The Iron Age 1891-04-23: Vol 47

‘THE eoeeeengyeannetienn The Sturtevant Blower. ure blower on adjustable bed with double upright inclosed engine shown in the ac- companying cut is a recent design by the B. F. Sturtevant Company of Boston. The blower is of their well-known steel pressure blower type, but mounted on an I[ beam foundation frame, to which it is securely bolted and upon which it is readily adjustable by means of the adjusting bolt shown at the outlet end. By the use of this bolt constant pressure is maintained on both belts, avoiding stoppage for relacing the belts, and making it possible to run continuously without the disastrous effects incident to loss of time by shutting down to tighten belts when a heat is in the THE foundry. The outlet is arranged in tele- scopic form, so that the adjustment of the blower in no way affects the position of the pipe. Firmly connected to the foundation of the blower is the engine foundation, sup- porting the engine and its extended shaft, upon which are placed two pulleys or band wheels. The engine is specially de- signed by this company, and is double in form, comprising two cylinders supplied by a single valve, and acting upon the shaft through the two cranks, which are situated opposite each other® By this means the engine is perfectly balanced, and the highest rotative speed may be at- tained. To avoid all danger to the bear- ings from the flying dust, so common in localities where this blower is used, the entire engine is inclosed, although its parts are readily accessible through the door shown in the cut. In addition to the advantages, the inclosing of the parts pre- vents the throwing of oil, and makes it possible to leave the engine unattended. All wearing parts are of steel and of large THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 189). size, so that friction is reduced to a mini- | The cyiinders are boltec to the} The special arrangement of steel press- | frame and can be easily removed for re- | boring. The oiling of all parts is accom- | } mun, plished by a series of sight-feed oil | cups placed together upon a bracket at- | tached to the frame of the engine. From these oil cups tubes lead to the various | bearings, so that the lubrication is always IRON AGE The Union Switeh and Signal Company. | E. H. Goodman, president and general manager of the Union Switch and Signal Company of Pittsburgh, has issued a state- ment showing the financial condition of that concern in detail, and in comparison positive and easily accomplished. The| between 1889 and 1890 it shows an in- perfect regulation of the engine is secured by the shaft governor, forming a part of |} 1890 over 1889. crease of 34 per cent. in the business of The report shows the one of the pulleys, and acting through the | earnings from sales for the 12 months end- eccentric to change the throw of the valve | ing December 31, 1890, were $760,869.08. and vary the cut-off from 0 to seven-eighths stroke. | brush oiler type and provided with reser- voirs from which all surplus oil is fed back to the bearing. Owing to its com- pact nature this arrangement of engine The expenses were as follows: Operating All three bearings are of the} experises, $647,708.24; settlement of old accounts, $20,839.95—a total of $668, - 548.19. This leaves net earvings over and above operating and other expenses amount- ing to $92,320.89. The interest on bonds, mevirntalalalniniy STURTEVANT STEEL PRESSURE BLOWER. and blower is readily portable, and the power required for running the blower being independent of any other means of driving, the whole apparatus may be put in use at any time independently of any other power plant in the establish- ment. I In the case of the Pittsburgh Reduction $17,766, and also the interest and discount, which foots up to $10,250.96, a total of $28,016.96, being deducted, leaves net earnings over expenses and interest of all kinds, $64,303.93. The report shows the company’s finances to be as follows: Assets available—cash on hand, $24,- 134.99; bills and accounts receivable, $444,278.50; material on hand, at cost, Company against the Cowles Electric | $119,893.54; total available assets, $588, - Smelting and Aluminum Company, in Cleveland, for alleged infringement, the plaintiffs filed a motion asking that the defendants be enjoined from manufactur- ing pure aluminum. Judge Ricks of the | United States Circuit Court cenies the motion, but an order may be entered re- straining the defendants from increasing their manufacture of pure aluminum over 307.03. Assets unavailable—Real estate, $149,- 080.22; machinery and fixtures, $92,- 045.04; hand tools, $16,911.69; office fur- niture, 2332.74; sundry stocks, $12,- 328; patents at capitalized valuation, $1,- 038, 240.36. Total unavailable assets, $1,310,938.05; making the assets of all kinds aggregate $1,899,245 08. their present output, or from selling at a| price below that at which it is offered by the | complainants, which, unless otherwise charged, may be fixed at $1.50 per pound, | and from publishing or circulating any | letters, circulars or advertisements in any way assailing the complainants’ patents. Liabilities— Preferred stock, $370,100; }common stock, $964,650; cupital stock, $33,300; first mortgage bonds, $296,100; bills payable, $378,854.28; accounts pay- able, $94,243.98; interest on mortgage bonds, acerved, but not due, $5562 ; mortgage on Swissvale property, $15,000; =- =e - me i fa E 5 ) va te oho ree Coes ar - 4 770 total liabilities of all kinds, $2,157,810.26; balance to debit of profit and. loss, $258, - 565.18. The contracts made during the year 1890 were as follows: For interlocking switches and signals, $458.173.80; elec- trical signals, bells, &c., $143,694.23; frogs and switches, $82,404.70; sundries, $61,821.47; total, $746,094.20. The con- tracts for 1889 were as follows: For inter- locking switches ang signals, $372,342.82; electrical signals, bells, &c., $35,881.17; frogs and switches, $65,830.81; sundries, $81,071.50; total, $551,126.30, showing an increase of $190,967.90, equal to 34 per cent. A circular letter issued by the concern to the stockholders says: ‘* We have sub- mitted our plans, and are estimating for over $1,000,000 worth of pneumatic inter- locking and block signaling, and for over $400,000 worth of mechanical interlocking switches and signals. The Chicago, Bur- lington and Quincy, the Harlem line of the New York Central, the Jersey Central and the Pennsylvania railroads have stated through their representatives that the pneumatic block signal has given satisfac- tion, and we have every reason to believe that nothing now remains but the ques- tion of appropriation of money for them to extend this class of work.” a a The Genesis of the Edgar Thomson Blast Furnaces.* BY WILLIAM P. SHINN, PITTSBURGH, PA. Mr. Gayley’s admirable paper on the ‘*Development of American Blast Fur- naces ” has set forth very fully the history of the development of the Edgar Thomson furnaces since the construction’ of fur- paces A and B, but it throws no light on the genesis of these furnaces. That earlier history it is the purpose of the present paper to record. Mr. Gayley truly says: ‘‘A new era in the manufacture of pig iron began in 1880 with the putting in blast of the Edgar Thomson furnaces.” That era had its be- ginning with the construction of furnace B, which was not in any sense an acci- dent, but the result of the most careful design, based upon truly scientific deduc- tions from known facts. In September, 1878, when the construc- tion of furnaces A and B was decided upon, the writer was general manager of the Edgar Thomson Steel Company, Limited, and the preparations for their construction were in my charge. For some two years I had been very desirous of having the company (in which I had a large interest) erect their own furnaces, and I had been gathering information bearing upon the subject. I had visited many furnaces, and in- variably was told by the manager, in starting on our inspection of the plant, that ‘‘ we area little short of steam this morning ” (item—have plenty of boilers) ; or, ‘* we are short of blast to day ” (item —have greater blowing capacity); or, ‘*we have been a little short of hot blast to-day” (item—have a better supply of stoves); or, ‘‘ we are very short of gas for our boilers” (item—have a ready means of firing in addition to furnace gas), until [ had become convinced that a great improvement could be effected by supplying these ‘‘items” and prevent- ing these chronic shortages. Again, I had noticed that when the blow- ing engine and hot-blast stoves of two furnaces had been concentrated * Read by title at the New York meeting of the American Institute of Mining Engineers, but not published until after the New York meeting of the Iron, and Steel Institute in October, when Mr. James Gayley’s paper on ‘** Development of American Blast Furnaces” was read and discussed. THE IRON AGE. upon one stack, as had been done in the Shoenberger furnaces in Pittsburgh in 1877, a great increase in output was the result. In the year 1877 Furnace No. 1 was out for repairs, and tke whole blowing and blast-heating capacity was used upon No. 2, with the result of in- creasing its output from 1042 tons per month to 1521 tons. Thus the discovery that increased blast would raise the out put was not original with Mr. Julian Ken- nedy, although he made very good use of it; as described by Mr. Gayley. While the plans were under considera- tion, and before any of the details had been determined upon, I was asked by two of the partners, both interested in the Lucy Furnace, what action I was taking in regard to the work. I replied that there were two important questions to be de- cided before the plans could be prepared —whether we should have compound engines and whether we should have iron or fire-brick stoves, ane if fire brick, of what type. The answer was: ‘‘ We want no compound engines or fire-brick stoves. Build a furnace that will make 100 tons of Bessemer iron per day. The Lucy Fur- nace does it, and you cannot do better than to follow the Lucy "—i. e., copy the design and details. I argued to the contrary, alleging that possibly as much improvement over the Lucy Furnace might be made as was made over the Struthers Furnace when the Lucy was built. My view prevailed, and I was au- thorized to ‘‘send out a commission” to investigate and report. That commission consisted of James Hemphill of Pitts- burgh, the eminent mechanical engineer, member of the firm of Mackintosh, Hemphill & Co.; H. M. Curry, then man- ager of the Lucy Furnace, and the writer. The commission visited every furnace plant but one in the United States having fire-brick stoves, and returned to make a unanimous report in favor of the adoption of the Siemens-Cowper fire-brick stove. That report led to the revolution in blast-furnace construction and practice which began in 1880, as stated by Mr. Gayley. The report was unanimously adopted by the Board of Directors, As Taws & Hartman of Philadelphia were the sole agents for the Siemens-Cowper stoves in the United States, they were em- ployed as the engineers and were directed to prepare the plans, and to John M. Hartman, no less than to the writer, should be ascribed whatever credit may be due for the erection of Furnace B. Another point had caught my attention in observing the results of working fur- naces—namely, that when they were blown out for relining, the angle at the top of the ‘‘ well” had always been cut away from the original form, and there were reasons for believing that this cutting away took place during the first three months of the blast. Hence I was led to query, why put in so many fire brick where they will simply be melted away, at an expense both for brick and fuel ? Of Furnace A not much more need be said than has been mentioned by Mr. Gay- ley. Originally a furnace with an 11 or 12 foot bosh, it was bought to save a debt, and when erected as Furnace A it was made as large as the mantel would permit. With an extreme diameter of 13 feet at the bosh, the hearth was 8 feet 6 inches in diameter, or almost 66 per cent. of the bosh diameter. This small furnace of only 13 feet bosh produced in its third month, according to Mr. Gayley, 671 tons of output in a week, or an amount nearly equal to the best output of the Lucy Fur- nace with 20 feet bosh; thus were the large hearth, and straight inwalls fully justified. My intention was to have made the hearth Furnace B 12 feet in diameter, and the side line straight from the bosh to the bottom, forming of the lower s ction * April 23, 1891 a true frustum of a cone; but in some of these details my advice was not followed, particularly after I left the company on October 1, 1879. In the matter of the blowing capacity, the highest volume of air blown into the Lucy Furnace had been 15,500 cubic feet per minute, The engines for Furnace B had been designed for blowing 18,500 feet per minute, and the stoves contained 92,000 square feet of heating surface. It it stated by Mr. Hartman, in his discus- sion of Mr. Kennedy’s paper on ‘ Hot- Blast Stoves at the Edgar Thomson Fur- naces,”* that Mr. Kennedy increased the volume of air blown into Fur- nace B to 28,000 cubic feet per minute, and the stoves heated that enormous volume to 1050° F., which shows that the allowance of power and capacity for heating was very liberal, even for the large volume of air provided for. The best work of the Lucy Furnace on a mixture yielding 65.3 per cent. iron had been 107 tons of pig in 24 hours, while Furnace B, working on a mixture yielding only 55 per cent. iron made on the first run: Average tons 1880. Tons per day. Ps sae, Kien vodussseeee 3,718 120 shh ates vas o> ekcan kil 4,318 144 ck ebsksneeer sar eden 4,345 140 er errs 4,601 148 ES eee 4,221 140 Tethe pk ekoepuoesews 4,722 152 Here was an increase in average output over the Lucy’s best work of over 30 per cent., and that on a mixture of ore yield- ing one-sixth less iron. Truly this indi- cated a ‘‘ new erain the manufacture of pig iron,” and pointed the way which has been so skilfully followed by Mr. Kennedy and Mr. Gayley, until the output has been increased to the enormous amount of 330 tons per day. Mr. Gayley truly says, referring to Furnace B- ‘ But while the hearths of various furnaces had been enlarged after they were in blast, yet no American furnace up to that time had been constructed with so large a hearth as this one of the Edgar Thomson works. In another respect this furnace was well prepared by its designers for a high productive capacity—viz., in its equipment, Fire-brick stoves of the most approved type were erected. Substantially built blowing engines were provided, and they were rendered efficient by an ample supply of boilers—a point in which other furnaces were then sadly lacking. At the same time all the flues and mains were constructed sufficiently large, and in the most substantial way. In fact, no fur- nace previously erected had been planned on such a liberal basis; consequently, large yields were to be expected.” I have shown that these ‘‘ liberal prepar- ations” fora ‘‘ large yield” were not ac- cidental or fortuitous, They were the re- sult of design, earnestly insisted upon by the writer of this paper, endorsed by the committee, Mesars. Hemphill, Curry and Shinn, and most ably executed by Mr. Hartman. ** Honor to whom honor is due.” Three new batteries, 16 mortars in each, will be built at Sands’ and Willet’s Points, to guard the entrance to New York from Long Island Sound. On the application of Lieut.-Col. King of the United States Engineers, a bill facilitating the purchase of the location by Government passed both branches of the Legislature on Tucs- day. The mortars to be used weigh 13} tons each and the shells 600 to 800 pounds. McHarg & Co., representing the Colum- bus, Ohio, Steel Company, purchased a 17-mile railroad connecting with Flemings- burg, Ky., for $55,100. * Transactions, Vol. X., 495. April 23, 1891 Location of the Buildings. A map is herewith given of Jackson Park, Chicago, showing the location and dimensions of the principal buildings as now decided for the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893. Jackson Park con- tains 586 acres, but it will be seen from the map that its available area for build- ing purposes will be well covered. If more space should be required the man- agers can use the Midway Plaisance, con- necting Jackson Park with Washington Park, and containing 80 acres; also Wash- ington Park, containing 371 acres. It will be observed that arrangements are to be made for receiving visitors to the expo- sition both by water andrail. A long pier will extend out into Lake Michigan, and a harber wilt be constructed for the pro- tection of pleasure craft from boisterous winds or waves. Vis- itors arriving by rail will be landed from cars inside the | grounds, and wiil | have no occasion to cross any tracks, but | will pass to and fro | through subways | The handling of trains at this term- | inal will be greatly | facilitated by the ar- = rangement of the eo - | j Midway Plaisance || ? tracks in a loop, —— Tih ee yy thus avoiding all _ f, | | eet rs | switching and re- coupling cars. This is a decided im- provement on the railroad terminals in use at the Centen- nial Exposition at | Philadelphia in 1876 | by which much time was necessarily lost in making up trains for the return trip from the grounds. It will be seen from the map that Jack- son Park will possess cage py ae features n the small lakes with which it is dotted. These are to be so connected and improved that they will form a | most attractive part of the inclosure for the exposition. The northern limit of | | | | | — CENT RAY ae —.. oQ - 4 z eG —htinoyg o we D> ° ® The World’s Fair of 1893.| [jaa Oo ISLA —— STONY THE IRON AGE to be let as speedily as possible. It is the} expectation of the directors that all the preliminary work will be settled by the advent of summer and that a great deal will have been accomplished toward the construction of the buildings before the tower. In 771 the northern portion of the grounds he will see a picturesque group of buildings, perhaps 40 or 50 of them, con- stituting a veritable village of palaces. Here, on 100 acres or more, beautifully laid out, will stand the buildings of end of the present year. foreign nations and of a number of the In every respect Chicago will endeavor | States of the Union, surrounded by lawns, to surpass previous achievements in the| walks and beds of flowers and shubbery. line of international expositions. Beauti- | How many of them there will be cannot be ful as was the site—the Champs de Mars stated yet, but it is certain that they will —and its approaches, and captivating to | be numerous. the admiration as were the graceful and | The Buildings. imposing edifices at the Paris expositions of 1878 and 1889, it is believed that they| In this portion of the park, too, will will be surpassed by those of the Colum- | stand the Fine Arts building, which is to bian Exposition. The Chicago site is} be a magnificent palace costing $500,000. four times as large and has a frontage of | Just south of the foreign and State build- 2 miles on Lake Michigan, the second! ings may be observed a considerable ex- largest body of fresh water on the globe. | panse of the lagoon, with inlet to the lake, The buildings will cover twice the area’ and encompassing three islands. On the and cost twice as much as did those at largest one will stand the United States Fisheries building, ‘ 700 feet in lengtb, and flanked at each end by a curved ar- cade connecting it —— ; Z \ Map of with two round pa- Oo Pe \ \ Jackson Park vilions, in which will a v Showing Proposed Improvements for be er genes and the 2 tackle exhibit. This Wn" Columbian Exposition of building, designed ) QA 1893. by Henry Ives Cobb aS 4 of Chicago, will be ails in the Spanish style ¢ | and conspicuous be- 2 cause of a liberal use a of color. ¢ ' A little further : south, across an area of the lagoon, will be the United States Government build- ing measuring 350 x = 420 feet and having A a dome 120 feet in diameter and 150 feet high. It will be constructed of stone, iron and glass, classic in style, cover 4 acres, and cost $400,000. In it will be a very complete exhibit from the several federal de- partments, &c.— War, Treasury, a Agriculture, Inter- aS | ior, Post Office, - 4A Navy, Smithsonion N Institution and Na- tional Museum. On the lake shore, east of its building and in part in the inter- vening space, the 250 x 1000 Horticulture Live Stock Exbibis 63 Acres Jackson Park, Fifty-sixth street, is 64 | Paris in 1889. Alone they will cost nearly | Government will have a gun battery, life- miles from the Chicago Court House, which is in the heart of the business sec- tion of the city. 50 per cent. more than the total expense | saving station complete with apparatus, a attending the Paris fair. The best archi-| lighthouse, war balloons, and a full size tects in this country have prepared the | model of a $3,000,000 battleship of the first It had been originally intended to use| plans for the several buildings, and the | class. the Lake Front Park also for World’s Fair | structures they have designed will exhibit This is a wnarrow strip of|the highest achievements of American purposes. ground bordering on Lake Michigan and very close to the heart of the city. But | numerous objections arose to that scheme, and the exhibits will now be concentrated at Jackson Park, although it is possible that the Lake Front Park may yet be used for purposes of some kind in connection | with the fair. The directors had gone so. far as to erect a temporary structure on the lake front in January for the use of the Construction Bureau, but that has This will be constructed on piling alongside a pier, being thus surrounded by architecture. water and apparently moored at a wharf. An official publication issued by the | The ‘‘ship” will be built of brick and coated Columbian Exposition states that the| with cement.. It will be 348 feet long, | | most delightful, probably, though not the | 69 feet wide amidships, and will have all speedi: st means by which the visitor may | the fittings ana apparatus that belong to ‘reach the Exposition grounds will be by| the most approved war vessel, such as steamboat on Lake Michigan. A ride of| guns, turrets, torpedo tubes, torpedo nets 6 miles from the embarking point at the and booms, boats, anchors, military mast, Lake Front Park, with the towers and| &c., and a full complement of seamen _gilded domes of the fair bu:ldings con-| and marines detailed from the Navy De- stantly in sight, will take him there.| partment. The visitor arriving by steam- since been removed to Jackson Park, | When abreast of the site agrand spectacle | boat will pass very near and obtain an ex- where work is now being actively prose- | of surpassing magnificence will be before cellent view of the shore portion of the cuted in preparing the grounds for laying | him—the vast extent of the beautiful park;| Government exhibit. He will probably foundations for buildings. Steel rails were the windings of the-lagoon; the superb) see also, anchored near by, a Columbus purchased the past week for tracks to be | array of scores of great buildings, elegaut | fleet-—a reproduction, as near as may be, laid throughout the grounds for conveying | and imposing in their architecture and gay of the one which the great discoverer building material. Designs for the prin- | with myriads of flags and steamers flout- | sailed from Palos—and also a Government cipal buildings have about been com-| ing from their pinnacles and towers; and | revenue cutter and one or two torpedo pleted, and contracts for their erection are | towerivg above them all the lofty Proctor’ boats. re fn if ie ¥ Bee eee 5 om te: ae 2 ea ie , ne MS , ast ae re eat end ao -. " ih 9 2 DUG TEE RE SES TE a ee ee 472 The Main Buitding. Steaming by the Government exhibits the visitor will come abreast of the largest building of the exposition—that of Manu- factures and Liberal Arts. It will measure 1700 x 800 feet, with two interior courts, and at its center a great dome 350 feet in diameter. Surrounding it on all sides will be a porch two stories in hight. affording a delightful promenade and a) view of the other buildings, of the lagoon, alive with rowboats, gondolas and pleasure craft propelled by electricity, and of the grounds generally. This build- ing, which will be of French renaissance, is designed by George 8, Post of New York. After passing this immense structure, which will be three times as large as the largest building at the Paris Exposition, being nearly 400 feet longer and twice as wide, and covering more than 31 acres, the steamboat will drop alongside the pier. This, as designed by Augustus St. Gaudens of Paris, will be a thing of beauty and a source of muck enjoyment to visitors. Two parallel piers will extend from the shore about 400 feet, where tak- ing out curves, they will partially inclose a circular harbor, from the centerof which will rise, on a great pedestal, a command- ing statue of Columbus or of the Repub- lic. On the embracing portions of the piers will stand 44 exquisite isolated columns, representing the 44 States, each one bearing over its capital the coat of arms of the State it symbolizes. Beyond the harbor the north or main pier will extend out into the lake to a total distance of 1500 feet, taking there a deflection several hundred feet to the southward, and having at its extremity, rising from the water on a stone foundation, an immense Greek pavilion 200 feet in diame- ter, gaily colored and adorned. Here visitors may sit and enjoy the cooling lake breezes, listen to the fine music and ob- tain a magnificent view of the great Expo- sition buildings and other shore attrac- tions. From the pier, extending westward across the park, will be a long avenue or court, several hundred feet wide, afford- ing, Chief Burnham says, ‘‘a spectacle es in the world—a marvel of architectural grace and sublimity, an ex- position in itself.” To the right, at the entrance of this grand avenue, will be the great Manufactures building, and farther back the other attractions already referred to. To the left will be the Agncultural building, measuring 800 x 500 feet, de- signed by Architect McKim, of New York. This, Chief Burnham says, will be a ‘‘dream.” It will be severely rectangular in form, but made elaborately ornate with statues and other relief work. Its cost will be half a million. Between this and the huge Manufactures building juts a branch of the lagoon. All down this grand avenue, encompassing a beautiul sheet of water, will stand imposing build- ings, along the majestic fagades of which will sweep the gaze of the visitor until it rests upon the administration building of the exposition, which terminates the vista nearly a mile distant. Upon traversing this ‘‘ Long Walk,” as it may be called; after the famous way from Windsor Castle to Ascot, the visitor will find it a veritable Bois de Boulogne or Versailles in point of beauty of effects produced by landscape architecture and gardening. Passing the Agricultural building the visitor will come to the great Machinery Hall, which lies to the westward of it and which is connected with it by a horseshoe arcade doubling a branch of the lagoon. It will he nearly identical with it in size and cost, but it will differ from it consid- erably in appearance, being ‘‘ serious, im- pressive and rich in architectural line and detail,” Chief Burnham says, ‘and the THE IRON AGE. best work of its designers, Peabody & Stearns of Boston.” The Administration Building. Opposite Machinery Hall and north of it, in the center of the ‘‘Long Walk,” will stand the Exposition Administration building. This will be one of the most imposing, and in proportion to its size the most expensive one, of the large structures. Richard M. Hunt of New York, president of American Institute of Architects, is its designer, and he has made it stately and simple yet exceedingly striking in appearance and an excellent representa- tive of Italian renaissance. It will cost $650,000, be adorned with scores of statuary figures and be surmounted by a gilded dome rising 250 feet, or about the hight of the Auditorium tower. In it will be the offices of the National Com- mission and Local Directory, and the headquarters of all the numerous officials connected with the management and regulation of the exposition. To the northward of the Administration building, on either side and facing the grand avenue, will be two more immense buildings, one for the electrical and the other for the mining exhibit. These will be about equal in size, covering each a little more than 54 acres. Both will be of French renaissance. The former, designed by Van Brunt & Howe of Kansas City, will be the more expensive, however, costing $650,000; while the latter, de- signed by 8S. 8. Beman of Chicago, will cost $350,000. The Board of Architects have declared that both will be excep- tionally imposing structures. North of these buildings, in the main lagoon, will be an island of 20 or 30 acres in area. It is the intention to have this kept as wild and primitive as possible. There the visitor may wander through a miniature ‘* forest primeval,” pathless and untrans- formed by art, and may hunt the fragrant wild flower or the saucy chipmunk, and generally commune with nature in its native haunts. Proceeding from the Administration building still further westward, or, more accurately, southwestward, the observer will arrive at the railway facilities for the arrival and departure of visitors. Six parallel tracks will sweep into the grounds in a buge circle at the extreme southwest portion, entering and leaving at nearly the same point. Around this loop the trains, in arriving and departing, will sweep at intervals of a few minutes, and the depot accommodations will be so extensive and well arranged that it is believed there will be almost no confusion or crowding. The Machinery Annex. Within this loop made by the railway tracks will be the machinery annex—a huge building covering several acres and containing the overflow exhibits from Machinery Hall, with which it will be con- nected by subways. Within the loop also will be the main power house, from which power will be furnished to such buildings on the grounds as require it. To the southward of the line of buildings which are ranged along the south side of the grand avenue is a vast open expanse which will be devoted to the live stock exhibit. Here immense stock buildings, a show ring and whatever else will con- tribute to the success of the live stock feat- ure of the exposition will be constructed. Jackson Park resembles a right-angled trianglein shape. The visitor has thus far, ou his tour of inspection, traversed the lake shore or hypothenuse of the triangle, and across the southern end of the base. It remains only to turn toward the north avd note the structures ranged along the perpendicular. The first one arrived at is the Transportation buildirg. This will be Romanesque in style and one of the largest April 23, 18€1 of all, measuring 1020 x 260 feet, exclu- sive of a great annex in the rear. The Transportation building together with the depots will cost $1,000,000. North of this will be the Horticultural building, another immensestructure, 1000 x 150 feet, with three domes, one at each end and a larger one at the center. This will be con- structed chiefly of glass and iron, and will cost $250,000. The Women’s Buliding. Still further north and directly opposite the park entrance of Midway Plaissance, will stand the Women’s building, which, it is expected, will be one of the chief objects of interest on the grounds. It is to be 400 x 200 feet in dimensions, two stories high, and will cost $200,000. The exterior design will be furnished by a woman architect. Here the Lady Mana- gers will have their headquarters, and here will be collected a doubtless wonderful exhibit illustrating the progress and at- tainments of women in the various branches of industry. The Proctor Tower. Passing the Women’s building the visi- tor can turn toward the northeast and in- spect the foreign and State buildings in the northern portion of the park, of which he is supposed to have caught a general view from the steamboat deck, or he can turn sharply to the west into Midway Plaissance and ascend the Proctor Tower. This will be constructed of steel and be 1050 feet high, or about 100 feet higher than the Eiffel. From its top the view obtainable of the exposition grounds and buildings, and of the great city lying to the northward will be magnificent beyond all description. West of the tower, along the Plaissance and overflowing into Washington Park will be a large and curious aggregation of structures, including probably some of the foreign and State buildings, and many of semi-private construction, and of a na- ture which cannot yet be described. Almost innumerable structures and ex- hibits, such as reproductions of famous buildings, &c., most of them novel and striking in character, have been proposed, and it is not yet possible to tell how many or which of them will be erected. That there will be an astonishing array of them there can be no doubt, and unques- tionably some of them will be important and exceedingly interesting features of the great fair. All of the important buildings will stand on terraces 4 feet above the general park level, thus greatly improving the general landscape effect, and rendering their own appearance more imposing. From scores of domes and towers and minarets flags and streamers will be float- ing, and both the exterior and interior of the buildings will be ‘‘ warm,” with a lib- eral display of color. The beautiful park, with its magnificent array of architecture, will surely present one of the finest spec- tacles the eyes of man ever beheld. Appropriations for the Fair. It is announced by autbority that thus far the various State governments have appropriated $1,290,000 for separate buildings and special exhibits, that ap- propriations of $2,325,000 are pending and will very probably be made, and that $2,115,000 will be raised from outside sources for special State exhibits, making in all a grand total of $5,730,000 regarded as reasonably certain to be expended in that way. The grand total of all the ap- propriations contemplated by the United States, the Exposition Company,the States and Territories, corporate bodies, trade associations, manufacturers and foreign nations up to the present time is stated to be about $32,000,000; and still there is more to follow. April 23, 1891 The Oliver Chilled Plow Works. The Oliver Chilled Plow Works, at South Bend, Ind., of which the South Bend Iron Works are proprietors, occupy a tract of about 40 acres of land, and are claimed to be the largest distinctive plow works in the world. The buidings, which at first, in 1855, were few in number, have been added to from year to year until the vacant ground now remaining from the 40 acres is small in area. There are numer- ous departments in these immense works, among which are the foundry, which is 750 feet long and 220 feet wide; the ware- house, which is equivalent to one mile long and 25 feet wide, top houses, mill rooms, annealing rooms, polishing room, wood shops, machine shops, pattern room, smith shops, paint shops, japanning department, boiler room, engine room, stock room, oil house, electric light plant, steel department, sulky, gang, and steel plow fitting department, electric plating department, fire department and offices, each of which is supervised by a foreman. The steel department is a new and impor- tant feature rendered necessary by the heavy production of Oliver’s steel plows. Steel parts take the place of forgings in many cases. Formerly all steel needed at the works bad to be ordered from Pitts- burgh or other distant points. The com- pany now have their own crucible steel plant and make the steel castings which they need. They also make their own malleable-iron castings. The grinding department is a room 60 by 200 feet in size, and contains more than 100 s1indstones ranging from 5 to 64 feet in diameter, and from 1200 to 1500 tons of them are worn out in a year. The engine room includes two Corliss engines of 600 horse-power each, with fly wheels 24 feet in diameter. The works give employment to more than 1000 persons. _ The facilities for shipments are unex- celled. On one side of the main ware- house are the tracks of the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway, on the other those of the Chicago and Grand Trunk, and numerous sidings connecting with both roads run throughout the works. The Oliver Plow Works are now arranging to build a belt line of their own which will connect with the L. 8. and M. §8., the ©. and G. T. and the Vandalia system. The products of these works are sold in every State and Territory in the Union and in every civilized country of the world. The sales are effected by means of over 4000 agencies whose names appear on their books, and many of these have sub-agencies. In conducting so large a business the use of branch houses was found to be not only a great convenience but a necessity, As a result they have been established, and for years have been in successful operation at Indianapolis, Ind., Mansfield, Ohio, Rochester, N. Y., Harrisburg, Pa., St. Louis and Kansas City, Mo., Madison, Wis., Dallas, Texas, and San Francisco, Cal. All these branches carry heavy stocks, and salesmen travel from them the same as from the main offices. James Oliver is president of the com- pany, George Ford secretary and Joseph D. Oliver treasurer, and the president takes general management of the manu- facturing portion of the business, The South Bend Iron Works for a time made plows, a thimble skeins for wagons, and did a general machine-shop business, but afterward all other-business was dropped and the entire attention devoted to the manufacture of plows. The Oliver chilled plow is James Oliver’s own invention. Mr. Oliver saw that the demand of the farmer was for the plow that would havea mold board of hard finish; something was needed that should be much harder than iron and THE IRON AGE. 773 cheaper than cast steel, and this desidera- tum was obtained by his inventions. After years of study and experiment he succeeded in so chilling the casting while in the flask that it was harder than any material ever before used for plows and at the same time free from holes or soft spots, smooth and perfect in its surface, and by a peculiar process of annealing was de- prived of its extreme brittleness. The company sold more than 100,000 of these plows in 1890. Three times as many of the Oliver chilled plows are now being sold as of any other plow manufactured, and 1,200,000 of them are now in actual use. Besides the chilled plow, the Oliver works make steel plows quite extensively, so that their large assortment provides for every description and condition of soil or demand of the trade. James Oliver was born August 28, 1823, at Roxburyshire, Scotland, and in 1835 was brought by his parents to Seneca Coun y, New York. He removed with the family to Mishawaka, Ind., in 1836, and worked at various t’ings as opp :rtu- nity offered, until he determined to be- come a molder and went to work for the St. Joseph I:on Company. In 1855 he began the m:nufacture of plows at South Bend, and determined to invent and make a perfect plow. This he finally accom- plished after years of experimenting, and tire success he has attained is somethi: g of which his city, State and country may well be proud. Although nearing his three score years and ten he still is one of the active managers of the business which bears his name. A Weekly Pay Bill in Illinois. The labor representatives in the Illinois Legislature have succeeded in their efforts to secure the passage of a weekly pay bill by corporations. It passed the State Senate some time since, and last week passed the House by the remarkable vote of 116 yeas to 1 nay. The sentiment in the House was so strongly in favor of it that it was taken up in advance of the regular order, under which it would not have been reached for weeks, and was passed without debate. The provisions of the bill are quite stringent, penalties being prescribed for its violation. A commend- able feature, however, is that which gives employers six days to make up their wages accounts. Otherwise it would have been necessary to greatly increase the clerical force in order to meet its requirements. The measure awaits the signature of the Governor to become law, and it is hardly likely that this will be withheld in view of the support given to the bill in both branches of the Legislature. The following is the text of the bill: Every manufacturing, mining, quarrying, lumbering, mercantile, railroad, surface, street, electric and elevated railway, steam railway (except steam surface railroads), steamboat, telegraph, telepho1e and municipal corporation, and every incorporated express company and water company, shall pay week lyeach andevery employee engaged in its business the wages earned by such employee to within six days of such payment. Provided, however, that if at any time of payment any employee shall be absent from his regular place of labor he shall be entitled to said a at any time there- after upon demand. Any corporation violat- ing any of the provisions of this act shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding $50 and not less than $10 for each violation, to be paid to the people of the State, and which may be recovered in a court of record: Provided, an action for such violation is commenced within 30 days of the date thereof, and any person may bring an action in the name of the people of the State as plaintiff against 7 corporation which neglects to comply with the provisions of this act for a period of two weeks after hav- ing been notified in writing by such person that such action will be brought. the trial of such action, such corporation sball not be allowed to set up any defense for a failure to pay weekly any employee engaged ia its business the wages earned by such employee to within six days of the date of such payment, other than a valid assignment of such wages or a valid set-off against the same or the absence of such employee from his regular place of labor at the time of payment or an actual tender to such employee at the time of eg of the wages so earned by him or a reavh of contract by such employee, a denial of employment. No assignment of future wages payable weekly under the provisions of this act shall be valid if made to the corpora- tion from whom such wages are to become due or to any person on behalf of such corporation, or if made or procured to be made to any per- son for the —— of relieving such corpora- tion from the obligations to pay weekly under the provisions of this act. Nor shall any of said corporations require any agreement from any employee to accept wages at other periods than as provided in Section 1 of this act, as a condition of employment. The penalties herein provided may be recovered in any court having civil jurisdiction by such in the name of the person bringing the same. Uruguay’s Commerce. The Bureau of the American Republics has received returns of the foreign com- merce of the republic of Uruguay for the year 1890. The imports compare with the previous year as follows: 1889. 1890. Wines and liquors..... $4,945,814 $4 493,624 Food products..... ... 8,076,686 8,698,040 Tobacco and cigars.... 585,369 589,308 Dress goods and other a erereee 3,769,570 Ready-made clothing.. 1,742,814 1,534,735 Machinery and indus- trial material........ 8.466.058 9,436,394 All other articles...... 5,094,921 + 5,927,681 Pe dhacdannens $36,823,863 $32,359,559 Although these tables show a decrease of nearly $4,500,000, the returns are con- sidered more favorable to the prosperity of the country than those of 1889, as during that year the boom of inflation was at its hight. The imports of 1889 exceeded those of 1888 by $7,500,000 and were double those of 1882. The imports for 1890 exceed those of 1888 by $2,750,000, and those of all preceding years in pro- portion. The exports of Uruguay for 1890 were $29,085,518, an increase of $3,131,411 over 1889. Meats were the principal ex- port. The balance of trade, therefore, against Uruguay was $3,274,034 in 1890, as compared with $10,869,756 in 1889. During the year 24,117 immigrants arrived of whom 19,440 were from Europe. The total receipts from customs duties for the year were $9,848,735, of which $9,417,- 057 were collected at the port of Monte- video. Six hundred and forty-two thou- sand one hundred head of cattle were slaughtered in Uruguay during the year and 764,000 in the Argentine Republic during the same year, making a total of 1,406,100 for the cattle slaughtered in the River Plate republics. The exports of wool from Buenos Ayres from October 1, 1890, to March 1, 1891, were 165,014 bales, against 101,196 bales during the corresponding period of the previous year. France, Belgium and Germany got nearly all of the wool, and that sent to the United States was only trifling. ———EEEE The Gould Coupler Company are making arrangements for centralizing their business in Buffalo. The Gould Steam Forge at Black Rock is to be enlarged and its foundry facilities increased. The plans provide for « foundry 660 feet long and 80 feet wide, an annealing room 520 feet long and 80 feet wide, and shipping, tumbling and core rooms each be 125 feet long and 80 feet wide. Arrangements will be made to put in a steel plant when it may be re- quired. Much of the casting work which enters into the composition of the couplers is now done at Indianapolis, Ind., Toledo, Ohio, Erie, Pa., Lancaster, N. Y., Alli- ance, Ohio, and Sharon, Pa. The capac- ity with the above-named plants has been 400 couplers a day, but the new shops are expected to have a capacity of 600 a day. < eae oe 4 PPD. 5 ee pki To pee ae oy ~ <—" <SMINIO” FPL: ESIRS: EEE She eee ea ae a a ry POs oe “oe oe ete 774 The Farrel Foundry. The foundry of the Farrel Foundry and Machine Company, at Ansonsia, Conn., may be said to represent the most ad- vanced ideas in foundry arrangement and practice. The building is 128 feet 8 inches in width by 301 feet 4 inches in length. The cross section is divided into a central portion 55 feet 6 inches, center to center of columns, with one wing 30 feet 2 inches and one wing 43 feet. The central portion is served by two hydraulic cranes, having a capacity of 50 tons each. Supporting these cranes are longitudinal lattice girders of 50 feet span, supported by cast-iron columns, which are .thor- oughly anchored to the masonry piers, which go down 15 feet into the ground. Between each set of columns there are placed jib cranes which swing completely around, so that they control a portion of the floor surface between inside of the wings and outside ends of traveling cranes. Besides these jib cranes, in the wings, at different points, are placed other jib cranes to control the floor space in this part of the foundry. Every inch of the floor space of the foundry is therefore un- der the control of power, so that molten iron can be taken from the cupola and delivered to any part of the foundry by means of power, and finished castings can be deliveted to the outside doors in the same way. The interior of the building is lighted by glass in the roof of the ven- tilator, the sides of the ventilator being made of iron louvres which open and close by hand, The accompanying en- gravings show clearly the construction of the building, which was erected by the Berlin Bridge Company of East Berlin, Conn, a San Francisco News. The Henry B. Hyde, the St. Frances and the E. B. Sutton came to hand during the week with 250 tons of Eastern pig iron, 3480 kegs of nails and a large quan- tity of merchant iron, steel, some steel rails and a large and extensive selection of general hardware. Our receipts by rail have been also liberal except in the matter of pig iron, which, of course, does not reach here in that way. Arrivals of agricultural implements have been liberal by rail and will be still more so. The season up to date has been, so far, the best that we have seen in years. We have had copious rains during. the week and every one is full of hope, farmers, orchardists, vine- yardists, miners and ali rejoice, while the trade in the city are all anticipating a big business. This refers especially to the trade in hardware, merchant iron, steel, barbed wire and agricultural implements and in genera! every branch of the metal trade. As yet it may be said to be in an- ticipation principally, although sales in all lines have exceeded those oi 1890 to even date. The season, however, was very bad a year ago, so that this was not much to be wondered at. Rail arrivals during the week include 21 carloads of iron, steel, hardware, machinery, stoves, agricultural implements, cables, zinc, spelter, &. The strike against the use of non-union wire, iron in buildings bids fair to assume un- , looked for dimensions, The contractors have become alarmed and called a meeting to-day in which it was resolved to organ- ize in view of the threatened strike. Among them was Oscar Lewis of the boy- cotted firm of O’Connell & Lewis. This proves that the builders intend to pool issues, and a good deal of trouble will follow; in fact, the manufacturers and others interested in industrial pursuits in this city have grown tired of the numerous strikes and boycotts, which have become alarmingly frequent of late. The manu- THE IRON AGE. facturers aie organizing, and we are | promised here a grand federation of manu- | facturers to offset the Federation of Labor. |