The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1913-11-14
ECHO REPRESENTATIVE
SEES THE STEEL MADE
Finished ROthert Product on Exhibition
in Echo 0ffioe-Was Made From
Ore Yesterday

Faith, as is said of holy writ, is the
evidence of things unseen. Our faith
in the making Of steel by the Wash
ington Steel and Iron Co., by what is
known as the Rothert process, at the
plant of the company, located just at
the outskirts east of Leavenworth, is
based on seeing the ore in the cru
cibles in a fluid state yesterday after
noon, and later, after the molten mass
was poured into a mould, and had
time to cool, receiving an ingot weigh
ing three or four pounds. The sam
pie is on exhibition in this Office and
can be seen at any time. There is
also piece of ore from Barring, Wash,
from which ore the steel sample was
made yesterday, as well as some of the
Stag or waste material that always ac-
companies the making of iron and
steel. One side OF the sample has
been made smooth to show the texture
and color of the metal, which is very
close and fine and almost as white in
color as silver. By the Rothert pro-
cess steel Of the very highest quality,
suitable for making instruments OF the
finest grade is made from the raw mag
netite iron ore at one smelling. Mag
netite iron ore is not used anywhere in
the United States, or for that matter,
anywhere in the known world outside
of Sweden and Norway. In the max
ing OF steel from hematite ores, the
only ore now used in making steel and
iron, the ore is first converted into a
low grade of steel by what is called the
Bessimer process, but requires two, and
even three additional treatments, dur
ing which alloys are added, before 1t
goes on the market as tool steel. The
Rothert steel has many superior quail
ties to any other known steel, one OF
which is a bar tempered to cut glass
can be bent double without breaking.
It will cut other steel while itself red
hot. These are remarkable qualities,
but the writer has with his own eyes
witnessed some of the tests made.
Expert steel men who have made
tests with this metal have not hesl-
tated to say that if Mr.. Rothert can
make this metal in commercial guam
titles he will revolutionize the steel In
dustry. Right here we want to say we
have not the slightest doubt that he
can do Just what he has said he can
do, In the past two weeks he has
made some four or five hundred
pounds, while trying out the new fur
naces and making tests of ore from
different localities. Yesterday he had
three crucible furnaces going, in each
of which were two crucibles charged
with magnetic ores, coming from
Barring, Wash, Superior, Wisconsin,
Denver, Colorado, New York state and
Burlington, Wash. 1t should not be
forgotten that the process is new, the
style of furnaces are unlike any in use
in making steel and iron and it re-
ouires time to work out even minor
obstacles that yet have to be overcome
before the product can be turned out
on a commercial scale, tho Mr.. Roth
ert now says he feels confident that by
Dec. 1st he will be able to start the
mill up and run continuously. AT the
present time there are under con-
struction two plants, each of which are
twice as large as the Leayenworth
plant, one at Superior, Wis, and one
at Denver, Colorado. 1t is the pres
ent intention to double the capacity
of the Leavenworth plant the coming