The Iron Age 1890-01-09: Vol 45

“ a THE [RON AGE THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 1890 F -Press. 207 Centre street, New York. The cut! In all drawing-presses made heretofore Toggle vores eG yaper gives a fair representation of the general | the blank-holder is forced down, and holds The illustration presented upon this page | appearance of the machine from the front. | the metal while it is being drawn by the represents a new toggle action drawing-| The working parts are symmetric in de- | direct action of cams. It will be noticed press made by the Stiles & Parker Press| sign, the rear of the machine being but a | that this press differs materir lly from the Company, Middletown, Conn., and 203-! duplicate of the view shown in the cut. | so-called cam _press.§The *blank-holder TOGGLE-JOINT DRAWING-PRESS, BUILT BY THE STILES & PARKER PRESS COMPANY. 46 THE IRON AGE, January 9, 1890 slide receives ,its movement from four powerful direct-acting toggles, which re- ceive their motion directly from the main shaft. The upper links of the toggles are slotted, and in these slots are steel rollers, which are connected with a cross-head and thence through the pitmans to the main shaft. During the first quarter of a revo- lution the cross-head moves down, so as to bring the rollers upon the straight surfaces of the upper links, thus bringing the toggle-links to a straight line and the blank-holder slide down upon the work to be held. For the next half of the revolution the’ rollers pass down the plain surfaces and back without exerting any power upon the links, thus leaving the blank-holder slide at perfect rest. This perfect rest of the blank-holder slide dur- ing this half of the revolution is a most essential feature, as it gives a uniform and constant pressure upon the work, which prevents any wrinkling of the blank while being drawn. During the last quarter of the revolution the blank-holder slide rises, so that when the press comes to rest the blank-holder slide has overtaken the draw- ing-plunger, giving all the room necessary for the removal of the finished work. The toggle trunnions are set into the frame of the press, thereby throwing all the strain from the blank-holder slide di- rectly upon one frame, instead of upon the main shaft bearings, as is the case in the cam press. The adjustment of the blank-holder is obtained by four large screws passing through long bearings in the upper end of the slide and held in placé by check-nuts having broad faces, which, combined with the long bearings gives a rigidity to the slide otherwise unattainable. It will be noticed by referring to the en- graving that there are two'slides, one work- ing within the other. The outer or blank- holder slide we have already described. We will now call attention to the inner or drawing-slide, which carries the punch |. that presses the blank into its desired shape. This punch is adjusted by asome- what new and novel device, consisting of a large screw and nut in the drawing-slide. This nut is a sprocket-wheel and is driven by a pinion on the hand-wheel shaft, as shown. The machine is perfectly counter- balanced, and all the minor details have been carefully studied with reference to strength and durability. The press is geared 50 to 1, giving the slides nine strokes per minute. The crank-shaft is of steel and weighs 3500 pounds, the total weight of the press being 85.000 pounds; floor-space, 8 feet by 9 feet ; hight. 16 feet 6 inches; stroke of drawing-punch, 20 inches; stroke of blank-holder, 15 inches; adjustment of drawing-slide, 20 inches; adjustment of blank -holder slide, 14 inches. Te ——- _ A novelty is announced in the shape of a recording and alarm compass, which, it is declared, will greatly increase the safety of vessels. It is said to be the invention of W. A. Chase, of Boston, who was led to devise the instrument as a result of studying the causes which led to the loss of the City of Columbia, a few years ago. That steamer was allowed to run a few points out of her course, with no means of detecting the wheelman’s fault. The apparatus is said to be composed of a bin- nacle and recording and alarm instru- ments connected by electric wires. The principle, in brief, is to sound an alarm whenever the course is not kept. The project of bridging or tunneling or in some way overcoming the obstruction between France and England known as the English Channel is once more to the fore. support it on the score that London would Steel Steamship for Lake Service. [ With Supplementary Sheet of Engravings. | During the past year we illustrated and described the machinery and arrangement of the hulls of some of the more promin- ent vessels now being constructed for the Government and have also described the principal features of the great ocean steam-ships. The prominence given to these topics by the technical and daily press has given the general reader a clear idea of their main characteristics. But of another branch of transportation of great magnitude and importance comparatively little is known except by those brought in direct contact with it. Because of its vast proportions and great dangers the service upon the great ldkes demands vessels of superior design and construction in regard to both hull and machinery. It is therefore found that the ship-builders engaged in producing vessels for this trade are intimately acquainted with the latest developments in marine architecture and steam engineering and avail themselves of such improvements as quickly as do those building for ocean transportation. Throvgh the courtesy of the Globe Iron Works Company, of Cleveland, Ohio, we are enabled to herewith present drawings showing the elevation, plan, sections through engine and boiler spaces and elevations of the engines of the steel steam-ship Cayuga, one of three sister ships (the other two being the E. P. Wilbur and the Seneca) recently built by the above company for the Lehigh Valley Transportation Company for their lake service. The principal dimensions are as follows: Length over all, 307 feet; keel, 290 feet; breadth, molded, 40 feet; depth, molded, 254 feet. While the above-ramed vessels are not typical lake craft, they are of a type that is rapidly coming into favor in the grain and package freight traffic. Convincing proof of this fact is that the Globe Com- pany have now under construction two duplicates of the Cayuga for the same line. The Cayuga, although a very large carrier, has somewhat finer lines than the ordinary lake steamers, this point being essential in a vessel of more than ordinary speed, due regard being given to the question of economy in fuel. As will be seen from the illustrations, the vessel has quite the appearance of an ocean-going steamer, as the engines are placed nearer midships and the wheel- house somewhat further aft than is usual on lake vessels, The ships are of extra strength, having two complete steel decks, the spar-deck being overlaid with pine and a third or orlop tier of beams in the hold. The stern- frameis solid, with bosses for rudder-pintle forged on; the stearn-bearing is a long brass bushing filled with lignum-vite placed in the steam-pipe. This arrange- ment of stern-bearing and solid stern- frame is a point that essentially differs from the usual practice on these waters, the usual method being to make the stern-frame open with the shoe forged on (and in some instances bolted on) and using a counterbalanced rudder, the stern- beari”g being bolted to the stern- post. These ships have four pole masts with- out canvas except a forestaysail and a small jigger, six cargo hatches, five large cargo gangways on each side opening to the main deck, five friction hoisting- engines and ten cargo derricks, equip with appliances for rapid loading and dis- Men of commerce are exhorted to | charging of cargo. The ship is provided with five water- then for the first time be in a position to| tight bulk-heads, has water-ballast com- compete on an equal footing with Antwerp | partments having a capacity of 800 tons of as a port of bond and trans-shipment. water and which form a complete double bottom ot ample strength to float the vessel in the event of the outer shell below the water-bottom deck being destroyed. The equipment includes an American steam-capstan windlass, an American steam-capstan aft, a Williamson steam steering-engine, an Edson screw steering- gear aft, a Chadburn & Son patent duplex reply telegraph, together with speaking- tubes communicating with the wheel- house, engine-room, stoke-hole, &c. On referring to the illustrations it will be seen that the vessel is propelled by a set of tri-compound inverted-cylinder jet- condensing engines, with the three cylin- ders in line, connected to three cranks set at 120°. The diameters of the cylinders are 24 inches, 38 inches and 61 inches re- spectively, and the stroke of piston 42 inches, The air-pump, two feed-pumps, cold-water pump and bilge-pump are con- nected to the intermediate cylinder. The high-pressure and intermediate cylinders have single-ported slide-valves and the low-pressure cylinder is double ported. The valves are worked by double eccentric link motions and are reversed by steam direct. All the valves are arranged for a variable cut-off. The crank-shaft is of iron, of the built-up type, each part being a duplicate of the other and interchange- able. There are six main bearings of brass in the bed-plate; the crank-pin bear- ings are of brass, lined with white metal. The shafting from engine to propeller is of iron and runs in cast-iron bearings lined with white metal. : The propeller is a sectional right- handed four-bladed screw, 14 feet diame- ter and 17 feet pitch. The turning-gear is arranged to turn the engine by hand. All of the working levers for operating the engine are located on the forward column. In the engine-room are placed donkey feed- pump and water - ballast es , Which are of the duplex pattern. he ballast-pump is connected through a valved stand-pipe to each water-ballast compartment, The arrangement for bilge- piping is complete and easily accessible. The water is fed to the boiler when in port by a large injector. Steam is supplied to the machinery by three cylindrical return-tube boilers of the Scotch type 11 feet 10 inches in diameter by 12 feet — steel sheels 1 inch i thick. Each boiler contains three corru- gated-steel furnaces. The working press- ure is 160 pounds per square inch. There is also a donkey-boiler to supply steam to the hoisting-engines and pumping up the main boilers. These engines have indicated 1870 horse- power with an actual coal consumption of 1.67 pounds, including the entire steam service of the ship, the ordinary fuel- lading for the nel trip between Buffalo and Chicago being 160 tons with 2600 tons on board. Sn The New Treaty with Japan.—The Japanese Minister to the United States, Munemitsu Mutsu, who is now on his way to Japan, says that a new treaty has been made between Japan, the United States, Germany and Russia, some of the pro- visions of which are in the nature of startling innovations. For instance, for- eigners now are allowed to land at sea- ports, but are not permitted to go into the interior, According to the provisions of the new treaty they can go where they please, anywhere in the empire. The new treaty also permits foreigners to hold real . estate in Japan, something they cannot do now. ‘This treaty with the three countries named has been signed by the Ministers Plenipotentiary of all the countries inter- ested, and only the signature of the Mi- kado is now needed. There may be some opposition to the new traaty, as would be natural under the circumstances, The people of Japan are enlightened and pro- gressive and fully appreciate the value of January 9, 1890 THE IRON AGE. 47 closer communication with this country. It would benefit us commercially more than any man is able to prophesy, and would be of mutual benefit. Our exporta- tions of raw silk now amount to many millions of dollars in value annually, and, of course, these would be vastly increased should our commercial relations become closer. eR Wire Straightener and Cutter. This machine takes the wire from the coil, straightens it, and automatically cuts it any desired length. The straightener- shaft has four bevel dies, set alternately in opposite directions, tightened or loosened by four screws, and is operated by a belt from a parallel shaft underneath, which carries a 6-inch tight and loose pulley, balance-wheel, a clutch tension sleeve with two cams attached; one throws the cutter, and the other opens the guide-bar or tube for the cut-off wire to fall out. The machine is run by one 3-inch belt from the main shaft, either above or below, no counter-shaft being required. The guide-bar shown in the engraving is for mium of $5000 and shall suffer a similar | 1873, when the works employed about 750 deduction in case of under-speed. If the vessel should fail to reach an average speed for four consecutive hours of 12 knots she shall be rejected. Bids will be received from the Atlantic Iron Works, of East Boston; the Lockwood Mfg. Com- pany, of East Boston; the Bath Iron Works, of Bath, Me., and the Samuel L. Moore & Sons Company of Elizabethport, N. J. It is expected that Loring, of Bos- ton, will not bid. LL The Grant Locomotive Works. Among the licenses for incorporatior 1s- sued by the Secretary of State, at Spring- field, Ill., 31st ult., was one tothe Grant Lo- comotive Works, Chicago, to manufacture locomotives and other machinery ; capital, $800,000; incorporators, E. T. Jeffrey, George M. Rogue and Willard T. Block. This 1s the great Paterson, N. J., loco- motive plant which is to be removed to Chicago. R. Suydam Grant, chief owner of the Grant Locomotive Works, at Pater- son, N. J., said when asked about the pro- AUTOMATIC WIRE 3-foot lenghths or under, but it can be furnished for longer lengths when desired. The machine shown is suitable for No. 6 to 15 gauge wire and weighs 450 pounds. It is Sule by the Collins-Goodin Mfg. Company, of St. Louis, Mo. oO The blank forms of proposal for the con- struction of two steel gun-boats of about 1000 tons displacement and a steel prac- tice vessel of 800 tons for the new navy have been sent to a number of prominent snip-builders of the country. Each of the gun-boats is to have a length on the mean water-line of 190 feet, an extreme breadth of 32 feet and a center depth of hold of 16 or 17 feet. The steel used in the construc- tion of the vessels must be of domestic manufacture and conform to the tests already prescribed by the Department. The vessel—meaning her hull, machinery and fittings—shall be completed and ready for delivery to the United States before the expiration of two years from the date of the contract. The epeed requirements are as follows. For the gun-boats, an average of 13 knots an hour maintained during trial for four successive hours, during which period the air-pressure in the fire- room shall not exceed 4 inch of water, the vessel to be weighted to a mean draft of 12 feet # inch. For every + knot over the limit the contractors shall receive a pre- STRAIGHTENER AND CUTTER. posed removal: ‘‘ The works in Chicago are to be under the management of E. T. Jef- frey, who recently resigned his place as general manager of the Illinois Central. Six hundred and fifty acres of land have been purchased in Cicero, one of the re- cently annexed suburbs of Chicago, at a cost of $602,000, and works will be built by the end of next year capable of turning out 250 locomotives a year. Employment will be given to from 1200 to 1500 men. The new plant will be known as the Grant Locomotive Works. The stock will be owned almost entirely in the West, the only Eastern men in the company being Mr. Grant and his partners in Paterson. H. H. Porter, of Chicago, will be one of the leading men. The Grant Locomotive Works in Paterson have done little or no work for several years. The works achieved their chief fame when, in 1867, the locomotive America, built there, took the first honors at the Paris Exposition. The concern is the outgrowth of tke firm of Swinburne, Smith & Co., who in 1848 built for the Erie Company their first en- gine, and in 1849 removed to the present location cf the plant. A few years later the stock of the company got into the hand of the late Oliver D. F. Grant, of New York, and his son, D. B. Grant. More recently another son, R. Suy- dam Grant, acquired the control. The highest point of prosperity was reached in men and turned out 130 finished locomo- tives. Then the panic came, and in 1875 the production fell to 10. In succeeding years it ranged from 12 to 111 per annum. The Basic Open Hearth. Among the papers presented at the In- ternational Congress of Mines and Metal- lurgy, held during the Paris Exposition, was one by E. Gruner, who reviews the history and deals with the present status of the manufacture of steel in the basic open- hearth furnace. Relatively little interest attaches to its historical development, so far as American iron-makers are concerned Mr. Gruner’s summary of the present state of the art is, however, worthy of attention. He states that several inventors have car- ried out the treatment of phosphoric pig in the open hearth, the fundamental reac- tions being the same, although the practice has differed. The hearth made of rammed dolomite, of magnesia brick and of chrome ore each has its partisans, but the tests have been made under too widely varying con- ditions to allow of conclusions in favor of one or the other to be drawn. The use of magnesia is costly on account of the scarcity of this material, except in certain works adjacent to deposits of it. This ob- jection might be raised in a stronger man- ner against chrome ore, if it were not for the fact that certain varieties of it, at least, did not in fact possess an almost indefinite durability. The objection to dolomite is that after calcination it undergoes changes, and that it is difficult to keep a furnace in good con- dition, since even a short stoppage puts |it out of service. Another objection i'made to it, too, is the difficulty to 'make a durable joint between the sil- |iceous roof and the dolomitic hearth |To those establishments which are lo- cated near a deposit of pure dolomite ‘and which can obtain from a near-by | manufacturer calcined material and boiled | tar, or whose production is large enough | to warrant the putting in of a special plant | to e the dolomite lining material | to prepar g , | the use of dolomite appears to be the most economical. A different conclusion may be ‘ustifiable in the case of a small works with only one or two furnaces moderate in size. The choice between magnesia and chrome ore seems until now *o have beea dictated rather by personal preferences or by purely theoretical calculations of cost than by technical data. The method of working is the same in all cases. At the same time with the ma- terials to be melted, a quantity of limestone is charged sufficient to form a highly basic cinder without any withdrawal of material from the sides or the hearth. Phosphorus is oxidized during the melt- ing at the expense of the oxide of iron produced. * As soon as the fusion is com- plete the molten bath is almost completely dephosphorized, even when starting with highly phosphoric materials. It is eov- ered with a layer of cinder which some- times contains as much as 10 to 12 per cent. of phosphoric acid, provided that it carries less than 20 per cent. of silica. At this moment the cinder must be very completely removed. Otherwise the re- duction by the carbonic oxide which is liberated during the subsequent period of the operation of the phosphoric acid would cause phosphorus to re-enter the metal immediately. An abundant highly-basic cinder and careful removal of the cinder at a well-determined period of the opera- tion, these are the two chemical condi- tions for success in the manufacture of soft steel in the basic open-hearth furnace. To these must be added one physical condi- tion no less important—the production of as elevated a temperature as possible. In 48 THE IRON AGE, January 9, 1890 order to attain it the producers, the ar- rangement of the gas and air ports, the shape of the roof, the relative capacity of the working-chamber and the regenerative chambers need careful study. The manu- facture of hard steel presents an addi- tional difficulty. The necessary carbon and manganese must be introduced with- out causing phosphorus to re-enter the metal. A second removal of cinder be- comes necessary, and sometimes even in order to avoid the danger of reduction of phosphorus from the small quantity of cinder remaining, the recarbonizers must be added in the casting-ladle. While favorable working in the basic Bessemer calls for special pig of well- detined quality, low in silicon, fairly high in manganese and high in phosphorus, the basic open-hearth, on the contrary, is not limited by any special type. In certain works the basic lining has no other object than to remove the few thousandchs of 1 per cent. of phosphorus which exist even in iron made from African or Spanish ores, and which prevent the attainment of cer- tain specifications. Other works use the basic open hearth in order to convert the a phosphoric irons into soft, welding steel. One condition, however, is absolutely essential to success—the absence of sul- phur. This substance is eliminated only very imperfectly even in the presence of the most basic cinder. Pig-iron contain- ing slight quantities of sulphur yields products only medium in quality. The employment of scrap carrying sulphur ag- gravates the evil. Desulphurizing was therefore another problem, less important than dephosphorizing, but serious still. That, too, has now been solved, thanks to the researches made in the Loire district, whose products are hecoming more and more notable for their quality. By melting in a cupola with a basic or a neutral lining, melting slowly, with blast highly heated, 500° to 600° Celsius, .n presence of cinder with several bases, and containing not more than 15 to 18 per cent. of silica, the greater part of the sul- phur contained in pig-iron is removed. Starting with pig carrying 0.5 to 0.75 per cent. of sulphur, a product is easily ob- tained which contains only 0.02 to 0.03 per cent. cL The Indiana Mfg. Company, whose fac- tory is at Peru, Ind., and office and ware- * rooms are at 112 and 114 Lake street, Chi- cago, have issued an illustrated catalogue for 1890 of their North Star refrigerators. The line of these goods manufactured by the company has been greatly increased during the past year, and it now embraces 79 styles and sizes. Nine new styles are show in the catalogue in connection with the company’s leading goods in their for- mer line. They are of handsome design and construction, to meet the demand of consumers for the best material and work- manship. In addition to the claim that their refrigerators will maintain a very low temperature with a minimum con- sumption of ice, the company lay special stress on their workmanship as shown in these refrigerators, their aim being to se- cure as much stability and endurance as is consistent with attractiveness. The leg, for instance, is made of solid ash, with the Fox patent socket for malleable-iron casters. The shelves are made of heavy galvanized iron, which will not warp or sag. A telegraph code, printed on one of the catalogue pages, will prove a conven- rence in ordering by wire. Geo. M. Shirk is manager of the refrigerator de- partment of the company. The prosperity of the New York Produce Exchange, with a membership of 3000,may be accepted as a fair criterion of the pros- perity ot the city. The Produce Exchange building and its site cost $3,178,000. There are mortgages at present upon the property, in all amounting to $1,200,000. Besides this the Exchange owns free from debt real estate costing $178,000. This shows that trom the cost the membership owns §2,- 156,000 clear in real estate. But the prop- erty is believed to be worth much more than the price paid for it. There have been sales recently in lower Broadway and adjacent localities which give an impres- sion to fair-minded real estate appraisers that the Produce Exchinge property is worth to-day about $5,000,000. Aside from this the Gratuity Fund holds a sur- plus of $1,150,000, which would bring the strength of a certificate close to $1700. While the debt upon the building has been undergoing a steady reduction, rang- ing from $50,000 to $70,000 yearly, the officers have enongh money in sight to calculate upon the payment of $100,000 for this year alone. ——— EE Proposed New Steel-Works. PROVIDENCE, R. I., December 30, 1889. A large number of the citizens of Bris- tol met in the court-house a few evenings ago in the interest of the new steel-works which it is proposed to establish at that place. Nathan N. Cole, chairman of the meeting, called upon Frank 8. Gogin, of Boston, who gave an interesting account of the Robert process of manufacturing steel. Col. Samuel Norris spoke earnestly in favor of the project, and fully and minutely presented the ideas and inten- tions of the onginators of the plan. The chairman then called for subscriptions, he himself heading the list by subscribing $1000; others followed, and it is evident that the $25,000 worth of stock whieh it | is hoped to be disposed of at Bristol wiil soon be subscribed, as many of the citi- zens who were in attendance and had ex- amined the subject carefully expressed their approval of it and their willingness to subscribe to the stock. It is proposed to build the new works north of the rail- road depot, where there is ample room for extension. It is also proposed to fix the capital at $100,000, one-half to be issued as ordinary and to be given for the license | to this company, and one-half to be issued at 10 per cent. cumulative preference shares for $50,000 cash, to be used for the plant and working capital. From the amount of interest taken in this new enterprise it is assured beyond a doubt that something will grow out of it, and that the early spring will see the building begun. CLIFFORD. TI The Argentine Government has con- tracted, through its official agents in Eu- rope, for the construction of the following war-ships: one iron-clad of 7000 tons dis- placement, two of 2000 tons each, two steel- plated cruisers of 5000 tons each and one of 3500 tons, two corvettes of 1800 tons each, four torpedo-chasers of 500 tons each and 14 torpedo-boats of the first and second ciass. Some of these vessels are already built and the rest are in course of construction. The total cost will exceed $9,000.000 in gold. The types of the re- spective classes of vessels are of the most advanced description of naval construc- tion. When delivered, which will be be- fore the end of 1892, the sea-going navy of the Argentine Republic will consist of 15 fighting-ships and two transports. The British appear to be making consid- erable improvement in their methods for coaling ships. During the late naval man- euvers this question was a vital one, es- pecially when cruisers had but a few hours at their disposal in which to take aboard a new coal supply. The Dreadnaught’s self-gratulation. cago in the three performance at Gibraltar of 1040 tons taken aboard in 14 hours, which is nearly 74} tons per hour, has been beaten by the Colossus taking aboard at the rate of 94 tons per hour. culty to be grappled with, which has to deal with the transportation of the coal from the bunkers to the furnaces when a good head of stcam has to be kept up. It appears that the only sure way of grap- pling with this question is by some re-ar- rangement of the bunkers. point, as upon it the ability of the ship to keep up her speed must depend. There still remains a diffi- It is a vital mm The Growth of Chicago Trade. A conspicuous feature of modern journal- ism is the attention paid to commercial and industrial topics. the custom of the leading newspapers to Out of this has grown present a comprehensive summary of the ocal trade of the year at its close. Sev- eral of the Chicago dailies have done con- apeeenne meritorious work in this line for t e year 1889 with regard to their city. From one of them we take the following table showing the growth of the manu- facturing interests of Chicago in 1889 as compared with 1888: 1889. ‘ Number of firms.. ....... 3,119 2,912 Capital employed......... $134,045,000 $115,680,000 Number of workers...... 151,070 147, EE os cscdest> sane $84,500,000 $74,575,000 $452,223,000 $416,871,000 Of course such a presentation is merely an approximation, in the absence of any- thing like an official census, but it may be presumed that care has been taken to se- cure estimates from the best informed in each leading line. is of interest as showing the rate at which Chicago people believe the manufacturing interests of their city to be growing. At all events, the table Au increase is indicated of about $10,000,000 in wages and $35,000,000 in value of prod- uct, which is certainly good ground for The total trade of Chi- eat divisions—namely, produce, wholesale interests and manu- factures—is estimated at $1,177,000,000 in 1889, excluding speculative transactions in real estate and value of new buildings. The growth of Chicago in this respect has been phenomenal, its total trade having been estimated at but $20,000,000 in 1850, $97,000,000 in 1860, $377,000.000 in 1870, $900,000,000 in 188) and $959,000,000 in 1885. TT William M. Armstrong is chairman of the commission appointed to appraise the easements on 104 pieces of property on the lines of the elevated railroads. As a com- mission acting under order of the Supreme Court, the decision of the commissioners is subject to review by the courts, but where they act as arbitrator; the courts have no jurisdiction unless by the agree- ment of the parties the courts receive the power of review. The announcement is made that the Warder, Bushnell & Glessner Company, whose factory 1s located at Springfield, Ohio, and principal offices at the corner of Adams and Jefferson streets, Chicago, have just completed the purchase of all the right, title and interest of William N. Whitely, Whitely, Fassler & Kelly, the Whitely Reaper Work, Amos Whitely and Amos Whitely & Co., in the Champion harvesting-machines, and are now the sole manufacturers of these mowers, reapers and binders. Heretofore all of these various corporations have been making these machines and operating in different territory, but by this arrangement the Warder, Bushnell and Gléssner Compan become the sole manutacturers and will supply the whole country. January 9, 1890 49 THE IRON AGE. Iron-Ore Imports. Referring to statistics ot imports of iron we published from official documents in a recent issue of The Iron Age, a leading iron-master questioned their accuracy. We took the ground that his knowledge of the trade justified him in the conclusion that there must be some error. In order to set the matter at rest and dispel any doubts, we applied to 8. G. Brock, Chief of the Bureau of Statistics, for details. To him we are indebted for the following | table, which shows the imports of iron ore | (; for the first ten months by ports: Imports of Iron Ore. Ten Months Ending Octo- ber 31, 1889 and 1888. | 1889, 1888, Ports. = a . | Tons. $ Tons. - | | Baltimore, Md ...|216,1388 404,762 101,486 196,073 Boston, Mass......| 50 WEs bien Slane Buffalo Creek,| a, Mweaes aooe 18 78 198 . ‘a Champlain, N. Y..'..... dea 13 30 Chicago, ITl........ 5 DOE sch wupate oh kee Cuyahoga, Ohio 1,224 3,043 11,182 33,246 Detroit, Mich..... 18 26). ... New York, N. Y..; 21,499 59,551! 22, . i Dit Tos toda ceeluseo enue 193 é Pensacola, Fla.... 135 608. erth Amboy N.J : fo 22,775 49,455 110,758 Philadelphia, Pa... 453,530 1,044,657 327,280 739,261 | Pittsburgh, Pa... 4 a... ' Puget Sound, W.. 13,670 27.870 4,802 9,618 San Francisco,Cal. 61 2,525 ct) 3,425 St. Louis, Mo..... 1 id tacks ee oT Vermont, Vt..... 462 707 8 455 | Totels.... . .. 716,900 1,567,535 516,623 1,137,008 It will be observed that the increase amounts to 200,000 tons. For a series of years the imports of iron ore, by countries, for the fiscal years ending on June 30, were as follows: |at the executive parlors, and the festivi- —— | President, L. M. Mills, of Grand Rapids; ry, President M. C. T. A.; ‘‘The Press,” | above. Cleveland has secured the benefit E. A. Stowe, editor of the official organ, | to be derived from the ship-building part the Michigan Workman; ‘‘The Ladies,” | of the enterprise. the Hon. Erastus Peck, of Jackson; ‘‘ Our cilities sic Manufacturers,” O. F. Barnes, of Lansing; ‘*Our Capital City,” J. J. Bush, of Lan- sing; ‘‘The Commercial Traveler of a Quarter of a Century Ago,” A. C. Antrim, of Grand Rapids; ‘‘ The Commercial Trav- eler of To-day,” C. S. Kelsey, of Battle | fire spontaneously do so more readily when Creek: ‘‘ Our } hants.” C. L. V , | covered up so as to confine the heat gen- Preldant of Michigan BMA TES erated or when subjected to artificial heat, Commercial Future of Our Country,” the | ¢itber from steam or hot-air flues or that fon. James O’Donnell, of Jackson; of the sun. Oily rags are very liable to Mine Host,” E. R. Egnew, of Mt. Clem- | burn spontaneously, and are doubtless ens; ‘‘Our Transportation Lines,” Capt. often the cause of fires in factories, junk- W. A. Gavett, of Grand Rapids. Recita- | Shops-or. paper-mills which are supposed tions and music were interspersed, at the to be of incendiary origin. Canvas when close of which the knights and their wives! painted with oil paint and rolled up or were received by Governor and Mrs. Luce ' packed closely ina confined place is pretty ‘sure to burn. Ordinary oiled clothing, such as is worn by sailors, when piled in heaps on shelves or elsewhere is very sub- ject to spontaneous ignition. Such goods should always be hung up, so as to ad- mit of a free circulation of air around them. Spent tan-bark will ignite spon- taneously when stacked up in heaps. It is for this reason often used in white-lead works to generate carbon dioxide by its fermenting in the corroding-beds. The moistening of such fibrous substances as of Lansing, and A. A. Howard, of Cold | Cotton, hair, or wool is always attended Water. The next annual meeting wil]l| With slight heat. Wet iron-filings generate also be held at Lansing. heat readily, as does also rusting iron. . Very fine fragments of iron and steel, by their rapid oxidation, will become red- The Menominee Rapid Transit Com-| hot, and some English scientists declare pany.—A new organization to be known | that the fires known to be caused by steam- as the Menominee Rapid Transit Company pipes constantly in contact with wood have been formed, in the interest of some| originate from the rust of the iron. An of the leading iron manufacturers and ore | English authority says: producers, with a capital of $2,000,000. ‘¢When oxide of iron is piaced in con- The company are authorized to build ves- | tact with wood excluded from the atmos- sels and to procure terminal facilities on phere, and aided by a slightly-increased Lake Erie ports. The promoters are M. A.| temperature, the oxide parts with its Spontaneous Ignition. All substances that are liable to take ties closed*by a mammoth ball at the ar- mory. The following officers were elected : secretary, John J. Bush, of Lansing; treasurer, George C. Ceoper, of Lansing; chaplain, the Rev. Washington Gardner, of Jackson, with a vice-president from each congressional district. The board of directors are: L. J. Koester, of Detroit; George L. Owens, of Grand Rapids; F. J. Richards, of Union City; C. F. Ballard, Imports of Iron Ore During the Years Ending June 30, from 1885 to 1889, Inclusive. Countries from which imported. 1885. 1886. 1887. 1888. 1889. Tons. Tons.| Tons | Tons.) Tons. |Dollars SE Cuca dena a sub ed ade Wah, wand bcKe<occnlee |’, >, cus ill Reeemauaeieacauaed eee 1 2 rance.. ... saat Datu Guae adn: aka ceacmeaer ates 4,674 3,877 5,218; 7. 6,804 18,925 French Poss. in Africa and adjacent islands..... 25,360 107,366 | 215,760 168,496) 78.137 143.468 A ticgitabes a Gen keke <xen cxuleihariegaiia ee 2,350 DP hibeiceckslacminae 2 55 PE csnapcnribe eo 11,890 15,083 72,546 56,000 | 29,216 62,937 PE cisa cshk ua” Reancack@eens Isao eenles 204 16 Di exealcatuekancds) kaaddes: ot deena rie tis i wed dnd in eeuebides 5 Tannnieds uvebAee 1,250 A ies kticas bsssetas N. Scotia, N. Brunswick and Pr. Ed Island...... ....... & ee 750 2,250 uebec, Ontario, Manitobaand the N. W. Ter... 47.860 7,906 18,480 §=13,380 9,284 27,754 Ne no ins vibes tans tind sabéuners 1,862 190 Glee Rsane Sens 15,996 32,526 EN IY Cd a huce oe Sosa uscd esdaunh ie wae febanekeenselecy< B ieee aves 340 340 British Poss. in Africa and adjacent islands..... | ........)... .... Batis al NE cont to 85, wateande IG osc csccsnes ch Rade ehiacpw elena: denne aasel snd 7.700} 44,178! 25,707| 13,480! 17.644 MAS bined 5, cMénea S * awuaass 16,213 20,982 | 114,428! 98,343 66,812 167,876 PN st! hae i ths a gh! onde adadeiseciean heels 6,684 8.716) 10,122) 38,181) 5.230 11,582 Azore, Madeira and Cape Verde Islands... 96,647 | 37,920|.........]....... esdtcn tal toe teats Russia on the Baltic and White Seas ... BPE cas csoulen.. ou date seabed atmes tn dels bred MRREUGILU CARR TL is ~ vevececs divdedes sedkes 243,906 | 428,586 | 522,719 416,138 | 190,400 | 418,317 SAR hte Rand pal neels kites wicy «walk 6%)-énin< oMMaS eS 28,209 | 51,268} 109,928 | 117,504 | 225,525 537,478 I ME ME 5 eds a sacenutans, «nde enna pekdnamhalacee Lae , aaa ee sine 2,625 10,1389 ET GMMR ccs cove ccseihecsa e's [ ..| 8,437 1,689; 4,437) 5.470| 50,665 Turkey in Africa..... sc ddtdar ahs 42001 IWBSIB! TABB}. ck cheese cscs. DIMEN OE CIOUOUIOIII. niccc catecncisae 06 bekcacschlesdx acs 400 DEE wii wde Recut ae ade ER. ou tun ts ces den) axnwexksisvexs <a evegeedets dcumeus 1,905 BER Ba cios wale sastans All other counties................. Fada a 3,818 8,561 | 447 | *1,900 5.700 hanist atime asics Ricateihicn a tlondtinial acl ¢scncdsevcabs Usecesaereouasteeetatcans | 425,870 | 701,243 1,141,774 | 919,644 | 652,082 1,507,658 * Newfoundland and Labrador. It will be noted that as expected the| Hanna, L. C. Hanna, H. M. Hanna, H. P. imports from Cuba show a notable increase, | Lillibridge and Andrew Squire, who have while those from Spain fell off heavily. already agreed upon the terms of a con- tract with the Globe Iron Ship Building Company for making four modern steel The Michigan ‘‘ Knights of the Grip,” | vessels, to be ready for navigation in the an organization composed of the traveling| spring of 1891. Other vessels will be men of the State, held their first annual; built if necessary. The man who is back eonvention at Lansing on the 27th ult., of the whole enterprise is Ferdinand with a large and enthusiastic attendance | Schlesinger, of Milwaukee, who owns the of knights and their wives. Business| Chapin and Youngstown iron mines and meetings were held during the day, with} perhaps half a dozen others in Northern an elaborate banquet at 6 p.m. The fol-| Michigan. Next year the amount of ore lowing gentlemen responded to toasts:| from his mines will be 100 per cent. greater ‘Our Guests,” 8. H. Rowe, of Lansing;|than ever before, probably reaching the ‘‘My Michigan,” Governor Luce; ‘‘ Our| great total of 3,000,000 tons. New facili- Association,” F. A. Warner, ot East Sagi-! ties for transporting this being necessary, naw ; ‘‘Our Sister Association,” J. I. Low-! he has entered into a contract as stated I — oxygen, and is converted into very finely- divided particles of metallic iron having such an affinity for oxygen that, when afterward exposed to the action of the at- mosphere from any cause, oxygen is ab- sorbed so rapidly that these particles be- come red hot, and if in sufficient quantity will produce a temperature far beyond the ignitable point of dry timber. Whenever iron pipes are employed for the circulation of any heated medium (whether hot _| water, hot air or steam), and wherever the | pipes are allowed to become rusty, and are also in close contact with wood, it is only necessary to suppose that under these cir- cumstances the finely-divided particles of | metallic iron become exposed to the action }of the atmosphere (and this may occur from the mere expansion or contraction of the pipes) in order to account for many of the fires which periodically take place at the commencement of the winter season.” It is very difficult to get persons to be- lieve that there is any danger from fire arising from the contact of steam pipes with wood, notwithstanding that there have been well-attested cases of fires originating from this cause. Iron scraps ‘or filings or lathe chips, always found on the floors of machine-shops, and usually | more or less oily, are very liable to heat if {they become rusty, and particularly so when sawdust is used, as if often the case in bolt-works. There is an instance on record where a large machine-shop was flooded by a sudden freshet, wetting the | heaps of iron filings on the floor, which became heated immediately after the water had subsided. Secretary Proctor and Senator Morrill, of Vermont, are in South Bethlehem, Pa., for the purpose of inspecting the iron and steel works of the South Bethlehem Com- pany, with a view to determining their facilities for the manufacture of large guns for the army. The Burden Suit. The Burden suit has been again in progress at Troy, the testimony submitted being of considerable interest, since it brings out data of general value. James L. Dawes, an expert accountant, testified that for the seven and one-half years prior to 1881 the net profits of the Burden Iron Company were $531,368.07. The net profits for the seven and one-half years subsequent to 1881 were $1,839,909.07. The total profits for the 15 years were $2,371, 277.14. The testimony of John L. Arts, the gen- eral manager of the Burden Iron Company, brings out a number of points of technical and trade interest. Mr. Arts stated that the Burden Iron Company began the use of Hudson River ore about April, 1883, using 10 per cent. and at times 20 per cent. of the ore, the average of the year being small. In 1884 it was 10 to 15 per cent. ; in 1885, 15 to 25 per cent. ; in 1886, 25 to 40 per cent.; in 1887, 40 to 50 per cent., and in 1888 and 1889 50 per cent., the other ores now being used being Port Henry, Amenia, Crown hematite and Chateaugay. Mr. Arts testified that the merchant iron, horseshoe iron and rivet iron made in 1888 and 1889, when 50 per cent. of Hudson River ore was used, is better in quality than that made in 1883 and 1884, when from 10 to 20 per cent. was used. The sulphur in the iron pro- duced was pronounced unobjectionable, the average in Glendon and Burden No. 2 being practically the same, 0.035 per cent. Ninety per cent. is eliminated in the puddling, so that in the puddled bar it is only 0.003 per cent. Mr. Arts states that in his experience there is not enough manganese in the Hudson River ore to make it injurious, while the phosphorus runs about 0.03 per cent. ‘When questioned on the matter of rebates Mr. Arts testified that in 1883 or 1884 an arrangement was made with Hannibal Green’s Sons to protect them against a de- cline, so that they could carry a stock from which consumers could be supplied promptly with merchant iron. He testi- fied that the average cost of the different ores delivered in Troy from Jaruary, 1883, to November 1, 1889, was as follows: Hudson River, $2.91; Port Henry, $3.21; New Bed regular, $3.84; Chateaugay, $3 93; Amenia hematite, $4.11; Clove Spring hematite, $4.39; Sylvan Lake hematite, $4.78, and New Bed pure, $5.61. The saving by the use of Hudson River ore instead of the hematites named was computed by him at $1.38 per ton, the aggregate being $97,394.88, assuming that they are the same in metallic iron con- tents. He stated that the average per- centage of metallic iron in all the brown hematites was 43.71 per cent. for the period from January 1, 1883, to November 1, 1889, while for the same period that of the Hudson River ore was 45.51 per cent. The average price of different pig-irons delivered at Troy during the period from January 1, 1883, to November 1, 1889, was $17.85 for Cedar Point, $18.27 per ton for Glendon, and $17.03 for Musconet- cong, the general average being $17.83. During the same period the Troy furnaces produced 33,6974 tons of No. 1, 35,167 tons of No. 2, 33,5664 tons of No. 3, 48694 tons of No. 4, and 1055 tons of No. 5, a total of 111,8824 tons, the total average cost, including expense account, taxes and repairs, being $18.78. Mr. Arts deducts 98 cents a ton to get at the actual cost of the iron, leaving the cost $17.80. Without taking into account the grades this shows a saving of 3 cents a tonas compared with the average cost of iron purchased. The urchases included 630 tons of No. 1 at 24.29, 31,706 tons of No. 2 at $18.35, and Nos. 3 and 4, 79,665 tons at $17.57. Supposing that the company had been THE IRON AGE, January 9, 1890 age was 16 per cent.; in 1882, the same The advantage which one machine pos- sesses over another is largely due to su- perior arrangements for saving of time in compelled to purchase the pig-iron which | driven by a screw entering the rear end of they made, the average cost would have | spindle where nut is located. The feed been $18.32. This represents, according | motion is obtained through change-gears to Mr. Arts, a saving of 52 cents a ton, | located at end of screws and connecting or $58,178.90 in the aggregate. A somewhat significant reply was made by Mr. Arts to the question, ‘‘ What is the | connecting the power feed is placed, and present cash of the company ?” the reply | beside this a handle for moving the spin- by shaft to center of head-stock. At this place the clutch for connecting and dis- ‘*T have not looked at it withina/dle at will. An extra attachment to this few days; somewhere between $500,000 | machine consists of an arrangement of split and $600,000." Speaking of the percent- | nut for the end of feed-spindle, which en- age of scrap shoes made, Mr. Arts stated | ables the operator, at will, to open and re- that he had made a comparison of the | tire the drill-spindle by one pull. It is scrap shoes of the last two years which | provided with an adjustable throw-out they had on 50 percent. of the Hudson |for drilling duplicate holes to depth. River ore with the years 1881 and 1882, | When the machine is to be used for boring, the two years before they began using |a bushing is placed in a hole made for the Hudson River ore. In 1881 the percent- {he in the upright, and through which the bar passes. The practical advantage In 1888 it was 7.1 per cent. and | claimed for the tool consist in the facility up to December 1, 1889, it was 9 percent. | which it offers for fastening work true Mr. Arts added that in recent years the inspection has been much closer. with the base or planed surface and of di- rectly reaching the point of work. This | machine is built in two sizes—a 12 and 20 Tra¥erse Drill. i I llama ait Speaking of the abolition of the con- tract system of labor in the prisons of Massachusetts, Governor Brackett in his inaugural address says the change made RR | | TRAVERSE DRILLING-MACHINE. handling and setting of work. Although | two years ago has proved favorable. Profit one of the first tools devised by man, the | is no longer the main reason for the em- drilling-machine of to-day is continually | ployment of prison labor, but the reforma- receiving improvements or changes either | tion of the prisoner by teaching him to to increase the speed of working or to| become an efficient workman takes the more perfectly adapt it to the general or a| first place. Those who are committed to special class of work. 1 The traverse drilling-machine of which | the commonwealth, instructed as they are we herewith present an illustration is the | in all the branches of a trade, are restored last addition to the line of standard tools | to society well fitted to occupy in it a built by the Nicholson & Waterman Mfg. | reputable position. Moreover, the dis- Company, of Providence, R. I. It is in-| ciplire of the prisons is more easily main- tended for general use and for that class | tamed, and the financial showing is much of drilling and boring in which one or| more favorable than it was’ anticipated it more holes are located parallel to the base| would be. The superintendent recom- or to a planed side. The drill-spindle is} mends that the use of machinery be re- placed horizontally in a head-stock, which | stored, as being needful for the educa- is arranged to give it circular motion and | tion of the prisoner, in order to meet the a lateral feed. Beyond this, and arranged | conditions that the world imposes on him. to set at different positiens, is a frame and table for receiving work. The frame| Advices from the Argentine Republic fastened to the top of the bed is provided | respecting the grain crops, wool growing, with a stiff upright, the front and ends of | demands for labor, &c., indicate no cessa- which are perpendicular to the line of| tion of activity nor interruption of the traverse of the drill-spindle. A knee-| favorable conditions prevailing for several | piece is fitted and gibbed to this upright | years past. The area being cultivated for and arranged to raise and lower by screws | wheat is larger than ever and the corn and crank. On top of the extension of|crop is enormous, encouraging the hope this knee-piece is located the table, which | of competing successfully with the United is given a cross motion and arranged to| States in the export of cereals, even be- have its top ina plane parallel with the|