revolutioniZe the
of steel making. After all, j
I'm claiming no more for my steel than
vas accomplished by the ancients who
made steel by hand. but tempered il 10
fineness that has never been known
nce that time"
Judge Colboru expects TO give further
as soon as he finds time.
n his next tests ne will try TO make the
teel considerably softer. so 1t can be
evered 10y the saw in use at the unlver-
ity.