The Iron Age 1890-11-20: Vol 46

THE MAINE. At 12.45 on Tuesday last the first war ship built by the United States as a part of the new navy, and the first armored ship ever built in this country, was launched at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The Maine was authorized by act of Con- gress approved August 3, 1888. Her cost was not to exceed $2,500,000, and she was to be completed on or before October 3, 1892, Her engines are now being built at the works of N. F. Palmer, Jr., & Co., this city. She is thoroughly American in every respect. Her hull was designed by the Bureau of Construction, her engines and boilers are absolutely the work of the Bureau of Steam Engineering, and her guns and other armament are to be from designs furnished by the Bureau of Ord- nance, and all materia) entering into her construction will be produced and manu- factured athome. The first keel plate was laid October 10, 1888. In general appearance the Maine re- sembles the Brazilian armored cruiser ‘THE THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1890. revolving turrets are protected by 10}- inch steel armor, the gun port plates being 114 inches. The revolving parts of the turrets and the spaces required for loading are protected by fixed breast- works of oval shape 10} inches thick. There is an armored conning tower, 10 inches thick, located on the central superstructure, elliptical in shape, meas- uring 10 feet 6 inches by 9 feet. An armored tube 4} inches thick runs from this tower to the armor deck, to protect | steering gear, speaking tubes, &c. The) armor deck plating in the works of the armor belt will be in two thicknesses, so | disposed that one layer of plating forms edge strips and butt straps for the other. The armor deck slopes from the top of the | belt at its after end, the slope being 4 inches thick. The under water deck at the end is 2 inches thick, protecting the mag- azine and steering gear, and so arranged as to give great stiffness to the ram bow. Coffer dams will be built above the engine and fire room hatches to a height of 3 feet | above the berth deck. The vessel will have two vertical inverted triple-expansion engines in separate water IRON AGE ning tower there is a wooden chart house, fitted with chart tables, speaking tubes, indicators, steering wheels, &c., for use when not in action. A steam steering en- gine is fitted, in addition to the hand steering arrangements, and there are steam capstans, windlasses and hoists. The forward hawse pipes are so formed as to be adapted to a stockless anchor, the entrance being enlarged to take the shank and flukes of the anchor, the latter stowing itself automatically within the ship on heaving to. Shutters will be fitted over the mouths of the hawse pipes. There are 174 water tight compartments in the vessel and ample provision is made for natural light and ventilation by means of skylights, side lights and cowls. Artificial ventilation is also provided for. The vitiated air of the |engine room will be withdrawn by the fans used for forced combustion. The | explosive gases of the coal bunkers are led into the funnel casings and fresh air pipes lead to the upper deck. The pumping and draining system is very elaborate, every compartment of the vessel being in connection with powerful UNITED STATES ARMORED CRUISER MAINE, Riachuelo, but is somewhat larger and carries heavier guns and thicker armor, besides having greater endurance. She is a twin screw armored turreted vessel of the belted cruiser type, the vital parts being — by a belt of armor sufficient in —_ to insure stability, even should the ends be riddled above the under water protective decks extending from the ends of the belt to the extremity of the vessel. The general dimensions are as follows: Length between perpendiculars.... 330 feet. Breadth, extreme..... .........0:- 57 feet. Mean draft of water............... 2114 feet. Displacement to above draft....... 6648 tons Indicated horse-power............ 87 Sn iuiacc anaciucos cu we keds Keak 17 knots. ickness of armor belt............ 12 inches. The water line belt of steel armor just mentioned extends for a length of about 180 feet amidship, and from 8 feet above to 4 feet below the water line. From a point 1 foot below the water line the thick- ness of the armor gradually decreases to 6 inches at the bottom. The wood back- ing is 8 inchesthick. The plating behind the armor is in two thicknesses, stiffened by horizontal angle bars. The athwart- ship armor bulkhead at the forward end of the armor belt is 6 inches thick. The tight compartments, capable of develop-; steam and hand pumps. ing 8750 horse-power. The cylinders are 354, 57 and 88 inches in diameter, re- spectively, with a stroke of 36 inches. There will be eight cylindrical return tubular boilers, 14 feet 8 inches diameter and 10 feet long, each having three fur- naces, the total grate surface being 552 square feet. The fire rooms are not to be put under pressure, but the forced draft will be secured by leading air to the under side of the grate bars, forced through ducts by four blowers of 26,000 cubic feet capacity per minute. There are two three-bladed screws with a diameter of about 15 feet. The coal at normal draft is 400 tons, but the bunker capacity is 822 tons. The endurance and radius of action at differ- ent speeds with 400 tons of coal are: At 17 knots per hour, 960 knots; at 15 knots per hour, 1617 knots; at 10 knots per hour, 4550 knots. The vessel is bark rigged, spreading 7135 square feet of canvas. The fore and main masts are fitted with military tops, each mounting two machine guns. The rigging is brought down in such a manner as not to interfere with the fire of the guns. In addition to the armored con- The electric plant consists of four sets of dynamos and engines, so connected that any one cap supply ali the circuits for the incandescent lamps. There are three search lights, any of which can be connected with any dy- namo. These dynamos supply also light for internal illumination, side lights, head lights and lights in magazines and bunkers. In addition to the usual allow- ance of boats supplied to a man of war, including steam launch and cutter, there are two torpedo boats, 60 feet long. The hight in the clear between the berth deck beams is 7 feet 10 inches. The hight in the clear between the main deck plank and bottom of superstructure decks is 6 feet 8 inches. The main battery consists of four 10- inch and six 6-inch breech loading guns. The 10-inch guns are mounted in pairs in turrets protected by 104 inches of steel armor. The turrets are placed en echelon, so that four guns can be fired ahead or astern. Each has a compuiete broadside train on one side of 180° and on the other side of over 60°. Each turret has two loading positions The guns are loaded, elevated and trained by the latest and most approved systems, all machinery 682 being protected by oblong ‘breastworks 104 inches thick. The 6-inch guns are mounted on central pivot carriages, pro- tected by segmental steel shields 2 inches thick. Two 6-inch guns are placed di- rectly forward and two aft, having a train each of 147°. A 6-inch gun is mounted on each side of the central superstructure, having a train of 130°. The forward and after guns can be converged at a point 150 feet from their respectiveends, The four 10-inch and two 6 inch guns can be fired directly ahead or astern, and the broad- side fire of four 10-inch and_ three 6-inch guns can be converged at a point 100 feet from the side. The secondary battery is so disposed as to secure a heavy bow and stern fire. It con- sists of four 57 mm. rapid fire guns, four 47 mm. rapid fire guns, four 47 mm. re- volving cannon, nine 37 mm. revolving cannon and four Gatling guns. There are seven torpedo launching tubes or guns, three below the water and four on the berth deck. The 10-inch guns fire a pro- jectile of 500 pounds weight with 250 pounds of powder, and have a maximum effective range of about 9 miles. The weight of shot that can be fired ahead or astern from the main battery is 2200 pounds, and either side 2300 pounds. EE We are in receipt of a copy of ‘The Heart of the Rockies,” published by the Colorado Midland Railway. This is quite an elaborate work, consisting of some 200 pages of letterpress and illus- trations descriptive of the scenery trav- ersed by the Colorado Midland system or within easy reach of it. The book con- tains a great deal of most interesting in- formation relative to this part of the country, great pains having been taken by the author to secure everything that a tourist would desire to know. The illus- trations are profuse, covering bits of ro- mantic scenery, cuts of mountain resorts, and views in Denver, Salt Lake City and other Rocky Mountain cities. It is a most excellent guide book and will be highly appreciated by those who secure a copy of it. The material interests of the section are not neglected, a great deal of informa- tion being given regarding the industries and occupations of the Rocky Mountain people. Copies can be procured by ad- dressing the company at Denver or Colo- rado Springs, Col. C. F. Dutton, who took charge of the Schlesinger syndicate’s new road, the Escanaba, Iron Mountain and Western, after retiring from the general manager- ship of the Milwaukee and Northern, will remain permanently with that line. At present Mr. Dutton’s headquarters are at Iron Mountain, and the general offices of the road will probably remain there for a while at least. The substructure of the big ore dock at Escanaba is about com- plete, and the superstructure will be built during the winter. Within a year from the time when work was begun on it the road will be in use for the transportation -of ore. The old time theory that the copper formations of the Upper Michigan penin- sula crop out on the Wisconsin side of the State line seems to be confirmed by recent discoveries of copper ore near Mellen, Ashland County. The deposit is very large and the ore has been pronounced high grade by assayists. The land be- longs to Ashland parties, who propose to develop the newly discovered copper field. Rumors have been in circulation for some time past that a German syndicate has been making efforts to obtain control -of the Illinois Steel Company. THE IRON AGE, November 20, 1899 * “ae MAIN UNITED STATES ARMORED CRUISER PLAN OF DECK GUN November 20, 1890 THE IRON AGE. 883 oceans Retain re ennan a eeun unEEENEE Suvanebenmenatemens, ably be removed to that place before long, The Uniform Classification in Illinois. The Illinois Railroad and Warehouse Commission has determined to put in force in that State January 1 next, the uniform classification of freight — upon by the railroads, and has adopte the following order in reference thereto for the information of the railroads and the people of the State: poyeas, Great confusion, inconvenience ‘a jonice are in the judgment of this com- mission occasioned by the use of different and widely varying classifications of freight, and it is highly desirable, as conceded by most of the managers of railroads and as expressed and urged by the Interstate Commerce Com- mission, to bring into use a single, comprehen- sive and uniform classification which will ap- ply to all shipments of freight upon all rail- roads; anc 7: : 2 7 Whereas, We believe the adoption and use of such a Classification would greatly benefit the shippers of this State, among other ways by preventing in many cases the application of a higher tariff to goods shipped under the more general and og Sree classifications now in use than would be possible if a more full and specific classification were adopted, which vail show every shipper at a glance the cor- rect classification of his freight and the proper charge for transporting the same; therefore, anal 1. That the uniform classification of freight prepared by the standing Committee on Uniform Classification appointed by the Convention of Tariff Officers at their meeting in Chicago, December 4 and 5, 1888, be and the same is hereby adopted by the Railroad and Warehouse Commission of Illinois, to take effect and be in force from and after January 1891. *< This action relates only to such articles as are classified in the report of said committee and not to such as are unclassified therein, being disposed of under special rules or by reference to tariff. These unclassitied articles are left to be disposed of by subsequent special action. . 3. The commission will at an early date adopt its tariff of rates to said classification, and cause the same to be printed, together with said classification, and furnished to the several roads of the State before January 1, 1891, as provided by law. 4. This preliminary action is taken for the information of the several companies and with a view to enabling them to be ready for the proposed change. A Naval Steel Inspectors. — Secretary Tracy made a new departure in ordering Chief Engineer David Smith to duty as a member of the Steel Inspection Board of the Navy Department. This board has direct supervision of the inspection of the steel that enters into both hull and machinery construction in the navy. Heretofore the Construction Corps has not been repre- sented on the board, and the Engineer Corps has only been represented by a young as- sistant engineer, junior to all the other members of the corps. At the recent steel conference some of the contractors ex- pressed the opinion that better results would be obtained if the inspection was in the hands of the constructors and engi- neers, the two corps concerned with work- ing up the material after its inspection. The Construction Corps has not yet been given a representative on the board, owing largely to the small number of officers in the corps; but the appointment of Chief Engineer Smith gives the engineers great weight on the board, as he is regarded as one of the best authorities on steel in the service. He has made a special study of metallurgy for many years, and has been frequently detailed by the Department for important experimental work. He was a member of the combined Army and Navy Board which conducted at Water- vliet Arsenal some years ago the most elaborate series of tests of various metals that has been undertaken in the United States. ec — In the article entitled ‘‘ Notes by a German Engineer,” on page 797 of The Iron Age of November 6, the statement was made that a new forging press at the Altoona shops was designed by Paul Kreuzpointner. This was an error, the press having been built by Fielding & Platt, of Gloucester, England. = TT Pig Iron Manufacture in Pittsburgh. In the Pittsburgh district. which em- braces all the territory lying within a ra- dius of 40 miles of that city, are located at the present time a total of 24 com- pleted stacks, with two in course of erec- tion. In the list of completed furnaces we include the new stack of the Isabella Furnace Company, at Etna, Pa., which is ready for blast and has gone in during the present week. The two stacks reported as building are those of the Monongahela Furnace Company, at McKeesport, Pa., one of which we understand will he ready for blast within 30 days., At the present writing four of the 23 stacks are idle for repairs, these being one stack of the Isa- bella Furnace Company, one of the Carrie Furnace Company, one of Shoenberger & Co. and Soho Furnace, of the Moorhead- McCleane Company. In the production of pig iron in the entire country, the fur- naces -in the Pittsburgh district hold a commanding position. This is largely due to the fact that in that district are located the furnace plants of the Carnegie firms, whose production alone for this year will probably equal one-tenth of the entire production of the country. Ar- ranging the furnaces in alphabetical order with number of stacks at each plant, they are as follows: Name of furnace or No. of location. stacks NN ae da stcaeindcccescades deavedeuens 2 Sas 5 rec te adn Ckeidnaenseheaws 1 PY COO coe accidedacawevencaeaaes 7 Edgar Thomson, spiegel..... .. ........ 2 PE (ct dcncuuitadae padeleccew eke steeds 1 ME uiwsa abate. ened ak kaclanereceeeseas 3 PN c cccpiie cia caceddwees peesantaxe 3 Lucy Co Cece ecccsecsereseseseceseseesseces 2 NY «cu tsddeubussereenateeaca 2 III nas Cons eyes bewneee enaen 2 Md ctadunscaateesscanaduvecededs anenes 1 The plant of the Carrie Furnace Com- pany is located at Rankin Station, on the line of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, a few miles east of Pittsburgh. The con- cern have their own coke ovens and man- ufacture all the coke they use. Clinton Furnace is located on the South Side, Pittsburgh, and is owned and operated by the Clinton Iron and Steel Company. This is one of the oldest furnaces in the coun- try, having been built originally in 1859, but was remodeled during the present year, and can now be classed as a modern blast furnace. It was operated for many years by the firm of Graff, Bennett & Co., which failed a few years ago and is now out of existence. The Edgar Thomson plant is located at Braddock, and consists of nine furnaces, which are designated by the first nine let- ters of thealphabet This plant is owned by Carnegie Brothers & Co., Limited, and is one of the finest and best equipped blast furnace plants in the world. It is here that some records for production have been made that have amazed the metallurgical world. The entire nine furnaces are now in successful operation and producing largely. Seven of them are operated on Bessemer and the other two on spiegel and ferromanganese. While the amount of pig iron made by this firm is enormous, very little of it finds its way into the open market, almost the entire output being consumed by the other plants operated by the Carnegie concern. In fact, it is more often the case that the firm are buyers of pig iron than sellers. Edith Furnace is located in Allegheny City, Pa., and is owned and operated un- der. lease by the Monongahela Furnace Company, of McKeesport. It will prob- and operated in conjunction with the two stacks now being erected there by the Monongahela Furnace Company. The Eliza stacks, three in number, are owned by Laughlin & Co., Limited, and are located at Laughlin Station, on the line of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. The Isabella plant contains three stacks at Etna, a few miles from Pittsburgh, on the line of the West Penn Railroad. The plant is owned and operated by the Isa- bella Furnace Company. A part of their output is used at the Etna Iron Works, of Spang, Chalfant & Co., and at the plant of the Spang Steel and Iron Company, Lim- ited, also located at Etna. At present but one stack is in operation, one being idle for repairs and the other new stack has not yet been put in operation. The last named is fitted up with a new design of hot blast stove, the invention of Hugh Kennedy, manager of the plant. It is a four pass stove, and is expected to do good work. The Lucy furnaces are situated on Fifty- first street, Pittsburgh, and are owned by Carnegie, Phipps & Co., Limited. The greater part of the iron made at these furnaces is used by the firm in their other establishments. The two Shoenberger stacks are located on Fifteenth street, Pittsburgh. They are the property of Shoenberger, Speer & Co. Much of their output is used in the Juniata Iron and Steel Works of Shoen- berger & Co., located adjacent t» the furnaces. “One of the furnaces is under- going extensive repairs. The Moorhead-McCleane Company have the Soho Furnace, the greater part of its product being consumed in their Soho Iron and Steel Works. This stack was origin- ally built in 1872, but was rebuilt in 1888, and put in blast on November 15 of that year and continued in blast until October 14 last, when it was blown out for re- lining and repairs. The average weekly output of the 24 stacks, when in operation, is 31,720 tons of 2000 pounds, or a yearly out- put of 1,649,440 net tons. This output includes the product of the two Edgar Thomson spiegel furnaces. In all prob- ability the two stacks of the Monongahela Furnace Company, at McKeesport, will be in operation by January 1 of next year. Both stacks are expected to turn out about 3150 tons per week, or 167,800 tons per year. Adding this to the annual output of the 24 completed stacks gives a total of 1,817,240 tons as the the amount of pig iron that could be made in the Pittsburgh district next year, pro- vided that no stoppages occurred for the purpose of making repairs. Making due allowance for stoppage of certain furnaces for relining and repairs, it is safe to say that the output of pig iron in the Pitts- burgh district for the year 13891 will amount to 1,700,000 tons. ———$—$—$—$— aa The people of Denver, Col., are still agitating the erection of steel works at that point. The Denver Journal of Com- merce insists that blast furnaces must be erected at Gunison, some 2:0 miles distant, for the production of Bessemer pig iron, to be converted into steel, and finished into merchantable forms at Den- ver. There are other iron enterprises in the same general locality, which have been mooted for some time, but have not yet taken definite shape. A new through line from Chicago to San Francisco was opened 16th inst. Two trains a day run from Denver over both the Colorado Midland and the Denver and Rio Grande from Denver to Grand Junction and thence via the Rio Grande Western to Ogden. It is claimed that the service wil! be tke best in existence. 884 MECHANICAL ENGINEERS. RICHMOND MEETING. Last week the twenty-second meeting of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers was held at Richmond, Va. The attendance was unusually large, and it may be assumed that this was due in a great measure to the fact that in and about Richmond are many points of historical interest well worth visiting, rather than to any interest attaching to the papers to be presented, considered as a whole. Although the weather was not all that could be desired, yet the arrange- ments made by the local committee were so perfect, and the hospitality of the resi- dents was so cordial, that the visitors failed to notice the continued absence of the solar luminary. The programme of the committee was so arranged as to per- mit an examination of all the principal industries of the city and a visit to the prominent points connected with its his- tory, and was further so outlined as to most freely permit the enjoyment of those social features which enter so largely into the success of a meeting of ths kind. The following list shows the, members in attendance and their friends: Members. Adams, W. H., New York City. Alberger, Louis R., New York City. Albree, C. B., Allegheny, Pa. Archer, E. R., Richmond, Va. Allison, Robert, Port Carbon, Pa. Almond, Thomas R., Brooklyn, N. Y. Ashworth, Daniel, Pittsburgh, Pa. Babbitt, George Rodney, Providence, R. I. Ball, Frank H., and wife, Erie, Pa. Bang, H. A., New York City. Barr, William M., Philadelphia, Pa. Barrus, George H., Boston, Mass. Beach, C. S., Bennington, Vt. Bennett, Frank M., Navy Department, Wash- ington, D. C. Bond, Geo. M., Hartford, Conn. Bray, Charles W., Youngstown, Ohio. Britton, J. W., Cleveland, Ohio. Brooks, Wm. B., Richmond, Va. Bulkley, Henry W., New York City. Campbell, Andrew C., Waterbury, Conn. Carr, C. A., Navy Department, Washington, D.C Coleman, Isaiah B., Elmira, N. Y. Cooper, John H., and wife, Philadelphia, Pa. Cullingworth, Geo. R., New York City. Dallett, W. P., Philadelphia, Pa. Darling, Edwin, Pawtucket, R. IL Dashiell, Benj. J., Jr., Baltimore, Md. Davis, E. F. U., Richmond, Va. Delaney, Alexander, Richmond, Va. Denton, James E., Hoboken, N. J. Dick, John, Meadville, Pa. Doran, William S., New York City. Eberhardt, F,.-L. H., and sister, Newark, N. J. — Frederick C., and wife, New York sity. Foster, Chas. E., Washington, D. C. Frost, Geo. H., New York. -Gantt, Henry L., Philadelphia, Pa. Gobeille, Jos. Leon, Cleveland, Ohio. Graves, Erwin, Camden, N. J. Gray, G. A., and wife, Cincinnati, Ohio. Greenwood, P. F., Richmond, Va. — Paul H., and wife, Glen Cove, L. I., Hand, Frank Ludlam, Philadelphia, Pa. Hand, S. Ashton, and wife, Philadelphia, Pa. Hawkins, John T., Taunton, Mass. Hemenway, F. F., New York City. ——— Alexander, Navy Yard, Boston, ass. ' Hillard, Charles J., Pittsburgh, Pa. Holland, John, Dover, N. H. =v J. F., and daughter, New York sity. Hunt, Charles Wallace, New York City. Huston, Charles L., Coatesville, Pa. Hutton, Frederick R., New York City. Hyde, Charles E., Bath, Maine. Jacobi, Albert W., and wife, New York City. Jacobus, D. 8., Hoboken, N. J. Jewett, L. C., Erie, Pa. Jones, Willis C., Cincinnati, Ohio. Laforge, Fred’k Henry, Waterbury, Conn. THE IRON AGE. Laird, John A., St. Louis, Mo, Lane, Harry M., Cincinnati, Ohio. Leonard, S. H., U. S. N., Washington, D. C. Lipps, Henry, Jr., Raleigh, N. C. w, Fred R., New York City. —_— James, wife and neice, Brooklyn, McElroy, Samuel, Brooklyn, N. MacFarland, Waite Washington, D. C. McKinney, Rob’t C., Hamilton, Ohio. Mattes, William F., and wife, West Superior, Wis. Mellin, Carl J., and wife, Richmond, Va. Mirkil, Thomas H., Jr., and wife, Philadel- phia, Pa. Moore, D. G., and wife, Elizabeth, N. J. Mumford, E. H., Detroit, Mich. Nason, Carleton W., New York City. Parker, Chas. D., Worcester, Mass. Parks, Edward H., Providence, R. I. Passel, George W., Cincinnati, Ohio. Phillips, George H., Newark, N. J. Pope, Ralph W., Elizabeth, N. J. Raynal, Alfred H., and wife, Richmund, Va. Reiss, George T., Hamilton, Ohio. Redwood, I. [., Brooklyn, N. Y. Roberts, William, Waltham, Mass. Rogers, Winfield S., Troy, N. Y. Rood, Vernon H., Jeanesville, Pa. Ross, E. L., and wife, Indian Orchard, Mass, See, Horace, and wife, New York City. Shirrell, David, Richmond, Va. Simpkin, William, and wife, Richmond, Va. Skinner, F. W., New York City. Smith, George H., and wife, Providence, R. I. Smith, Jesse M., and wife, Detroit, Mich. Smith, Oberlin, and wife, Bridgeton, N. J. Smith, Scott A., Providence, R. I. Snell, Henry I., and wife, Philadelphia, Pa. Spaulding, H. C., and wife, Boston, Mass. Sperry, Charles, Port Washington, N. Y. Stillman, Francis Hill, New York City. Stirling, Allen, New York City. Svenson, John, Scranton, Pa. Swasey, Ambrose, Cleveland, Ohio. Thomson, John, and wife, New York City. Tompkins, S., Torrey, Herbert Gray, New York City. Tucker, Wm. B., an Vanderbilt, Aaron, New York City. Webster, John H., Boston, Mass. Wellman, Samuel T., wife and daughter, Knoxville Tenn. wife, Elizabeth, N. J. Cleveland. Ohio. Wheeler, F. Meriam, New York City and Montclair, N. J. White, William, Jr., Pittsburgh, Pa. Whitehead, George E. Whitney, Baxter D., Winchendon, Mass. Whitney, William M., Winchendon, Mass. Wightman, D. A., Allegheny, Pa. Wilcox, John F. and wife Wiley, William H., New York City. Wolcott, F. P., Carteret, N. J. Wood, W. H., Philadelphia, Pa. Woolson, O. C., Newark, N. J. Providence, R. I. ittsburgh, Pa. First Session. The first session was held Tuesday after- noon in a large hall of the Exchange Hotel, which was artistically decorated with the coats of arms of the several States and with the national colors. The ad- dress of welcome was made by the Hon. J. Taylor Ellyson, the Mayor of Rich- mond. He said: It is both a duty and a pleasure for me to be here this afternoon, and I do not come to give you the formal words of greetings, but to tell you that we are glad to see you. More than a century ago George Washington expressed the hop- that Richmond would some day in popu- lation, in wealth and in commercial im- portance gain front rank with the largest cities of the Union. That aspiration of our first President may not have been realized, but I believe our forefathers could have won such a place. But then environments were conducive to the study of the great questions of politics—ques- tions of finance, of taxation—which some have todo. They made a mistake, prob- ably, but if they had not there would have never been a Jefferson, a Madison, a Patrick Henry or a John Marshall. So through their broad and deep thoughts the foundation of our American Republic was established—a government for the people, by the people, and of the people. Twenty-five years ago at Appomattox we buried our dead hopes of ever establishing an independent republic of pre-eminence. This city then lay in the very ashes of her z. M., Navy Department, November 20, 1899 desolation. i i but ze ‘eater a eae hed noe u amassed more than $5,000,000; froma po lation of 48,090 to double that number PA = taxable values of $19,000,000 to $55 000. 000; from almost no manufactories to 750, employing 20,000 hands, with an annual output of $35,000,000. When a city - give more than one-fourth of her popula. tion employment in her manufactories it can be said without boasting that she lays some claims toa manufacturing city, ~ We have entered upon a new era, ang you come to us just as we begin to have q realization of our hopes. We need to be encouraged, and if by your presence you engraft in our public school system ideas of mechanical branches, your presence will not be only an honor, but a benefit Teach our people along your lines what you have given your life to study, [py union there is strength, and we are bound together by that indissoluble tie of citizens of the Union. The night of our adversity is over. We are living in the beauty of a rising sun. The dove eyed goddess of peace and prosperity smiles upon us, and to such a land, to such acity we invite you. United we can do many things that will elevate and promote our civilization, and we welcome you most heartily to our city. I cannot refrain from welcoming the ladies of the party and feeling that their stay in our midst will be too short. I hope that you may come again, and eyes that look sad when you depait will look brighter when you come again. After an appropriate reply the president, Oberlin Smith, read the annual address, entitled, © have The Engineer as a Scholar anda Gentleman, In part he said: The term ‘‘Engineer,” the subject of my title, should, to my mind, include in the person described thereby all the at- tributes applied in the two nouns which follow. If it was always thus inclusive, then that higher professional standard, which our clients in the world outside, as well as our own interest and happiness, demand, would have been attained, and this essay would have remained unwritten. Dees this aggregate mass of engineers at- tain to as high a professional standard as, all things considered, our modern civiliza- tion would lead us to expect? Does this body of men, who, without question, are of vastly more importance to the world than those of any one profession or trade, stand as high in the estimation of their fellow men as its important position would seem to demand, and is their craft (one which, if properly practiced, requires as much learning as do the crefts of law or medicine) thoroughly recognized as one of the learned professions ? To these queries we engineers cannot, unqualifiedly, give an affirmative reply. In the first place, we do not in all cases make high enough and absolute enough our standard of qualifications for admis- sion to our ranks. In the second place, we do not have our forces systematically organized into a mighty army, with un- broken front, which would compel to a proper degree the admiration and respect ot the non-engineering world for the pro- fession as a whole. We have, on the contrary, been fighting too much upon the guerilla principle, and have too often shown the world brilliant dashes by indi- viduals, unsupported by the great body of their fellow fighters. As a matter of fact, the modern engineer, if he be worthy of the name, must be a scholar as regards many }mportant branches of knowledge. To have become this, he must possess a trained intellect and must have been through a course, whether in college, or office, or shop, in which he has fulfilled the most important condition of all November 20, 1890 ip, by learing how to learn. If, —_. te a by no possibility give to a schools all the time necessary for —_ courses, let him go though the scientific course thoroughly, remembering the mas- terly epigram once uttered upon - occa- sion like this by my talented predecessor in this chair, Professor Sweet, which, as I remember, ran thus: “Tis better to know what wants to be done, and how to do it, than to know what has been done, sho did it.” ~~ a said that the embryo engi- neer should not take sides 80 strongly in favor of pure science as to Ignore entirely the claims of polite literature. He thought the study of languages should be conducted in the following order: Ger- man, French, Latin, Greek, unless Span- ish or Italian is needed for special reasons. The last portion of the address dealt with the ‘engineer as a gentleman. Excurstons and Reception, During the day many of the members visited the large tobacco manufacturing éstablishments and other places within convenient reach of the hotel In the evening the reception tendered to the so- ciety by Governor Philip McKinney, at the Gubernatorial mansion in Capitol square, was largely attended. Morning.—A Business Session Wednesday was held before the presentation of papers. The report of the committee of three ap- pointed at the invitation of the Western Society of Engineers, to confer with simi- lar committees from the Civil, Mining and Electrical societies, was received. These committees were appointed to consider the question of holding an INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF ENGINEERS in Chicago during the Columbian Expo- sition. The object aimed at is to provide a joint engineering headquarters for all American and foreign societies and engi- neers, a suitable staff to be in charge, to give information regarding the exposition and enginecring works of interest outside. It was estimated that this would cost THE IRON AGE. agers, Andrew Fletcher, W. R. Warner and Coleman Sellers, Jr. The report of the Finance Committee showed the society to be in a healthy con- dition. The receipts last year were $17,- 720, and the expenditures $17,683. The next meeting will be held at Providence in June. The next subject considered was the printed discussion of the report of the Committee on a Standard Method of Conducting Duty Trials of Pumping Engines, which was presented at the Cincinnati meeting held in May last. The report proposed the use of the unit 1,000,000 heat units, in place of the common measure 100 pounds of coal, and the separate or independent testing of boil- ers and engine. They also suggested that the duty should always be computed from the quantity of heat supplied the whole plant. These and the other points recom- mended by the committee met with ap proval, and it was the united opinién of those who contributed to the discussion that the method proposed in the report was astep far in advance of the practice now common. The report was accepted. The first paper presented was by W. H. Adams, of New York, on An Engineering Problem at Rich- mond. It showed what could be done to utilz ng the water of the James River, and how, from 25,000 to 40,000 horse-power could, at reasonable cost, be placed at the disposal of manufacturers. With the exception of about 1200 or 1500 horse-power this vast quantity of water is permitted to flow idly by the city. The question of deepening the river from the city to the Atlantic sufficiently to permit the passage of vessels of large size is also dwelt upon. The paper was illustrated by maps and drawings of the most prominent features of the pro- posed improvements. In part Mr. Adams about $10,000, to be met by an assessment | caid- of $1 upon each member of all the societies. Without citing other examples at this The Engineering Congress is to be open | time, I wish to bring to the attention of to engineers of all nations and to continue | this branch of the profession the very six days. The papers are to be confined | comprehensive ideas of an enginaer of Richmond, Va., whose efficient general to descriptions of important recent inven- | charge of the James River improvements, tiogs, methods of working, &c. The!and his many notable engineering suc- proceedings are to be conducted in the | cesses, have sufficiently introduced him to English language. The affair managed by a permanent board of 28 mem- | bers, who are to have full power to repre- sent and act for the societies. ties represented are the four large Ameri- can societies, the Civil Engineers of Can- ada, and the 16 local societies in different cities. The report was accepted. The membership of the society is as follows: NNN ia Cnt. Sav nunwioneciads 16 isles spur tadasadcus cbaxkeess 10 Ria 85 bieaeeteskesatels 1025 NNN 6 25 ac eswaied Hawkee Tes 52 WU ois oss cpisseteckvaders 117 The result of the election of officers was | announced by the tellers as follows: Presi- dent, R. W. Hunt; vice-presidents, 8S. W. Baldwin, J. F. Bankhurst and Alexander Gordon; treasurer, W. H. Wiley; man- | | | 7 : | ¢ society. is to t yur society C. P. E. Burgwyn [assistant engineer in local charge of the improvement of the _James River| has grasped the idea, in its The socie- | broadest sense, that Richmond should be made an inland seaport town with facilities for handling the growing trade of the great interior country south, and with a basis for expansion only offered when cheap and almost unlimited power can be added to a naturally advantageous location for comparatively small expenditures. His arguments commence from the self-evident fact that nowhere in the Middle South within so limited an area can so many advantages be brought to bear toward the building up of an industrial center—the natural depot for interchange of all com- modities between the manufacturing and agricultural interior and the coast line cities of the world. Primarily, the projector is in favor of utilizing, the enormous water shed of the ! James River and its one natural outlet at 885 Richmond, Va., to its fullest extent. The »hysical conditions are such that impound- ing reservoirs for storage of the excessive rainfalls of the contiguous region—say, a drainage area of 40 x 150 miles, equal to 6000 square miles of territory—are not only practicable from the nature of the bottom lands of the upper country, but inexpensive (considering the advantages to be gained) as compared with public im- provements of like nature in other parts of the world. The measured discharge of the James River, taken at Richmond under normal conditions, varies from 2000 cubic feet per second to 10,000 cubic feet per second—a fair — fall of, say, 4000 cubic feet per second. Freshets are of a character difficult to understand without close study of the topography of the country about Richmond, but at such periods the estimated discharge of water past the city of Richmond is as high as 200,000 cubic feet per second. To fully grasp the economic value of such a volume of water as is here obtainable, if evenly distributed throughout the season and made use of by industrial cities along the river, it should be understood that within 13 miles from the city (Richmond being at the head of navigation and on tide- water) there is a fall of over 115 feet, and from tidewater to the gap in the Alle- ghanies, from which the James River takes its source, the elevation is about 585 feet. By any reasonable system of im- pounding reservoirs within a distance of 50 miles of the city there could be guar- anteed at least 4000 cubic feet per second during summer months, and under a head of 115 feet this would average, say, 40,000 horse-power. To enable the reader to compare chis measured value with well known sections where the question has been answered by the expenditure of millions of money to secure the advan- tages of power of this character, the fol- lowing table of the horse power for the summer months alone has been compiled: Horse- City. power. James River at Richmond, Va., with NOMOGa Shi dccaas See scecasacacasa 40,000 James River at Richmond, Va., at oT IB aoa 5 oo occa cs iccds aincensvatas ,000 ON MON iaie: ind tcnczndicetcunchia 12,260 MIN NGM yd onndcndvintinsacsas 12,000 BA I coi vend cadestasanasenee 11,845 rrr rere 11,000 MI Ns ocaddccicsedcutacdaate 10,902 COR Bie. OE Wi a cacuedacasccksauviws as 6,556 A fair valuation of the average horse- power per year is stated as $28. and it follows, therefore, that Richmond could easily control an annual valuation for her contiguous water privileges of over $1,000, - 000—a dormant valuation to a large ex- tent at present, but oneso clearly within the | scope of engineering talent and science and so essential to the future grand development of the city, that only the means need now be secured to insure the successful inaugu- ration of plans and operations already outlined or completed. Of this distance of 127 miles by river, as stated, from Richmond to the Capes, 82 per cent. thereof has the requisite depth of 22 feet at mean low tide, generally very much more, and with no bar at the mouth of the river, as there isat the mouth of the Mississippi, the Danube and the Nile. There is, however, in the magnifi- cent harbor of Hampton Roads an entrance which ranks the James River with the great harbors of the world, like the Amazon. The river itself is one continu- ous harbor reaching into the country 98 miles, the upper 50 miles being fresh water. This whole distance of 98 miles con- sists of long, deep, capacious pools, sep- arated by shoals, which are now being sys- tematically worked upon to produce a uni- form depth of 22 feet at low water. With such a depth Richmond can com pete with any of the Northern cities, as 886 THE IRON AGE. she will soon be 67 miles nearer the sea| describes the single track cable system than Baltimore and but 17 miles further | now in operation in that city. than Philadelphia. I cannot do better than quote freely from the able articles which have been written by Mr. Burgwyn, on the special subject of the inland basin to be located on the west bank of the James River at Richmond. ‘* There are few localities in the world where the water facilities or frontage are better. While the present official plan is to obtain 22 feet at low water, it is quite practical, within reasonable limits as to cost, to obtain a channel 30 feet deep at low water from the sea as far as Drewry’s Bluff. Arriving at Drewry’s Bluff, the project is to bave lock gates, and a basin and canal fed by water from the James River. As _ series of basins could be constructed at a minimum cost by the placing of the excavated materials upon the levees between them and the river, and as the level of the water in the canal at Manchester is just about what is needed for the elevation of the water in the grand basins, above low tide in the river, it fol- lows that the construction of such basins are feasible, are economical, and are pos- sessed of many advantages. Thus the water discharged from the opening of the locks can be utilized in charging hydraulic accumulators, storage batteries, and for other purposes. The level of the water in the basin being higher than the river, dry docks can be constructed which will empty themselves by gravity, while the water in running out can be utilized for many purposes. The water in the high level basins will also afford a cheap power for manufacturing purposes. Around such basins elevators can be constructed with the necessary trackage. Cotton com- presses, coal pockets, &c., can also be pro- vided for. One of these basins contains about 400 acres of land. The dockage or wharf length is about 9 miles, and it contains eight dry docks, which can empty them- selves by gravity. Two of these dry docks are sufficiently large to take in any vessel, except, perhaps, one of the size of the Great Eastern, and the remaining six are of smaller, graduated sizes. Each dry dock can be entered by itself and has its own railroad tracks. It 1s estimated that the cost of the entrance lock and the eight dry docks would amount to $3,245,000, the excavation of the interior basin would amount to about $750,000, and the interior wharfage line to about $250,000, and the outside wharf line $430,000. There are about 26 miles of track, which, including the switches, &c., would cost about $128,- 000. The buildings, &c., would be a cost determined upon the machinery required. It is to be observed, however, that almost all of this construction could be done seriatim, and therefore be developed as the commerce or necessity requires. The total acreage in these three basins would amount to over 1500 acres, and the wharf- age frontage to about 35 miles. In conclusion it need only be stated that if we enlarge the scope of the possible utilization of the water power of the rivers within 20 miles of the City of Rich- mond, it will be found that this single district compares favorably in water front- age and power with many of the Northern States in their entirety, and it will strike engineers as peculiarly favorable that so certain a future, so grand a possibility as the unity of all interests, which shall eventually join to make up an industrial center at this locality, will be planned and executed from original premises, and not hampered by ill-advis attempts of a former generation. Light Cable Road Construction, was the title of a paper by Frank Van Vleck, of Los Angeles, Cal., in which he the following abstract : PERMANENT WAY. The backbone and foundation of a cable system is the road substructure, the form of the iron yoke binding all the rails and shaping the conduit, and the concrete We make November 20, 1899 : — ——————— passage of water and dirt be] cables and sheaves. Finally, section of the grip must dete ow bot the on main form of the conduit, fer thie’ & must pass every point of the must be capable of taking at the proper level, and taki moving cable accordin which the car is heade this gri road, and the rope Only ng the correct g to the position jy STANDARD YOKE, Scale, X'~1 foot. Fig. 1. foundation. The influence of a fine Cali- fornia climate had not asmall share in the determination of the iron which forms the yoke, for in this part of California frost in the ground is a contingency which engi- neers never cousider. This yoke is shown in Fig. 1. The po- sitions of track rails and slot rails are as shown. The form of the central conduit was determined by these considerations. Two cables must traverse the entire length of the conduit. They must not be so close The form of conduit thus derived wil! be observed to depart from the usual practice of double track roads, in that the grip necessitates an angle in the side of the conduit, where ordinarily is but a straight side, as seen at A, Fig 1. Inthe matter of the gauge between rails the di- rectors of the road simply consulted ex- pediency, nor did they hunt up any ab- surd regulations, if such existed, requiring street lines to conform to some old rustic’s idea that street tramways should always SHEAVE FRAME, Scale 4 Fig. 2. together as to chafe each other in oscil- lating sideways, nor so close as to touch the rims of the sheaves carrying the oppo- site cable; nor, again, must they be so far apart as to swing against the concrete sides of the conduit, or so close to those sides as to render difficult the passage of the grip, which must embrace the cable from the sides. the sheaves carrying the cable also had The sizes and position of be made to conform to the supposed gauge of all the local wagons and carriages. Therefore this San Diego road, following the example of numerous other cable sys- tems, promptly decided for the 3 feet 6- inch gauge. From the figure it will be seen that the tendency of the yoke to close is resisted mainly by the metal in the cross section at the bottom of the conduit; this therefore was given as much iron as their claims. Drainage had to be pro gould be conviently done in a yoke of so vided below all, in order to allow free| light a weight--150 pounds. THE IRON AGE. sn adele aie anaes + 85 pounds section, | with their four boxes accessible from the | afterward filled with concrete should the November 20, 1890 with their four boxes accessible from the street required either two manholes through the paving or one long and ex- i] used is of 25 pounds section, 4 although light for cable road service, ar as large quantities were left as an ; the former electric road, it} pensive manhole spanning from yoke to heirloom sed to use it for whatever might | yoke. ye its term of life, and then, if the traffic) By the system here employed for the first, both pulley shafts are brought close together, and can therefore be carried in a single frame—see Fig. 2. This frame passes around and carries both pulleys. Having them both in the same frame, whenever the frame is adjusted to proper position then are all four bearings in cor- nded, lay a heavier rail, af oe rail %, Fig. 1 is a special sec- tion rolled for this road, the esire here peing to secure one of the lightest possible forms, one which would be inexpensive to adjust, and one which should avoid what with many other roads has been in- < K-41 Pitch Diam | CARRYING SHEAVE, | Scale 4 Size Fig. 3. evitable—the use of paving plates. What) rect line. This frame is simply passed in are known in cable construction as pav- | over the brackets attached to the yokes ing plates are strips of cast or wrought | until it comes to its mid position, when a iron extending from yoke to yoke, near} depression in the frame drops over the the slot rail, to prevent the concrete from bracket ; if, then, a thin wedge shaped being pushed from its sharp angle into | piece is driven in on each side, the frame the conduit or tunnel. The external bounding of the concrete cross section follows the outline of the yoke, except that at the bottom the con- crete is run 3 inches below the yoke for | the purpose of forming a better founda- tion, and abond between the contiguous blocks of conc