The Iron Age 1892-11-03: Vol 50

‘THE kee Fire. The Milwau The city of Milwaukee was fire swept on the night of the 28th ult. About 25 blocks of wholesale houses, stores, fac- tories and residences were laid in ashes in six hours. The fire began at six o’clock in the evening in the warehouse of the Union Oil Company on East Water street, and, fanned by a heavy gale of wind, spread rapidly toward east, north and south. In spite of hercic work by the fire department and assistance promptly rendered by neighboring cities, block after block was consumed until the greater part of the city north of the Milwaukee River, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1892. freight shed containing a great deal of valuable merchandise. The blow falls heavily upon Milwaukee, but the energy and enterprise of its citizens may be relied upon to obliterate all traces of the disaster very speedily. As in the case of other fire- swept cities, the burned district will be covered with better structures than those destroyed. ainieesmnsneiiinlilgnitiaioe Storage of Coal at the Wellman Iron & Steel Company. The Wellman Iron & Steel Company of Thurlow, Pa., have had in use for some time a coal storage installation for handling IRON AGE where it is conveyed at right angles to its former direction by the horizontal con- veyor, which is 100 feet long, and is dis- charged through gates that occur every 10 feet and which may be opened and closed at will. In the inclined conveyor the return chain is carried back so as to pass overa car standing upon the track, thereby not interfering in any way with the shifting of the cars, as shown in Fig. 2. Both of these conveyors are of the Dodge type, and have improved forms of curved scrapers and trough, and use the Dodge chain, the peculiar features of which are that it is a stout, long-pitched cable chain, which has detachable bearing blocks:fin STORAGE OF COAL AT THE east of the north branch and south of | Buffalo street, as far as the iake, was re- | duced to smoldering ruins. The mayor | called out the National Guard, houses in | the line of the fire were blown up with dynamite, and every possible means was | taken to stop the progress of the flames, | but they were only checked by the lake and the river. Among the sufferers) were the Weisel & Vilter Mfg. Company, builders of steam engines and machinery, and Toepfer & Son and | WELLMAN IRON bituminous coal, the accompanying en- gravings showing its general features. This plant, which has an approximate storage capacity of 5000 tons, consists of an inclined and a horizontal conveyor, which pile the coal at the rate of 40 tons per hour into a rectangular pyramid 100 feet long, 125 feet wide and 36 feet high, which forms on the ground and is directly over a tunnel. The inclined conveyor is 80 feet between centers of the head and foot shafts, and Bayley & Son, founders and machinists. | consists of an endless chain having flights Fortunately, other large iron and steel es- | attached at intervals, which scrape the tablishments and wholesale iron and hard- | coal up a trough and discharge it into a ware houses were not in the path of the| horizontal conveyor of similar construc- fire. It was the most destructive confla-| tion. The foot wheel of this conveyor is gration in the history of Milwaukee. The | located in a pocket 6 feet 4 inches below loss is estimated at above $6,000,000, of | the railroad track upon which the loaded which about half is covered by insurance. | cars arrive and from which they are The Chicago & Northwestern Railway | dumped into the above mentioned pocket. Company were perhaps the heavist suffer- | The coal is conveyed up the incline to the ers, losing about 1000 freight cars and a| top of a tower 37 feet above the ground, E ——_—* AND STEEL COMPANY. serted between the ends of the links, which act as a saddle, increasing the strength and life, and at the same time maintaining the pitch of the chain. Con- veyors of this type that have been in use ten years are still running in good con- dition. A ‘*C. &C.” electric motor, situated in the top of the tower, drives both of these conveyors, and avoids the use of long ex- posed rope or belt driving machinery. Directly underneath the coal pile, which is formed by the horizontal con- veyor, is the tunnel, Fig 1, having doors in its roof and rails laid on the floor. Into this tunnel the distributing cars are run, and filled by opening one of the doors in the tunnel roof, after which they are hauled to whatever part of the works the coal is desired ool the coal dumped as wanted. This storage plant allows the company to be free from the annoyances and incon- ~ ewe = = eer ee wr oo ee, ee a ~ on monte ~~ gr ern EE a 2 cto 822 THE IRON AGE. November 3, 1892 veniences which are usually experienced in nearly all works whe.e the main de- pendence for fuel is a small stock and the daily supply is furnished by the transpor taticn companies, end which, through ac- cidents and delays, oftentimes very seri- ously hamper large industrics, This plant was constructed and installed by the Link Belt Engineering Company of Philadelphia, who have constructed the large coal-storage plants which are owned by the coal-carrying railroads, and which now have a storage capacity of 1,000,000 tons. oo WORLD'S FAIR NOTES. Buildings Inspected by Experts. The exposition buildings at Jackson Park have received the approval of the Board of Expert Engineers as being with- out an appreciable flaw in construction. President Palmer, acting for the National Commission, requested an expert opinion before he would accept the structures for dedication by the President of the United States. Following is the formal report submitted tothe National Commission last week and unanimously acopted: The World’s Columbian Commission—Gen- tlemen : In compliance with your instructions of October 17 we have the honor to submit the following report : Fully realizing the time awarded us to be limited, we immediately proceeded to inspect the buildings of the World’s Columbian Expo- sition, beginning Monday, October 17 : Manufactures and Liberal Arts.—Being ad- vised of the fact that this building was the one in which the dedicatory ceremonies were to be held, we gave its construction careful and thorough inspection, examining the floors, galleries and grand stands. We found the construction of each to be eminently satisfac- tory, ample provision being made against every conceivable form of breakage or accident. In regard to the roof construction, fully appreci- ating the extraordinary width of the spans and the magnitude of the work, we found that —- provision bad been made to carry loads and strains of every description to which it might be subjected. Agricultural.—_In this building a slight tremble in the gallery floor occurring in the widest span was discernible, but this, in our opinion, in no way detracts from its strength and stability. We would respectfully suggest, however, as this defect can be readily rem- edied, that it be done. In all other particulars our judgment is that this building is eminently satisfactory. Machinery Hall.—In our judgment this building in all its parts is fully adequate to all strains and loads to which it will be subjected. Administration.—In our opinion this build ing has been constructed with greatest care, every precaution baving been taken in regard to its stability. Woman’'s.—We are of the opinion that this building in all its details meets all structural requirements. isheries.—Considering the novelty of the uses for which this building is designed, we are of the opinion that it bas been constructed with great care and forethought in regard to strength. Fine Arts.—We find this building to be, in our judgment, eminently satisfactory in its construction, Horticultural.—All the requirements of good construction are fulfilled in this building, according to our judgment. Forestry.-—-W hile this building is constructed entirely of wood in a peculiar, primitive man- ner, no iron bolts, rods or nails being used, it is our opinion that it meets fully all structural requirements. airy.—Although in designing and execut- ing the work on this building a change of lo- cation was not contemplated, yet it has with- stood this severe test, which is sufficient evi- dence of its having been constructed in a thorough and workmanlike manner. Peristyle, Music Hall and Casino.—These structures are not in a state of completion, but the work already accomplished has been thoroughly and substantially done. Electricity.—Our judgment is that this build- ing is properly constructed and is of the req- uisite strength and stability. Mines and Mining.—This building, in our opinion, is fully up to the required standard of strength and stability. Transportation.—We can find no fault in this building with regard to its strength and stability. After having examined the general draw- ings and specifications of the above enumer- ated buildings, we believe that the various contractors, in carrying out their contracts, have fully complied with the requirements laid down and set forth in the drawings and specifications as to materials and workman- ship. In conclusion we desire to express our thanks and full appreciation of the courtesy and kind- ness shown us by D. H. Burnham, Director of Works ; also that of the other chiefs of de- partments during our inspection, every ques- tion being fully answered, all explanation and information willingly rendered, and every tacility afforded us to pursue our investiga- tions. Without knowing positively whether it was within the scope of the duty assigned to us that an examination and inspection should be made of the Government Building, we never- theless inspected the same, but having since mittee to signalize the opening of the ex- position by adequate and appropriate ceremonies commensurate with the dig- |nity of the occasion and the national and international character of the Exposition. In this connection the question of the naval rendezvous at Hampton Roads and the review at New York Harbor came up. It was generally understood that the date of the naval display should be either advanced or postponed in order to prevent a conflict of ceremonies with the opening of the Exposition. Commissioner Groner of Virginia offered a solution of the problem by securing the appointment of a committee to wait upon President Har- rison and request him to recommend to Congress such legislation as may be neces- STORAGE OF COAL AT THE WELLMAN IRON AND STEEL COMPANY. learned that this was not within the line of our function we refrain from making any re- port thereon. FRANK FURNESS, Eta E. MYERS, GEORGE W. ORFF. For the Opening Exercises. By order of the National Commission preparations for the ceremonies in con- nection with the opening of the exposition were begun Isst week. The gates of the fair will be opened at Jackson Park May 1, 1893. The Committee on Ceremonies was instructed to begin the blocking out of the programme. These ceremonies will be participated in by persons of national reputation, and $10,000 was appropriated for the use of the committee in carrying out its plans. The resolution covering the case was as follows: Resolved, That the Committee on Ceremonies be and is hereby authorized to consider the subject of proper ceremonies at the opening of the exposition and to determine as speedily as possible a programme including ot pe ta and oration and a poem by distinguished represent- ative Americans, appropriate to an event so important as the actual inauguration of the World’s Columbian Exposition, intended to commemorate the four-hundreth anniversary of the discovery of the continent. At the same time this resolution was adopted, Director General Davis was re- quested and instructed to provide a suit- able place where displays of fireworks may be given and be witnessed in comfort and safety. It was desired by the com- sary to make the date of the display ear- lier or later than that now fixed upon, | which is April 26. | The National Commission, after five hours’ debate, adopted a set of rules for |the government of the exposition. The | opening paragraph will be of interest to | advocates of Sunday closing and opening. ' It is as follows : The exposition shall be open for the admis- sion of visitors during the six months com- mencing May 1 and ending October 30, 1893, on each day of the week—subject to such regula- ' tions hereinafter provided for—except the first day thereof, commonly called Sunday, and on said last-mentioned day the said exposition | and the gates thereof shall be closed. | Next the rulcs state that the gates shall be opened at 6 o’clock a.m. to exhibitors and all employees, and to the public at 8 'o’clock a.m., and closed at 7 p.m, ex- cept in such cases ss the management shall direct for special evening entertainments, | and in such instances the gates shall close not later than 11 0’clock p.m. The pr’ce of admission is fixed at 50 cents per capita, with the exception of children under six years of age, who will be admitted free. A Bureau of Collections and Admissions is created, to be composed of the president of the World’s Columbian Exposition, its chairman of the Committee on Finance, and chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means and the treasurer and auditor. One clause in the rules submitted by the directory was modified so as to permit November 3, 18¥z THE IRON AGE. 824 the taking of photographs upon the grounds and general views of portions of the interiors of the buildings upon the approval of the Director-General. When it came to the supply of electric- ity, steam, and compressed air, power from shafting, &c., the commissioners were in doubt as to the reasonableness of the fixed charges. Some of these were considered high, and in order to provide for their modification in case wisdom or expediency should suggest any change, the following resolution was adopted and made a by-law : The Board of Reference and Control shall have power and authority at any time to sug- gest amendments or modifications to the rules and regulations fixed and established pursuant to Sec. 7 of the Act of Congress, and when such suggested amendments or modifications shall have been presented to each commissioner in writing nel shall have been assented to and approved of by a majority of the commission- ers in writing, the said Board of Reference and Control shall be authorized to promulgate such amendment or modification, and there- after any such rule shall be amended or mcdi- fied accordingly. This closed the debate, and¢the rules as modified were adopted by unanimous vote as previously indicated. The Retention of the Arts Building, The architects who designed the build- ings at the World’s Fair have signed a memorial asking that the Arts Building be left permanently in Jackson Park. The building is built in a permanent man- ner and will ever be an ornament to Jack- son Park. The wisdom of retaining the Manufactures Building, which is the grandest of them all, has also been sug- gested. One of the questions that arises is concerning the durability of ‘‘ staff,” the material of which the exterior shell is made. It is not disputed that the Manufactures Building, with its inclosed area of about 40 acres, would be an admirable place for State fairs, expositions and conventions where an immense number of people would have to be accommodated. The durability of the building is a question yet to be decided. The iron work of the massive structure, the architects agree, will last as long as the generation. The wood work’ will endure, too, for all reas- onable time, but the staff, the plaster which forms the exterior covering—no one seems to know how long it will withstand the effects of the changeable climate of Chicago. D. Adler, of Adler & Sullivan, architects, says that the durability of ‘* staff’ in this climate is a question yet to be determined. “The word ‘staff’ is simply a eu- phemism,” he said, ‘‘and the material is simply lath and plaster given lateral strength by layers of common bagging. Last year I spent considerable time in Canada, and I saw buildings there with plaster coverings that had stood for 60 or 80 years, or even longer, and seemed to be still in good order. I think the climate of Canada is more severe on that material than the peculiar climate of Chicago. The durability of staff, however, when ex- osed to the weather, remains to be seen. should not like to say now that it will stand the Chicago climate, but if a year from now, or at most two years from now, it is still in good condition, I should say it would be safe to say it has enduring qual- ities. At the close of the fair, if the ex- terior of the Manufactures Building is in good condition, it might be safe to rely on it, but now I should be careful about vouching for its durability. “Tf the staff shows the effects of the weather in a few places only, they can be repaired from time to time at no expense to speak of, for the material is cheap. An occasional application of paint might pre- serve the staff, and if it had to be painted annually the cost would not be great. But when it comes to replacing the staff with brick, or another permanent material, then comes the question of enormous cost.” The question of whether the Park Com- missioners will permit any of the buildings to remain after the fair is a vital one and the one that will first have to be decided. One of the conditions under which the use of Jackson Park was given for the fair was that at the end of the exposition the buildings should be at once removed. If the Park Commissioners can be induced to modity this condition and the staff in the Manufactures Building is found intact at the close of the fair, there is a chance that the Manufactures Building will stand, and Chicago will retain the honor of having the largest building in the world. Vermont's Marble House, The Vermont Building at the exposition, which is now in course of construction at Jackson Park, will be a curiosity in many ways and will, without doubt, be one of the bandsomest State buildings on the grounds. The walls of the building will be con- structed of rock-faced blue, white and variegated marble, which is now being taken from the quarries of the Vermont Marble Company at West Rutland. The style of the building will be similar to the familiar Queen Anne, though but a single story in hight, with a rourd tower at the right of the main entrance. The cornices facing the windows and the heavy oak doors will be polished and elaborately carved. The plan was drawn by Architect Jarvis Hunt of Weathersfield, Vt., and the ex- pense of the building is borne by 100 prominent citizens of the State, who have contributed $100 each. The stone for the construction of the building is now nearly all in readiness, and will soon be shipped to Chicago. The main entrance will be through a portico, which will be quite elaborate. It will be supported by two huge pillars of the best of Barre granite, carefully pol- ished. The inside of this novel building will be finished entirely in stone, and every variety of stone to be found in Ver- mont will be included in the exhibit. The score of varieties of Vermont mar- ble and granite will form the ch‘ef make- up of the inner walls, though there will be an extensive display of soapstone, whet- stones, limestone, copper, gold, silver, iron, lead and copper ore. The walls will also be ornamented with views of Vermont scenery and portraits of her most noted citizens, past and present. The building is intended almost en- tirely for social purposes, and more atten- tion is being given to securing the comfort of visitors than to commercial or adver- tising schemes. Ample room is provided elsewhere for these exhibits. Miscellaneous, The statement is made by James Allison, | Chief of the Department of Manufactures, that notwithstanding the liberality of the commission in the allotment of space to the great nations of the world, they are still clamoring for more. And the same is true of American manufacturers. The amount of space applied for by them is over four times that apportioned by the department in the building for assign- ment, For this reason the most urgent appeal has been made to all intending ex- hibitors to present only such articles of su- perior excellence and high degree of merit as will best exemplify the highest types of American production, and avoid semblance of warehouse display as well as extrava- gant waste of space, which must be guarded against above all things. Fire in a dome of the great Machinery Hall on the World’s Fair grounds broke out on the 28th ult., at 5.30 o’clock. The fire blazed like a great beacon suspended 135 feet in the air for over an hour before a drop of water was trained on the red- hot irons and twisting girders. The World’s Fair fire department was quickly on the scene, but could not reach the flames with its streams, which were directed upward from the second floor. When the city engines arrived a hook and ladder cart was backed up at the side of the building and a lead of hose carried to the roof. The damage, owing to the scarcity of wood work, did not amount to more than $1500. The blaze was started by sparks from a tinner’s furnace. Every dollar of the $4,000,000 worth of the 6 per cent. World’s Fair bonds will be taken in Chicago. When the books closed on the 25th ult. it was found that $3,500,000 worth had been subscribed. Of this amount $2,500,000 were by Chicago banks. The First National Bank, of which World’s Fair Director Lyman J. Gage is president, headed the list of subscribers by taking $300,000 worth. Marshal! Field, as a@ private citizen, took $250,000 worth. George M. Pullman and the McCormick Harvester Company signed each for $150,- 000 worth of the bonds. H. H. Porter, the capitalist, invested $100,000. There remains in round numbers but $500,000 worth to be subscribed for. Chief Walker Fearn of the Foreign Af- fairs Department has received from the Hon. Isaac Townsend Smith, Consul Gen- eral for Siam, the following description and specification of the proposed Siamese exhibit at the Columbian Exposition: Crochet work, embroideries, clothing fabrics, gold and silver gilt and enameled, wicker work from rattan and bamboo, matting, photographs, wood work inlaid with mother-of-pearl and glass, ivory carving, bronze hollow wares, specimens of grains and seeds, models of boats, yarns of silk, cotton, and other vegetable fibers, drawings of railways, &c., iron wares, figures modeled in clay, animals’ skins and horns, vegetable oils, samples of ores, models of dwelling houses, samples of timber, books and examples of typography, postage stamps, cutlery, fish-catching ap- paratus, Siamese coins, shells, tobacco, cigars and cigarettes, different samples of flour, decorative works in brass foil. A Vienna cablegram reports that Dr. Zapf, the Secretary of the Lower Austrian Chamber of Commerce, says the interest in the forthcoming Chicago Exhibition is being ‘‘boomed” in grand style in manufacturing circles in Vienna. Fully 600 large firms will send exhibits com- posed chiefly of tiles, glass, tapestries, wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl. In addition to the large exhibition committee of Vienna merchants, a ladies’ committee has also been formed for the purpose of for- warding exhibits of women’s industry. The State of Maine will contribute largely to make the marine section in the Transportation Building historically in- structive and interesting. Models of all kinds of marine craft that have gone out from Maine shipyards are being collected. Some will be set up and arrayed to show a vessel in the various stages of construction, from the skeleton to full rigged ship. Old paintings of some of Maine’s most famous vessels, like the clippers built for the China tea trade, will be on exhibition. Of the many interesting features of the World’s Fair, one of the most promising is the reproduction of the great White Horse Inn at Ipswich, England. This inn is to be made the home of English visitors to the fair, and in case the Prince of Wales shall visit Chicago he will be furnished special entertainment at the inn. This structure, so fully described in connection with the experiences of the Pickwick Club as set forth by Dickens, is sti | standing. eens re TTY a ee* —- == Ss > wet “er gor WBE B+ ee a= jaa * es ~ —. TE Sn OME 824 THE IRON AGE, The Recovery of By-Products in Coke Manufacture.—II. The second paper presented at the meeting of the Society of German En- gineers on the question of the recovery of by-products in coke manufacture was that ot E, Festner, manager of a coke plant at Gottesberg. He described a modification of the Hoffmann oven designed by him and erected lately. Following the example of Ponsard, he applies to his oven, in con- tradistinction to the regenerative, the re- cuperative system. His object is to avoid the reversing necessary in the regenerative system, and to substitute for it a continu- ous heating of the air of combustion. He had the co-operation in this work of Hoffmann, whose name is coupled with other ovens. Mr. Festner states that, after an experience of a good many years in coking, he has reached the conclusion that ovens which have horizontal flues and somewhat thick side walls give the best re- sults. The latter can be run at a higher | temperature and the heating flues can be | more closely watched than they can in the Coppee oven with their vertical flues. For | this reason he accepted in the new plant a) design similar to a Simon-Carves system, | used with great success at Bulmke, near Gelsenkirchen. The oven has three charg- ing flues, one filling the oven 2, which in the clear is 9 m. long, 0.58 m. wide and | 1.8 m. high, having a capacity of 6.5 tons washed coal, and coking in 48 hours. The walls are 0.15 m. thick throughout. Exhausters operating through the tubes | 83 draw the gases from the ovens to the con- densing plant, from which they return through the pipes 4 and 5, Fig. 4. By distributing tubes, 7a and 7), the gases are made to enter the oven, meeting the hot air of combustion at 8a 8), Figs, 3 and 4, The gases are first conducted into the heat- ing flue 9 9a, Figs. 1, 3 and 4, under the bottom of the oven. Then they rise in a vertical flue,10, on the rear side of the oven, flow downward through the flue 11, return in flue 12, and, after passing through 12a, descend into flue 14, Figs. 1, 3 and 4, finally reaching the main flue 17, which carries the waste gas to the boilers. After two days’ heating the gases are con- ducted through flues 15 and 16, Figs 1 and 4, to the main flue 17a. The air to be heated enters at 18, descends down to the flue 19, Figs. 1 and 2, is carried along through the flue system 21, 2la, 21+, &c., being heated in its passage by the proximity of the flue 14, | Figs. 1,3 and 4. Flowing tbrough the horizontal flue 22, Fig. 2, the hot air as- cends through the vertical flue 23, Fig. 2, finally reaching the chief heating system 24a, 24, 1, 2, 3and 4. Thence it is conducted by the vertical openings 8, 8a, 8), Figs. 2 and 24c and 26, 26a, 26%, 26c, Figs. | 3, into the combustion chamber. The| heating, which is effected particularly by | contact with the pillars 25, Fig. 2, is ex-| ceptionally good, and according to the | experience of Mr. Festner the air enters | the combustion chamber at about 900° | Celsius. At Gottesberg the waste gas from the main flue 17 is carried to five boilers of 45 horse-power each, which furnish the steam for the condensing plantand for the electric-light plant of the whole establish- ment. In order to have as little back pressure as possible in the heating flues a ventilator plant bas been added, which helps to regulate the flow of air and leads to more uniform heating of the lower heating flues. It avoids also that the gas works its way through the cracks in the masonry into the heating flues, and is thus lost to the condensing plant. Three batteries of 30 ovens each are in regular operation. F. W. Luermann, as representative of the Semet-Solvay oven, presented its claims to recognition. The Solvay oven has been introduced by the well-known Brussels firm of Solvay & Co., famous for the manu- facture of soda by the ammonia process. A number of these ovens have been built in France, Belgium and Germany, 205 being now in operation, with 140 building. Among the latter are 15 which are under construction at the Syracuse Solvay Works. Viti) Section E Fand E, F,. tL ; Ch be eR fs el (osx To fe) elo ym November 8, 1892 nace wet, has reached a sufficiently high temperature to allow of the beginning of the coking operation. The fresh charge has a tendency to chill the gas in the side walls, so that it does not properly ignite and leads to a good deal of waste. An additional advantage of the large amount of brick work between two adjoining ovens SectionGHandG,H,{ = |D- Section J K and J, K,. Fig. 1.—Cross Sections. F H Fig 3.—Longitudinal Section A B, Fig. 1 Fig. 4.—Longitudinal Section C D, Fig. 1. THE FESTNER-HOFFMANN The characteristic of the Solvay oven is that the gases flow in tile flues horizontally arranged in the walls of the oven, that a liberal amount of space is allowed be- tween two ovens, the object being to possess a large amount of refractory ma- terial which may serve as hest storage. It is claimed that one of the drawbacks of coking is that a good deal of time is lost before the charge, often put into the fur- COKE OVEN. is that it carries track and other super- structure and tends to keep down repairs. Mr. Luermann claims that the expensive arrangements for preheating the air of com- bustion are unnecessary, and than an ade- quate temperature can be reached readily by the construction he advocates. He criticises the figures presented for the other systems, and claims that the produc- tion of one Semet-Solvay oven per annum November 3, 1892 THE IRON AGE. is 1125 tons of coke, and that there is so ample a supply of waste gas that 24 Solvay ovens at the Pheenix Works, at Ruhrort, Germany, evaporated 134 tons of water in 24 hours. He asserts also that during the last year the works in question made a profit of 52,280 marks on their plant of 24 ovens. He claimsalso advantages growing out of the ability to produce good coke and a cheaper grade of fuel, and figures out in this way an annual profit of 6665 marks on an investment of 14,600 marks per oven, which would indicate that works of this character would pay for themselves in a little more than two years. These claims have been made the sub- ject of a long communication printed in Stahl und Eisen from an anonymous source. The writer is evidently a man thoroughly familiar with the subject, and criticises keenly both the regenerative and the Sol- vay systems. The most interesting part of his communication, however, is that which deals with the commercial questions in- volved in the recovery of by-products. It has been a matter of general belief fos- tered by those interested in the construc- tion of coke ovens that there was abso- or eee Lame Section NO. Fig. 2.—Horiz THE lutely no limit to the market for the by- products secured. This belief the writer in question pretty thoroughly disposes of. Benzole until lately was the product which was supposed to pour untold profits into the treasury of those concerns who possessed the secret of its recovery. While it sold at 1.70 marks the cost was only 0.38 to 0.40 marks, and every works was | tempted to put in the necessary plant. In spite of the greatest secrecy the manufact- uring methods were pretty quickly known, and everybody was able to recover it, although the technical results varied very greatly. Three years since the coke re-| covery works put on the market only 28,000 kg. of benzole per month. Now their output is considerably above 300,000 kg. per month, while the consumption has notincreased. The only advantage is that the benzole used in Germany is now made at home. This overproduction crowded | down the price until it is now 0.40 marks, | which hardly covers the cost of produc- tion, and certainly is not tempting for the establishment of new plant. Matters do not look brighter with tar. Instead of 40 marks per ton, only 28 to| 30 marks can be realized for crude tar car- rving the maximum 2 per cent of water. | Until recently the consumption of pitch for the manufacture of coal briquettes helped the tar industry, but since prices FESTNER-HOFFMANN COKE 825 have declined the demand for briquettes has fallen off and prices are declining. The writer quoted does not see much more encouragement in the manufacture of sulphate of ammonia. Ten years ago the price was 430 marks per ton. Now it fluctuates between 190 and 195 marks, while consumption is not increasing notably. A particularly interesting inti- mation is thrown out by the writer in question in the statement that Americans are on the point of going into the re- covery of by-products on the grandest scale. Assuming that the consumption of sulphate of ammonia in the Eastern States is only very small, it is believed that the American producers would soon begin to swamp the European market. The conclusions reacned by the writer are that, so far as Germany is concerned, that industry cannot carry more than about 2000 coke ovens supplied with plant for the recovery of by-products. —a—e——- Another Canadian transcontinental rail- way is propoged, which will be 1045 miles long and is estimated to cost $28,000,000. 8b bs 8b 8h : Rh 7 386 . me cre orc A = Sac, SS | 23 7 aa ca] —! |a 35 = oe ee ZZ | ud wa yy > a a, i wis wz 2 att ~ z Section L Mand L, M;,. yntal Sections. OVEN Henry Croft of British Columbia, who is now in Chicago, expects to obtain sub scriptions there to the amount of $5,000, - 000. The road is to be known as the Canadian Western. According to Mr. Croft’s statement the construction com- pany will build the railway from Victoria to Seymour Narrows, on Vancouver Island, and from Bute Inlet, on the mainland, through the Chilcotin, Cariboo and Peace River countries up to the Yellowhead Pass. The projectors expect that the sale of land | will amount to $43,122,500, to which may be added the cash subsidy of the Do- minion Government of $3200 per mile, or $3,344,000 in all, making the total assets $46,466,500. —— The United States Grand Jury, at Pitts burgh, last week, brought in indictments against 22 manufacturers for encroaching |}upon the river by dumping ashes and | cinders into the stream. There are in New York City 25 grain elevators which have an aggregate capacity |of over 28,500,000 bushels. The amount | of grain in port does not exceed 19,000,- 000 bushels. grain coming forward is extraordinary, the available storage room will probably be sufficient to meet the demands. Although the amount of | Combined Low-Water Alarm and Fusible Plug. The Perfect combined low-water alarm with fusible plug is made by Robert E. Hills, 57 and 59 Wells street, Chicago. It is claimed for this device that it is a positive indicator of low water in steam boilers. The device is screwed in the top of the boiler, a brass pipe ex- tending down as desired, so as to be 2 or 3 inches above the top of the flues. When in position the valve is opened, allowing the water from the boiler to rise in the tube, filling the bulb and thus protecting the fusible plug from tne beat of the steam. Should the water in the boiler fall below the bottom of the tube, the device being in a vertical posi- seme — a y —— Se ee Combined Low-Water Alarm and Fusible Plug. tion drains itself of water, thus exposing the fusible plug to the direct heat of the steam, which immediately melts it, thus opening a passage and causing the steam to pop out through openings in the tube, thus blowing the whistle. The valve can then be closed, after which the device can be taken apart, cleaned and a new fusible plug placed in position. After the parts have been replaced, and the water in the boiler is above the bottom of the tube, the valve is to be again opened, when the water from the boiler will fill the bulb. Three grades of metal are used for the plugs. No. 1 fuses at from 5 to 50 pounds steam pressure, No. 2 from 50 to 80 pounds and No. 3 from 80 to 160 pounds. The natural gas company at Lima, Ohio, gives warning that the supplies in North- eastern Ohio are giving out. Government in Venezuela has been re- established, but there are signs of rebellion in Hayti and Argentina. A number of Americans are buying coffee plantations in the Mexican States of | Colima and Jalisco. i ee — - = SS SE Se gee ~*~ THE IRON AGE. The P. & B. Nail Machine. The P. & B. Nail Machine Company, S:. Louis, Mo., are placing on the market a new nail machine which we illustrate herewith. This machine has many feat- | ures of interest, and particular attention is drawn to the fact that while two nails are made with one revolution, there is on'y one strand of wire fed into the machine. The wire is fed trom the stand through the straightener, where it meets an adjust- able feeder, after which it is taken through the die and made into a nail. The feeder referred to (shown in Figs. | 3 and 4) is entirely automatic. The ends of the feeder are square shaped and can be turned end for end when one end becomes worn. Great trouble has been experienced with feeders, as they wear very rapidly, but with this feeder, when the edge be- comes worn another end may be brought into use by simply loosening a screw and turning the feeder, then tightening the set screw again. After one surface of the feeder has been used, by changing the tension of the spring the same surface can be immediately used again, and this opera- tion can be repeated several times before one of the four edges is so worn that it needs to be resharpened. The entire sur- face of the four sides of both ends of the feeder can be used, as it is vertically ad- justable at the pivot pin, so that it can be turned quickly and readily and thus utilize the entire vertical working surface of each edge of the bit. When the working edges become dull they can be sharpened by |can be changed while the machine is running. The sizeof the head on the nail is provided for by a small contrivance with which, by turning one stock screw, the size of the head can be enlarged or made smaller as desired. In making nails up to 10d this machine will make two nails to one revolution. In the larger sizes above 10d only one nail per revolution is made. Most nail machines have one shaft only. This machine, however, has two shafts. The strain consequent in making the heads in other machines is directly on the November 3, 1892 The Great Northern Extension, A Rich New Mineral Region. BY CHARLES HALLOCK,. The Pacific extension of the|gGreat Northern Railway from Havre, Mon., at the intersection of its Great Falls branch, to the Columbia River, a distance of 650 miles, has opened up a marvelous THE P. & B. NAIL MACHINE, Fig. 2.—Plan. holding the flat end against a grinder, or| main shaft, which is thereby subjected to | mineral region, of which all that portion it may be filed down to remove the round- ness of its ends. The manufacturers claim that this feeder will last a much| longer time than those generally in use. Another feature of interest is the straightener through which the wire travels after leaving the stand. In this machine the straightener is divided in the center so that when it is necessary to re- plenish the wire, the straightener can be opened ard the wire placed in position at once. After the wire has been arranged as desired the straightener is then closed and fastened with a latch. The stroke of the hammer which makes the head of the nail can be made heavy or light by the operation of a spring in the back of the machine. The tension of this machine | great strain. On the P. & B. machine the head is formed by a blow from a trip ham- mer which is operated by a shaft in the lower part of the frame and which re- lieves the machine from all strain. The strain on the shafts is only lateral and the manufacturers claim they will never break. These machines are all made with wrought-iron levers, with gun-metal bush- ings. The cams and rollers are of tempered steel, and the shafts of machine steel. In adjusting the knives it is only necessary to use one stock screw. The machines are well built, and the company claim that they will give 50 per cent. more out- put, with 25 per cent slower speed. The weight of the machines ranges from 500 to 4500 pounds, lying east of Spokane, Wash., has been accessible to the general public only since August 15, 1892. For 30 years pre- vious prospectors, traders and hunters had been aware of the existence of exten- sive ore beds in the complex mountain ranges of Montana, Idaho, Washington and British Columbia, and their trails are known to traverse wide areas. But the lack of adequate facilities prevented any- thing like systematic development. It was practically sealed to the outside world by the character of its natural surround- ings. Its physiography was little known to the students in our schools; so that the general public, of whom I dare say a large proportion never heard of Kootenai and Okanagon, and hardly of Spokane, with THE IRON AGE. 827 November 3, 1892 its 30,000 population, will be surprised to | Northern system at salient points. There hear that railroads, wagon roads, steam-|is rail and steamboat connection across boats and navigable canals connecting the | the entire Okanagoa country from the line head waters of principal streams already |of the Great Northern to the Canadian of it has been done by American capital, but the Canadians are energetic too. Old prospectors, who have traveled over the entire continental backbone—from A\l- make every important mining center di- | rectly accessible. Not only highways for transportation, but heavy machinery, smelters, reduction works, telegraph lires, supply depots, town-site camps, commodious hotels and a score of newspapers, have been estab lished at vast expenditure of money and | energy, quite without a parallel even in the present age of extraordinary acbieve ments. Moreover, the men who are gath- ered here are of a high average order of intelligence. They are drawn from New | Pacific. Boats run all winter. A branch of the Canadian Pacific 200 miles long drops down from Medicine Hat to Fort Steele, on the Kootenai River, whence steamers run down to Jennings, on the Great Northern; and the same railroad extension is to continue through to Fort Yale, on the Fraser River. A railroad from Great Falls crosses the Great Northern main line at Shelby, and run3 200 miles to Lethbridge on the Fort Steele branch of the C. P. R. R. buquerque in New Mexico to Cariboo and Cassiar in British Columbia—affirm that there has been nothing like it in the his- tory of mining. The ores are of higher grade; the ground is more economical to work; the veins are wider and deeper, the ledges thicker, the placers more extensive, the minerals more varied, and the general results more satisfactory than any yet known. Not only does the whole region seem to abound in gold, silver, copper and lead, but iron fills the hills, and acres of bituminous coal spread out over thousands There is an isolated railway 23 miles long Fig. 3.—Plan View of Feeder. | Fiy. 4.—Vertical Sectional Elevation of Feeder on Smaller Scale than Fig. 3. THE P. & B. England, from all parts of Canada and from the whole country. North and South, which lies east of the Mississippi, as well as from the Western portion of the conti- nent, all of which goes to show a remarka- ble faith in the economic resources of the country and the permanent stability of its future; and the sum total has been accomplished since it became definitely known, two years ago, that its products could be opened to the markets of the ! | | | of square miles. Iron is found in Montana, Idaho and Washingtcn, and experiments show that superior steel can be made from ore in many localities. More than 300 kinds of metals, minerals and precious |stones are said to have been discovered. Your correspondent has seen beautiful opals and opal-onyx equal to Mexican, and remarkable opaline ‘‘madstones,” which stick tenaciously to the fiager when wet. To summarize: The vast mountain region traversed by the Pacific extension of the Great Western is belted by fine longitudinal mountain ranges known as the Rockies, and the Mission, Cabinet, Selkirk and Cascade bi \ Re OST Tonos are P77 a eae, a / eemeneniii)! NAIL MACHINE. ranges. The intermediate mineral dis- tricts are designated as the Flathead, Kootenai, Tond Mountain, Priest River, Pend d’Oreille, Coeur d’Aléne, Metaline, Okanagon and Colville districts, and there are important subdivisions like Libby Creek, Slocum, Blacktail and Trail Creek. The Okanagon country is more technically a gold bearing district, the others silver and lead. Of the district east of the Rockies nothing definite can be said as yet regarding its mineral resources. Some very fine float quartz has been picked up by the railroad engineers, who also dis- in the very heart of the Selkirk range and center of the Kootenai system, ex- tending from Nelson to Robeson, which are steamboat termini. Nelson has 1200 population, Kaslo 600. A wagon road 175 miles in length runs from Golden, on the C. P. R. R., down to Cranbrook, near Fort Steele. Another wagon road, 28 miles long, costing $30,000, crosses the Slocum mining district, and connects the waters of Kootenai Lake with the Colum- world by the extension of the Great North- ern Railroad to the Pacific Coast. The handsome city of Spokane itself has eight diverging railroads. Eight steamboats ply on the Kootenai River sys- tem, 267 miles in the aggregate, and coa- nect with both the Great Northern and the Canadian Pacific thoroughfares. Four steamboats ply on the Flathead waters, and as many more on the Pend d’Oreille and Coeur d’Aléne, connecting with the Great bia River. Steamboats run from Revel- stoke on the C.P.R R., to Westport on the boundary, connecting with Spokane by rail. The Grohman Canal, 12 miles long, joins the head waters of the Columbia} with the head waters of the Kootenai at|are there isolated mountain spurs of the the watershed To this vast inter-mon-|same geological formation as the main tane system the Great Northern is the key | ridge, some placer mining is being done, and conclusion. It unites and knits the | and quartz ledges which assay wellin gold whole. The magnitude of the work is | and silver have been discovered. The wond-rful to contemplate. A great deal’ placers yield a pure, coarse gold worth covered large croppings of good coal. It is most probable that some of this float quartz will be traced to the leads from which it came, and valuable mines located. In the Sweet Grass Hills, however, which a errs ws I _eumugitin ~ mt Se —— ee er CC Th LA ene hee & eS is % tt eed AR ft ‘= y appr y z + 4 S ry Pe ae” ah ed A os ef flees . ree Aa ‘ a , — al <— ieee rw ~ se eee, a a ~ ‘ ,. ‘y as) 16 aS\ TNR ; rt t ye Es & {A e ¢ ew ” ft peu & nf Bi ’ i 828 THE IRON AGE. November 3, 1899 $18.70 per ounce. In the East Butte, where the best quartz leads are located, there is an abundance of good coal and several fine deposits of marble. The Flathead country, which lies just west of the Rockies and on the line of the railway, claims to have valuable deposits of iron, gold, copper, silver, coal and petroleum, and expects eventually to be- come a smelting center. The East and West Kootenai mineral districts lie immediately west of the mount- ains. The Kootenai River is 600 miles long. It is larger than the Hudson, and navigable for 100 miles greater distance. It has many swift tributarics which lead up into the csiions of the mountains. Libby Creek is the largest tributary from the south. During the months of August and September development work has been extensive, and veins revealing 15 feet of galena and carbonates from the surface are said not to be uncommon. The out- crop has been traced for a distance of 35 miles to the Yakt River, being one of the largest leads ever discovered in the coun- try. Prospects are claimed to be the most romising of any in Northwestern Montana. he principal mines are the Snowshoe, 16 miles from the town of Libby, on the rail. road, which has $100,000 worth of ore in sight, and will begin hauling it to the, railway as soon as a county wagon road is finished ; the Silver Cable and the Buzz Saw, 8 miles out, with 500 feet of tunne's, where the galeus keeps up an average width of 4 feet. Placer mining is carried on extensively along the creek, yielding from $5 to $10 a day per man. It is esti- mated that 500 miners are in the hills, and shipments of supplies in to them makes the town lively. There is a brickyard here, asaw mill, and a paper called the Libby Miner, printed by John W. Pace. From Jennings Station, seven miles east of Libby, a steamer 95 feet long and 60 tons burden runs up the Kootenai 126 miles to Fort Steele in British Columbia. Ten miles north of Fort Steele a claim was lately sold to Hammond & Co. of Toronto for $20,000, and Mr. David Griffiths has sold his placer claims on Wild Horse Creek for $100,000. He has lived there 28 years. It is said that the Wild Horse Creek placer has yielded $10,000,000 in flake gold during the past 30 years. There are some rich quartz ledges up Bull River, and a Mr. Ridgeway has taken a good deal of gold from a placer at the head of the Moyer River, both of them tributaries of the Kootenai. There are also some good prospects on the Yakt and also at Leonia, a station 36 miles west of Libby by rail, where there is an Iowa colony. The Weet Kootenai district, which is so prolific of high-grade ores, is now c ccupied by at least 1500 miners, and is reached by steamers running up from Bonner’s Ferry, on the Great Northern Railway. The dis- tance from Bonner’s Fer