The Iron Age 1892-02-18: Vol 49

‘THE IRON AGE THuRSDAY, FreBRuARY 18, 1892. “4 Chicago Institute of Technology. Electric Club has inaugu- | nt in favor of the establish- hnological school at Chi- | Sactusinng interests. A general meeting of is 8 ahort ‘distance to one side of the citizens is shortly to be called to push the | vertical plane of the inner cutter head C, project. so as to leave a free space for the travel of | the work between the two cutter heads, | As here shown the feed screw is operated The Chicago rated a moveme or —— tec ei ae excites much interest. A com- The Kelly Milling Machine. by means of a worm wheel engaging with appointed by the club have already a worm on the shaft D, arranged to be The principal characteristics of this | driven by a belt as shown. This worm machine, which is the design of P. J. | shaft is so mounted that it may be swung The new university of Chicago has con- Kelly of Elizabeth, N. J., will be found | into and out of gear with the worm wheel, sidered the action taken worthy of notice, | in the method of feeding the work up to | thereby permitting the feed screw to be and its president has appeared before the | the cutters and of adjusting the cutters! turned by means of the crank handle. i i igate the ways un in earnest to investigate a means for carrying out the project. committee to state that its plans com- prehend the establishment of a techno. logical institute on broad lines at some future time. Hearing of the movement initiated by the Electric Club it was thought advisable to compare plans. The university was willing to co-operate with any one who could provide a building and apparatus. This the Electric Club be- lieves the citizens of Chicago are ready to do at once, as the committee have already received assurance of the hearty co oper- ation of some of Chicago’s wealthiest capi- talists. Much interest is taken in the matter by Charles H. Besly, well-known to many of our readers, who has appeared before the committee representing manu- ry e Kt a i eZ, THE KELLY MILLING MACHINE. themselves. The pedestal of the machine is provided with standards, in which the cutter-carrying shaft A, Fig. 3, is jour- naled. These standards are formed with arms in which the drive shaft is journaled, as shown in Fig. 2. Upon the cutter shaft is fixed a pair of cutter heads, B C, Fig. 3, spaced at a certain distance apart by means of an intervening sleeve and forced snugly against a shoulder on the shaft by means of an adjusting nut shown on the left-hand end of the shaft in Fig. 3. Extending from front to rear, in a direction transverse to that in which the cutter shaft extends, is a feed screw, Fig. 2, which, with its supporting frame, The material to be operated upon is placed in a frame consisting of two sec- tions so united that vertical adjustment by lengthening or shortening the frame is possiole. This adjustment is accomplished by means of bolts through elongated slots in one frame, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. This type of frame is well adapted for the support of radiator sections (as shown in the perspective view) or other ‘articles upon both sides of which it is desirable to operate simultaneously. The cutter heads B C are formed of cast iron, and are formed at intervals on their peripheries with transverse recesses to re- ceive the shanks of the cutters proper. The ends of the cutter heads opposite PAN ATS SS 8 RS 290 those from which the cutting ends of the cutters project are reduced in size, and are provided with screw threads, on which works a circular nut provided with re- cesses for turning it. The rear ends of the sbanks of the cutters abut against the inner face on the ring nut, and hence the several cutters located in the transverse recesses in the per'phery of the cutter head may be simultaneously forced forward with the greatest precision by turning the nut. To hold the several cutters firmly in their position a ring is provided, which surrounds the front portion of the cutter head and the several cutter shanks seated therein, and is held in position on the cut- ter head by means of a screw extending through the ring and tapped into the cut ter head. Through the ring set screws extend and bear against the backs of the cutter shanks, holding them firmly in their seats. By the above adjustment the time and labor required in drifting the cutters Fig. 2.—End Elevation. outwardly one at atime, and the subse- quent regulating of their cutting faces, by grinding or other means, is avoided, and the adjustment may be accurately made with great nicety. The method of driving the machine is clearly shown in the several drawings. EE Taxing New York Corporations. Importart taxation bills have been intro- duced in the Legislature at Albany. That of State Controller Campbell, introduced by Speaker Bush, provides for the taxation of the indebtedness of corporations, and the surplus of express companies and like corporations, and the business transactions of bankers. Speaker Bush’s bill levies the following tax: SEcTION 3. Every corporation, joint-stock company or association whatever, now or here- after incorporated, organized or formed by or ursuant to law in this State or in any other tate or county, and doing business in this State, except only savings banks and institu- THE IRON AGE. tions for savings, life insurance companies, banks, foreign insurance companies and manu- | facturing or mining corporations engaged wholly in carrying on manufacturing or min- ing ores within this State, and agricultural and | horticultural corporations or associations ; which exceptions, however, shall not include gas companies, electric or steam heating, light- | ing or power companies, shall be liable to and | shall pay a tax, as a tax upon its franchise or business, into the State treasury annually, to be computed as follows ; The tax to be computed and be at the rate of one and one-half mills upon each dollar of the valuation of the sai capital stock of every such corporation, joint- | Rebruary 18, 1g se that the assets of the company j be held by the court hove, aan = Wet Lane should not be appointed, hp Mr, tion to those who have already Rl their arguments John N, Jewett tie for the English holders of 9} 000? worth of debenture bonds, and J’ High, representing Mr. Hegewisch’ .* dressed the court on Wednesday oa ‘that the protection of the court be 8 |tended to the debentures and a certificates. The resignation of Mr. Hea stock company or association, made in accord- | wisch as receiver was presented to - ance with the provisions of the first section of court on that day, he having beep . ? this act, to be settled and determined by the | jl] in New York for some weeks and ery I at ctetenieas able to attend to his duties. The rad fight which has been waging for eo The United States Rolling Stock | weeks has thrown the company’s a Company. * |into ademoralized state, and tie — jof receivers in New York has resulted _ The United States District Court at! tie up of what funds the company posses Chicago spent several days last week in there. The result is the workinen of the considering the affairs of the United States | large shops at Hegewisch struck, as theip Fig. 3.—Side Elevation. THE KELLY MILLING MACHINE. |Rolling Stock Company. For atime it| wages were three weeks overdue. It is seemed as if matters were hopelessly en- | understood, however, that the men have tangled and that no conclusion could be | been assured they will get their money reached except a peremptory order by the | and have gone back to work. court to sell the company’s property and| On Thursday Judges Gresham and wind up the whole business without re-| Blodgett practically ended the legal war gard to the wishes of any particular set of |by accepting the resignation of Adolph creditors. William C. Lane had been ap-| Hegewisch as receiver and appointing pointed receiver by the New York court | William C. Lane as his succes-or. Mr. to take charge of the company’s interests | Lane was to perfect his bond as receiver in the East, and a strong effort was made | and take possession of the plant at Hege- to have himaccepted by the Chicago court | wisch. The uext move will probably be to supersede Adolph Hegewisch. This|the sale of the property, for which the was resisted by an influential body of the | creditors’ committee will be the leading creditors on the ground that Mr. Lane was | bidder. If the company’s assets are sold merely Mr. Hegewisch under another/a plan of reorganization of the company name. by the purchasers will probably be adopted. Much bitterness was manifested in the; The plant at Hegewisch is complete for case, and a suggestion from the judges | building and repairing cars, and it is be- that the creditors get together and agree lieved that, with the bright outlook upon a receiver was not entertained. Some | ahead, the company will be able to satisfy were determined to have Mr. Lane ap ,all their creditors and do a large portioa pointed and have the jurisdiction over | of the car-building business of the coun- the property vested in the New York | try. court, while others who hold largeamounts| In addition to the order appointing of receiver’s certificates were determined ' Mr. Lane receiver it was decreed by both February 18 1892 THE IRON AGE. 291 —as———o——— ; 5 jen Pi aa UTS the stock pile now holds 150,000 tons. The {llinois Steel Company. : e New York court which judges, thas Lane receiver of the assets oF be company in New York should +n jurisdiction of the company’s affairs, il the right, liens and priorities that a q ti from previous orders of the Chicago rt are preserved. CoThe cna of Mr. Hegewisch as re- ‘ver were referred to amaster for verifica- . The intervening petitions of Car- negie, Phipps & Co., Seeberger & Co., Abbott L. Adams, and Hibbard, Spencer, Bartlett & Co., seeking preferences of claims, were dismissed for want of equity. matter of the application of the the English holders of debenture bonds to have their rights preserved the court made no order, and it also took under ad- yisement the motion made by Attorney Crawford to dismiss the bill filed by Will- iam Brander, a London creditor, to fore- close the consolidated mortgage given to the Central Trust Company of New York to secure an issue of the company’s securities. It was claimed that the bill was prema- turely brought. ; The appointment of Mr. Lane as receiver is in the main satisfactory, although some holders of receiver’s certificates profess to believe that their certificates will not be honored. a Duluth News. The work at the new mines on the Mes- aba range continues steadily, more ore be- ing uncovered as the pits grow steadily in pumber and in depth. In the past week two or three new companies—presumably mining corporations—have been floated, but what stock sales are made on the range are confined almost entirely to three older and reliable concerns, the Biwabic, Mount- ain Iron and Cincinnati, and perhaps one or two others. There is an evident at- tempt in some parts to get up a repetition of the famous Gogebic boom of 1887 that made so many fortunes and so many failures. Among local mining men, however. this at- tempt is not looked on with any favor, and it is not believed that 1t will be possible to reproduce the Gogebic excitement in any way whatever. Peculiar conditions existed then, there was a great amount of local money to be brought out and a terri- ble example was not in the immediate past. That there will be a large activity in Mesaba stocks all this year, and espe- cially when the railroads reach the mines, cannot be doubted, but it will probably be confined entirely to legitimate proper- ties. One matter, most important in the light it will shed on future iron manu- facturing developments here, has just been brought to a close, in the signing of a con- tract by the directors of some of the Mes- aba mining companies and of the Duluth, Mesaba and Northern Railway, to deliver at Duluth furnaces for a term of ten years ore at 50 cents below the market price— market price to be governed by Cleveland prices less freight. A saving of 50 cents a ton in its ore would go well toward building a blast furnace in five years. Averages of scores of assays of these ores show something like 62 iron and 0,022 phosphorus, The first steel plate from the New Superior Works was taken to the McDou- gall ship yard the 3d inst., headed by a brass band and drawn on a gaily capar- isoned sleigh by white horses. The plant will turn out only about 35 tons a day for Some time. It is working as well as a new institution of the kind could be expected to work, and the people abuut the head of Lake Superior now see the ore of their own hills made into pig metal at home, by fuel coked at home and finished into steel on the spot. Is is to be hoped that no ob- stacle will prevent the success of this potent combination. At the Chandler Mine on the Vermillion range about 1500 men are employed and Fully 100,000 will be added by the open- ing of navigation. The Minnesota Iron Company are employing over 2000 men and will have a stock pile of 300,000 tons by May. The Pioneer and Zenich have each about 100 men and hope to have stocks of 50,000 tons before shipping begins. Both Minnesota and Chandler have already sold a considerable portion of their output. The Duluth Mfg. Company are run- ning steadily two two-high trains of rolls and are selling a large amount of mer- chant shapes in this part of the Northwest. Their freight-car shops are also busy. $e Agents’ Commissions as Dutiable Value. The United States General Appraisers at New York have rendered the following decision in the matter of the protest, 647 b-5950, of C. M. Koedt, agent, against the decision of the Collector of Customs at Chicago, IIl., as to the rate and amount of duties chafgeable on certain handkerchiefs and commissions, imported per Britannic, August 30, 1890: This protest is against the assessment of duty upon an item, £6. 5/8, stated in the invoice as ‘‘2} per cent. agent’s commis- sion,” which, having been deducted from the stated value of the merchandise, was added by the appraiser, in his return, ‘‘ to make market value.” The appellant claims that such commission was not part of the actual market value or wholesale price of the merchandise, but is a charge in addition to such value or whoiesale price, and under the provisions of Section 19, act of June 10, 1890, is not dutiable. The importer having apparently failed to avail himself of the provisions of Sec- tion 13 of the last-mentioned act, by appeal to reappraisement, the decision of the appraiser became final and conclusive as to the dutiable value of the merchandise against all parties interested therein. Hence this protest against the collector’s action in the assessment and liquidation of duties on the merchandise in accord- ance with the appraiser’s return of value is invalid, and is accordingly overruled. We deem it proper to add, however, that we gather from the papers in the case that the so-called ‘‘agent’s commission ” was in the nature of a special allowance or concession made by the consignors, the manufacturers, to the importer, either for selling the goods for their account or for buying and receiving the same direct from them, instead of through a selling agent. It is itemized upon the invoice separate from, and following, a discount of 24 per cent., and is deducted from tbe sum total or aggregate value of the goods per se, and not added thereto, as a charge, as would be the case if it were a bona jide commission actually paid by the importer to a commission merchant, or other inter- mediary, for services rendered and risks incurred in connection with the purchase and shipment of the goods. It was not, therefore, in our opinion, a **commission” within the meaning of the statute, and we so find as matter of fact. We hold that only such a commission or brokerage as has been actually paid, as above indicated, is exempt from duty within contemplation of Section 19 of the act of June 10, 1890. The action of the Collector is affirmed. I Work on the great bridge over the Mis- sissippi River, at Memphis, Tenn., is pro- gressing rapidly. All the spans are com- pleted with the exception of 500 feet on the Tennessee side. It is stated that the bridge will be open for traffic May 1. The total cost will approach $3,000,000. The annual meeting of the stockholders of the Illinois Steel Company was held in Chicago on the 10th inst. Among the stock- holders present were: Edwin Gilmore, Easton, Mass.; T. C. Owen, Ypsilanti, Mich. ; Francis Hinton, Milwaukee; Henry RB. Stone and A. J. Forbes-Leith, New York; H. H. Porter, Jay C. Morse, W. R. Stirling, H. 8. Smith, Marshall Field, Norman Williams, H. A. Gray and R. For- sythof Chicago. President Morse presided. The following directors were elected for the ensuing year: Nathaniel Thayer, Fran- cis Barilett, Boston; Morgan Roach, New Bedford, Mass.; A. J. Forbes-Leith, New York ; Marshall Field, Norman Wil- liams, R. Forsyth, H. 8. Smith, W. R. Stirling, Jay C. Morse and H. H. Porter of Chicago. No change was made in the list of directors with the exception of R. Fosyth, who takes the place of O. W. Pot- ter, who declined re-election. The directors elected the following offi- cers: President, Jay C. Morse; first vice- president, W. R. Stirling; second vice- presideat, H. S. Smith; secretary, H. A. Gray; assistant secretary, W. A. Green; treasurer, J. C. Stirling; Executive Com- mittee, Jay C. Morse, W. R. Stirling, H. S. Smith, Norman Williams, A. J. Forbes- Leith At a special meeting of the company held nearly a year ago the authorized capi- tal stock of the company was increased from $25,000,000 to $50,000,000. The stockholders at this annual meeting rati- fied such increase. None of this stock has been issued. The annual report showed that the year had been a comparatively unprofitable one. The net profits were $1,038,777, against $2,578,089 in 1890. The profits last year were equal to 5.57 on the outstanding authorized capital, while the profits of 1890 were equal to 11.09 per cent. The balance sheet of the company December 31, 1891, was as follows : Credits. Capital stock out- SID cineca eas $18,650,635.00 Five per cent. deben- ture bonds......... 6,200,000 .00 —— —-—_ $24,859.635.00 Bills payable ..... $4,256,697 .34 Accounts payable... 2,928,348.48 Accrued interest and commis:ions.. 166,589 .36 ae $7 ,351,635.18 Reserve funds for replacements : Accidents and contingencies... . $144,228.00 Profit and loss (undivided surplus) 1,969,294 .98 $34,315.893.16 Debits. Cost of real estate, buildings, machin- ery and equipment to January 1, 1891. .$17,233.976.63 Net additions in 1891. 567,641.86 $17,801,618. 49 Materials and sup- plies on hand....... Cash on hand....... . Bills receivable...... 1,028,481. Accounts reczivable 2,842 526.31 $14,142,403. 46 Stocks and bonds on Mats new ce Other investments... $2,219,871 .21 152,000.00 $2,371,871.21 $34,315,898 16 The total amount of receipts of raw material in the year was 3,026,456 tons; shipped, 795,362 tons of finished product; paid in wages during the year, $5,096, - 511; average number of men employed, 7119. The statement of the officers expresses the belief that the present year will exceed any previous year in the volume of busi- ness. Thestock of raw material on hand is greater than at the same time last year, and the market for 1892 is better than that of 1891. In conclusion it 1s recommended that the op n-hearth steel plant and plate mill authorized in 1889 be constructed without delay. 2¢2 The Schulz-Knaudt Smokeless Boiler. The well-known Schulz-Knaudt Com- pany of Essen, Germany, exhibited at the International Electric Exhibition at Frank- fort one of their side flue boilers, into which they subsequently put a smoke-con- suming device which has been run for some time at their own plant. The Ger- man Society of Engineers prints an article over the signature of a factory inspector and chief engineer of a boiler inspection company, from which we take the follow- ing, the accompanying engravings being reproduced from the original source. It will be observed that the boiler in question has a large Fox corrugated flue 000 500 oO THE IRON AGE. combustion chamber through the grid- iron wall into its lower part. From there they escape through the corrugated flue, pass downward, sweep forward along the boiler on one side and pass backward along its other side tothe chimney, the course being indicated by arrows in Figs. 1 and 2. Besides the oval air flue, /, there are two round tubes or pipes, 7, so arranged that the ends which open at the back end of the boiler may be closed by a simple valve, while the forward end enters into the com- bustion chamber at the pointy. Through a simple transmission, the valves closing the outer ends of the pipes r are so coa- nected with the fice doors of the boiler st AA Fig. 2.—Plan. SCALE OF METRES 7) __ February 18, 1899 a =< — ies poe ree — en material bein rotected by a glaze which go, a it. . oi forme Since a number of boilers empt at the same chimney at the Frankton tric Exhibition, no accurate results 1, the smoke consumption could be oheerved. The writers of the report, therefore vis. ited the works of the makers at Essen i found that the consumption of ted’ on 89.3 kilograms per square meter of . Ta surface per hour. The fire doors a opened 15 times an hour, on an average being charged ten times an hour, while stoking was done five times an hour, The top of the stack was carefully watched after every charge of fresh fuel, whe n it IIIT III DOI III re Lp gibd egal re ee ch ge os ig Gee Po. LS SSS SSShSsSssss SSS OT Pere ee eee per rere cere z exe ig tmp py ie Sipyegas eral: By y — THE SCHULZ-KNAUDT SMOKELESS BOILER. placed laterally, and that it is within this flue that the device has been put. grate as originally arranged is not dis- turbed. There is introduced into the cor- rugated flue an oval cast-iron pipe 1, cov- ered with refractory material, through which the air for combustion is drawn from the back of the boiler, as indicated in Fig. 1, the arrow showing the course of the air. This flue is kept open at all times. The ash-pit door remains closed except when the ashes are being removed. On the top of the air flue, /, a combustion chamber is arranged immediately behind the fire bridge. It is divided into two parts by a nearly horizontal wall made of refractory material pierced with openings which give it a gridironform. The upper part is closed toward the rear, so that the gases of combustion which sweep over the fire bridge pass from the upper part of the that as soon as the fire doors are closed The | the valves at the end of the pipes 7 are opened. A cataract, k, Fig. 3, allows of adjustment. The working of the apparatus is simple. The air of combustion is preheated in the flue J, while the air for the burning of the gas is thoroughly mixed at the point g, having been well preheated in the pipes r. This secondary air supply is furnished particularly at the time when the fire doors are open for charging the fuel. During the intervals of charging the pipes 7 heat up to a high temperature, since no air flows through them at that time. The apparatus is not attached at any point by rivets or screws to the boiler itself, nor is the boiler exposed to a biow-pipe flame at any point. An examination made of the plant after it had been running for a con- siderable time showed that the wear was was found that for only about one to one and one half minutes a very weak yellow- ish smoke was visib'e, while, during the rest of the time, it was impossible to tell from the stack whether the boiler was at work or not. The report ends with the statement that the object of the device was fully accomplished, and that the firing may be called ‘‘ smoke-consuming.” —— a On the 10th inst. the largest consign- ment of tin plate received since the higher duties took effect arrived at the Chicago Custom House. The consignment aggre- gated 1,349,508 pounds, and 70 cars were required to transport it. G. W. Sheldon & Co. were the consignees, and the tin plate was intended for Armour & Co., Hib- bard, Spencer, Bartlett & Co., the Fairbank Canning Company and others. This _ movement would seem to indicate that the THE IRON AGE. February 18, 1892 as oie’ us stocks of tin plate rushed into to. avoid the payment = i duties under the McKinley tari ve reen exhausted. If this is the case, the time is at hand when the real effect of the advanced duties can be observed. ————— Size and Speed of the Steamship : of the Future. enormo this country To speculate as to the probable size and speed of the Atlantic liner of the future and to estimate the course improvements will take are questions of lively interest. the Atlantic at full speed, and certainly no torpedo boat would essay to do so. In the modern high-speed passenger steamer the cargo capacity of the vessel is limited, and so valuable that only precious cargo is carried, and that at a pretty high rate. The cause of the limitation is the weight of machinery and of the coal for consumption and the neces- sity for minimizing the displacement. To compensate for this decreased cargo capac- ity and to meet the increased expense, it is neccessary to secure a larger income, and it may be taken that this can be done more effectually by adding to the passenger ac- 293 ten years the speed has increased from 16 to 20 knots, and in the same time the indi- cated horse-power has gone up from 6000 to 18,000, while the size of the ship has only been doubled. To attain this result the ship of to-day buras 1900 tons of coal in six day, whereas ten years ago 600 tons only were burned in seven and one-half | days. If the ship of the future then is to be of greater size, and the past certainly points in this direction, there is no alternative but to continue increasing the power of theengines. Taking the case of the City of Paris, which at her maximum speed of Fig. 6.—Section through ec d. Fig. 3.—Front Elevation. Fig. 4.—Rear Elevation. THE SCHULZ-KNAUDT SMOKELESS BOILER. From an article in a recent issue of | commodation rather than by raising the Engineering we take the following : As to the size of the steamship of the future, financial considerations must de- termine it. Any addition to size means greater displacement and greater power to get a high rate of speed. A small craft, similar perhaps to a torpedo boat of the Thornycroft or Yarrow build, would give results satisfactory at least on the debit side of the ledger. But what of the credit side, which, after all, is the more im- portant in a merchant ship of the Atlantic greyhound type? In the case of British ships there are only two sources of revenue —from passengers and for the transport of cargo and mails. In a vessel of the tor- pedo type there is not room for either. So also with high-speed cruisers, where a very large proportion of the length, in some cases 40 per cent., is given up for ma- chinery. Indeed, only in exceptional cases could a cruiser carry fuel to cross passenger fares. This means a great in- crease in the size of the vessel, for passen gers cannot well be put below the level of the load water line. It is not necessary to enter into the relationship of power, speed, and size of vessels. Atlantic vessels are built to comply with conditions dictated by financial considerations. As to speed, there is really no insur mountable difficulty in attaining 40 knots, but this would require something like 160,000 indicated horse-power, 70 boilers to generate the steam for the engines, and these would burn considerably more than 2000 tons of coal per day. The experience of the past suggests these figures. Some idea may be formed as to the size of vessel necessary for this machinery. We leave it to the imagination of the reader. The question is one of finance, and it might need a company of millionaires to own and run a fleet of such vessels. In 21 knots required over 20,000 indicated horse-power, we find that she would re- quire for 23} knots speed 28,000 indicated horse-power, and for 25 knots 34,000 indi- cated horse-power. Foran increase in speed of 19 per cent. there is therefore needed an addition of 70 per cent. to the power. Re- garding the engines of the new vessel designed by Messrs. Thomson, which is considerably larger, we find that assuming the draft to be the same as in the City of Paris, 234 feet, the power required for 21 knots would probably be about 22,350 in- dicated horse-power, for 23} knots 33,000 indicated horse-power, and for 25 knots 40,000 indicated horse-power, so that in this case the increase of 19 per cent. in speed is got by an addition of 79 per cent. power. The new vessel, to make 234 knots, for this increase of 12 per cent. to speed needs 47.5 per cent. more power. To attain this result the new vessel would re- quire 14 boilers, and instead of 320 tons of 294 THE IRON AGE. Febraary 18, 1899 SSS coal per day she would consume 528 tons, which on a five days’ voyage aggregates 2700 tons, instead of 1900, asin the six days’ voyage of the City of Paris: Tae Fairfield Company, with a vessel 600 feet long, intend to have engines of 30,000 in- a horse-power to give 22 or 22} nots. SSE EE Progress of the Tin-Plate Industry. The eighth annual convention of the Western Packers’ Canned Goods Associa- tion opened its session in Chicago at the Sherman House on February 10. The members of this association are interested in knowing what progress is being made in the establishment of a tin-plate in- dustry, and the Tinned-Plate Manufact- urers’ Association of the United States ar- ranged to make an official statement of what has been done. The following a- dress was delived on the subject by Clar- ence R. Britton, acting-secretary of the Tinned-Plate Association : It can be said, I believe, that no busi- ness topic has ever received such general attention by the public as the tin plate question. Why that is so is hard to under- stand. Each and every one of our many and great industries had a beginning, and that beginning a small one in every in- stance; and why should more than this be expected of the manufacture of tin plates ? If all of our now great enterprises had in their infancy met with such hostile treat- ment, the United States would not be what she is to-day, the greatest manufacturing natién of the world. It is unfortunate, both for its friends and its enemies, that this question has been made a political issue. Its enemies have shown their un- Americanism; its friends, by their en- thusiastic patriotism, have overestimated the situation, and both have been ridiculed. The controversy on the part of its friends has not been carried on by the actual manufacturers, or even by those who have intentions of engaging in the business, but by the champions of the cause outside of the manufacturing world. If it be neces- sary to apologize for the small production of American tin plates, there are many good reasons why the industry is not further advanced: one because of the im- mense supply in this market when the new duty went into effect; another, and a very just one, was referred to by Mr. Norton in is address last year, and that is the pres- ent crude and laborious processes of man- ufacture. Those who have studied this subject donot believe for a moment that manufacturers in this country will con- tinue for a very long time to use or even adopt the Welsh methods. There have been improvements made right here in Chicago which, though not quite per- fected in every detail, are so nearly so that we are sure they will prove success- ful, for they are in the hands of men of mechanical genius and capital, who will not allow them to fail. But the Messrs. Norton are not the only ones who are working on improvements. Were I at liberty to give you the informa- tion which I have you would be ouyeees at the advancement made in so short a time in new devices for manufacturing tin plates and also for improving the quality thereof. Are any of you thinking of building a new canning works? Will you adopt the ways of 25, 15, or even five years ago? Why, certainly not. You want the most improved appliances that can be had, and so do the tin-plate manufacturers. The framers of the ‘‘ tin plate clause ” in the new Tariff law realized it would be an immense undertaking to transfer so large an industry 3000 miles to the land of the consumer, the place where it belongs. They asked, demanded and obtained five years for this object. As yet one of these five years has not gone by, and we are criticised because we are not prepared to supply the entire amount for the Ameri- Some of you may have been out to Jackson Park, have seen the hun- can market. dreds—yes, thousands—of men at work, the tons and tons of material piled up everywhere; and yet you do not doubt but that out of that confusion will rise the grandest exhibition the world has ever The tin-plate works now under seen. construction are in this same condition. It will take $15,000,000 and three years of time to prepare the World’s Fair; it will take $25,000,000 to firmly establish the American tin-plate industry, and should we not be entitled to at least five years time to do it? Give this time and you will be as proud of the achievement of the tin- plate manufacturers as you are bound to be of the Managing Directors of the Colum- bian Exhibition. A certain Eastern journal, which claims to voice the views of the canners, and is the organ of the so-called Tin-Plate Con- sumers’ Association, says there are no tin plates being made in this country for can purposes. I do not believe any one ever said there were, but this is no reason why they never will be manufactured. This same paper also states there are no tin plates of any kind being manufactured in commercial quantities. What they mean by commer- cial quantities is not stated, but I will take their order for 5000 boxes or more, and guarantee to deliver them within any reasonable time. A paper which at this late day will make such statements I can only compare to that Paris journal about which a celebrated French wit once re marked that ‘‘ it was printed to-day, dated to-morrow, and contained the news of the day before yesterday.” You, gentlemen, have brought the canning industry up to such an art that one can have every fruit or vegetable at all seasons of the year; formerly we were content with things only in their respective seasons. The tin-plate industry has not reached this perfection. This does not happen to be the season for American tin plates for canning purposes. Give us that which is necessary for the development of all new undertakings— time—and I warrant that American tin plates of all grades for all purposes can be obtained in all seeasons. The American manufacturers have startei by trying to make the best grades of plates ; first, because there is a chance for a little profit, but mainly because they know that every teakettle, every tin cup and every tin roof made from American plates will be watched with an eagle eye for years to come, and the material must be of such a quality to stand this severe test. There are now in successful opera- tion 12 different tin-plate works, varying in size from the one7 x 9 feet, which Governor Campbell’s lieutenant claimed he found at Apollo, to those at Demmler and St. Louis covering from 4 to 6 acres, There are 13 others in course of erection, some nearly completed, and all of which will be in full operation by midsummer, These 25 works will contain 55 mills, with a capacity of about 35,000 boxes per week, or between 60,000 and 70,000 tons per year, which is about one-sixth of the present consumption. The 25 works when com- pleted will represent an investment of be tween $3,000,000 and $4,000,000. If this be done in one year’s time, what may be ex- pected in three or five? Those of you who still have doubts of something ever being done toward supplying the American market with American plates, come with me to St Louis, Mo.; to Maywood, Ill.; to Elwood and An. derson, Ind.; to Cleveland, Irondale and Piqua, Ohio, to Demmler, Apollo, Pittsburgh, Kensington, Blairsville and Philadelphia, Pa.; to Baltimore, Md., and to Brooklyn, N. Y., and see the works now in operation and others nearing com- pletion. Some of you may very small number compared to w have to be built to aaa the eee market, which is true; but tell me of a new business which had a greater number of works in the first six months of its ex istence. You know, as soon as q low works have run for a time, and capitalists find what money is being made, it wij not be long before they will invest in tip. plate works. Gentlemen, though we have a protective duty, we cannot make a gue. cess of this ind:stry without the aid, eo. operation and patience of the tin-plate consumer, Grant us these, and I assure you the manufacturers will do the rest, Say this ig a LT Relations of Inventions to the Laboring Classes. Carroll D. Wright, United States Com. missioner of Labor, concluded his course of lectures on ‘‘ Statistics” before the po- litical economy department of the North- western University at Evanston, IIl., on the 10th inst., by a popular lecture on ‘*The Relation of Inventions to Labor.” ‘* The influence of inventions upon labor has been felt in two directions—economi- cally and ee said he. ‘The economical influence always been in two ways, but diametrically opposite ways; first in the displacameat or con- traction of labor, and second in the ex- pansion of labor. ‘*In agricultural employments, brick making, the manufacture of small arms, of boots, carriages, &c., the labor has been displaced temporarily by the introduction of power machinery. It is impossible to ascertain with any mathematical exactness, for any number of industries, the dis- placement of labor. It can only be given for distinct inventions. We are apt to look at the displacement as a finality, and such displacement causes great, distress at times, discouragement of the workingman and an unrest which is not offset by any theorizing that can be advanced as to the expansion of labor; in other words, to the man displaced by a machine no satisfactory answer can be given. But labor abstractly is greatly benefited by the introduction of wer machinery and what are called abor-saving inventions. This is through the expansion of labor, as shown by the increased consumption of all raw materials, and the increase of the number of persons engaged in gainful occupations, such in- crease being largely out of proportion to the increase of population itself, as, for in- stance, the increase of population between 1870 and 1880 in the United States was 30 per cent., while the increase in the num- ber of persons engaged in all kinds of em- ployment was 39 per cent. during that period. ‘In a sociological sense machinery has brought with it a new school of ethics. It is the type aad representative of the civili- zation of this period, because it embodies, so far as mechanics are concerned, the con- centrated, clearly wrought out thought of the age. While books represent thought, machinery is the embodiment of thought. Weare living in the age of mind, intel- lect, brain, which to-day is king, and ma- chinery is the king’s prime minister.” me The desirability of an organization of draftsmen in the United States engaged in the practical application of mechanics has led to the formal constitution of the American Association of Draftsmen at a meeting recently held at Camden, N. J. The new library building of the Cam- bria Library Association, erected by Andrew Carnegie, will be opened on Fri- day, February 19. The committee in charge are Cyrus Elder, H. H. Weaver and Fred Krebs. February 18, 1892 — ——— Torpedo-Net Protection. One of the most dreaded weapons of the day is the automobile torpedo, and one of the serious questions for consideration is the protection of a vessel against the eo spain 7 . \ inza A eu C7772 al ( Figs. 2 and 3.—The Midgley Net. TORPEDO subtle attacks of these terrible projectiles. In a recent article in this journal attention was called to the different kinds of tor- pedoes adopted for use in the navy, and an endeavor was made to show with what great rapidity they carry. their large charges of high explosive directly to the target against which it is proposed to have them operate. The thought that most naturally suggests itself is, how to ward NET PROTECTION, 295 THE IRON AGE. | off their blow or keep them at such a dis-|low powered steam launches of the day, tance that when the explosion occurs the| with their spar torpedoes rigged out over radius of its effect will be beyond the| their bows, but had there been any auto- limits of the ship. mobile torpedoes instead of ‘‘ the bag of It has been fairly well proved that a ves- | powder at the end of a stick ” the defense sel under way and going at high speed | would have been entirely inadequate. can count somewhat upon the volume of| The Bullivant net is in general use water moving with her, and set in motion | among foreign nations and it is made of by her hull, to deflect a Whitehead tor- | steel rings placed at right angles to each pedo from striking her a fair blow; and | other, Fig. 1, and attached to steel booms possibly there will in future warfare be | fitted to be run in and out through the many a touch and go shave due to that|ship’s side by means of suitable gearing. cause. Particularly would this be the|This does away with the old time neces- case if the bow or the stern were aimed at. | sity of fitting the nets and booms when at Very possibly torpedo nets would not be|sea, which was an exceedingly clumsy manageable when a vessel was rushing| method and could only be done in the along at a high rate of speed and she| very finest weather and smoothest sea. would have to take her chances of avoid- | The chief defect was due to the weakness ing torpedoes in some other way. of the wooden booms, the heads of which For vessels at anchor or when moving} were frequently wrung off, and the whole at a reduced speed, a net defense, supple- | system was thereby rendered inefficient, mented by booms at some little distance, | whereas the steel booms have been found is regarded as a fairly safe method for|to answer admirably and the whole ar- keeping a fish torpedo from exploding in| rangement affords perfect defense against contact with the vessel. The thrust | torpedo attack. against these nets is so severe that their| A sectionof the Bullivant net has been meshes have to be made of grammets, or | brought over to this country to undergo a rings of steel, interlaced and suspended | series of trials. Its competitor is what is from a steel-wire hawser. This arrange-|kpown as the Midgley net, and it is of ment is generally spoken of as the ship’s| American manufacture. The experiments crinoline, and it completely girdles the| were to have taken place with the pro vessel when down for action. When not | jectiles fired from the submarine gun of required for use, the booms are rigged in| Ericsson’s Destroyer, but as that ves- alongside the vessel and the net rolled up |sel’s fittings have not been completed the well clear of the water. The whole opera- | chances are that when the Whiteheads and Howells that are now being made are com- pleted they will be used to test the re- spective merits of the two nets. A de- scription of the American net is here given, for if successful in the trials it will be re- quired to complete the outfit of our naval vessels. In Fig. 2, B B represents parallel bars formed of intertwined helices a a, having their ends secured by being bent back into or upon the helix. The length of the bars may be variel for use upon vessels of different dimensions ; they are preferably made about 2 inches wide. In construct- ing the bars, sections of cylindrical helices are screwed into each other to form a sheet of any convenient length and width, the length, asa rule, being equal to the length required for the bars. The sheet is then passed through a pressing machine to flatten or elongate the helices. The sheet during this process is kept under longi- tudinal tension to make the helices equal in length and seat each helix in the ad- jacent helices with which it is intertwined, in order to form a compact and flexible fabric which can be readily rolled upon itself. After this the sheet is cut transversely of the helices into bars of any desired width, the ends of the helices being secured on both edges of the bars. The latter are then placed in position parallel with each other upon a flat surface, and the bars -| C Care interwoven to form meshes about 6 inches square. These additional bars may be made of strands of wire passed through the helices and braided or twisted beneath the bars B B as at e, thus securely holding them in proper position in the netting or guard. Instead of using the strands of wire to form the bars ¢ ¢, they may be made of the same material as the bars B. In this latter construction, Fig. 3, the bars are connected at the points where they inter- sect by twosections of wire bent in serpen- tine form. These sections are laid across each other, and each bar connected to both sections by a section e of cylindrical helices being screwed into the end of each bar and into both of the sections. The connecting section is then flattened to con- form to the length and appearance of the bars and their ends properly secured by binding. This latter construction produces an exceedingly flexible guard, admirably adapted for use at the bow and stern of oo tol = Tt fas } + HAH IHHHHA RAH AAA AAA UHHH HAH HE 1H HARE Mate uy f od UU PY BU UY HHHAH AHH RH HHH MMM Telstalsislatadslataishehatcletedstateldsiatetatsles TUL 1 Uy ti RR RH HAHAHA AP aalal HH HHH WHA ASH t WH LL fi HAHAHA HHAAAR AAA HHH RH HBR H UHH tion taking but a few minutes to rig or to unrig. Some four years or so ago during tor- do boat exercise with our naval vessels in Newport, R. I., one of the ships was protected against torpedo attack by taking allof her spare spars and using them as stretchers to hold out two rope hawsers clear of the vessel’s side. This means was found sufficiently strong to keep out the 296 a vessel, where it is always necessary to curve or bend the sections in order to cou- form to the contcur of the hull of the It is lighter than the Bullivant net and can be thrown out and taken in and rolled up in much less It is also claimed that it possesses far greater flexibility, and that it has the additional advantage of being made by machinery, whereas the English net is vessel at the water line. time. made by hand. At the lower end of the net is a tubular bar D, Fig. 2, to which the bars B are secured and upon which the net is rolled in sections when it is taken from the water. When removed from the ship it can be transported and stored on this bar and The bar is provided at the bottom with a longitudi- nal slot 7, of a width equal to the thick- ness of the bar C, and on its top with a series of rectangular slots g, through which To apply this bar D to a section of the guard or netting, the bars B so kept always ready for use. the bars B pass. are passed through the slots g and /, and the bar pushed back upon the bars, when the lower bar C is inserted through the bars B and the bar D, then pushed down until it rests on the bar C. For the pur- pose of ready handling, the netting may be rolled from either the upper or lower end of the sections. The guard thus con- structed is comparatively light by reason of the large meshes, and when applied to @ vessel it may be readily suspended upon booms or guard arms in the usual manner. rr — The Philadelphia Natural Gas Company of Pittsburgh recently sent to the stock- holders the following statement showing the financial condition of that company: ASSETS. : Jan. 1,1891. Jan. 1, 1892. CR os ccecvercsconne | See $100,955.20 Accounts and bills receivable........ 717,057 .82 684,130.48 Sund:y gas and other stocks ...... 366,920 .00 386,920 .00 Pipe lines, gas wells, BR igs Linch deke wn 6,901,678 .78 6,632,521 .91 Real estate, rights of way, &.... ...... 234,799.85 234,999.85 Gas leases and gas Fights ..........-.. 1,560,289.13 522,831.80 Charters, franchises, patents, &c... .... 1,146,913.25 521,873.55 Regulators, meters and material....... 788,955.39 736,110.17 Tools, furniture, fix- tures, &c....... 69,852.89 69,852.89 Total assets.......... $11,830,985 .56 $9,890,195 .85 LIABILITIES. : Jan. 1, 1891. Jan. 1, 1892. Capital stock.... $7 500,000.00 $7,500,000 Ou Accounts and bills payable............ 931,023.92 560,541.06 Collateral contract account. ....... 617,000.00 258,000 00 BORER. 2605-00 recess 510,000.00 430,000.80 Undivided protits.. 2,272,961.64 1,141,744.79 Total liabilities... ..$11,830,9°5.56 $9,890,195 .85 PHILADELPHIA COMPANY DEBT. Jan. 1, 189). Jan. 1, 1892. Accounts payable.. $169,211.80 $131,258,15 Bills payable........ 761,809.12 429,192.91 Collateral contract, payable $30,000 a Pettey cece 617,000.00 258,000,00 Total floating debt. .$1,548,23.92 $818,451 06 eee 510,000.00 430,000.00 The owners of the Mesaba range mines, 48 miles north of Duluth, have agreed to contract todeliver for aterm of years at furnace stockhouses in Duluth soft red Bessemer hematite, from 60 to 65 per cent. iron, at $2aton, in any quantity. The Duluth, Mesaba and Northero Rail- way has been beguo, and is under con- tract to be finished from Duluth to the already famous mines by August 1. The 125 ton coke furnace of the Duluth Fur nace Company is under contract to supply the steel plant with its Bessemer pig. It is using a mixture of two-thirds Gogebic soft and one-third Vermillion soft from the Chandler Mine, and is turning out a most satisfactory grade of pig. THE IRON AGE. A. D. PENTZ, to, may be of service or may not. him