The Iron Age 1892-10-13: Vol 50

The Betts Turning and Boring Mill. | The unusual demand which has devel- | oped for the turning and boring mills built by the Betts Machine Company of Wilmington, Del., has led them to make a special effort to furnish a thoroughly first-class machine of this kind. With this object in view they have perfected the design and construction of their mills, as ‘THE THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1892. as shown in Fig. 5, of a center portion with two sides extended backward, and upon these sides rest the uprights. The table is driven by an internal spur wheel and a forged steel pinion, and is attached to a heavy and long spindle at its center, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The spindle is carried in an adjustable bearing in the bed plate, while its lower end rests on a steel step and wedge in- closed in another adjustable bearing. On Pr . THE BETTS 14-FOOT TURNING AND BORING suggested by experience. The latest im- provements made by them are shown in the engravings here presented, which illus- trate a 14-foot mill built for the Pennsyl- vania Iron Works of Philadelphia. The machine consists essentially of a bed plate carrying a rotating table or face plate, two uprights or standards, a cross rail carrying two saddles with their tool spindles and attachments, and the driving mechanism necessary to move the table and tool spindles. The bed plate is of box form, of heavy action, well braced, with ample flanges, and has the gearing for driving the table firmly secured to it. It consists, the bottom side of the table is an annular bearing which is a part of the bed plate, for the sustaining of heavy loads on the table; when light loads are being handled the wedge under the bottom step can be pushed in by operating a square-ended rod | in the bed plate beside the table, thus rais- ing the table off the annular bearing, | allowing it to run lightly for faster speeds. | The table is well provided with T slots to secure work. The driving gears are all cut from the solid, and all spur pinions are of forged | steel. The pitch and face of the gears are | large and have proven very successful in wearing qualities and strength. The driv- IRON AGE ing shaft is of large diameter and runs ia long bearings. The driving cones are provided with a convenient number of speeds and generous belt width. The uprights, Figs. 2 and 4, are of the box or double plate pattern; have wide faces and long bases. They are amply se- cured with bolts which fit in T slots in the side pieces of the bed plate, thus allowing the mill to enlarge its swing. The front ends of the uprights are provided with MILL. taper dowels to bring them into alignment after being moved. The cross rail, Figs. 6 and 7, is made deep in its bearing on the face of the up- rights and is secured by a long clamp ex- tending its full depth. It isof heavy box section, with large wearing surface, and has a square lock for the saddles, both top and bottom, thus always taking the strain in a manner to best resist wear and spring. The saddles have a long bearing on the cross rail. The face of the saddle is pro- vided with a circular 7 slot, which re- ceives the bolts, and these secure the in- dex plates or swivels. The index plates carry the tool spindles or cutter bars in a am ae a Sn Seen _ =e wr - tee os => fe aA sy 2» rt y yore 664 THE IRON AGE. slide on their face, and these are also pro- Besides this list, making 112 engines, vided with a square lock, as in the caseof| counting each steam cylinder, there are the cross rail. The tool spindles are pro-| some connected with the torpedo service, vided with a rack and pinion for quick|the dimensions of which are not yet de- motion up or down, and are fed by means|termined. After looking over this list of a screw; the ends of the spindles are | one will conclude that the steam machinery provided with a special tool holder, in| of a modern warship is the principal part. which the tool can be fastened and ad- October 13, 1892 and will outlive two or three wooden ves- sels. It is known, by actual measure- ments made by iasurance companies, that the weight of the wooden hull is about one-third of the displacement, and that the weight of the cargo is about three- fifths. The rate of hull to cargo is, there- ‘ iA 7, ae | eS “ Lal justed with as much ease and as great i scope as in a lathe. Each spindle is counterbalanced in all positions, and the counterbalance does not interfere in any way with the setting of the index plates. Two complete sets of feeds are provided, making each saddle as independent of the other as though on separate machines. These feeds cover a large range, are large in number and have ample power; they are by hand or power in all directions. The cross rail is moved by power. Pro- vision is made for taking up the wear in both the saddles and tool spindles. When desired, this mill is provided with a slotting attachment for cutting key ways, &c. For this purpose one tool spindle is furnished with an attachment which gives it an automatically recipro- cating motion, thus converting it tempo- rarily into a slotter. This device does not interfere with the tool spindle, except when in use, and can be attached or de- tached in a few minutes. It will cut taper or straight, as desired, and has a stroke almost equal to the movement of the spin- dle. When required, there are also pro- vided a traveling head boring bar and the necessary attachments for boring cylin- ders in a vertical position. The ratio of gearing 1s 232to1. The cone pulleys are 26} inches in diameter, of five steps, for 4$-inch belt. The mill is back geared, and there are two speeds on the countershaft, giving 60 changes of speed on the table. The feeds are positive and independent on both sides of the ma- chine. They vary from ,'; inch to 14 inches per revolution for cross feeds and ,\, inch to } inch for regular and vertical feeds. The machine will take work 8 feet high, WHILE MME faa WN will swing 14 feet 5 inches, and weighs V4 | i 121,300 pounds. Qo. J ———— enna —_ Ki Engines on a Battle Ship. 21 3 Industry applied to George W. Dickie, ee manager of the Union Iron Works, San Francisco, for particulars respecting the oe number of steam engines on the battle ship ‘‘ Oregon.” Mr. Dickie has sent the following list, set down from memory, which js here arranged in tabular form: —— | $n { ~ = ow + . , @ = - bn 74 ~ ae of steed ae bei OS os See |..6 } =o : = ~o2 Ise = =|Purpose of engines. = = 2 = |= Soh A. | aoe iss Y. v Vo = I 6 |Main driving, 9000 horse-powet Triple 3446 48 75) 42 > { |For air pumps, Double 6 For circulating pumps.. ...... Comp’d 7 12 6 —_—S=é=< Hot well pump en- | gines Single 8 16 Fire and bilge pump engines Single 10 16 Air and circulating nm pumps., Single 10 16 Fig. 3.—Vertical Section Through Bed Plate and Table, 4 Ventilating fans Comp'’d 5 9 6 : t Barring engines Double 6 6 2 Reversing engines.. Single 14 Is ; : . . $ Hydraulic steering , THE BETTS 14-FOOT TURNING AND BORING MILL. rears ouble & 12 4 Main feed pumps... |Single |12 16 tf Auxiliary feed + ten ee - caw 0 16 | She is, indeed, a great magazine of ma-| fore, about 5 to 9. By taking the average 16 |Fireroom fans, Comp’d| 5 9 6 |chinery, much of it of a delicate nature, | of a large number of ships made of wood, 5 |Z oem crance Double; 8 10 | and all requiring intelligent care. and of others made of iron, it has been 12. Hydraulic pumping Single 20 30 . f 1 tl he i hips weigh sh 8 Steam winches Double § 10 cI ounc that the iron s ips weigh, when 2 Windlass engines... Double 16 12 built, about 27 per cent. less than wooden 5 pynamo engines .. Compa 7 2 4 | An iron ship is more profitable than ajones. As the weight of cargo and hull 8 Ventilation.. Comp'd 5 9 6 | wooden one, because it will carry more/are in the proportion of 5 to 9, the iron : peep Deere moll 4 \; |cargo than the latter, at a lower rate.of| hull will have the advantage in carrying © ( rine Ss rie ) : : : : ~ - ' | insurance, will command a better freight, | capacity by } of 27, or 15 per cent,— that October 13, 1892 is, an iron ship will carry 115 tons for, every 100 tons carried by a wooden ship when both are of the same outside dimen- sions and both are loaded to the same draft of water. a ee F. R. Phillips of Philadelphia an- nounces that a partnership has been effected between himself and George C. Waldo, president of the Excelsior Bank, New York, under the style of the Phillips THE IRON AGE. The Shipping Bounty Question in France. BY A NAVAL OFFICER, In 1881, after a prolonged discussion, a law was adopted in France providing for the payment of Government bounties for shipping covstruction and for oversea navigation. This law embodied a clearly Fig. 4.—Side Elevation. Fig. 5.—Half Plan. THE BETIS 14-FOOT TURNING AND BOKING MILL. Tin Plate Company, for the manufacture of tin plates. The works are to be located, we are informed, in the northwest section of Philadelphia, with offices at 200 Wal- nut place, that city. Mr. Phillips informs us further that the company have placed an order for machinery, Morewood pots, &c., with R. 8. Newbold & Son, Norris- town, Pa., and that they have one Jenkins and one Edwards automatic tinning ma- chines en route from England. He also states that they have one Leyshon machine now ready foruse. Itis the expectation of the company to have all the machinery mentioned on the ground, buildings fin- ished and plates on the market by Novem- ber next, defined policy, having in view the devel- opment of the domestic shipbuilding in- dustry and the revival of the prosperity of the French mercantile marine. The con- struction bounties were authorized without any limitation as to the length of time the provision establishing them should con tinue in force; the navigation bounties were to be paid for a period of ten years only. By special enactment the latter, so far as regards French-built vessels, have been continued temporarily in operation since the expiration of the ten-year term, pending final decision as to the details of a similar law which it is proposed to put in force for a further definite period. The matter has been under consideration from time to 665 time, but it was decided this summer to postpone the question until the autumn of the present year. A convenient opportu- nity is thus afforded for a general review of the subject, which is one of interest in this country under existing conditions, since it is becoming more and more appar- ent that the problem of the rehabilitation of the American merchant marine will demand a large share of the attention of | our legislators in the near future. The law of 1881 resulted from a de- pressed condition of French shipping in- terests, which had continued a number of years. During this period the outlook | had become more and more gloomy, until there was a general agreement of opinion that it was absolutely necessary for the Government to take vigorous steps to avert disaster. Accordingly, the law to which reference has been made was enacted, providing for the payment of bounties of two kinds, construction bounties and navi- gation bounties. The construction bounties, payable for sea-going vessels built in France, were authorized as compensation for the charges indirectly imposed upon the builders by the customs tariff. They were as follows: Per Ton, Gross Measurement. For iron or steel vessels. ............. $11.58 For wooden vessels of 200 tons andabove. 5.86 | For wooden vessels of less than 200 tons. 1.95 For composite weasels... 2. sscccsscsees 7.72 For engines and boilers, including auxiliary machinery as put on board new steamers, a bounty of $2.32 per 100 kg. (equal to $1.05 per 100 pounds) was pro- vided. Changes having the result of in- creasing the measurement of a vessel gave right to a bounty calculated, for such in- crease, on the same scale as the allowance for a new vessel. Replacing old boilers carried a compensation of $1.54 per 100 kg. (or 70 cents per 100 pounds) for the weight of the new boilers, without tubes, when of French make. The navigation bounties were to be paid to French sailing ships and steamers making oversea voyages; they were not to be paid to vessels engaged in the fisher- ies, nor to those engaged in regular serv- ice on subsidized routes, nor to pleasure craft. These bounties were fixed at so much per ton net measurement for every 1000 miles run, the amount per ton for each 1000 miles being 29 cents for new French- built vessels, this amount decreas- ing annually 14 cents for wooden vessels, 14 cents for composite vessels and 1 cent for those of iron. Vessels built abroad but sailing under the French flag and making oversea voyages were allowed one- half the bounty to which they would have been entitled had they been built in France. For the purpose of applying these provisions official distance tables were issued by the French Government. An increase of 15 per cent was allowed on the navigation bounty in the case of steamers built in France on plans previ- ously approved by the Navy Department. The law also provided that in case of war French merchant vessels might be taken for public use. Special rules were formulated by the Minister of Marine stating the conditions under which steamers built in France would be entitled to the increase of 15 per cent. on the navigation bounty. Those rules provided for special inspections, boiler tests, requirements to insure stabil- ity, subdivision by bulkheads, the attain- ment of a speed ot 134 knots when loaded to a prescribed draft, a coal-carrying capacity sufficient to insure the possibility of steaming 6000 miles at a speed of 10 knots, an arrangement of bunkers permit- ting coal protection for the engine and boilers, the total submersion of the pro- peller, permanent fittings, and structural strength to permit the carrying of a bat- tery of 54-inch guns, suitable arrange- 7 of eS. he © ae oO a = er 1» wp Ps PRE ae 666 THE IRON AGE. ments for supplying ammunition, and a tank capacity sufficient to insure a supply of fresh water for 100 men during one month. J + main features of the measure adopted in 1881 having been given, the question presents itself, To what extent has there been a fulfillment of the bright expectations then engendered? While it is difficult to arrive at an exact estimate of the results by the study of statistics, owing to the many elements which enter into any question of commercial and in- dustrial development, there would seem to THE BETTS 14-FOOT TURNING AND BORING be room for but little doubt that the nav- igation bounties, involving an average an- nual expenditure of about $1,440,000, have played an important part in increasing the total number of steamers under the French flag from 652, with an aggregate tonnage of 277,759 tons, in 1880, to 1110, with an aggregate tonnage of 499,921 tons, in 1890. During the same period the total number of sailing vessels under the French flag decreased from 14,406, with an aggregate tonnage of 641,539 tons, to 14,000, with an aggregate tonnage of 444,092 tons ; but a decrease in sailing tonnage is to be expected under present condi- tions of maritime commerce. The net increase, sail and steam, amounted to 52 vessels and to 24,715 tons. But the navigation bounties are paid only for ves- sels making oversea voyages, while the figures which have just been given include all classes, thus comprising a large amount of tonnage which was not affected directly by these bounties, such as shipping em- ployed in European commerce or in regu- lar service on specially subsidized routes or in the domestic coasting trade, the latter being reserved, however, to vessels under the French flag. Taking steamers only, and leaving out of consideration all those receiving subsidies for maintaining a prescribed service on certified routes, and therefore excluded by Fig. 7.—Plan of Fig. 6. | the terms of the law of 1881 from the benefits of the navigation bounties, the | number of other French steamers of more | than 1000 tons each, gross measurement, ‘increased from 47, aggregating 72,985 |tons, in 1881, to 215, aggregating 380,433 | tons, in 1891. As regards the development of new routes, it is noteworthy that while in 1881 there were but two routes on which reg- ular and steady service was maintained by French steamers engaged in bounty- earning navigation, there are now 19 such routes, The share of the French flag in the oversea trade of the nation increased ma- terially from 1880 to 1890. The carrying trade of France with other European coun- tries was not covered by the law of 1881, October 13, 1892 and the proportion of this commerce fall- ing to French vessels decreased somewhat during the same period. The provision authorizing the payment of a premium of 15 per cent. in addition to the usual navigation bounty in the case of steamers built to meet special naval re- quirements has been almost entirely bar- ren of results. The object in view was a very important one, but no nation has yet succeeded in securing a material increase in the number of her merchant steamers really suitable for employment as auxiliary cruisers or as transports in time of war MILL. without offering to pay adequately for it in one form or another. The first cost and the running expenses of such steamers being greater than is the case with other types, while the earning capacity is fre- quently less, private capital will not be in- vested in them unless inducements are offered sufficient to insure a satisfactory return for the outlay. The bid of the French Government was not high enough, and the law of 1881 caused but two steamers to be built to meet the naval requirements already noted. This feature of the law having practically failed to accomplish the results intended, it is now proposed, as will be seen presently, to increase the 15 per cent. premium to one of 25 per cent., but it is open to question whether even this will be sufficient. There are under October 13, 1892 THE IRON AGE. 667 the French flag, available for Government use in case of need, a number of merchant steamers specially designed for employment as auxiliary cruisers and thoroughly suit- able for the purpose, but they exist only as the result of liberal subsidies, the pay- ment of which is a matter entirely distinct from the bounties here under considera- tion. Turning now to the attempt to aid the development of the shipbuilding industry by the payment of construction bounties, it may be said at once that the results have not been at all satisfactory. The reason is simply that vessels can be built more cheaply and more quickly in England than in France. The British shipbuilding es tablishments, under the spur of keen com petition among themselves, have been able to reduce the cost and the time of ship construction very materially, this having been achieved by more perfect organiza tion, increase of resources, enlargement of plant and facilities for doing all kinds of work, as well as by cheapness of ma- terial. While steamers cannot be built in France at a less average cost than about $80 per gross ton, they can be built in England for somewhat less than $60 per gross ton, and a construction bounty of $12 per ton is not sufficient to turn the scale in favor of the French builder. The shipbuilding bounties paid in France from 1881 to 1890, both inclusive, amounted to nearly $5,200,000. During this period there were built in French shipyards for the mercantile marine 455 steamers, aggregating 410,351 tons, gross measurement, and 6945 sailing vessels, of 118,554 tons, making a total of 428,905 tons. The amount of shipping procured abroad during these ten years for registry and employment under the French flag was 439,828 tons, this total being m:de up of 354 steamers, of 334,912 tons, and 732 sailing vessels, of 104,916 tons. Goiug more into details, it may be noted that of the total tonnage built in France 307,626 tons represent iron or steel steamers, of which 124,000 tons were for subsidized lines and had to be built at home to com- ply with the legal requirements, while the remaining 183,626 tons may fairly be as- cribed to the influence of the Goverdment bounties. Of iron sailing vessels about 22,000 tons were built in France, and over 49,000 tons, or more than twice as much, were built or purchased abroad for French ship owners. Of wooden sailing vessels a little more than 96,000 tons were turned out by French builders, as against something over 55,000 tons imported from abroad, but those built in France were mainly small fishing vessels. Taking all the steam tonnage engaged in bounty-earning navigation under the French flag, the proportion built in France increased considerably under the operation of the law, but steam tonnage of foreign origin continued to be added, although earning only half bounties. The new steam tonnage seeking employment in this class of navigation, after the system had been fully inaugurated, was drawn about equally from foreign and French ship yards, To sum up, it may fairly be claimed that the navigation bounties have been moder- ately successful, but it is clear that the construction bounties were fixed at too low a rate to keep out foreigncompetition. It is generally believed in France that the law of 1881 was the chief factor in arrest- ing the decline in the amount of tonnage under the French flag, but at the same time it is universally conceded that the law did not accomplish the great results expected in this direction. It is apparent also that it has fallen far short of fully achieving its purpose so far as the ship- building industry is concerned, and if French statesmen were to adopt the advice of their neighbors across the Channel they would abandon the attempt to foster this industry and would yield their acquies- cence to the idea of depending upon Brit- ish shipyards as the main source of supply of new tonnage for the French merchant marine. Vessels would then be purchased in the cheapest market, and the Govern- ment would besaved a considerable outlay. But the view held in France is that the private shipyards, in affording facilities additional to those of the naval yards for the construction of ships of war, constitute an important element of the national military resources. Another consideration deemed of importance is the employment afforded to large numbers of workmen, not only in the actual building of ships, but also in the industries supplying material. For these reasons, with perhaps an added ele- ment of national pride, public opinion in France seems to be generally favorable to a renewal of the effort to establish French shipbuilding on a firm and satisfactory footing, the belief being prevalent that the principles on which the law of 1881 was based are sound, and that the policy which it embodied is worthy of further trial, though modifications are evidently neces- sary in various details. In order to gain a clear idea of the pres ent status of the bounty question in France, it will be necessary to review briefly the recent history of the movement. In 1890 it became necessary to take some step in the matter, ae the provisions of the law of 1881 authorizing the payment of navigation bounties would expire by limi- tation in the following January. At the same time it was desired to postpone final action until after the expiration of certain treaties of commerce. A measure was therefore adopted which provided that, with the exception of the half-bounty feature, the system already in operation should continue in force until January, 1892. The adoption of a new tariff law increasing the duties on materials entering into ship construction led to a further ex tension until July 31, 1892, in order to allow time for the preparation of a bounty law taking due account of these changes. Early in 1892 such a measure, having re ceived the approval of the Min’‘ster of Commerce, was submitted to the Chamber of Deputies, and was referred to a com- mittee charged with the consideration of the matter. This bill, so far as it related to bounties, was substantially a reproduc- tion of the law of 1881, except that the am *unts allowed for the construction of wooden vessels and for machinery were to be increased considerably. It was laid aside by the committee after an exhaustive inquiry into the whole subject, and a new project was reported back to the Chamber. As it was evident that the scheme advo- cated by the committee woul involve a marked increase in expenditure, the an- tagonism of the Minister of Commerce and of the Budget Committee was aroused, the result being that the law already in force was again temporarily extended, and is now to remain in operation until Janu- ary 31, 1893. A compromise measure was afterward reported by the committee, and upon it will be based the discussion of the matter in the Chamber of Deputies this autumn, when it is expected that decisive action will be taken. The measure first reported by the com- mittee provided for construc‘ion bounties and for navigation bounties, some new features being introduced. The construc- tion bounties, to be paid for the building of merchant vessels in France, whether for foreign or for French owners, were to be largely in excess of the old rates in the case both of iron and of wooden vessels. For the construction of iron or steel steamers, for instance, there was to be paid $23 16 per ton, gross measurement, or double the former rate. For boilers and machinery a bounty of $2.90 per 100 kg. (equal to $1.314 per 100 pounds) was fixed upon. Certain allowances were to be made for steamers rebuilt so as to increase their size, and also for renewal of boilers. Turning now to the naviga- tion bounties recommended by the com- mittee, there is to be noted an extension of their scope so as to include French vessels engaged in European commerce, a class excluded before; with this exception these bounties were to be restricted to over- sea navigation in the same manner as under the old law. There is also to be noted a reduction in the rate of bounty to be paid per ton for every 1000 miles run, the object in this redu:tion being to per- mit an increase in the construction boun- ties without taxing the public treasury unduly. It was, however, recommended that the navigation bounties should be calculated on the basis of gross tonnage instead of net. Vessels built in France and engaged in oversea or European navi gation were to receive, for every 1000 miles run, 19 cents per ton if steamers or 24 cents per ton if sailing vessels; these rates, being for new vessels, were to be subject to an annual decrease, varying in amount for the different classes. For steamers meeting the special naval require- ments a premium of 25 per cent (instead of 15 per cent.) was to be added to the or- dinary navigation bounty. Vessels built abroad can be admitted to French registry, and such vessels were to receive one half the usual navigation bounty ; this provision of the old law was inserted, although vig- orously opposed by French shipbuilders, who had succeeded in having it suspended when the old law was temporarily con- tinued in force. A recommendation was made that 4 per cent. of the total amount of every bounty should be retained to form a fund for the relief of shipwrecked French mariners and their families. The committee’s bill as reported to the Chamber contained a clause providing that the new law should be operative for ten years, but the important feature was in- corporated that a vessel beginning to earn a navigation bounty at any date during this period might continue to enjoy the benetits of the law for ten years from such date. The compromise measure afterward re- ported by the committee is drawn on the same general lines as the earlier one, the salient features of which have just been noted, but the figures are modified some- what. Thus the construction bounty for iron or steel steamers is fixed at $17.37 per ton, gross measurement, this being an in- crease of 5U per cent. on the old allow- ance. The navigation bounty is still placed at a lower rate than that of the old law, but at a higher one than was origin- ally suggested by the committee, the rate now proposed for the full bounty in the case of new steamers being 21.2 cents per ton, gross measurement, for every 1000 miles run, with an annual decrease. The half bouaty provision still appears, as does the one allowing for steamers built on plans previously approved by the Navy Depart- ment a premium of 25 per cent. on the navigation bounty. The extension of the navigation bounties to vessels engaged in European trade is retained, but for such vessels the rate is to be only two-thirds as much as for oversea navigatien, and a minimum distance of 120 miles between a French and a foreign port is requisite. The portion of the navigation bounty to be reserved for the benefit of sufferers from shipwreck is reduced somewhat. Except as noted the compromise measure remains substantially the same as the one first reported by the committee. To go more fully into the details of the committee project, either in its original or in its later form, would be of doubtful utility at the present time, since many modifications may be made when the ques- tion again comes before the Chamber of Deputies. Current discussion in French journals indicates that the shipbuilders a : + i 4 gS | | ae Y REIT > a —————————————— el EE ir_s—( ee ~ Sa — EP b> >. = aa- 2 2 ER y S Laer ay ora Ss to or, » LE) >) ee PP) ¥ = »>? LP. % a> 5 ~— = ~~) Va. OS I : i, # ) ‘ & #2 668 will probably endeavor to have the half- bounty feature stricken out and the con- struction bounties fixed at the figures re- cently proposed by the committee, while the shipowners will be apt to exert their influence to have the navigation bounties fixed at the rates established by the old law, including the retention of the half bounty. At the same time, it is to be expected that there will be strong op- position to proposals which involve any great increase in expenditure. ta The Tilting Open-Hearth For two years the Pennsylvania Steel Company have had in use two 15-ton tilt- ing open-hearth furnaces, designed by Henry Aiken of Pittsburgh, F. W. Wood, Furnace. president of the Maryland Steel Company, | crease this amount to THE TILTING and Harry H. Campbell of the Pennsylva- nia Steel Company, Steelton, Pa. A glance at the accompanying drawings will suffice to show its characteristic features. The furnace is provided with rocker bars rest- ing in aseries of anti-friction rollers set between the lateral confining plates of curved rails. The tipping of the furnace is done through the medium of a hydraulic cylinder, indicated in Fig. 1, provided with a cross head and connected by links with the rocker frame of the furnace. The principal advantage of the design is that the hard work at the tap hole is avoided, and that the pouring of the charge is under control. A number of furnaces of this design have also been put in for cop- per matting at the new works of the Bos- ton & Montana Company, at Great Falls, Mont. $< The annual report of the Palmer’s Ship- building Company, in England, shows that during the last half year a net deficit THE IRON AGE. October 13, 1892 occurred of about $72,000, caused mainly by the strike in the Durham coal trade, which suspended work at the steel works and blast furnaces and created larger costs in the completion of two Government cruisers. At the present prices of metal there is no profit in building ships. — [I assem The Vermillion Range. Besides the development of the Mesaba range there promises to be a very marked |increase in activity on the neighboring Vermillion. The mines of the Minnesota Iron Company, at Soudan, 90 miles north of Duluth, this year shipped 500,000 tons, /and the far-famed Chandler, at Ely, also belonging to the same corporation, will in 1,200,000 tons. Fig. 1.—Cross Section. This year also, a slight business has been done by the Pioneer Mine at Ely, and the Zenith has been added to the list of ship- pers and has sold to furnaces 20,000 tons, which is now being delivered. For 1893, however, the Minnesota Company plan ex- tensive new workings. Not only will the mines at Soudan (Tower) be operated largely, and the Chandler pushed, but three new properties will be opened and mined to a large extent. The Minnesota Company have just closed a lease of the Miller and Brown 80-acre tract, lying close by the Chandler, and will, so it is stated, mine therefrom at least 100,000 tons. This property has been exploited by diamond drili, and is claimed to be as rich in grade and to contain as much iron as any other tract of its area on that range. Work preparatory to mining will begin at once. A few miles east of Ely, on Arm- strong Lake, is the Macomber Mine, on which no little development work has been done in the past two years. This is about to be leased for a long term of years to the big Minnesota Company, and it will be operated largely next year also. These are both hard-ore mines, and there is not a little comment on these leases after the discovery of the soft and easily mined ores of the Mesaba. As a matter of fact, however, these mines are all of higher grade than any of the Mesaba ores yet uncovered, and the Vermillion people claim that they will not be troubled by the cheaper ores when they can continue to show such cargo assays and furnace re- sults as at present. Just north of the Chandler is the Pio- neer, which aas been operated in a desul- tory sort of way for two years. It is owned by Senator Spooner of Wisconsin, J. A. Humbird of Hudson, Ogalbay, Norton & Co., and Capt. Thos. Wilson of Cleveland, and others, the Cleveland par- ties buying in this summer. The Chand- Le WC oF Me t OPEN-HEARTH FURNACE, ler ore body, a vein of soft, high-grade iron, passes into this property at a depth of about 800 teet. Work began this week on a fourth compartment shaft, 7} x 22 feet in size and 800 feet deep, by which the Pioneer people expect to reach the Chand- ler body. It will be fitted with three 10- foot hoisting drums, air-compressing ma- chinery and a large pumping plant, and will be in position to hoist at least 200,000 tons in 1893. The deepest shaft in the Chandler at present is 450 feet, and as the new Pioneer shaft will drain the older mine, a powerful pumping plant will be needed. The Chandler pumps now take care of about 600 gallons daily. The Chandler Mine itself, which has the reputation of having raised more ore from one 40 acre tract than any mine in exist- ence, will this year send forward 650,000 tons and perhaps more. It is now operat- ing on 80 acres. The South 40, which for four years sent out an average of over 300,000 tons annually, is now furnishing only about one-third the ore mined. The October 13, 1892 THE IRON AGE. bulk of the work this season has been on the North 40. This mine is a leasehold, and pays a royalty of 30 cents per ton. It is asserted that the net profits to the min ing company are fully $1 per ton. The feehold of this mine is owned in Duluth and Saginaw, and the lease is held by the Minnesota Iron Company. Regarding the statement above, that the ores of the Vermillion are of a higher grade than those of the Mesaba—so far as | yet opencd, at least—the reports from a couple of cargo assays of the Zenith may be in point. cargo went 65.19 iron and 0.013 phos- phorus, another 64.80 and 0.036; a third 64.03 and 0018 These are not so good as the higher guarantees of the Minnesota, but they will do very well for a new mine, and are probab'y ahead of anything the THE Mesaba will be able to sLow for some time. There are two or three other properties on the East Vermillion that may be oper- ated next year in addition to those referred to above and to the mine of the Gunflint Lake Iron Company, lying 30 miles east of Ely and directly south of the inter- national boundary, the product of which latter will go out through Canadian chan- nels. Chief of these is the tract in 63-11, south of Ely, which is reputed to contain a greater showing of high-grade hard ore than any similar area in the world, and whose hotly contested title suits have brought scandal uncomfortably near the seat of the Secretary of the Treasury. This will be opened and can easily be a pro- ducer of 500,000 tons annually as son as the question of ownership is settled. 0 I Consul Turner, at Cadiz, reports to the State Department that the following American agricultural implements might be introduced in Spain, if urged by a man Assayed in Cleveland, one | | who understands the methods employed in introducing new machinery in the West- ern States, viz.: Plows, cultivators, har- rows, hand drills, feeders, fanning mills, feed cutters, spraying apparatus for or- chards and vineyards, horse-tread powers, windmills of all styles, dog carts, wagons, carriage and buggies. He adds that the laws for the collection of debts are all in favor of the creditor, and as a rule the Spanish dealer has a high sense of honor and is perfectly safe. Notes can always be discounted at 4 or 5 per cent. in the local banks. a | The Foundrymen’s Association. The seventeenth meeting of the Foun , . . | drymen’s Association took place at the| Manufacturers’ Club, in Philadelphia, on' Fig. 2.—Longitudinal Section. TILTING OPEN-HEARTH FURNAC Wednesday evening, October 5, a large contingent of members being present. The chair was taken by President Francis Schzmann, and after the routine reports from the secretary the principal business of the meeting was proceeded with, v‘z.: the nomination of officers for the ensuing year. The following names were presented unanimously, viz.: President, Francis Schumann, of the Tacony Iron and Metal Company, Tacony, Pa.; vice president, Thomas Devlin, of Thomas Devlin & Co., Philadelphia; treasurer, Josiah Thompson, of J 8. Cassin & Co., Philadelphia; secre- tary, Howard Evans, of J. W. Paxson & Co., Philadelphia. For Executive Com mittee, Walter Wood, of R D. Word & 669 ~— ne sire that he should not be re elected to that post, on account of business exigencies which made it almost impossible for him to devote the necessary time to its duties; but on the urgent request of the members present Mr. Evans consented to recon- sider his decision Several speakers testi- fied to the good work done by him in the arduous post of secretary since the or- ganization of the association and his un- tiring efforts for its success, and pointed out that the loss of his valuable services at the present stage of its existence would be most serious and detrimental to its well-being in every way. The association |is to be congratu'ated on the prospect of retaining Mr. Evans’ services for another year at any rate. As an illustration of the interest which the Foundrymen’s Association has aroused, EK. ‘it may be mentioned that the Secretary of State has volunteered to obtain from the United States consuls in Great Britain, France and Germany all the information | they can cllect in regard to foundry prac- | tice, prices, wages, &c., in those countries, 'and, by his desire, a list of questions to | be answered by such consular officers has | been prepared by the Executive Commit- |tee of the association and forwarded to the State Department accordingly. It is | hoped that much useful information may be thus secured. The association has during the initial year of its existence already accomplished |a large amount of good in the lines on | which it was founded, viz.: the advance- Co., Philadelphia; Thos. Glover, of Glov- | ment of the foundry trade in the United er Brothers, Frankford, Philadelphia; L. B. Whitney, of A. Whitney & Sons, Phil- adelphia; A. C. Vansant, of Morris, Task- er & Co., Incorporated, Philadelphia, and Stanley G. Flagg, Jr., of Stanley G. Flagg & Co., Philadelphia. Mr. Evans tendered his resignation of the office of secretary, and intimated a de- |States. A mass of valuable information bearing on the business has been gathered from various sources, which will prove of great value to foundrymen in general, }and much benefit has accrued from the ventilation of matters of interest to the trade in the meetings of the body. The association now numbers about Pe ee ees ed a > — my P Se - eet ad ao é = = PE as . i a) ; Fal $i} Vy 2»? >> » Pe ae ~o le ih Bis, 8: lane) ee Ail i Ri , ays) ® or, Ges Ay :| * Ke er fe 670 THE IRON AGE. October 13, 1892 100 members, and, as it is national in character, it is hoped that many more from all parts of the country may join its ranks and thereby benefit themselves and the foundry industry in general, by associa ting for mutual protection and the ad- vancement of the foundry interest. The address of the secretary of the Foundrymen’s Association is, Care of J. W. Paxson & Co., Pier 45, North Dela- ware avenue, Philadelphia, Pa. ats ——— — WORLD'S FAIR NOTES. The Battle-Ship Exhibit, But a small part of the population of this courtry can ever be favored with a view of a genuine battle ship. The resi- dents of the interior are just as much in- terested as those on the seaboard in the preparations made by the United States Government to defend itself through the navy. They would like te see a battle ship of the formidable type now in use, It would have been impossible to send one to Chicago to be shown to visitors to the fair. So Commodore Meade of the navy made a suggestion that a model be built in order to show as nearly as possible what one of these monsters looks like. It is now about completed and is called the ‘* Illinois.” Itis built in shallow water, so that it appears to be afloat. F. W. Grogan, a naval architect connected with the construction bureau of the Navy Department, is the designer cf the “edifice.” Mr. Grogan had much to do with the designing of the real battle ships ‘*Indiana,” ‘* Massachusetts”? and ‘‘ Ore- gon,” and hence it was not a difficult task to design the show ship forthe expositicn. But there were difficulties in the way. The bogus ship had to be built partially on land. Mr. Grogan couldn’t lay any keel. He could not put in any keelson plates or set up any frames. He had to mark out the contour of his ship at some point near the beginning of the swell of her bilge and there start an oval brick wall in the sand. The laying of bricks is not a part of a naval education, and this gave Mr. Grogan some annoyance. But Grogan and the contractors got along all right, and the result of their joint efforts to-day stands out as one of the most novel and interesting attractions at Jackson Park. The World’s Fair battle ship bas the same dimensions as the original. She is 348 feet long on the water line, 69 feet 3 inches extreme breadth amidships and has 14 feet freeboard—that is, 14 feet above the water line. Her battery will be precise models of the genuine guns—-v'z.: Four 13 inch breech loaders, eight 8-inch breech loaders, four 6 inch breech loaders, 26 pounder rapid-fire cannon, s1x 1 pound- ers, Galing guns, &c. All but the two heavier grades of ordnance will be genuine guns from the Washington gun foundry. The 13 and 8 inch guns must of necessity be models, being too heavy to mount in such a structure, but all the other guns will be genuine, and, with their mounts complete, will form an instructive exhibit. The big guns will be models, but they will be mounted and worked just as the orig- inals. They are made ot first a wooden frame work, this covered with wire lath- ing and then the cement puton. The models are striking, and unless touched with the hand the delusion is perfect. The materials in the battle ship are brick, steel, wood and cement. The lat- ter enters largely into the construction of the affair. As has been said, the sides or hull portion of the structure from the main deck is built of brick, stepped to give contour, set into a thick layer of con erete, finished outside and inside with cement and shaped accurately to the lines of the vessel. Finish is given by iron will be portraits of every naval hero from plates conforming to the shape of the ves- sel, extending downward below the water level, so that at no time will the founda tion be exposed. The superstructure, which is sometimes called the citadel, rests upon the main deck between the 13-inch gun turrets. Its sides are of wood covered with metal lathing and cement. All the decks, beams, bridges, &c., are to be of steel. and these, with other portable things, will be used later in the real battleships. The guns of the 13-inch caliber are to be mounted in Hichborn turrets, with redoubts extending down through the main deck and resting upon the berthdeck, The 8 inch guns are mounted at each cornerof the superstruct- ure, in pairs, in Hichborn turrets, The 6-inch guns—the genuine article —will be mounted in sponsons on the main deck. The military tower is of iron and located at the forward end of the superstructure, near the upper part of which are the mili- tary tops for quick-firing guns. In the base of the military tower is the conning tower, where the commanding officer sta tions himself in battle. The conning tower will be fitted with all facilities, speaking tubes, electric bells, telephone, steering machinery, indicators and everything need- ful for a captain to have in a fight, except, perbaps, a locker for ‘* Dutch courage.” The bridge is above and extends the whole length of the superstructure in the center line of the vessel. On the forward end of the bridge is the charthouse. Distributed along the sides of the bridge will be Hotchkiss guns and powerful search lights. Outside the bridge are stowed the boats for sea service and fighting, supported by ‘‘skids ” of steel. The boats are handled by powerful iron cranes, manipulated by steam winches. On the decks and along the sides of the ship are all the fittings, such as anchers, chains, davits, winches, windlesses, capstan bitts, wire hawser reels, nippers, skylights, life buoys, side ladders, swinging booms. canopies, awn- ings. &c., and stretched along the side, ex- tending the entire length of the vessel, there will be a huge torpedo net, with all the boom and block attachments, to show the manner of protection against torpedo attacks. The interior of the bull is to bea perfect battle ship interior. There will be a com- plete electric light plant, and as it is ex- pected that officers, sailors and a full ma- rine guard will be detailed during the Exposition the superstructure has been fitted up for living quarters, in which may be seen cabins, staterooms, lavatories, latrines, messrooms, galleys and fittings, mess tab'es for crew, lockers, berthing, and all quarters in which the officers and enlisted men live according to the rules of the United States navy. On the berth- deck will be shown the stowage of ammu- nition in magazines and shell rooms, the lighting and flooding of same; the han- dling of ammunition and manipulating of torpedo tubes, turrets, &c.; the various fittings pertaining to machinery, ordnance and implements, including electrical de- vices, gun carriage motors and range finders; charts and instruments of navi- gation; models showing the type of vessel of the past and present; samples of pro- visions, clothing. stores and supplies, bunt- ing, flags—in short, the thousand and one things that go to make up the outfit of a ship of war. Then a large portion of space will be given up to historical exhibits, in which tbe navy isso rich. At the various navy yards throughout the country and at Washington there are enough curios to sink a biggership than the ‘‘ Illinois.” At Washington alone there are the rarest things. At New York and Boston there are countless relics of the early days of the navy. The choice of all these things is to come to the naval exhibit, and all will be placed on two great decks. There Paul Jones to Farragut, including such men as Bar on, Decatur, Old Ironsides, Stewart, Perry, Lawrence, McDonough, David Porter, of ‘*‘ Essex’ fame, and wind- ing up with the men of the civil war—Far- ragut, Goldsborough, Foote, Dupont, Lee, C. H. Davis, Young, Cushing, Ward and hosts of others. The traditional costumes of the sailors of the navy will be shown by janitors dressed in those costumes, who will be specially engaged for that pur- pose. Each bureau of the Navy Depart- ment will have an officer and other repre- sentatives in control of its special exhibit and the hydrographic office, intelligence oftice and naval academy will be also rep- resented. The structure itself will closely counterfeit the latest type of man-of-war above the water line. Steam launches and cutters will ride at the booms and all the outward appearance of a real man-of-war will be imitated. This last, however, de- pends somewhat upon the shifting sands. The captain’s quarters, officers’ ward- room and the quarters of all on board will be fitted and furnished just as the *‘ Indi- ana” will be. The furniture will be used on one of the genuine ships. As these quarters will be elegant and right on the fair grounds, it is not surprising that assignments to the new ship are being eagerly sought by the navy people. It is understood that the ‘‘ Illinois” will have a complement of 10 officers, 100 sailors and 50 marines. They will be the picked men of the service. Altogether the work of the naval archi- tect and the contractors has proved a wonderful success. There were many misgivings when the project was first dis- cussed. Meade’s ‘‘tin battle sbip” was made all manner of fun of, but, thanks to Mr. Grogan and Contractor Gindele, who, by the way, never saw a salt-water ship, the work has been admirably done, It will be one of the most distinguishing features of the fair. The ship already is such an object of curiosity and interest that all visitors are rigorously excluded. Designs for Medals and Awards, A conference was held at the Treasury Department in Washington, on the 5th inst., in which Assistant Secretary Nettle- ton and Chief Mer