The Iron Age 1901-01-24: Vol 67 Iss 4

HE IRON ...AGE Tuy, A Review of the Hardware, Iron, Sbackinecy 4 and Lvs Moning des. Published every Thursday Morning by David Williams Co., 232-238 William St.. New York. Vol. 67: No. 4. New York, Thursday, January 24. 1901 Se OS, ee ee Single Copies, Ten Cents. Reading Matter Contents.... .... page 64 ie Alphabetical Index to Advertisers ‘‘ 139 Classified List of Advertisers..... “‘ 141 Acvertising and Subscription Rates ‘‘ 71 U. M. C. AMMUNITION. Made for all game andall guns by a company whose product has stood as the “ Standard of Excellence” since the days of the muzzle loader. Dynamo Bt. Louis, Mo. cHeLTING New York IRON AND gues | No space for details but STEEL a c A postal card will bring the U. M. C. literature, cat- or _» “yy * alogue, Game Laws, Shooting Rules and Records, etc. xe us gr” RODUCTS | THE BRISTOL ( COMPANY, | Union Metallic Cartridge Co. Waterbary, Conn. Bristol’s Recording | | APency~313 Broadway N.Y.- Factory-Bridgeport,Ct. Instruments. For Pressure, Temperature and Electricity, Silver Medal, Paris Exposition All | oe oi Low vunees and G uar Also Hascachusetts and Phenix SAMSON aie come CAHAL | BU | | RG s $ee ra 98, anenchusctteand Fh CAPEWELL HORSE NAILS. SAMSON CORDAGE WORKS, Boston, Mass. 2: onsale NEW YORK, TUR NBUCKLES. PHILADELPHIA, * . CHICAGO, ; ST. LOUIS, Branch Office. 11 Broadway, New York, BOSTON, Cleveland City Forge and Iron Co., Cleveland, ( BRANCHES: DETROIT, TURNBUCKLES. CINCINNATI, PORTLAND, ORE., ET Pe 465 to 471 Kent py BUFFALO, Brooklyn, E.D., N.Y BALTIMORE, NEW ORLEANS Low Phosphorus hi THE CAPEWELL HORSE NAIL COMPANY, PILLING & CRANE tewis' Brock. "Pittsburgn: HARTFORD, CONN. Jenkins Bros.’ Valves are manufactured of the best steam metal, and are fully guaranteed. Why experiment with cheap valves? If you want the BEST ask your dealer for valves manufactured by Jenkins Brothers. Re- member all genuine are stamped with Trade Mark like cut, JENKINS BROTHERS, New York, Philadelphia. Chicago, Bosten. For common work, you Brass Prices High So Use Bright“Swedoh” Stamp- See 13 are not obliged to; perhaps , ing Steel, Easily Brass Plated and Save Money, page MAGNOLIA METAL, Best Anti-F ciction Metal for all Machinery Bearings, Beware of Spiy OVE ate. wii imitations. MAGNOLIA METAL C0., 266 avd 267 West St.. Tondon, Chicago, Mon #B eS Gane Owners and Sole Manufacturers, NEW YORK. Boston, San Franciscg/PeAadel phia a # JAN ¢ 5 1901 .*4 For difficult work in gal- vanized iron, you use Apollo of course. you'd better though. American Sheet Steel Company Battery Park Building New York Pac-Simile of Bar. A THE IRON AGE, THE ANSONIA BRRass ps” COPPER CO. MANUFACTURERS OF BRASS AND COPPER Seamless Tubes, Sheets, Rods and Wire. Ingot Copper SOLE MANUFACTURERS Tobin Bronze (TRADE-MaRK REGISTERED.) Welatuant — Co. Established 1845. Sheet, Roll and Platers’ Brass, German Silver, Copper, Brass and Ger- man Silver re, Brass and Copper Tubing. | COPPER RIVETS AND BURS. TAPE MEASURES, METALLIC EYELETS, | Brass Kettles, Brass Tags, Powder Flasks, Shot Pouches, &c., AND SMALL BRASS WARES OF EVERY DESCRIPTION Cartridge Metal in Sheets or Shells a Specialty. Condenser,Plates,Pump Linings, Round, Square and Hexagon Bars, for Pump Piston Rods and Bolt Forgings. 99 John Street, New York. ed Randolph-Clowes Co., DEPOTS: icin tearlemaggpanns 60 Centre St., New York. 125 Eddy St. at WATERBURY, CONN. dence, R. i. 38 Mechanic St., Newark, N. J MILLS AT WATERBURY, CONN. DEOXIDIZED ORDNANCE and COMPOSITION METALS___. of all descriptions. _ Satisfactory prices. BRIDGEPORT DEOXIDIZED BRONZE & METAL CO., BRIDGEPORT, CONN. MANUFACTURERS OF SHEET BRASS & COPPER. BRAZED BRASS & COPPER TUBES. SEAMLESS BRASS & COPPER TUBES TO 36 IN. DIAM. New York Office, 253 Broadway, Postal Tel- cuca es Sia Pei icago ce sher d Purchase Sts. Boston Office, Cor. Oliver an Matthiessen & Hegeler Zinc Co., LA SALLE, ILLINOIS. SMELTERS OF SPELTER AND MANUFACTURERS OF SHEET ZINC AND SULPHURIC ACID. Special Sizes of Zinc cut to order. Rolled Battery Plates. Selected Plates for Etchers’ and Lithographers’ use. Selected Sheets for Paper and Card Makers’ use. Stove and Washboard Blanks. ZINCS FOR LECLANCHE BATTERY. BRASS Fists JJARYAN & CO, — i — Sa a ee — 11 Cobeb aol h— iM @iebla!-¥-.o} Best Bronze, Babbitt Metals, Brass and Alominum C4ST!NGS On Short Notice. No better counter made i Wheel, $3.00 5 Wheel, 83.25 C—O Nex LS», N THE METAL SUBSTITUTE iuarancteed | BROS. MFRS. WESTFIELD an} BATTLE CKEKK, MICH. UU core’ u HENDRICKS BROTHERS PROPRIETORS OF THE Belleville Copper Rolling Mills, MANUFACTURERS OF Braziers’ Bolt and BSheathing COPPER, COPPER WiRE AND RIVETS. Importers and Dealers in Ingot Copper, Block Tin, Spelter, Lead, Antimony, etc. 49 CLIFF ST., NEW YORK. nanan - ( 393 a in RK. A. H ART, | /29 MURRAY ST., THE PLUME & ATWOOD Mr6. C0, MANUPACTUREES OF Sheet and Roll Brass —AND— WiRE PRINTERS’ BRASS, JEWELERS’ METAL, GERMAN SILVER AND GILDING METAL, COPPER RIV=Ts AND BURRS. Pins, Brass Butt Hinges, Jack Chain, Ke vo. sene Burners, Lamps, Lamp Trimmings, &c. NEW YORK. 144 HIGH ST., BOSTON. 199 LAKE ST., CHICAG®, ROLLING MILL : THOMASTON, CONN. FACTORIES : WATERBURY, CONN. SCOVILL MFG. CO., Manufacturers of BRASS SHEET, WIRE, TUBES. Hinges, Buttons, Lamp Goods, Nipples, Pumps and Oilers for Bieyeles, Braziers’ Solder. FACTORIES, WATERBURY, CONN. DEPOTS: CHICAGO, WEW YORK, BOSTON. JOHN DAVOL & SONS, AGENTS FOR Brooklyn Brass & Copper Co., DEALERS IN COPPER, TIN, SPELTER, LEAD, ANTIMONY. 100 John Street, New York. Arthur T. Rutter, SUCCESSOR TO WILLIAM S. FEARING, 256 Broadway, New York. Sheet Brass, German Silver, Cop- per, Brass and German Silver Wire, Brazed and Seamless Brass and Copper Tubes, Small Tubing a Specialty. Brass and Copper Rods, Brass Ferrules. Sheet and Ingot Copper; Spelter Tin, Antimony, Lead, etc “PHONO - ELECTRIC” WIRE. = “IT’S TOUGH.” TROLLEY, TELEPHONE and TELEGRAPH . LINES. wR. BRIGEPORT BRASS 0, NOT. F. WELCH MPG. CO. 69 SUDBURY BTREET, SOSTC THURSDAY, JANI The Philadelphia Oil and Bearing Metal Testing Machine. The users of tubricating oils and bearing metals have been trying for a long time to solve the problem pre sented to them when they desire to make an efficient test of the various kinds offered. Elaborate and expen sive tests of oils have failed to give even a fair idea of their lubricating value under working conditions. Many chemical and mechanical tests have been tried only to be condemned. Various machines have been designed and thoroughly tried. The general conclusion of testing engineers is that the main test for a lubricating oil should be in a machine in which the conditions of prac- tice are complied with as nearly as possible, and all in- ~ Se yt me ry Ag ed ms sobs “““STHE [RON Me e ‘THE IRON AGB ary 24, 1901. sliding friction. The load is carried to the bearing through a carefully designed series of balancing levers carried on hardened steel knife edges, and the series so designed that the sensitiveness of the coefficient beam is not affected. The axle is hollow, permitting of the circulation of water or steam when it is desired to control the temperature. The temperature is measured by a thermometer introduced at the top of the yoke and brought close down to the bearing. Lubrication can be effected by a drop feed oil cup or by an oiled pad held against the under surface of the journal by a spring. The revolutions are read from a counter which can be thrown in or out of gear as desired. Reference to the cut will elucidate most of these points. In operation this machine has proved a very sensitive THE PHILADELPHIA OIL AND BEARING METAL TESTING MACHINE. fluences affecting the scientific results which are not a legitimate part of the test are eliminated. The machine here illustrated was designed and built by the Philadelphia Machine Tool Company, 443 North Darien street, Philadelphia. The machine may be analyzed into three essential features, and the additional mechanism necessary to connect these three elements and make an efficient machine. These three elements are the axle, which forms for part of its length the jour- nal on which the oil or bearing metal is to be tested; the load beam, by means of which any load up to 1200 pounds may be put upon the bearing, and the coefficient beam, which has the yoke carrying the bearing for test incorporated in it, and which accurately measures the friction generated between the journal and bearing. To form these elements into a compact and efficient machine there has been provided in the first place a heavy rigid frame underlying the whole and making it self contained. To avoid heating of the axle from any other cause than the friction of the test journal, it is mounted on four large wheels, on which it rolls, thus avoiding all and accurate weigher of the friction on the test journal, and therefore gives the true value of a lubricant or bear- ing metal under the conditions prevailing in practice. The beam floats as in machines where the beam weighs a direct pull. It is sensitive to and easily read to pound. <i Southeastern Texas is widely excited over a remark- able oil strike made last week near Beaumont, on land owned by Capt. A. F. Lucas. The oil was struck at a depth of less than 1000 feet. Its yield is reported to be fully 16,000 barrels a day. Lands in the vicinity of the well that were worth less than $2 an acre a week. ago are now held at $1000 an acre. The Crown Smelting Company of Chester, Pa., are now busily engaged in casting four large brass blades for a screw propeller for the United States Army trans- port “ McClelland,’ now undergoing repairs at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. When completed the new pro- peller will be 16 feet in diameter. PP car ee a ——— — gee ne bho The Development of Power at Niagara Falls. A very important and thoroughly interesting paper on the history of the earliest development of power known to have been made at Niagara Falls has been prepared by Arthur Schoellkopf, who is at the head of the Niagara Falls Hydraulic Power & Mfg. Company, owners of the hydraulic canal power, which is the old- est development at the Falls. In this paper Mr. Schoellkopf has pointed out how the company are now operating their central station under a head of water which a few years ago it was thought impossible to use, because of the apparent in- ability to build wheels that would withstand the strains of such a head. The Niagara Falls Hydraulic Power & Mfg. Company are now operating their turbines under a head of 210 feet, and in what Mr. Schoellkopf has said, he not only has told all about the Niagara development, but he has incidently and indirectly outlined in an ex- ceedingly plain way, by the object lesson presented by his company’s development, the wonderful progress that makers of turbines have made in the past 20 years in meeting the requirements of just such wonderful de- velopments and projects as those at Niagara Falls. It has been the ambition of the engineers and laymen from the time Niagara Falls was discovered to utilize its vast energy for power purposes. The first occasion which we learn of any part of the water power of the Niagara being put to practical use is in the year 1750. when French settlers built a small saw mill on the river bank, opposite Goat Island. History does not inform us in just what manner the power was utilized, but un- doubtedly their machinery was of the most primitive description. Again, in 1810, D. Clinton, and, in 1825, Lafayette, utilized some of this power. From this time, as the wants of the increasing population made it neces- sary, other mills and manufacturing establishments were erected on a small seale. It remained for Gen. Peter B. Porter and Augustus Porter, in 1840, to devise a practical plan of development. Gen, Peter B. Porter died in 1844, and in 1847 Augustus Porter isued a cir- cular describing a plan practically the same as that now being carried out by the Niagara Falls Hydraulic Power & Mfg. Company. The grounds for this canal were donated by the heirs of the late Hon. Augustus S. Porter and Gen. Peter B. Porter, in 1852. Negotiations were commenced with Caleb J. Woodhull and Walter Bryant, and an agree- ment was finally reached with these gentlemen by which they were to construct the canal. They received a plot of land at the head of the canal having a frontage on the upper river of about 600 feet, and a right of way 100 feet wide for a canal along its entire length of 4400 feet, which now is through the most thickly populated part of the city. They were also given about 75 acres of land near its terminus, having a frontage on the river below the falls of nearly a mile. In March, 18538, the Niagara Falls Hydraulic Company were incorporated, with Caleb J. Woodhull as president and Walter Bryant as agent. This company at once made a contract for the construction of a canal 70 feet wide and 10 feet deep, with wharves at its connection with the river. Work seems to have been begun prompt- ly and earried on for about 16 months. It was then suspended for lack of funds until 1858, when it was carried on for a time by the Niagara Falls Water Power Company, Stephen M. Allen, president. A short time afterward Horace H. Day acquired the property, and July 1, 1861, completed a canal 36 feet wide and about S feet deep. The war of the rebellion broke out at this time, followed by years of business depression. No use was made of the canal until 1870, when Charles B. Gas- kill built a small grist mill on the site of the present fiouring mill belonging to the Cataract Milling Com- pany, of whith Mr. Gaskill was president. In 1877 the canal and all its appurtenances were purchased by Jacob F. Schoellkopf of Buffalo and Abram Chesbrough of La Salle, N. Y., who organized the Ni- THE II YN AGE. January 24, 1901 agara Falls Hydraulic Power & Mfg. Company, of which Mr. Schoellkopf was president up to the time of his death, September 15, 1899, and Arthur Schoellkopf, sec- retary and treasurer. Since that time the enlarging of the canal and the development of electrical and hy- draulic power has gone steadily forward, mainly through the indomitable energy of Jacob F. Schoellkopf and his great faith in the future of this great water power and the location of Niagara Falls up to the time of his death. The mills of Schoellkopf & Mathews, Cataract Mill- ing Company, Central Milling Company, Pettebone- Cataract Paper Company, the City Water Works and the Niagara Wood Paper Company leased the right to draw a certain quantity of water from the canal, con- struct their own wheel pits and install their own water wheels. Two different methods were adopted for construct- ing the pits for these various mills. In some cases shafts were sunk into the rock back from the edge of the bank, in which the wheels were placed, and a tunnel driven from the bottom of the shaft to the face of the bank for a discharge of the water after it had passed through the wheels. In other cases a slot was cut in the face of the bank, in which wheels were placed. In all cases turbine wheels of different make running on vertical axes were used. In 1881 the Niagara Falls Hydraulic Power & Mfg. Company installed their first plant for the purpose of supplying power to customers, the power to be delivered mechanically at their mills. The method adopted was as follows: A shaft 20 x 40 feet and 80 feet deep was sunk 200 feet back from the face of the high bank, and from this shaft a tunnel was driven to the face of the bank from a tail race. The water was conducted to the bottom of this shaft in iron penstocks and used on two different turbines running on vertical axes, from which the power was transmitted to the different factories. Mr. Porter’s contract with Messrs. Woodhull and tryant only conveyed the land to the edge of the high bank and did not include the talus or slope between the edge of the high bank and the river, and only granted the right to excavate down to the face of the bank 100 feet. At that time it was not considered that higher heads would ever be utilized, as it was deemed un- wise to construct water wheels to stand a _ pressure of a higher head, and, in fact, none of the mills at- tempted to utilize more than 50 or 60 feet. Hydraulic engineering advanced so rapidly in the early 80’s that the Niagara Falls Hydraulic Power & Mfg. Company, in 1886, secured a deed of portions of the slope between the high bank and the river, having since secured other portions, so that at the present time they are at liberty to use this slope for power purposes under a head of water of 210 feet. A part of this slope was leased to the Cliff Paper Company in 1892, who built a pulp mill at the water’s edge of the lower river, developing 2500 horse-power under 120 feet head by us- ing the water discharged from the wheels in the pits constructed by the Hydraulic Power Company in 1881. In 1886 Wallace C. Johnson was appointed chief engi- nerr and has had charge of the engineering work since that time. The canal as completed by Mr. Day had a capacity of 15,000 horse-power under 100 feet head, but as the water had been used under less heads, its capacity was exhausted in 1892, and only about 7000 horse-power produced. The demand for power increasing, the Niagara Falls Hydraulic Power & Mfg. Company found it necessary to commen¢e an enlargement of their canal, and have continued improving the same up to the pres- ent time, which, in 1900, had a capacity of 36,000 horse- power under the full head of 210 feet. The water for the plant is led from the hydraulic basin in two open canals or flumes to the forebay, 30 feet wide and 22 feet deep, built near the edge of the high bank. From this forebay the water is conducted to the power house by means of three penstock pipes, one of them being 8 feet and the other two 11 feet in diameter, built of flange steel. This plant, with a work- January 24, 1901 THE ing capacity of 30,000 horse-power, is nearly completed. It consists of 14 turbine wheels, from 2000 to 3000 horse- power each, mounted on horizontal axes, with direct cur- rent generators coupled to each end. From these gen- erators the current is conducted to the top of the bank by means of wires and bars, in wire towers, built along- side of the penstocks, and thence in underground sub- ways to the various consumers. The tenants of this company and their manufactured product ure as follows: The Pittsburgh Reduction Company.—Aluminum; now using 6600 horse-power, contracted for 4000 horse- power, total 10,600 horse-power. The National Electrolytic Company.—Chlorate of potash; now using 2200 horse-power. Alloy Smelting Company.—Ferro chrome and other alloys; now using 400 horse-power. Acker Company.—Bleaching caustic soda; 3200 horse-power. B. & N. F. Electric Light & Power Company.—Are and incandescent lighting; now using 400 horse-power, contracted for 650 horse-power, total 1050 horse-power. Niagara Silver Company.—Silver ware; 125 power, Process powder and horse Niagara Gorge Railroad Company.~—350 horse-power. Lewiston & Youngstown Electric Railroad.—100 horse-power. Niagara Falls Brewing Company.—86 horse-power. Cataract Hair Cloth Company.—Hair cloth; 16 horse- power. Niagara Frontier horse-power. Niagara University.—For electric horse-power. New York State Reservation.—For lighting; 20 horse- power. Sundry small consumers, 150 horse-power. Total amount of electric power, 19,037 horse-power. Electrical Machine Company.—10 lighting, &c.; 30 Mechanical Power. Carter Crume horse-power. Oneida Community, 300 horse-power. rotal mechanical power, 360 horse-power. Company.—Check book factory; 60 Limited.—Silver plated wares; Hydraulic Power. cliff Paper Company.—Paper and wood pulp; 2900 horse-power. Niagara Wood Paper Company.—Wood pulp; 250 horse-power. City of Niagara Falls Water Works.—150 horse- power. Niagara Falls Milling Company.—Niagara mill, flour and feed, 906 horse-power; Central mill, flour and feed, 1000 horse-power; total, 1900 horse-power. Pettebone-Cataract Paper Company.—Paper and wood pulp; 1400 horse-power. Cataract City Milling 400 horse-power. Total hydraulic power, 7000 horse-power. The Niagara Falls Hydraulic Power & Mfg. Com- pany are capitalized at $500,000, and their officers are George B. Mathews. Buffalo, president; W. D. Olm- stead, Buffalo, vice-president; Arthur Schoellkopf, sec- retary and treasurer; D. P. Jones, chief engineer, and Wallace C. Johnson, consulting engineer. John L. Romer of Buffalo and J. F. Schoellkopf, Jr., with the above named officers, constitute the Board of Directors. Company.—Flour and feed; —_———_ A successful trial of the Marconi system of wireless telegraphy, made under unusually trying conditions, is reported from Paris. The Belgian steamer “ Clemen- tine’? crossed from Ostend to Dover on Tuesday in a heavy snow storm with a number of Belgian Govern- ment officials on board, for the purpose of making an official test of the system. In spite of the storm mes- sages were regularly exchanged between the “ Clemen- tine”” and Ostend until the boat drew alongside Dover Pier. Mr. Marconi, it is said, contemplates establishing stations all around the English coast to enable vessels IRON AGE. 3 at any distance up to 60 miles from land to communi- cate with the shore. The Conciliation Committee. With the purpose of carrying out the idea proposed by the National Civie Federation, to end forever the disastrous uprisings between capital and labor, the com- mittee appointed by the Chicago Conference on Concilia- tion and Arbitration December last met on the 12th inst. at the Grand Pacific Hotel. It is proposed to select a National Board of Arbitra- tion, whose duty it will be to adjust matters so far as it is agreeable between those concerned, and the plan is expected to bring into closer touch the interests of the employer and employed. Several of the members of the committee were absent, and for this reason perma- nent organization could not be effected, but those who were there suggested plans and outlined a system of pro- cedure which probably will meet the approval of the other members. After the choice of A. C. Bartlett of the firm of Hib- bard, Spencer, Bartlett & Co. for temporary chairman and Ralph M. Easley of the National Civic Federation for temporary secretary, those of the committee who were present got down to work. Representatives of capital and labor worked in harmony in an effort to out- line the committee’s work. It was the unanimous opin- ion that both labor and capital must be organized on lines of less friction. In order that the great mass of laboring men and capitalists who are interested in the deliberations of the committee may be apprised of the work being done and also that they may have a chance to make suggestions from time to time, it is proposed to have a bureau of education and publicity. A monthly pamphlet will be issued. Besides a synopsis of the progress made, the publication will contain a set of questions to be answered by interested parties not members of the committee. Herman Justi, Commissioner of the [Illinois Coal Operators’ Association; Frederick Driscoll, Com- missioner of the American Newspaper Association, and Daniel Keefe, president of the International Longshore- men’s Union, were appointed to take this work in charge. Arrangements will be made at once by Secretary Eas- ley to have printed 20,000 of these pamphlets, to be for- warded to hundreds of émployers throughout the coun- In addi- was the sentiment of those at the meeting that each should notify his associates in business and the labor world of the proposed plans of the committee and its ideas on arbitration. The members of the committee deem it best that no force should be used to compel arbitration. If a national board is selected only such cases are to be taken for it as are previously agreed upon by the employers and labor men interested, and then the decision is not to be binding unless this shall agreed to. try and to the 600 or more labor organizations. tion to the pamphlet it also have been previously At the arbitration and conciliation meeting in Decem- ber both the labor men and employers were requested to forward a set of queries to men engaged in their lines of trade, with the idea in view of gaining some general idea as to the best plan of choosing members of a Na- tional Board of Arbitration. Many letters were received, and among others read before the committee was one from Edward P. Ripley, president of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fé Railroad, which was enthusiastically received. The ideas evinced by Mr. Ripley seemed to find lodgment in the minds of all of those present. Mr. Ripley stated that he did not favor compulsory arbitration, but that he was in sym- pathy with voluntary agreements in some instances, but not in all. He declared that he favored the most com- plete organization of railway corporations for self pro- tection in all instances, including relations with organ- ized labor. He favors the appointment of one national arbiter, he to select two others if occasion requires it, and under all circumstances he is in sympathy with or- ganized labor. He says that when conservatively gov- erned it is for the best interest of the labor classes. THE A Practical Laboratory. There is a great difference between the practical ap- plication of chemistry where dollars and cents are the main feature and theoretical chemistry, wherein experi- ment and research are the principal points considered. Each branch of chemistry has its place, and theoretical chemistry is of just as much use and value as practical chemistry. The mistake generally made is in misplacing the two branches. Every practical foundryman knows that theoretical chemistry in the foundry is not only misleading, but fails to produce the practical results desired. In foundry practice the result aimed at is a soft, close grained iron, with good strength. In addition to this, it is a source of THE CHEMICAL LABORATORY OF THE J. satisfaction to be able to govern the mixture and obtain duplicate melts in the cupola. Practical-chemistry com- bined with good common sense will accomplish wonders, providing the surroundings are harmonious. Harmony between the chemist and the workmen is the keystone of success. It is not the purpose of this paper to explain such matters, but to describe a modern practical laboratory where harmonious conditions prevail and good results are obtained. In a large corporation the purchasing agent is a prime factor, and as he is the means of dis- tributing thousands, sometimes millions, of dollars in the line of outlay for raw material, it stands to reason that he should be a man of keen discernment, quick decision and shrewd business ability. In order to distinguish the difference between good, indifferent and poor material a system of tests is a neces- sary adjunct to the purchasing department. The United States Government maintains a bureau of tests in the IRON AGE. January 24, 1901 form of numerous physical and chemical laboratories. All of the large railway lines, sugar refineries, chemical works, color works, oil refineries, meat packing works, cement works, steel plants, blast furnaces, machine shops and many iron foundries now consider a physical or chemical laboratory an absolute necessity. It is only within the past few years that the agricultural imple- ment manufacturers, engine builders and iron founders have recognized the value of chemistry in their business; some of these institutions now have laboratories that are marvels of completeness. In the steel plants the only determinations required are iron, steel, ores, fuel and the metalloids associated with iron. In the electrical construction business, it is necessary to test the wire, cotton, paper, &c. In a foun- 4) RRA, Awe $969.3) SAAS ARG Ge 1, CASE THRESHING MACHINE COMPANY. dry, pig iron, cast iron, limestone, sea coal facing, sand, &c., are the materials operated on. The large industrial concerns manufacturing agricultural implements are per- haps required to test a greater variety of materials than any of the lines mentioned. Some idea as to the require- ments of a laboratory for this purpose may be realized from the fact that such concerns as the McCormick, Deering, Milwaukee, Champion, Osborn, Wood and Plano harvester companies, the Edward P. Allis Company and the J. I. Case Threshing Machine Company are fitted with both physical and chemical laboratories for testing the following materials—-viz.: steel, wrought iron, cast iron, bearing metals, alloys, wood, coal, coke, fuel oil, gas, fire brick, limestone, clay, sand, foundry facings, leather, cloth, rubber, paper, rope, twine, chain, lubri- cants, paints, oils, varnish, &c. A description of one of these modern laboratories may be interesting, as a great majority of readers are un- familiar with the inner workings of such an institution. January 24, 1901 THE One of the best equipped establishments of this char- acter is found at the works of the J. I. Case Threshing Machine Company, Racine, Wis. The officers of this company are energetic business men, and hold the fol- lowing positions: F. K. Bull, president; Frederick Robin son, vice-president and general manager; R. T. Robinson, secretary, and Chas. MacIntosh, treasurer. Stephen Bull, former president of the company and one of the original founders of the now great establishment, still takes a deep interest in the progress of affairs. The head chemist is W. G. Scott. When the laboratory was first started it was looked upon as a fad or as an experiment. Now, however, it is THE PHYSICAL LABORATORY OF THE J. consulted in all matters pertaining to material; and as all “ breakages” are inspected, tested and the reports filed for reference, it furnishes a means of correcting many evils. One pleasant feature in connection with this department is that perfect harmony exists between the chemist and the different foundrymen. The foundry foremen, the mixers, samplers, inspectors and chemists are all working to advance the interests of the firm. Every kind of testing machine and apparatus required for a physical test or chemical analysis will be found here. Several rooms are devoted to this purpose. is known as the office; here are desks, tables, ing apparatus, &c., and here is where the made out and typewritten. Three duplicate reports are made, one to be sent to the general manager, one to the purchasing agent and one to the superintendent, if the The first fine weigh- reports are [RON i AGE. 5 report relates to material. If, however, the report ap- plies to breakages or to shop tests, then a report is made out to the manager of agencies or to the foreman of the department in question. At one side of the room is a large fine library with hundreds of scientific periodicals and trade journals, ‘onspicuous among which is The Iron Age. The library embraces the latest and most standard scientific works oh every subject connected with the working of raw material for industrial purposes. Chemistry, physics, iron and steel, wood, cloth, cordage, leather, rubber, paper, fuels, oils, paint, &c., are titles showing promi- nently among the many books Air pumps, in the library. y = “. - 7 in” " e> » iy 5. CASE THRESHING MACHINE COMPANY. compression pumps, barometers, thermometers, hygrom- for measuring the moisture in the air, anemom- eters for determining the velocity of air currents, elec- trical devices for electrolysis of metals, delicate machines for determining the melting point of solid oils and greases, gaS apparatus, hydrostatic balances, combus- tion furnaces, centrifugal machines, apparatus for the analysis of soils, &c., are also found here. At one side of the room are two large cases of bottles containing pigments of every color known. These bot- tles contain samples of dry paint which have been an- alyzed, and there are nearly 3000 samples of various col- ors in the rack. Next is the chemical room, where the fumes and odors, boiling solutions and the heat from small fur- naces give one an idea of the inferno. This room is de- voted entirely to chemical work. The apparatus, of eters Pee pear ead 6 which there seems to be no end, is mostly of glass. Fine glass tubes for measuring liquids, apparatus for gas analysis, specific gravity and hydrostatic balances, burettes, pipettes, beakers, flasks, casseroles, evaporating dishes, funnels, suction pumps, Bunsen burners and glass ware blown in the most fantastic shapes imaginable are everywhere. Among the apparatus are numerous small crucibles, some of iron, others of delicate china, a few of solid silver and quite a number of platinum. The platinum crucibles are very expensive, costing more than gold. Those in the Case laboratory are valued at more than $500. A small platinum crucible holding not more than a fluid ounce is worth from $15 to $25, accord- ing to weight. In this room the assistant chemists are always busy with a great many iron analyses, boiling, filtering and drying the various precipitates. This laboratory does the work for several other large concerns in the North- west, and as every car of pig iron that is purchased has to be analyzed one can form some idea of the magnitude of the business when informed that the average number of iron analyses per day is 16. A complete analysis of iron or steel determines the quality and value of the metal. The elements or metalloids present in iron are silicon, sulphur, phosphorus, manganese and carbon, with occasionally small amounts of copper, cobalt, nickel, titanium, arsenic, &c. A noticeable feature in respect to this room is the drug store appearance of shelves filled with bottles, drawers for dry chemicals and a neat arrangement of everything pertaining to the business. The third room is termed the physical laboratory, which is perhaps the most interesting section of this department. The machines used for testing the strength of various materials are very expensive, and a shop hav- ing a single machine is considered quite fortunate, but here are found quite a number, prominent among which is an automatic screw power testing machine of the lat- est design. This machine is fitted with appliances for taking the tensile, transverse and compressive strength. An interesting illustration of the strength of a piece of iron 1 inch in diameter is given on this machine. The piece, which is usually about 16 inches long, is fastened in the machine by means of a clamp or grips. When the machine is started the piece of iron is pulled apart near the middle of the piece. This method of testing is termed a “ tensile test.” An ordinary bar is broken un- der a load of about 49,000 pounds, or nearly 25 tons. Every day during the season test bars from the dif- ferent foundries are sent to the laboratory for a tensile and transverse test, and there is much rivalry between the foundry foremen in trying to see who can come out ahead on the quality and strength of their iron. The iron charged in the cupola each day is mixed according to analysis, and the casting turned out must conform to the specifications under which the foreman is bound. The Case Company are very strict in this respect, and allow the foundryman only 15-100 of 1 per cent. varia- tion on silicon and 1-100 of 1 per cent. on sulphur. Three grades of gray iron castings are made, and the chemical contents must not only be within a certain limit, but the bars must have a certain strength and the shrinkage held within certain limits. No test bar must have a tensile strength of less than 18,000 pounds, or a tranverse strength of less than 2000 pounds to the square inch. Transverse tests are made on a 12-inch span The usual average breaking strain is 24,000 pounds for tensile strength and 2500 pounds for the trans verse strength. One foundry (Milwaukee Harvester Company) has a yearly record exceeding these fig ures, in some cases the “soft iron” bars showing a transverse strength of over 3000 pounds. All bars are micrometered and figured to 1 square inch. A complete physical test of cast iron includes the following features or determinations: Tensile strength, transverse strength, deflection, compression, torsional test, chill, shrinkage and drop test. A tensile test is made on every shipment of rubber and leather belting, chain, rope, &c. The belting test pieces have a pulling section of 1 inch in width, and the average strength per inch of width of single thick belt THE IRON AGE. January 24, 19/1 must not be less than 700 pounds, otherwise the material is rejected. By this means nearly all of the material sent out is known to be good. Occasionally, however, breakages occur in the field, or the material is reported to be poor, in which case it is returned to the laboratory and if found to be defective from an unseen flaw the purchaser is supplied with a new outfit free of charge. Another interesting machine in this room is a United States standard cloth tester, on which the strength of cotton duck is determined. There are also machines for testing twine, paper, wire and rubber, also a machine for taking the percentage of stretch in rubber. This latter machine determines the amount of shoddy mixed with pure gum. Pure Para rubber has a stretch of 7 to 13 times its own length, while “‘ shoddy ” gives only one tenth to twice its length. Another machine is intended for testing cast iron by means of a shock or the impact of a weight dropped from a given hight. According to Mr. Scott’s idea, this test is a very practical one, as it represents the actual punishment a great many castings get in actual use. Prominent among the great number of testing ma- chines is a Thurston oil tester for determining the prac- tical value of lubricating oils, also a machine for test- ing babbitt metal; these machines are worked by elec- tricity and register the friction pressure, rise in tem- perature, speed, &c. A coutrivance for determining the hardness of cast iron must not be omitted in this de- scription. This machine is known as the Bauer drill test, and was designed by the late Chas. A. Bauer of Springfield, Ohio. The number of revolutions made by a %-inch drill in boring a hole exactly % inch deep deter- mines the hardness of the metal. The harder the iron the more revolutions will the electric counter register. Specimens of iron, steel, alloys, rope, twine, canvas, leather, rubber, paper, &c., are to be seen on the shelves, and each sample thus displayed is marked as a “ freak,” or in other words, these samples showed some extraordi- nary results as to strength or curious flaws. To the vice-president and general manager belongs the credit of creating this branch of the business and bringing it up to its present standard. The secretary of the company is a practical chemist, and acts as director of the laboratory. The president takes a great interest in the laboratory work, and is very particular to have everything in the way of apparatus, &c., up te date, and in connection with the treasurer has spared neither pains nor expense in fitting out this department. If necessary these people send their chemist to the blast furnace, the steel works, paint factory, tannery, rubber works, or any other place where practical information is to be obtained, and he is instructed to actually learn the prac- tical part, so that he can intelligently analyze the mate- rial; in this way practical results instead of theory are achieved. Mr. Scott has in the past 15 years visited hundreds of industrial establishments in nearly every part of the country, and is probably as well posted in the making as in the tearing apart of the different kinds of material. A person who understands the manufacturing process, as well as the analytical part, is called a tech- nical or industrial chemist. ee The Chicago Sheet [letal Workers. A conference of representatives of the local Sheet Metal Contractors’ Association and of the Sheet Metal Workers’ Uuion was held in Chicago on January 16. The main points of contention are the wage scale, the question of helpers and the Saturday half holiday. The union men demand 42144 cents per hour for inside and outside work. The contractors demand either a lower price for all work or that inside work be omitted from the agreement entirely. They claim that within recent years they have been forced to abandon their country trade, which amounted to a great deal, on account of the high wages paid in Chicago, which are higher than in any city except in New York. The whole Western trade has been taken by St. Louis, Milwaukee and St. Paul, and this has been a cause of much grievance to the Chicago men. Heretofore, also, the contractors were permitted to employ only as many helpers as the union January 24, 1901 THE thought fit, which in many cases forced the contractors to employ journeymen and pay 42% cents an hour, while helpers could have done the work as well at a cost of but 25 cents per hour. The unionists demand the Saturday half holiday, on both inside and outside work, while the contractors are willing to grant it for the outside work during June, July and August, but want to reserve the right to do as they think fit for inside work. Both parties agree on the eight-hour scale. So far, the contractors have had the best of the controversy, and say that they are not affected by the present attitude of the union. If an agreement is made, and it is thought probable that it will be, the Chicago Sheet Metal Workers’ Union will withdraw from the Chicago Building Trades Council. The Woods Self Oiling Loose Pulley. The loose pulley here illustrated revolves on the sleeve A, which is fastened to the shaft by the set screw B. Large holes in the sleeve extend from end to end and form capacious oil spaces, from which small radial holes conduct the oil to the bearing surfaces. When the shaft is revolving the oil is carried to the bearings by centrif [IRON AGE. 7 banner month in the history of the plant for the pro duction of alcohol, 14,920 gallons being made. There has been a good demand for this product right along, it commanding 75 cents a gallon delivered at Eastern points. At Gladstone about 344 gallons of alcohol are secured from a cord of wood, a remarkably high average compared with the results obtained in chemical plants run in conjunction with other blast furnaces. In addi- tion about 300 pounds of acetate of lime are obtained from each cord of wood. A cord of wood usually weighs about 5000 pounds. Of this 2500 pounds are pyro- ligneous acid. Twelve different oils are also contained but none are saved; there appearing to be no market for them. ED “le The Nicaragua Canal. CORINTO, NICARAGUA.—Reyverting to the condition of things here regarding the waterway, it may be stated that the people at large are beginning to under- stand the great need of building the canal to save the country from financial and general disaster. Mean- while, many of the higher officials find it convenient to take it for granted that the United States must build THE WOODS SELF OILING LOOSE PULLEY. ugal force; when the belt is on the loose pulley and the shaft is at rest the oil flows by gravity to the bearing through the lower rows of holes. No felt, wick or fabric of any kind is used as an oil retainer, and after the pul- ley is once thoroughly lubricated it does not require re- oiling oftener than once a month under ordinary use, and in some instances it has been known to run as long as ten months without being reoiled. This pulley is manufactured by the S. A. Woods Machine Company of South Boston, Mass. ——_—_—_——»— Charcoal Retorts at Gladstone, [lich. The Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Company, says the Mar- quette (Mich.) Journal, recently erected ten retorts for the charring of wood for their furnace at Gladstone. They will be built instead of the old time kilns in the future and in time will replace them. The new retorts have been in use but a few days. They each take 5 cords of wood which they completely char in two hours, thus having a capacity equaling ten of the old style kilns. The steel shells of the new retorts are externally heated with coal. Thus far at Gladstone screenings have been experimented with, but Manager Austin Farrell hopes to find a source of supply of bi- tuminous coal. He is figuring with some lower Michi- gan miners and may buy the fuel in this State. The new retorts will be connected with the company’s chemi- eal plant, the by-products of wood alcohol and gray acetate of lime being secured. December, 1900, was the the canal and pay for it as well. Acting on this they are taking up all the land available on the shores of the proposed waterway, as private property, to be afterward sold to the United States Government for vast sums, and not a few foreigners are mixed up in this deal. Our Government will have to be on the lookout for schemes which will be sprung at every turn now, for the purpose of bleeding the American people. Eventually, if this goes on as at present, it may still be desirable to make some arrangement with the Panama Canal people, if that route can be bought outright, without being weighed down with outside exactions. From a busines point of view, not only Nicaragua, but Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala and Salvador are to-day totally dependent on the canal for future pros- perity, and the very least that Nicaragua and Costa Rica can do is to place things as they were at the time of the Guzman and Carazo Governments, when every facility was given the United States, absolutely free of cost. In truth, had we taken hold then, the canal would have been in running order by this date, to the great advantage of all concerned. In anticipation of a large and sudden increase in population here, American iron goods have taken a stride forward in price and many new orders are being placed. Plows, reapers, harrows, wire and corrugated iron from American factories are coming into daily use through- out the country. The only thing that can stop the in- crease of business on these lines is arbitrary import duties on the part of the Government here. Cc: | 5 THE The Ship Subsidy Bill. WasHINGTON, D. C., January 22, 1901.—Very substan- tial progress has been made during the past week by the friends of the Ship Subsidy bill in the Senate, and, as a result, the entire Republican membership has been brought into line, not only to vote for the measure after it has been adequately discussed, but to aid in keeping it before the Senate to the exclusion of all other meas- ures except the annual appropriation bills and the war revenue reduction bill. Thus the contest has been nar- rowed down to a struggle between the majority and the minority, the former endeavoring to bring the bill to a vote, and the latter by tactics of every variety seeking to postpone a ballot until Congress expires on March 4. As has been stated in these dispatches, the Repub- lican Senators have not heretofore been a unit either in advocating the general proposition of a ship subsidy or in favoring the measure as reported from the Senate Committee on Commerce. Those who were indifferent as to the passage of any bill were not hostile to the sub- sidy plan, however, but had not been convinced that their immediate constituencies would secure any ad- vantage from it. Those favoring a subsidy but unwill- ing to accept the Commerce Committee’s bill had plans of their own which they believed would greatly strengthen the measure. Both these contingents have been brought into line during the past week through the energetic efforts of Senators Frye and Hanna. It has been demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Senators of the first class that the interior States will reap a great benefit through the decreased freight rates on agricul- tural products which it is claimed the subsidy law will bring about, and, especially, that there is no danger of a combination being effected strong enough to increase freight rates between United States ports and those in which American produce finds its principal markets. The task of winning over the second class referred to has been more difficult, but it has finally been accom- plished through the acceptance on the part of the man- agers of the bill of a series of amendments drafted by Senator McMillan of Michigan, which are said to repre- sent not only his personal views, but those of Senators Allison, Aldrich, Burrows, Spooner, Nelson, and others. The Amendments, The McMillan amendments as submitted to the Com- merce Committee were not wholly acceptable, but their autnor and his colleagues sharing his views were will- ing to modify them somewhat. After mutual conces- sions had been made Senator Frye gave out the follow- ing statement describing definitely the changes decided upon: “No extra compensation to be allowed vessels of over iS knots, thus cutting off about $50,000 from each of the fast going mail ships, as provided under the original terms of the bill. “No compensation to be allowed oil tank vessels. “ The length of time for which contracts can be made is reduced from 20 to 15 years. “The number of foreign vessels to be admitted to American registry, provided a like tonnage is built in the United States, is limited to four vessels to each firm for each class—that is, four vessels already built and four vessels for which contracts have been made and not completed. The effect of this bill will be to reduce the amount of foreign tonnage that may be admitted to American registry under the terms of cae bill from about 350,000 tons to 200,000. “A modification of Clause ‘F’ of the bill makes it necessary for any ship owner or builder to actually begin the work of construction before a contract will be en- tered into.” In addition to the above modifications Senator Mc- Millan and his colleagues hau proposed that a large por- tion of the compensation provided by the bill should be paid in the form of postal subsidies, but while conceding the theoretical soundness