The Iron Age 1890-12-11: Vol 46

‘THE IRON AGE THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1890. THE AZALIA. g vu. Ss. LIGHTHOUSE TENDER. From time to time we have presented full drawings and very complete descrip- tions of the different types of boats built for the new navy. We this week still further add to the list by presenting a de- scription of the United States lighthouse tender Azalia, which, of course, being built for another purpose, differs most materially from anything we have hereto- fore presented. This is the largest and most important steel steamship ever built in the city of New York. It was launched November 29 last from the yards of the Jonson Foundry and Machine Com- Niltes as | the stringer plate. a ae Os = _—= —_ — . —h_« >a — ee ae adie eadiadiee steel 34 x 3 x 54; inches under the engine and boiler room and for four spaces for- ward and aft thereof. The frames extend to the upper deck stringer plate, and are in one length from the keel plate to The bulkheads have double frames. The main deck beams are T-bulbs on every alternate frame 7 inches vertical hight by 18 pounds per foot for three-fifths of the vessel’s length forward and aft; the beams are 6 inches high and 15 pounds per foot. The floor plates are made in one length from bridge to bridge; the weight per square foot amidships to be 15 pounds, except under engine and boiler and under the thrust bearing, where the weight will be 17 pounds per square foot. The upper deck stringer plate is to run all around the side of the vessel; the plates to be made to fit well to the plat- Fig. 1.— Vertical Longitudinal Section. =] Te Tan Fann } Mu UHL HOU i WY I ; sie far? nae man iT ES pe a = |} P | l i | | Lh 1 fiom |? | tii a eins aint Rie al «fpuno decent «4 | Ee 4 IT | 4 j a The engine will be built on a founda- tion formed by the surface condenser on the port side of the engine, and a bed plate consisting of a longitudinal inverted girder extending the entire length of the engine, and provided with four athwartship girders cast there- on, extending from the long'tudinal girder to vertical facings on the in- board side of the condenser provided for securing their free ends, and are to be securely bolted in place. These athwart- ship girders are to be properly situated for supporting the engine shaft and are to be furnished with a main bearing finished complete with loose liners, cap, two cap bolts 1} inches in diameter, spaced about 154 inches between centers. The center line of the aftermost cylinder will be sit- uated about 46 feet and 4 inches forward of the forward side of the stern post. The general dimensions are: Lenagth over all. .....cccccccces oiveces 154 feet. Length from inside rudder post to inside stem at 8 feet water line 145 feet. Beam, molded 25 feet. Depth of hull from top of beam to top of The general arrangement of the hull and the location of the machinery and quarters are indicated on the drawings presented on this page. THE HULL. The vessel is to be divided into seven main water tight compartments, the sepa- rating bulkheads to be built and tested by hydrostatic pressure. Siemens-Martin mild steel is the material used. The ves- sel is built with a flat plate keel and is fitted with two outside bilge keelsons for about 70 feet amidships. The vessel will be rigged as a fore and aft schooner, with pole topmasts, booms, gaffs, derricks and hoisting gear, and will be equipped with windlass, hoistirg engines, donkey boiler, boats, &. The frames are to be spaced 22 inehes center to center and are to be of angle 12 feet 3 inches. 400 sheer strake, and to be riveted to the shell plating by a continuous angle 4 x 3 x 3§; inches, the edges of this angle to be planed so that a good calking edge be provided, and to be made thoroughly water tight by calking metal against metal. All horizontal seams of the plating are to be lapped, the vertical seams to be butt strapped. Garboard strake to be 31 inches in width, weighing 20 pounds per square foot amidship. Sheer strake not less than 32 inches wide and 20 pounds per square foot amidship. Plating be- tween sheer strake and garboard strakes to be in weight per square foot 174 pounds, 15 pounds and 12 and 10 pounds. ENGINE. From the specifications issued by the Lighthouse Board we take the following description of the engine and boiler: There will be one right handed cast iron screw propeller, of about 8 feet diameter and suitable pitch, driven by an inverted cylindet surface-condensing two- cylinder fore and aft compound engine, the cylinders to be 19 inches and 36 inches in diameter and a stroke of 28 inches. Fig. 2.—Plan. THE U. 8S. LIGHTHOUSE TENDER AZALIA. pany, at the foot of East 118th street. Its |ing and around the butt straps of the| longitudinal center line of the engine shaft will be situated 3 feet and 6 inches below the 8-foot water line and parallel with said water line, and to be in the longi- tudinal vertical plane of the vessel. The high pressure cylinder will be 19 inches in diamter, and will be propor- tioned throughout to stand safely a work- ing pressure of 100 pounds per square inch per guage; all necessary lugs and faces are to be cast on, and outside of the cylinder will be cast a sufficiently large receive space, not less than the volume of the high pressure cylinder, measuring all space between the low pressure valve and high pressure cylinder open to exhaust steam from high pressure cylinder. The counter bore of each cylinder will be about ys inch larger in diameter than the diam- eter of the cylinder bore, and of sufficient length, top and bottom, that the upper and lower edges of the packing rings will travel at least } inch beyond the edge of the cylinder bore at the top and bottom of the piston stroke. The ports for admis- sion and release of steam are to be pro- portioned for a maximum flow of steam supply not to exceed 8000 feet per minute, and an exhaust not to exceed 1030 THE IRON AGE. December 11, 1890 SNe ae 3000 feet per minute with a piston speed of 500 feet per minute. The low pressure cylinder will be cast separate from the high pressure and will be 36 inches in diameter, and have counter bores similar to those described for the high pressure cylinder ; proper flanges are to be cast in the side for making steam tight joints between the cylinders, and the steam chests are to be on the forward end of each cylinder. On one side of the low pressure steam chest two suitable openings are to be provided for setting the valve without removing the large bonnet on top of the cylinder. Three openings are to be carried out flush with the lagging, so that their bonnet may be removed without disturbing any permanent gear or lagging, and are to be securely bolted in place with good bearing surfaces and steam tight joints, The steam passages in the low pressure cylinder will be proportioned so that the maximum flow of steam will be 8000 feet per minute for admission, and 600 feet per minute exhaust to con- denser when the piston speed is 500 feet per minute. The high pressure steam chest is to be cast separate from the high pressure cyl- inder and is to be properly bolted thereto by short studs, so that no steam leakage may take place from unequal expansion of | bolts and flanges. The steam chest bon- net will be faced in raised parts, and thoroughly ribbed to stand the pressure without buckling: The cylinder heads are to be made deep with open tops and are to have polished rims and flanges; the rim rings to stand 2 inches above the to of the flange, and are to be neatly molde with fillets and quarter covers highly lished. A neatly cast cover plate, hav- ing small diamonds or stars, is to be prup- erly fitted on top of the cylinder heads, and held in place by means of the eye bolt, which is to pass through its center and screw into the central boss of the cylinder head. The distribution valve for the high pressure cylinder shall be so designed that it will close the steam port at seven- eighths of stroke at both the upward and downward stroke, having a port opening of about 1,5, inches, and a proper lap and angular advance to secure the above mentioned cut off of seven-eighths on each stroke. The lead angle will be about 34° forward stroke and about 10° in the re- turn stroke ; throw of main eccentric to be about 3} inches. The Meyers cut off valve, working on the back of the main distribution valve, is to be worked by means of a suitable eccentric, or pin, forward of the main eccentrics, having a throw of about 4 inches, and set opposite the crank pin. The valve will be made in two plates and will be so arranged as to be adjustable by means of suitable threads on the valve rod, sothat a range of cut off of from four-tenths to four-fifths of the stroke may be obtained by adjusting the cut off plate by means of hand gearing properly attached to said valve rod. The throw of the eccentrics is to be 34 inches. This valve will be held against the face of the cylinder ports by means of six steel coil springs of square wire, made not over 14 inches in diameter and about 24 inches high. These six springs are to seat in recesses counterbored into the aftermost side of a plate cast on the high pressure cylinder, in the receiver space, and properly supported and braced by means of suitable ribs, said counterbores to be drilled with a flat bottom for re- ceiving the end of the spring, and of such a depth that the set of the spring shall not exceed ; inch when the valve is in place. The back of the valve will have a face surface, 8 inches long by 7 inches wide, parallel to the face of the valve, with a distance of about 54 inches be- tween said faces, t» allow of sufficient port area and scantling of valve. An in- termediate plate, about 10 inches long by 7 inches wide and 14 inches in thickness, will be interposed between the spring and the back of the valve, said plate to be planed parallel and true, and will be held in place endwise by means of suitable lugs, of sufficient strength, cast on the high pressure cylinder receiver webs. This plate will have a play of } inch in a T] —_4,* tis : cylinder, will have a suitable bearing, cast on or separate and bolted thereto and properly fitted with cap and studs. The opposite side of the engine, starboard side, will be supported on mild stee] columns, two in number, and located jn the transverse plane of cylinder centers at the upper ends, and having slope not to exceed 7° from the vertical, outward and Fig. 3.—Side Elevation of Engine, THE U. S. LIGHTHOUSE TENDER AZALIA. direction with the center line of the en- gine, fore and aft, when the springs are not in place. The main frames for carrying the cylin- ders, on the pert side of the engine, arete be separate castings, properly propor- tioned, and cast open on the inboard face, to receive the water jacketed slides for the crosshead slippers. They are to have sub- stantial flanges, with through bolts, and are to be carried on suitable bed flanges cast on the shell of the condenser, and faced to receive them. The shell of the condenser is to be orev designed and strongly ribbed and bracketed, to receive the strains of these frames and transmit them to the cngine keelson. The cast iron column, under the low pressure forward on the high pressure engine and afterward on the low pressure engine. The links are to be of the side bar type with eccentric rods outside; the side bars are to be of machinery steel of sufficient sectional area to work smoothly and with- out springing under the mest severe strain which may come upon them, and are to be finely finished and fitted throughout. The sliding blocks will be made of ma- chinery steel, or manganese bronze, made in one piece with the block pin for the valve stem; the pin to be sufficiently large in diameter and length to carry the weight of valves and tension necessary to work them without causing abnormal wear on said pins or boxes on valve rods; the sliding blocks will have bearing metal December 11, 1890 THE IRON AGE. 1031 See —— EE liners fitted top end bottom on the link keep them steady and insure good work- o nthe eccentric straps are to be made of good ity close grained cast iron, and are to be ficient width and thickness to provide a proper wearing surface and strength for ood working; they are to be turned and fitted to the eccentric sheaves, and button plugged on the working side with white qual of su metal plugs of suitable diameter and the piston out of the cylinder. | bolts, furnished with check nuts and stop pars with sufficieat length and surface to | pins. The cylinder pistons are to be made of the best quality of cast iron for such pur- poses, and of sufficient depth to run smoothly; they are to be made hollow, and braced with internal ribs proportioned to suit the diameter of the cylinder in which it works, and are to be fitted with packing rings, packing springs, follower, follower bolts, and screw eyes for lifting The depth; these button plugs are to be ham- | packing rings are to be not less than 13 rr Fig. 4.—Sectional End Elevation of Engine through Low Pressure Cylinder and Air Pump. THE U. 8S. LIGHTHOUSE TENDER AZALIA. mered in, and the holes are to have suffi- cient taper to prevent their falling out of place; such straps will be made in halves with suitable side through bolts; the upper half will be provided with a flat sur- face cast on and the machine finished to receive the T-head of the eccentric end of eccentric rod. The eccentric reds are to be made of machinery steel, properly pro- portioned to work free from vibrations in all cases; the end to be secured to the Straps will have a T-head forged on and bolted to the strap with machinery steel inches long, measured parallel with the stroke of the engine, and each piston will have two such rings. The depth of the rings will be not less than 34 inches; these rings will be made with white metal sec- tions cast into recesses in the rings; these recesses are to be rhomboidal in form in projection and the recesses must widen as they leave the face of the ring so as to form a pocket with beveled walls to retain the section of white metal cast therein in a substantial manner; these sections are to The cast iron partitions between the sec- tions of white metal are to slope at such an angle that the circumference of the cylinder will be wiped in all its parts by the white metal surface of the ring, which will be accomplished by sloping the partitions so that the top part of the opposite side will overhang the bottom opposite of the parti- tion, so that there will be no tendency to groove the cylinder at any part of its circumference by metals of dif- ferent densities sliding along the walls of the cylinder during the stroke of the piston. Inside of the two surface rings will be fitted a concentric ring extendin the entire depth of the two face rings, an held out against them by means of Haight or other suitable packing springs of an approved form. These springs are to be placed in separate compartments formed by vertical ribs about 4 inch in thickness, cast on the body of the piston and ex- tending from the lower rim to the under side of the follower. The piston rods are to be made of ma- chinery steel not less than 3} inches in diameter; in the cylindrical position, situ- ated between the crosshead and piston, they will be turned to a taper of 3 inches to the foot for a distance sufficient to re- duce the rod to form a bearing for the piston on one end and the crosshead on the other end, until the reduced section, at the root of the thread tor crosshead and piston nut, shall not be strained more than 5000 pounds per square inch under the maximum load on the piston at the initial point of admission of steam. The crossheads are to be made of the best quality of wrought iron, forged in one piece each. On the low pressure cross- head the pins for working the air pump side links will be forged and finished on the ends of the crosshead gudgeons. The slippers are to be made of close grained bearing metal, with white metal bearing strips grooved to properly distribute the lubricant over the working surface. The slippers will slide on a water jacketed crosshead slide, cast separate from the frames, accurately in line; the bolts are to be proportioned so that they are not strained more than 4000 pounds per square inch at the root of the threads; these water jackets are to have’ a complete system of supply and drain water pipes connected to the pumps and fitted with valves for con- trolling the supply, placed in a convenient location. The connecting rods are to be made of the best quality of wrought iron forged with a fork at the crosshead end and a tee at the crank pin end. The connecting rod bolts are to be made of machinery steel proportioned to stand a strain of 6000 pounds per square inch of section at the root of the thread, using the resultant of the maximum strain on the piston of the initial pressure of steam. The crankshaft will be made of the best quality of wrought iron forged in two lengths; the forward length will extend from the high pressure valve gearing to a suitable location between high and low pressure main bearings, and will be forged to finish up to the required dimensions for crank arms with counterbalances on oppo- site sides to cranks of suitable proportions for strength and good working; the crank arms to be about 3 inches in thickness and about 9} inches in width each, the coun- terbalance arms to be of the same thick- ness and such area as to secure the proper weight for smooth running. The after end of this length of shaft will finish in a coupling of suitable proportions for strength. The low pressure or aftcrmost piece of crankshaft will extend from the coupling on its forward end aft to a suitable distance beyond the aftermost end of engine and bed plate. It will embody the low pressure crank, which measure about 1} x 1} inches on the face. ' is to be shaped similar to the high press- 10382 THE IRON AGE, ure crank in end view, but will be about 44 inches deep in each arm. The crank will be set 90° later than the high pressure crank. The finish of shafts must be of the best workmanship, and all corners are to be well fitted; a coupling dish to suit the one on the forward shaft will be forged and finished on each end and fitted with six or more coupling bolts; these bolts, as are all coupling bolts in engine, tunnel and propeller shafts in these couplings, are to taper 3 inches to the foot, and are to be carefully fitted and numbered for their respective places, and are to fit the holes having a complete metallic contact through- out, and are to be made with a thread and suitable case hardened nut on the small end to securely draw and hold them in position. On the forward end of each coupling a concentric projection }+ inch high and 3 inches in diameter will be turned to fit a corresponding recess turned into the aftermost end of the section of shaft to bring the shafting connective and in line. The diameter of the shaft and crank pins is to finish not less than 7% inches in diameter, and the length of the crank pins to be proportioned so that the maximum pressure will not exceed 500 pounds per axial inch of crank pin at the initial point of stroke. The shaft extending from the engine shaft aft to the propeller shaft will be made in not more than three pieces and be sup- ported on three line shaft bearings. The first length aft of the engine will be provided with suitable collars turned on the shaft for receiving the thrust of the propeller; these collars are to be proportioned so that the thrust shall not exceed 45 pounds per square inch of area on the forward or aftermost sides of the collars. This shaft is to be made of machinery steel to a diameter of 74 inches and will be pro- vided with couplings forged on and fitted the same as described for engine shaft. The propeller shaft will be made of ma- chinery steel of 7% inches diameter. The main bearings on the engine bed plate are to be arranged one forward and one aft of each crank, and are to be not less than 9 inches long. The bearings are to be made of white metal strips, set in composition linings, and are to be so arranged that the lower half of the box can be rolled upward from under the shaft by lifting the shaft free from the bearing. The upper half of the lining isto be made an exact duplicate of the lower half. They are to be held in position fore and aft by means of a projecting belt } inch high outside of the general diameter of the liner, and about 2 inches long, and are held in place circumferentially by means of wrought iron longitudinal key pieces situated one on each side of each bearing. The thrust bearing will be made of an approved form, so propor- tioned that the maximum thrust will not exceed 45 pounds per square inch of sur- face of collar. It will be securely fastened to the ship by means of a properly propor- tioned pedestal, and fitted completelv with lubricating arrangements, bolts, ad- justing screws and wedges? One of the line shaft bearings will be fitted on the same pedestal that carries the thrust bear- ing aft of the said bearing, so that the weight of the shaft will be carried by the line shaft bearing, and not on the thrust bearing, which will be designed to receive thrust only. The other line shaft bear- ings will be arranged as shown on the drawings, or as may be directed, and are to be of a suitable design, and supported on properly constructed pedestals, and secured in place by means of suitable through bolts. CONDENSER. inally. There will be 800 square feet of tube surface inside of the heads; the tubes are to be of the best quality tinned brass condenser tubes, about 8 feet over all and 4 of an inch outside diameter, supported at each end in composition tube sheets of rolled composition, 14 inches in thickness, and are to be made air tight by means of screw glands, stuffing boxes and taper packing; said screw glands to be of an approved form, Midway between the Fig. 5.—End Elevation of Engine, tube heads, longitudinally, a cast iron plate will be fitted and securely bolted in place for supporting the tubes and to pre- vent chattering. This plate will be se- cured to lugs cast on the inside of the con- denser shell in the proper position, two on each side and one top and bottom. A wrought iron scattering plate, extending longitudinally nearly the entire length of the condenser, and of such breadth as to suit the breadth of the condenser, will be placed about 4 inches above the top row of tubes, and properly secured to suitable lugs cast on the inside of The surface is to be strongly ribbed, and of suitable proportions throughout to stand all strains from the engine columns, and made in one or two sections longitud- December 11, 1890 the condenser to support it: i plate will be about 4 Mt an ban thickness, and have suitable holes punched at regular intervals over its entire area The circulation water will pass through the condenser tubes from forward to aft through the lower half, and from aft to forward through the upper half of the tubes; suitable diaphrams are to be ar. ranged for properly directing the flow of water as described. Suitable nozzles, Showing Steam Reversing Engine. THE U. 8S. LIGHTHOUSE TENDER AZALIA. hand holes, and plates and bonnet, and all connections for placing the condenser in perfect working condition, are to be fur- nished, and a suitable impermeater for injecting soda to cleanse the tubes is to be furnished with all necessary fittings. AIR PUMP. The air pump shown in section in Fig. 4 will be a vertical single acting air pump, 18 inches in diameter and 12 inches stroke, and will be worked by means of suitable wrought iron air pump brakes linked to the cross head of the low pressure cylin- | -— -—233°—- December 11, 1890 THE IRON AGE. 1033 . the pum barrel to be lined with a; furnished with feed water connection and | The cover and foot valve chamber to be der; mposition liner, securely bolted in | outboard delivery nozzle of suitable size. | provided with suitable bonnet for in- cast co The outboard delivery pipe wiil be of cop- | specting and adjusting the valves without place. taking down the working parts of the pump gear. All connections of inboard and outboard delivery valves are to be so arranged that no galvanic action is pos- sible. REVERSING ENGINE. A steam reversing cylinder, shown in Fig. 5, 7 inches in diameter by 12 inches stroke, will be fitted on a suitable bed cast on top of the condenser shell; the cross head will reciprocate on a wrought iron cross head slide rod secured to the cylinder at one end, and at the outer end in a suitable bracket attached to the bot- tom of the steam cylinder under which it is fitted; the connecting rod will be attached to a wrought iron crank arm on the rock shaft, and will have a properly made link, connecting this crank with the valve gear of the reversing cyl- inder, so that the crank will follow and be under the control of the operating lever worked by theengineer. The steam ports and valves for the reversing engine are to be made without lap or lead, and so arranged as to cushion the piston at the ends of the stroke in such « manner that it is impossible for the piston to strike the cylinder ends on either stroke under any circumstances while operating by steam, All of the pumps, excepting the air pump, are to be independent. The circu- lating pump will be of an approved duplex form, having a minimum capacity of 500 gallons per minute, and will be located as directed and connected complete with all necessary piping and valves, and inde- pendent suction connection with the mani- fold and bilge, so that the pumps may be used to free the ship of water if necessary. The feed pump is to be of a duplex pat- tern and of such make and located as will be directed, the maximum capacity to be about 50 gallons per minute; the piping of this pump is to be so arranged as to Fig. 6.—Plan of Engine. draw its supply from the sea, the hot well Fig. 7.—Transverse Section at Engine. Fig. 8.—Transverse Section at Boiler. THE U. 8S. LIGHTHOUSE TENDER AZALIA. The valves are to be of good material, | per, of suitable size, and will be attached, | or from tanks, at the option of the engi- and of such design as is used in recent | as shown in the drawings, about 30 inches | neer; the delivery to boiler is to be so ar- practice for such purposes. The hot well | above the water line, and have a properly | ranged that the feed water after passing will be cast on the air pump concentric | constructed outboard delivery valve at- | through the feed water heater will pass on with the body of the pump, and will be! tached thereto in a substantial manner. | injector device of an improved form and 1034 properly piped to induce a circulation of the water in the boiler so that no cold currents can exist, but that the tempera- ture will be maintained uniform through- out the entire boiler, said piping to be at- tached to the bottom of the boiler. BOILER. There is to be one cylindrical boiler, 11 feet 9 inches diameter outside the smallest course of shell, and 11 feet 4 inches long from outside tooutside of ends. There are to be two Fox’s patent corrugated furnaces, 40 inches in diameter; inside corrugations to extend from the front end to the back tube head, and secured thereto by means of a single seam of rivets of diameter and pitch to suit the thickness of the plates. The shell of the boiler will be made in two. lengths of shell, longitudinally, the smaller course toward the front or firing end, and suitable thickness to meet the requirements of the United States steam boiler inspection for a working pressure of 110 pounds per gauge. The circum- ferential seam will be a double lap riveted seam, and the longitudinal seams are to be properly spaced to clear all fittings, and are to be riveted and strapped to suit the requirements of the United States steam boiler inspection for a working pressure, as stated above. The end plates shall be made in not more than two plates in each end plate ; the seam joining the plates to be hori- zontal, and situated ata proper hight above the tops of the tubes: seams to be double riveted zigzag, with the calking upon the outside. There are to be 166 3} inches outside diameter American lap welded charcoal iron boiler tubes; the distance between the tube sheets, from inside to inside, to be about 8 feet, spaced not less than 43 inches horizontally and vertically ; a vertical space of about 74 inches, in the clear, to be left between the tubes in the center of the boiler. The scantlings of the boiler to be as follows: Shell plate, 13 inch in thickness; front and rear tube head, } inch; back head of back connec- tion, inch; sidesheets of back connection, + inch; crown sheet of back connection, +s inch; upper part of end plates, ;°; inch; furnace, 4 inch. The back connection will be stayed to the shell in a substantial manner, and in accordance with the rules of the Board of Supervising Inspectors governing the construction of marine boilers to be used in salt water. The strain on the stays shall not exceed 5000 pounds per square inch of section at the bottom of the thread. All plates are to be planed on the edges and thoroughly calked. All rivet hoies to be drilled to full size. TRIAL TRIP. In addition to the necessary trials of the machinery at the dock, there will be a trial trip of 12 hours’ duration when the engine must develop 400 indicated horse- power at 107 revolutions per minute, with a ccal consumption as specified, and a cut off in the high pressure cylinder of half the stroke, links in full gearing and steam at 100 pounds pressure. LL Howard & Sears of Eagle Rock, Va., have organized the Roaring Run Iron Company, to acquire and develop a tract of 10,000 acres of timber and iron ore lands on East Rich Patch Mountain, near Bessemer, on the James River. The Craig valley branch of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, now under construction, passes near the estate. It is claimed that the tract has seven miles of the outcrop of the Oriskany ore, 12 to 30 feet thick, and that it has also the Clinton red hematite. The property has been reported on by Major Jed Hotchkiss of Atlanta, Va. The ship channel at Baltimore will be widened by the American Dredging Com- pany. Their bid was $750,000. THE IRON AGE Our Visitors’ Views. ENGLISH IRON MAKERS ON AMER- ICAN WORKS. Hugh Bell of Middlesborough, the son of Sir Lowthian Bell, has given the fol- lowing expression of opinion on IRON MAKING IN THE SOUTH: I must say I was very much struck with the capabilities for development that the South possesses, and with the amount of energy and industry displayed in gettiug the South to the position which it at pres- ent occupies, It strikes one very much as if the people of certain districts through which we passed have allowed their desire to develop outstrip the means for development. The general impression one gathers is that the South would be infi- nitely better off if it had more capital cautiously and carefully invested. I should be disposed to fear that some, at all events, of the Southern investments would not prove as protitable as some might hope. The plants, regarded as a whole, impress one as wanting that well- considered development which only can be given by the expenditure of a great deal of money, and if one had to distin- guish I would say there were few places in the South which could compare to the Pioneer Works of Samuel Thomas at Bir- mingham. One cannot by any means be certain that the right spot has been found. Not only is it the physical proximity that has to be considered, but also other acci- dental circumstances—it may be that some other place many miles away from those with which we are at present acquainted, where perhaps the ironstone and coal are not so difficult of access, may in time be found the real center of the Southern States. With regard to the production of Southern pig iron, there are two serious faults which suggest themselves to me. In the first place, the iron contains too much phosphorus, and, in the second place, too much silicon. The first will be overcome by some basic treatment, and the second, I dare say, the blast furnace practice of the South will so improve as to remove. I think there is probably a great future for the iron trade of Virginia. There are people looking forward to Brad- ford asa considerable center of the iron trade, where the coal of the Pocahontas field will make the iron ore of Cripple Creek and other regions. A TIN PLATE MAKER. Sir John Jenkins remarked in an inter- view : ‘‘ What struck me is the ingenious contrivances’ the Americans have for economizing labor. As to the workmen, I do not think trade unionism has so firm a hold in America as in England, and what struck me forcibly was that there is no attempt in America to limit produc- tion. There is a spirit of rivalry among the men which prompts them to turn out work in excess of the record, and this is, I consider, one of the causes of the progress America makes. In the manufacture of steel rails the Americans, with the new works in course of construction on the seaboard, will be able to compete with England in all the markets of the world. Notwithstanding the high wages and rents in America, I think the Ehglish must look to their laurels. While in Chicago I had a conversation with an old Dowlais man whom I met, and at his works I saw 30 tons of finished rails turned out in half an hour.” Unlike many others, Sir John Jenkins does not think there are any cli- matic reasons why the Americans should not make their own tin plates. The chief rotective element that he can see is the igh rate of wages paid to American December 11, 1890 workmen. While in the iron and steel trade they can compete with us by means of the mechanical appliances which the substitute for manual labor, they connet do so in the tin plate trade. The quanti- ties of metal used are so small that man men must be employed, and there Eng. land has the advantage. Still, he agrees that there are some branches of tin plate manufacture in which there will have to be economy by the introduction of im. proved methods. In America it would be of no use for a small capitalist to try and start work of two, four or six mills.” But if Mr. Carnegie or Jones & Laughlins Pittsburgh, or other great steel making capitalists who can afford to lose for two or three years, took the matter in hand they might be able successfully to com. pete with us. The smaller capitalists could not, he thinks, succeed. A particularly interesting summary of observations made is printed in the Jron- monger as coming anonymously from A LANCASHIRE VISITOR, who writes: If some of us return a little more reassured it is not because we under- estimate that wonderful activity and enter- prising progress which have been devel- oped on the other side, but because we have had an opportunity of examining in detail and comparing the conditions under which both are working. When we ob- serve the very large output of a blast fur- nace we os: ee ag more accurately how it is accomplished; but we also see that the same methods are open to our own manufacturers, with the same results, if they care to spend the money required to provide each furnace with separate blast engines of sufficient power to give the very high pressures required. It is a question of management and economy; but where blast furnace plant is about double the cost it may pay to do it im one case, but not the other. So also in steel manufacturing, it may pay to drive a plant to its maximum capacity, even at extra cost; but, so far as we could judge, they have adopted the English practice, with such improvements as a larger expe- rience and local circumstances have de- cided. In the manufacture of bar iron they are wasteful to an extent that would ruin an English firm, and in both finish and production are not abreast of our best English mills. They make an excellent hoop, but in some of the works the Knights of Labor have such control as to limit the production, and, of course, under such circumstances, the best is not possi- ble, and no fair comparison can be made. In wire drawing their mills are in no way better equipped in plant or machinery, but they have adopted a different system of working, which gives them a larger out- put and greater economy in working; but even here it is only a question of time as to how long our English wire drawers will continue to submit to an old preju- dice in the presence of new conditions, which have altered and made possible a readjustment which will improve the po- sition of both masters and men. With such a consumption in one works alone as 2500 tons per week of wire rods, it would be surprising if they had not been stimu- lated to make their wire rod mills as pro- ductive as possible. In several mills they are doing exceedingly well, far in advance of anything in this country; but it is only fair to say that the mill is a combination of a forge train and rod mill, possible only when dealing with soft steel in very long lengths and in very large quantities. In their machine, tool and nut and bolt works there is little difference to be noticed, ex- cept in details, which would apply to both countries. There are many novelties, but novelties are not always improvements, and many of them did not seem to com- mend their adoption to some of our hard headed Lancashire machinists. December 11, 1890 iS In structural iron works they are well up, both in theory and practice, and are developing this branch of industry very much, and even now are successfully com peting for export work. Their engineers seem to be content with strength and sta- pility, and are not so exacting in details, which aGd nothing but cost and appear- ance. The universal system of driving everything to its maximum capacity largely explains how it is that the Ameri- can workman is content to work longer hours and work harder than the same class of labor in England for little, if any bet- ter pay. The skilled workman is doing well at present and earning high wages, put the great bulk of the labor employed, taking the cost of living into account, is no better paid than in England. With the increasing demand for labor of the better class will arise the difficulty of get- ting the well trained artisan as heretofore, as present conditions offer no inducement to the average workman to emigrate so long as he can find regular employment here. At present we have nothing to fear from American competition with a fair field, but so long as they are bolstered up with a high protective tariff it may suit many manufacturers in bad times to sell a part of their production below cost in order to find employment and keep cost down upon the balance. Still no man who has seen the immense deposits of coal and ore and other minerials, and seen also how easily and cheaply they can be got, but must feel that the day will come when American competition will be astruggle between the two nations as to which of them shall sup- ply the world at large with its manufact- ures. There is time for every prudent man of business to put his house in order and be ready for the struggle when it may come, and in the meantime for us asa nation to develop our technical schools and those educational advantages which shall assist in maintaining the lead in in- dustrial progress. We left the American shores feeling that we better understood the American character, and that they, too, might feel that, if we were a fair specimen of the Englishman at home, they would like to see more of him to share with them that wonderful prosperity which is undoubtedly theirs in the future. The following interview is from LORD DUDLEY’S AGENT. C. Tylden Wright: I had had not been to the States since the American war in, 1863. Much has occurred since then. The development in the American iron industry since the war, and especially in recent years, has been quite phenomenal, and it is now an acknowledged fact that the American iron trade has overtaken that of England. - ‘How do you account for that?” ‘It is entirely owing to the enormously rapid development of the country itself— not to any increased export trade. The necessities of the country and the develop- ment of the Southern States since the war have created a demand which has been to a great extent met at home. The de- velopments are principally in the South now. Coal is found in abundance in close proximity to the ironstone. The ores which are being worked at Lake Superior or in the States are much richer that the Middlesborough, Northampton, or the Lincolnshire ores. These contain from 35 to 40 per cent. of metallic iron, and the ores in the Lake Superior district contain fully 60 per cent. of metallic iron.” ‘What portion of America do you re- gard as likely yet to be developed to the greatest extent?” ‘*T cannot but think that the Southern States afford a vast field for fresh capital and labor. The climate in all those States Is good; the land, except in the imme- diate track of the railway, is still covered THE IRON AGE. with primeval forests of pitch pine, walnut aud hickory. There are millions of tons of coal that can be worked by levels in- stead of sinking shafts, and, therefore, at an exceptionally low cost. The prox- imity of the coal and iron deposits in Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky and Vir- ginia must make them the great pro- ducers of iron and steel, especially by the basic process. The requirements and con- sumption of those States alone, as they are developed, can hardly be estimated.” ‘*Ts it a fact that while in South Staf- fordshire, the birthplace of the iron trade of the worid, the average weekly output of a furnace rarely exceeds 400 tons, and in most cases considerably less, there are furnaces in America which are capable of an output of 2000 tons per week?” ‘* Yes, that is a fact. It is also an acknowledged fact in the iron trade that furnaces of equal dimensions will always make about the same quantity of pig iron whether worked rapidly or slowly, all the conditions being equal—e, g., the same ores and fuel. The furnaces in this country which approach the American furnaces in the bulk of their output are the hematite furnaces in Cumberland. The furnaces in America are worked so rapidly that they are burnt out in a very short time, The lining of a Staffordshire furnace may last 8 or 16 years, whereas an American furnace requires re-lining about every two years.” ‘** Are the ores which are being used in America more easily worked than those in this country.” ‘*No. I think the cost of working the ores is considerably more than in Eng- land, but the cost of coal mining and blast furnace coke is infinitely cheaper than here. Blast furnace coke has beep purchased out there for 5/ a ton. ‘* What is the cost per ton of finished iron in America under the head of labor com- pared with this country?” ‘*T am connected with one furnace in the South, and the cost of labor per ton of finished iron there is about the same as in this country.” ‘* Are there any questions affecting the interest of capital and labor prominently to the fore concerning the American iron trade at the present time? ” ‘* The increase in the negro population, which is at a much greater ratio than that of the whites, is looked upon as a very difficult problem in the future; but they are very steady workmen, and especially useful at the blast furnaces and ironworks, where the heat is too great for white men. They readily earn 4/ a day and their children are neat and quick at learning. Nominally they have the political fran- chise, but the whites very rarely allow them to exercise it.” ‘* Were you struck by any discrepancy between the plant already in existence for the manufacture of iron and that necessary for working it up into the various forms necessary for use?” ‘*Tt seemed to me that the production of the numerous blast furnaces which are heing built in the above State was far in excess of the rolling mills and steel works that were available to consume their pro- duction; but they will, no doubt, soon balance one another, and the consumption of metal in pipes for oil wells, natural gas mains, water and drainage for the towns which are boomed every month must be enormous. At the Grand Pacific Hotel, Chicago, on the 3d inst., there was a meeting of the United Car Axle Mfg. Association. The meeting was for the purposeof comparing notes and to discuss the situation of affairs of the association. It.was decided not to make any alteration in the prices now ex- isting. Beyond this no further business was transacted. 1035 Makers of Threshers Consolidating. Following the example of the reaper makers the manufacturers of threshing machines are said to be forming a consoli- dated company with a capital of $20,000, - 000. The alleged head of the enterprise is H. C Fogel of the Minnesota Engine and Thresher Company. Among the gen- tlemen interested with him are Colonel Walter A. Wood of Hoosic Falls, N. Y.,. Lewis Miller of the Aultman & Miller Company of Akron, Ohio, Colonel Coul- ter of Hoosic Falls, J. F. Seiberling of Akron, Ohio, and John P. Adriance of Poughkeepsie, N. Y. These gentlemen, it is claimed, have held a secret meeting in Chicago, at which the features of the proposed combination were discussed. The companies which will probably be taken into the deal are: Garr, Scott & Co., Richmond, Ind. C. & G. Cooper, Mount Vernon, Ohio. Eagle Machine Company, Indianapolis, Ind. Springfield Engine and Thresher Com- pany, Springfield, Ohio. Minnesota Engine and Thresher Com- pany, Stillwater, Minn. Nichols, Shepard & Co., Battle Creek, Mich. Harrison Machine Works, Belleville, Il. C. Aultman & Co., Canton, Ohio. Robinson & Co., Richmond, Ind. Aultman, Taylor & Co., Mansfield, Ohio. Robert Thorpe & Co., Three Rivers, Mich. Eagle Machine Company, Davenport, Iowa. : Orrville Machine Works, Orrville, Ohio.. Rumley & Co., La Porte, Ind. Russell & Co., Massillon, Ohio. Huber Mfg. Company, Marion, Ohio. Marion Mfg. Company, Marion, Ohio. Advance Thrasher Company, Battle Creek, Mich. Kingsland & Douglas, St. Louis, Mo. Walter A. Wood, Hoosic Falls, N. Y. —— rr ——____ The Joliet Accident. An unusual accident, attended with particularly distressing circumstances, occured at Joliet, Ill., on the 4th inst. Blast furnace No. 2 of the Illinois Steel Company had been blown out to be re- lined and a large force of men were at work removing the old lining, when sud- denly one of the furnace columns gave way and the entire stack fell, burying the workmen in the ruins Seven men were instantly killed and 10 others were severely injured. The stack which fell was 80 feet high and 18 feet bosh. It is presumed that in some way the foundation of the furnace had been weakened by openings made after the furnace had been blown out with the object of cooling the interior more rapidly. The officers of the company immediately did everything in their power to assist the unfortunates and to mitigate the distress of their families. RR The steamship El Sol, just completed for the Southern Pacific Company’s Mor- gan Line, is the largest vessel ever built by the Cramps, as well as the finest and the best equipped. She is 404 feet 6 inches in length, 48 feet beam, 33} feet depth of hold, and a registered tonnage of 4300 tons. She is built entirely of iron, having iron deck houses and four iron masts. Her engines are of the triple expansion type, surface condensing, having cylinders 82, 52 and 84 inches diameter by 54 inches stroke of piston. The indicated horse-power of the engines is about 3500, and the steamship is guaranteed to make not less than 14} knots per hour. THE IRON AGE. December 11, 1899 N sage ex eodings ad 3 i pan *y D 2 & == 5 Fe fs 5 -——# a a a ny re 4 A é s AY y = . a Pyar 27, aq D nn Orbea = rm) eer 0 = bal q ; Staak —— yy BAe. AY y, | : : I, SOT POET TT | 5 — Maar, oe bs a, ~ fe \ D « Fig. 1.—Vertical Section Through the Plant, When Illustrations Are Arranged End to End. SIMON-CARVES SYSTEM OF COKE OVENS, WITH APPARATUS FOR THE COLLECTION OF BY-PRODUCTS. December 11. 1890 THE IRON AGE, : 1037 lll lll ll The Simon-Carves Coking Process The results obtained abroad and notably on the Continent in the coking of inferior coals, by the utilization of waste products, have been so brilliant that the methods employed deserve close study in this coun- try. Among them is the Simon-Carves pro- cess, a description of which has been lately | published in pamphlet form by Samuel A. Tuska, 223 East Eighteenth street, New York, who is acting as agent. as In the Simon-Carveés ovens the carboni- | zation takes place in a closed retort. There | is neither introduction of air nor com- bustion in the interior of the oven. To convert the coal into coke the heat is ap- plied externally through flues passing under the floor and along the sides of the ovens. The heat is generated from the gases obtained in the ovens from the coal, but only after these gases have been de- prived of every particle utilizable as a by-product. Hot air is employed to ren- EEG ne Yi Yu yy , FT NS eS oN der the combustion more effective, waste heat from the ovens being utilized to heat the air. The accompanying illustrations show the general arrangement of the plant and | the construction of the oven in detail. The coal to be coked is conveyed to the top of the ovens by a line of rails in conical wagons or tubs, L L, Fig. 1; by opening the doors at the bottom of each wagon the coals fall into the ovens through the open- ings marked OO. These openings and. the doors P, P, at each end of the ovens | are then tightly closed aud luted, so as to _ . . . . - . > | , » ” . : : Y, prevent admisssion of air. The valve V | IN UMMM EEE lt My is then opened, putting the interior of the ovens in communication with the exhauster J. This draws the gases evolved from the coa