The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1912-01-25
MAGNET MARvELS
Modern Giants That Raise Tons
of Metal at a Time.
LIFT BILLETS HOT OR COLD.
a Single One of These Monsters With
invisible Magic Fingers Will Do the
Work of Half a Hundred Men-The
Magnet In Medicine and In Surgery.


Work of Half Hundred Men-The
Magnet In Medicine and In Surgery.
Those whoAhaxe watched toy mag.
net lift up Plus and needles and mar
veled not little at the unseen power
that causes the bits of metal to jump
might well be excused for standing
aghast at the sight of a modern giant
magnet picking up several tons OF iron
and steel from the scrap heap and con-
veying 1t with ease and rapidity to
the melting furnace beyond
So great has been the commercial de-
velopment of the magnet that 1t can
lift five and a half tons. These giant
magnets used in iron and steel mills
can pick up hot as well as cold bilets,
and single one of this character will
displace half a hundred workmen.
a further improvement may be not
ed In the combination of skull cracker
and magnet. The skull cracker is a
huge pear shaped ball of iron suspend
ed by a chain to n hook and steel
ropes. This skull cracker Is dropped
with great force on scrap metal to be
broken up for remelting. II breaks the
metal into conveniently small pieces
and is lifted up and down by the mag
net until the scrap Is reduced to prop
er size. Then the invisible fingers of
the magnet gather up the small pieces
and carry them to the melting furnace
The entire operation is accci lplished
In one-hundredth OF the time formerly
required by manual labor.
More recently magnets have been
employed In the milling industry to
pick out small particles of metal that
frequently get into flour and cause ex-
plosions through friction when they
come In contact with the big rollers.
Not particle Of metal can escape the
powerful magnets suspended over the
chute through which the grain passes.
In mining and metallurgical work
the magnet has become ali indispensa-
BILE labor saving agent. The magnetic
separation of ores has saved thousands
of dollars to mining companies When
the rocks are crushed and pulverized
powerful magnets gather up the In
intestinal parts of metal released from
their beds and convey them to the
smelling furnace. Quantities of ore
can thus be saved from old tailings
that were formerly considered pure
waste.
Recently commercial magnets were
employed for the novel purpose Of rails
Ing sunken treasures. A big cargo Of
nails was lost in twenty fathoms of
water, and the loss seemed irreparable
until some enterprising genius raised
them easily and cheaply by means of
magnet suspended from a derrick by
steel cables.
In the most improved commercial
magnets hollow steel castings are used,
In which magnetized coils are placed.
The latter are built up of alternate
layers Of copper and asbestos and In
Sulated from the cast steel frames by
thick sheets Of mica. A magnet of
this construction Is proof against heat
and cold and free from the danger of
short circuiting. There is nothing com
bustible used In its manufacture, aud
It can gather up ton of hot scraps
Of steel with comparative ease.
But the invisible fingers of the mag
net can pick up the most delicate
splinter of steel no larger than a sew
Ing needle as. easily as 1t lifts a huge
iron or steel beam weighing a ton or
two. The small magnets have there
fore found as great field Of useful
ness as the big ones. In all trades
they are employed for handling pieces
Of metal too small for fingers to pick
up easily.
In a medical way they are used sue
.essfully for extracting iron or steel
finders from the eye and also for
Ira wing out Of the body needles and
pieces of metal that have found lodg
nent there. A dressmaker who had
inadvertently swallowed a dozen nee
lies was operated upon In this way
With entire success. For several days
The was placed under a powerful mag
let until every needle had been drawn
rom her body.
III uDCuliJ way Liza bhONo Ia ~
proved OF value In destroying ulcerous
Ind cancerous growths, and even
blood diseases of some kinds have
1ielded to their curative effects. A
nan with the point OF dagger broken
III in his body had 1t removed by
magnet. Another patient had been
Iuffering from a painful ulcer on the
Ilin for many years without finding
'elief. He was finally cured by treat
nent with a magnet, which drew from
his chin lot Of steel filings that had
hused all the trouble. The filings had
bund Judgment In cut in his face
me day when working before a turn
ng lathe. No immediate trouble had
!ollowed, and the man had forgotten
he incident until the magnet drew
hem out and gave the ulcer chance
70 heal.-George Z. Walsh In Chicago
b ~aaul uo-olA