The Iron Age 1901-08-22: Vol 68 Iss 8

‘THE IRON AGE Tuurspay, AucGusr 22, 1901. A Giant Gas Holder and Its Erection. What at the time of its erection was the largest gas holder in the United States was completed in 1895 at Long Island City for the East River Gas Company. Since then two others, equal in size, have been built. Although the East River Gas Company were organ- ized maiuly for the purpose of supplying New York City with gas, the location across the East River was deter- mined upon as it offered facilities, mainly in docking regards erection and subsequent maintenance. It is not a case of putting all the eggs in one basket, since in no instance has a mammoth gas holder met with destruction when designed and built by an experienced and reliable firm. The diameter of the tank of the holder is 190 feet. The holder itself is built in four sections or lifts; the tirst, or inner one, is 179 feet 4 inches in diameter by 48 feet 6 inches deep; the second, 182 feet in diameter by 49 teet deep; the third, 184 feet 6 inches in diameter by 48 a _ Tre Row Act. A GIANT GAS HOLDER and water supply, which could not be obtained without a prohibitive outlay upon the west side of the river. The plant isintended ultimately to supply 24,000,000 cubic feet of water gas, the requisite materials necessary be- ing water for the boilers and other machines, coal for generator and steam purposes and naphtha or crude pe- troleum. The last two materials demand extended dock and storage facilities. At the present time the generator coal pocket has a frontage of 92 feet, with a length and hight sufficient to store 6000 tons of broken anthracite coal. To conduct the gas to New York City the East River was bored by a tunnel which will ultimately con- tain two 36-inch pipes and one 48-inch pipe. It is a fact in gas holder construction that the larger the capacity the less the cost per thousand feet, both a as AND ITS BRECTION. feet 6 inches deep, and the fourth, or outer one, 187 feet in diameter by 49 feet 2 inches deep. The entire structure is built of steel with the single exception of the cast iron guide rollers. The plates of the lower shell are 1 23-32 inches thick and are 5345 inches wide by 25 feet 10% inches long. None of the metal of the shell is below an elastic limit of 32,000 pounds, and the design is such that ver 90 per cent. of the gross section is made available in the joints. The thickness of each course is proportion- ately reduced as the courses approach the top, where it is 7-16 inch thick. Peculiarities of the Holder, As will be noted by the engraving, Fig. 1, the guide frame of the holder does not extend clear to the top when = ene Se ee crete 5 eee ee acy ooo ees = cows RS FETE & THE the lifts are extended, the upper portion of the top lift being exposed. This practice, while previously employed in England, has been first followed in this country by R. D. Wood & Co. of Philadelphia, who designed and erected the halder. and is u result of a close study of the condi IRON AGE. August 22, 1901 ture of this kind is from high winds a wind pressure of 32 pounds per square foot, equal to 16 pounds on a di- ametrical section of the holder, has been provided for. The totai weight of the moving part or floating por- tion of the holder is 2,000,000 pounds, this, of THe !RONn AGE Fig. 2.—Lowering the Bottom of Holder. Fig. 3.—Framing Supporting Crown. A GIANT GAS tions affecting the stability of structures of this char- acter. While there is considerable saving in material in the supporting frame by not guiding the four sections to the full hight, the principal economy lies in the cost of erection. This is due to avoiding the erection of the up- per section, since the expense of putting up a guide frame becomes greater as the hight increases. Since the most serious menace to a balloon like struc- HOLDER AND ITS ERECTION course, being supported by the gas contained within. The weight of the tank or lower stationary section is 2,500,000 pounds, the total weight of the entire holder being 5,700,000 pounds. The Erection. The first work in erection was the clearing away of the foundation down to rock, upon which was placed a level bed of concrete. On this the bottom plate of the tank August 22, 1901 THE IRON AGE. . 3 was built on trestles a few feet above ground, and then lowered by means of screw jacks, as indicated in Fig. 2. That it was no easy task to lower evenly a thin sheet of iron nearly 200 feet in diameter will be appreciated. Placed evenly over the plate were screw jacks passing through hand hole covers. The upperend of the screw was formed with an eye into which a long bar was inserted so that the screw could be operated by a man. These screws were placed at equal distances over the entire surface, and at certain signals the screws were turned a definite portion of a rotation. In this way the entire plate was brought down to a bearing upon the founda- tion. The crown or roof of the inner lift was built with a wood frame or false work, illustrated in Fig. 3, and which was allowed to remain after completion of the entire work in order to support the crown if at any time it became necessary to deflate the holder. This crown is spherical in section. While this work was going on the sides of the several lifts of the tank were being con- structed. Hydraulic riveters of different sizes were em- ployed. Two of these riveters are shown at work in Figs. 4 and 10, one being on the shell and the other being on the frame. R. D. Wood & Co. have since on similar work, such as the 4,000,000-foot holder for the New York Mutual Company, and the 2,500,000-foot holder for the Central Gas Light Company, used both hydraulic and pneumatic riveters. Derricks and Cranes, It is essential and in fact a point of the utmost im- portance in a work of this kind that all material should be handled expeditiously and that all tools and appli- ances too heavy to be lifted by hand should be con- veyed quickly to the points where they are needed. Material to be raised 250 feet from the ground and there secured in position must be handled speedily in these days where quick results are so much sought. In the present instance, in order to accomplish this, two sys- tems of cranes or derricks were used. One, shown in Figs. 5, 7 and 9, consisted of a horizontally disposed truss, one end of which was pivoted on a frame at the center of the holder at a hight a little above that of the several lifts. The outer end of the truss was carried on shears and 9. The operating machinery, consisting of a steam hoisting engine, was carried upon the platform illus- trated in Fig. 5. Tre Ron Age Fig. 4.—Hydraulic Riveter at Work en Side Plates. oe Fig. 5.—Revolving Crane for Plate Work. A GIANT GAS HOLDER AND ITS BRECTION. provided with rollers moving upon a track concentric with the holder. These trammels were only used on plate work for handling the plates themselves and the riveters. They are shown in side elevation in Figs. 7 The Frame. The frame is composed of 24 latticed columns ar- ranged at equal distances in a circle 190 feet in diameter. They are united by five tiers of latticed girders and a atid Anim ae ee oe cep ey fae ti soma ny os etiam = ohery ean ta a ae 43 eo nena =e THE IR¢ double system of diagonals. Each column is composed total length of a single one bottoms of the columns rest upon the tank. Each section of each column was finished at the works, transported to o1 five equal sections, the being 150 feet. The bracket plates secured to the site and then assembled on tracks so arranged that the column rested tangentially as compared with the tank, as shown in Fig. 18. To raise the column the der rick shown in Figs. 6 and 8 was brought into play. This derrick moved upon a circular track around the holder, heing supported upon a centrally disposed pivot, as in the of the shell crane. The operating machinery vas placed on the floor at the the holder. The column was gripped by two independently operated ystems of upright case bottom of ropes, ra sed, SWwiing To an positi li IN AGE. August 22, 1901 furnish a seal to prevent the escape of the gas and to permit the free upward and downward movement of the One leg of each U enters between the the two U’s forming a seal, being this united. When filled with water they form a perfect barrier the passage of In this particular construction the top of one section is provided with a horizontally placed and encircling channel iron 10 inches wide and to the outer flange of which is riveted a plate, as shown in section, Fig. 12. This drawing also shows that the U form thus produced is inverted when attached to one section and in upright position when at- tached to the adjoining section. The cups thus formed are 21 inches in depth. Since these cups are always exposed to the weather several sections. legs of the meeting U. by design to gas. THE lfow / ‘ Pi ~~. - , , I } ‘ — = - yay ay ~ — | STAN ERO SEES ee ww oe oe a ae a a a “ ee a e Fig. 6.—Derrick Lifting One of the Columns. A GIANT GAS HOLDER and then lowered into place in a manner easily under- stood At each column each lift is provided with a system of guide rollers, shown in perspecitve in Fig. 14 and in their principal features and dimensions in Fig. 15. Each system of rollers, except the upper one, consists of a group of three grooved pulleys, one made to engage with the face of a rail on the inside of the column and the other two made to rest one on each side of this rail, thus providing a three-point bearing. The guide rollers for the inner or upper lift consist of a single grooved pulley for each column. These pulleys are all carried by plate brackets secured in the manner shown in Fig. 15 to the tops of the several lifts. The guide rollers of the upper lift of course leave the columns when the lift s at Tapering guides are there fare provided on top of the columns in order to insure the propet entrance of these guide rollers during the descent of the lift. ts extreme elevation. Holder Cups and Grips and Interior Overflow. The bottom of each lift, except the outer one, is formed with a U-shaped cup in which water is placed to AND ITS ERECTION. and to be effective must always be kept filled with water, it becomes necessary to prevent this water from freez- ing, and also to provide an overflow which will take care of any surplus water. Steam pipes furnished with flexible hose connections upon the outside of the holder sv as to permit of the rise and fall of the different sec- tions guard against freezing of the water in the cups. Heretofore it has been the common practice to let the overflow take care of itself, a consequence being that this would most often run down the sides of the holder in winter, frequently forming a mass of ice, both diffi- cult and troublesome to remove. The Matton overflow, here illustrated, guards against any inconvenience of this character by providing an automatic overflow to the interior of the tank. It is believed to be preferable to the extended grip sheets generally used, as they are dif- ficult to keep tight. At intervals around the cups are placed U-shaped pipes, the legs of which are of unequal length, as indicated in both views, Figs. 11 and 12. The short leg of this pipe is provided at its top with an over- flow leading through the wall of the lift and formed with a spoui shaped mouth, Figs. 12 and 16, so that all water from the cup is led to the inside of the holder. August 22, 1901 THE where it falls to the bottom without coming in contact with the metal in its passage. Since the cup is 21 inches in depth aud the long arm of the U drain but 16 3-16 inches in length the water in the cup is kept at a con stant level and by no possible means can it overflow except through the passage provided for the purpose. a The Snoqualmie Falls Power Company.—‘Thie Sno qualmie Falls Power Company of Seattle and Tacoma 14 Luly —< ~ EEE 100 1 t B GaSEEEE LA. OE Ee ch - | Pu 7 y n Lyris Li J | 7 7 Lex ae | S Y X } mana VA Nw EE Z 7 as YZ =”, i 7 | i" tuv [L gOYy NOU] any = Fig. 7.—Riweting Trammel. have placed an order with the Pittsburgh Reduction Company for 250,000 pounds of aluminum wire cable, which will more than double the capacity of their trans- mission system. Coincident with this, the enlargement of the generating station at the head works is under way, and an additional penstock will be installed hav- ing 50 per cent. more capacity than the first one. This penstock will feed three water wheel sets, each one of which will drive a direct connected Westinghouse 5000 horse-power generator. The underground cavity will be extended eastward about 150 feet, to accommodate the increase. Contracts have been let also for terminal substation structures in Tacoma and Seattle, which will be occupied and in use about January 1, 1902. The pres- ent quarters for distribution purposes are rented prem- ises. Charles H. Baker, president of the company, in whose charge the engineering and construction work is, estimates that this increase of capacity will be avail- able in about ten months. The Snoqualmie plant, when this increase is made, will have a capacity of 25,000 horse-power, and will therefore be the largest water power plant in the United States outside of Niagara. All the electric street cars, all the municipal and domes tic lighting, flour mills, machine shops and industries where electric motors are employed in Seattle and Ta coma are run by the Snoqualmie plant, and effort is now being made to induce the company to extend their lines to Everett, Wash., to handle the paper mill and smelter there and to improve the local lighting service. IRON F Canadian News. Effect of the Steel Strike in the Dominion, Toronto, August 16, 1901.—Canada draws nearly all its tin plate from the United Kingdom. That commodity is the main relic of the large trade in iron and steel done here by British manufacturers prior to the last half decade of the nineteenth century. In the fiscal year 1900 the Welsh mills sent to this country 480,794 cwt. ae _ ES, ae = oF J =— SS x * SO, ~~ aN Pe ae y < f VS K x % : 7 i ‘ The leon Act Derrick with Column in Vertical Position A GIANT GAS HOLDER AND ITS ERECTION ~* of tin plate, and those of the United States sent 8364 ewt. This country, therefore, will not be likely to suf- fer in consequence of the tie up at the works of the American Tin Plate Company. So far from Canada look- ing to the United States just now for tin plate’the reverse seems to be the case. According to advices from Mon- treal American agents are buying up all the British tin plate they can get at that point. The Montreal manu- facturers of tinware are well supplied, having on hand stocks large enough to keep them going till the spring. denciner penile in meres ar eee? ae rea Ree eer 4 ap THE Some of them are said to have disposed of large lots at prices that yield them a handsome profit, getting in some instances $2 a box more than could have been realized a month or two ago. As a rule, however, they are understood to be holding onto the bulk of their stock, the sales that have been made being from a surplus that is usually carried there with an eye to speculation at this season. Canada’s own needs are just now too pressing, the orders for tins, &c., at the works are of too great vol- ume for it to be possible to part with any considerable proportion of manufacturers’ stocks. The closing of the mills of the American Sheet Steel 14" Rod IRON AGE. August 22, 1901 there. The Algoma Commercial Company, one of the Clergue corporations, are alse in the field, and have un- der option, chiefly from prospectors, between 4000 and 5000 acres. There are also two well defined iron ranges running eastward from the shore of the lake, a distance of 10 miles. They parallel each other at a distance of 3 miles. The ore, judged from the surface showing, is pro- nounced a low grade hematite, carrying 1 per cent. iron. The indications, it is reported to the department, point to a larger body than that in either the Atikokan or the Mattawin deposits, though the ore is of a lower grade. Professor Coleman, one of the geologists of the Bureau —83 0" to center of tank 55'6" from tank bottom Fig. 9.—-Plate Hanging Trammel Company affects this country more seriously, as we buy from the United States a large part of our supply. Of Canada plates, flat galvanized iron and steel sheets, &c., we imported in the fiscal year 1900 133,697 ewt. from the United States, as against 287,403 cwt. from Great Britain. Of rolled iron or steel sheets of No. 17 gauge and thinner we took in the same year 79,668 ecwt. from the United States and 92,737 from Great Britain. Of bar iron and steel the purchases from the United States in that year were 179,062 cwi., as against 82,480 ewt. from Great Britain. Thus it is to be seen that if the supply of these products should be cut off at United States mills by the strike, the matter would be corrected by an ex- pansion of the present Canadian demand at British works. As the duty on British iron and steel is only two-thirds that on Americar iron and steel the transfer would not be materially obstructed by the tariff. The arrest of production at the works of the National rube Company would be likely to cause some easing down at the bicycle manufactories here. [ron Discoveries. Reports received within the last few days by the On- Bureau of Mines from its inspectors in three or uur different parts of New Ontario announce new dis- coveries and tario ; new interest in iron. One important fron discovery of which the Crown Lands Department is ad- a deposit to the Thunder Bay district. time there, steps have stated vised is east of Iron but it is Lake Nepigon in the for that any has been known some EXISI only recently to prospect the region. the United States Steel SOU acres of mineral lands energeti¢ been taken [t is that a company in “orporation have applied fai Fig. 10.—Riveter at Work on the Frame, A GIANT GAS HOLDER AND ITS ERECTION. of Mines, has written in from Port Arthur an account of a trip between that town and Fort Frances on the Rainy River, by way of Rat Portage: “ Everybody,” he says, ‘is on the qui vive for iron ore, and the band of mag netite and silica known as the Steep Rock Range has been traced for many miles. The tunnel through the Atikokan range discloses much more good ore than I expected to see. There is certainly a large mine of mag netite of excellent quality in the range. The other ranges have not yei proved to contain important bodies, but their great extent makes it probable that more will be found. been ore “The recently discovered iron range near Dryden was visited, and found to be and in piaces very wide. length, So far It is inter- miles in The ore is magnetite. no development of ary kind has taken place. several August 22, 1901 esting to note,’ Professor Coleman concludes, ‘ the num- ber of Americans, some of them geologists of good repu- tation, who are studying our iron ranges, with a view to taking up properties.” Prefessor W. G. Miller, another geologist of the bureau, wrote from Lake Temiscamingue on the Sth { / -_- / \ % : = ra] - = = " c = 2 . = % \ § = Y \ THE IRON AGE Fig. 11 THE IRON AGE. 7 frem the variety of the rocks and from the discoveries which have already been made.” The officials of the Bureau of Mines regard the let- ter of Professor Miller as very important. The Government's large diamond drill has been loaned to Mackenzie & Mann, who will use it for some time de- < 8 - >! --——4-— z 2 ~ o a ve) a - w » z t z > es e) = ° - z - x 9° i a & = = ~ eae io — —_ s 4 H x é s t 6 -— +h | A . t e > »! Fig. 12. The Matton Interior Overflow for Holder Cups. ; - DD x] S i * a SS fee A & a oe eae Fake \ AA <a Fa =< , 4) A ry * . A . (le Go i @ 1 RESO cet? \ a he Lv - “Sa ma y ae ' rig. 13.—Moving Column to Position for Lifting to Place. A GIANT GAS HOLDER inst. an account of his tour of exploration up the Blanche Kiver and several of its tributaries to the hight of land. Just north of the lake, he says: ** Rocky ridges begin to crop up, with intervening areas that seem to be good land. The rocks show considerable variety, conglomer- ates, diorites, quartz porphyries, &c. We also found jasper conglomerate, and some hematite copper and iron pyrites are widely disseminated, and when the country is more carefully prospected I think there are likely to be important discoveries of mineral deposits—judging both AND ITS ERECTION. veloping properties in the Atikokan range. It has been in operation recently on the Mattawin range. A Nickel Man’s Views, Major R. G. Leckie of Sunbury has just returned from Norway and Sweden, where, he says, he purchased 5000 tons of nickel ore. He reports the mining industry about Sudbury to be flourishing, but business there would, in his opinion, be still more prosperous were it not for the overhanging threat of a tax upon exportation. By the - ew iver sg Bias ee 8 THE amendment to the Mining act, passed two sessions ago, the Ontario Government is authorized to impose such a tax by order uncil the output of all mines in Cx That is, it can levy the tax on and refund t to these producers whose ore is trented in Canada IRON AGE. View of One Group of Guides. August 22, 190 Massey Station, and a smelter will be put up there iu mediately. He states that he is about to start for New Caledoni to purchase 30,000 tons of nickel ore. The Nova Scotia Government and Shipbuilding. A deputation waited on the Premier and Attorne: General of Nova Scotia some days ago to urge the clain of the shipbuilding industry to public assistance. Aft several influential members of it had spoken in favor the policy Premier Murray that the Government recognizing the importance of such an industry to th: province, had given the matter consideration and had a said inost Come to a conclusion when a notice asking for th At a very early date the Goy rnmeut will make an announcement as to its policy an conference was received. 15.—Details of Guides. A GIANT GAS HOLDER ‘ fhe Canadian Copper Company are now smelting from 800 to 1000 tons of ore a day, which means a prod- uct of from 100 to 120 tons of matte, and this will go higher. At present they have 2000 workmen at Copper Cliff, the site of the smelter near Sudbury, and which is probably the largest of its kind in Canada. Arrange- ments are in progress for opening a new copper mine at AND ITS ERECTION. he hoped it would prove such as to bring about what the meeting evidently regarded as so desirable. Prominent in the deputation were members of the joint committee appointed by the Halifax City Council and Halifax Board of Trade, notably Mayor Hamilton, is. S. Campbell, president of the Board of Trade; J. F Stavis. Aiderman Mcllireith, W. A. Black. C. As Cd. The Chinese Tariff. .n Opinion by an Official of the State De- partment. WASHINGTON, ID. C., August 20, 1901.—Details con- erning the revision of the Chinese tariff, which is about be made as the result of the settlement between China nd the powers, have reached the State Department nd indicate a very comprehensive modification of all ie schedules. The primary object in revising the tariff s to secure additional revenue in order to pay the in- lemnities for the Boxer outrages which have been greed upon, and in view of the fact that the present ates are extremely low, there is no reason to doubt hat the proposed advances will result in producing the lesired funds, although it is the best opinion among xperienced officials here that exporters to China will in the end bear a large share of the increases, as it will be difficult to convince Chinese merchants that they should pay increased prices, and concessions may have to be made to enable American manufacturers to hold their trade. The Department’s advices have been summed up for The Iron Age by a prominent official, as follows: “The present tariff, which is partly specific and part- ly ad valorem, will be revised in two stages, temporarily hy the present customs officials, and permanently by a commission, which will be composed of representatives of the treaty powers and of the Chinese Government. At present all duties are payable in silver, so that in actual practice the average net duty, which is nominally about 5 per cent., is reduced to about 3% per cent. In addition there is an extensive free list, which embraces many articles commonly taxed by tariff countries. The protocols, which have just been completed and which may be signed any day, provide that two months from the date of signature the entire free list, with the ex ception of cereals, rice, flour, and gold and silver, shall become dutiable at the rate of 5 per cent. ad valorem. and that all the collections thereafter made shall be on the basis technically known as ‘5 per cent., effective’ that is to say, on a gold basis. These modifications will constitute the temporary revision. “The permanent revision, which is to be undertaken as soon as the commission can be selected and convened, will embrace the task of converting all the ad valorem rates of duty in the temporary tariff—which, it should be remembered, will amount to 5 per cent. in gold—into specific rates, and the commission will also make a care- ful revision of all those items which now carry specific duties, but which may be found to be equivalent to less than 5 per cent. gold. The new tariff, when finally re- vised, will therefore be specific throughout, the rates representing a 5 per cent. gold basis, and the free list will be reduced to cereals, rice, flour, silver and gold. It is understood that a period of grace will be provided within which all merchandise afloat or in course of ship- ment will be admitted at the rates previously in force. Goods shipped within ten days after the signing of the protocols, of which ceremony the Department expects to be advised at almost any moment, will be admitted on the basis of the present rates of duty. “The so called likin tax, levied by the provincial goy- ernments on goods sent into the interior, will not be embraced in the new rates and will not be affected by the revision. The representatives of the treaty powers have for a long time sought to secure the abolition of these taxes or their inclusion in the charges paid for transit passes to the interior, but thus far without suc- ess. It is impossible to say how soon the commission will be able to complete its work, but the representation f the United States will be arranged for as promptly is possible, and from the fact that but two months’ iotice is given before the taking effect of the temporary nodifications it is assumed that all the treaty powers ire ready and anxious to expedite the final revision as nuch as possible.” The Present Metal Schedule. Manufacturers of iron and _ steel are believed by Officials here to have a very important interest in the \ugust 22, 1901 THE IRON AGE. 9 tariff revision to be made by the permanent commission. They will not be affected in any important degree by the temporary revision for the reason that nearly all the items of the metal schedule of the Chinese tariff are dutiable at specific rates, which will not be disturbed until the commission takes up the subject, when these rates will be carefully examined and advanced to the equivalents of 5 per cent. in gold. The principal items of the metal schedule are as follows, the rates being given per picul (133 1-3 pounds): White metal, or German silver, 5 per cent. ad valorem; nickel, cube, bar or round, 5 per cent. ad valorem; cop- per, manufactured, as in sheets, rods, nails, &¢., $1.35; copper, unmanufactured, as in slabs, 70 cents; copper, vellow metal, sheathing and nails, 68 cents; Japanese copper, 42 cents; iron, manufactured, as in sheets, rods, bars, hoops, &¢c., 8.75 cents; iron, unmanufactured, as in pigs, 5.25 cents: iron kentledge, 7 cents; iron wire, 17.5 cents; steel wire, crucible, 17.5 cents; iron bands, of for- eign origin, 5 per cent. ad valorem; iron nails; 5 per cent. ad valorem; iron hoops, old, 5 per cent. ad valorem; lead in pigs, 17.5 cents; lead in sheets, 38.5 cents; quicksilver, $1.40; spelter, 17.5 cents; steel, 17.5 cents; tin, 7.75 cents; tin plates, 28 cents; trusses of metal, except iron wire, to bind silk bales, 5 per cent. ad valorem. The Chinese market for manufactures of iron and steel is expected to expand enormously in the next two or three years. For the past five years the consump- tion has amounted to about $6,500,000 per annum, which, however, is more than double the average consumption prior to 1885. Of this amount the United States has furnished only about 12 per cent., our total exports to China of iron and steel during the fiscal year 1900 amounting to $871.668. These exports included the fol- lowing items: Tig iron, $495; steel rods, $60; structural iron and steel, $16.550; wire, $2680; car wheels, $2550; castings, $7708: cutlery. $983; firearms, $7177; builders’ hard- ware, $84,684; electrical machinery, $6845; metal work- ing machinery, $4770; printing presses and parts, $2397; pumps and pumping machinery, $17,520; sewing ma- chines and parts, $7769; locomotives, $284,000; stationary engines, $16,920; boilers, &¢c., $5375; cars, carriages, cy- cles. &e., $49,594; typewriters and parts, $8476; other machinery, $84,726; cut nails and spikes, $20,039; wire nails, $118,866; other nails and tacks, $482; pipes and fittings, $19,268; safes, $4559; saws and tools, $22,442; scales and balances, $14,799; stoves, ranges and parts, $27,279: other manufactures of iron and steel, $83,205. Expansion of Consumption Probable. It is anticipated here that the next few years will see an enormous increase in the railroad mileage of China and there is reason to believe that in this develop- ment American manufacturers, as well as capitalists, will have a large share. There are now in China only 350 miles of railway, but more than ten times this amount is not only projected, but is being actively pushed forward, with the prospect of completion at a comparatively early date. When it is realized that China’s first railroad was opened in 1876 from Shanghai to Wusung, a distance of 14 miles and, owing to native prejudice and superstition, was soon bought up by the local authorities and destroyed, the extent of the pro- jected lines will be better appreciated. American rail- way concessions in China up to the present time are confined to a single but very important line, which is to connect Canton, the great commercial center of southern China. with Hangkow, an interior city of great commercial importance. This line is abotft 600 miles long and passes through a rich and important agricul- tural section having a population of about 60,000,000, and tapping rich iron and coal areas. The concession cover- ing this road was granted in April, 1898, under an agree- ment executed by the present Chinese Minister at Wash- ington. Americans prominently connected with this en- terprise include Hugh J. Grant, Samuel Thomas and Thurlow Weed Barnes of New York, George J. Bippens of Indiana, and the Carnegie Steel Company. The pres- ent chief engineer of the Chinese Imperial Railway sys- tem is Capt. Watson W. Rider, an American, under whose supervision a number of American locomotives ee rr 10 THE and considerable quantities of steel rails have been im ported. The American representation on the international tariff commission will be announced soon after the signing ot the protocols, and it has already been decided that the chief member will be General Appraiser Sharretts, now on duty at New York. Mr. Sharretts is regarded as a thoroughly equipped tariff expert, and in addition to his service of many years on the Board of General Ap- praisers, he has always been called upon for suggestions in the framing of tariff bills by Congress. When ap- pointed he will receive any communications concerning the proposed tariff that American manufacturers may desire to furnish him. Officials here consider it im- portant that American manufacturers should supply data concerning their products with special reference to market values in this country, in order that the ad 5 ee ee == i i , be | THE LOCKE Valorem basis may be properly adjusted and that the specific equivalents may be correct in all cases. Ww. L. C. ee een S. R. Calloway, president of the American Locomotive Company, in an article in the Saturday evening Post says: * The vaiue of the recent criticism in England of American buili locomotives is still to be demonstrated. So far, American builders have had an ever increasing demand from abroad. This demand has, within the last two years, been limited by the willingness of the Ameri- can shops to meet it. No general effort has been made within that period to secure foreign orders because the American manufacturers have been unable to keep up with the domestic demand. Foreign orders that have been filled have been practically unsolicited. They are based undoubtedly on the satisfaction that our machines gave in actual use in the past. This, it seems to me, is the best answer to any criticism.” , The J. 1. Case Threshing Machine Company, Racine, Wis., are planning to build a modern steel structure, to be approximately 125° x 350 feet, for their new boiler plant, to which reference was recently made in these col- umns. It will be equipped with the proper machinery to turn out from 1500 to 2000 traction engine boilers per annum. IRON STEAM AGE. August 22, 1901 The Locke Steam Vehicle Engine. An improved type of steam engines adaptable fo: vehicle use bas just been placed on the market by the Locke Regulator Company of Salem, Mass. The new departure in the design of this engine is that the locomo tive style of link and valve is employed in place of the ordinary piston valves used in connection with the com monplace ball bearing automobile engines. The engine is neat and compact. The cylinders are 214 x 3% inches, developing 44% horse-power. They are inade of the best quality of gray cast iron. The frame is made wholly of composition gun metal. The connecting rods are steel drop forgings; the boxes are of bronze. On each side of the cross heads V-shaped double slides are provided. The two main bearings are wide and heavy, being 1% inches in breadth each side of the Fig. 2.—Side View. VEHICLE ENGINE. sprocket, where the strain of the entire running gear of the carriage is encountered. The valves are made tight by being scraped to their seat. They are set to cut off so as to use steam expansively. The pistons have double rings pinned in their places so as to insure tightness. Packing boxes contain glands and the nuts are held by steel springs so as not to change their position. The small bearings and steel pins are hardened in order to secure the longest possible period of endurance and life to the bearings. The cylinders are provided with heavy asbestos jackets covered with cloth and painted. The engine is also provided with oil pockets, which are very essential in a plain bearing engine running at high speed. The engines are equipped with % or 5-16 inch sprockets. The weight of the engine is 40 pounds. —_—— An Installation of Schniewind Coke Ovens.—The United Coke & Gas Company have, in addition to the contract for 200 Schniewind coke ovens with the Mary- land Steel Company, Sparrow’s Point, Md., closed a con- tract with the Michigan Alkali Company of Wyandotte, Mich., forthe erection of 15 Schniewind coke ovens at Wyandotte. The coke will be used for burning lime, and the ammonia and gas will be used in the manufac- ture of soda ash. Tar will be the only product which will be sold ijn the open market. August 22, 1901 THE [IRON AGE. 11 Central American Notes. LA LIBERTAD, C. A., August, 1901. The construction of the new railway line from the port of La Union to the capital, San Salvador, is nearly assured. Sufficient capital has been obtained toa build as far as San Miguel, and Don Pedro Calderon has left for New York to obtain the funds necessary to complete the line to the interior. The importance of La Union, on the Bay (or Gulf) of Fonseca, close to the confines of Honduras and Nicaragua, with a safe harbor for ocean steamers on the Pacific, makes this line of great im- portance. All the southern portion of Salvador and the Western section of Honduras will be opened up to for- eign commerce. We may expect to see many of the rivers of the interior spanned by steel bridges before long, thus making it possible to keep up communication with the coast the year round, regardless of tropical flaods. The government of General Regalado has taken a hand in the matter, and before many months Salvador will be able to export large quantities of coffee, sugar, indigo and ores through La Union from beyond the Lempa. The Burrell claims which have been pushed by our Government are now in the hands of Minister Zaldivar, who represents the republic of Salvador at Washington. Dr. Zaldivar is expected in Salvador within a few days io confer with his Government and bring the reclamation to a mutually satisfactory issue for both Governments. The commerce of Costa Rica with the United States during the last fiscal year in exports amounted to $3,851,- S99 and imports $1,240,950. Guatemala exported to the United States $2,111,264 and imported $1,101,963. The total exporis of the five republics to the United States, consisting principally of coffee, spices, ores and precious woods, amounted to $8,877,226, and the imports from the United States, composed of machinery, graceries, lumber and manufactured goods, made a total of $4.207,- 141, thus leaving a balance in favor of Central America of $4,617,085. The intervention of Nicaragua in the revolution in Colombia has brought Central America indirectly into the Colembia-Venezuela difficulty, making the storm center at the Isthmus of Panama. Our American ex- porters to said section of Spanish America would do well to keep thoroughly informed regarding the movements of the two countries, because war is next to certain at any moment. This would mean the closing of many of the ports and possibly the interruption of traftic for a limited period across the isthmus, till the arrival of an American squadron. The blacks and half-breeds in the province of Panama are sure to rise, and their well- known tendency to pillage and incendiarism should be forestalled by our Government. This can easily be done in accordance with treaty rights existing between the United States and the republic of Colombia. It is difficult to predict what may happen in Vene- zuela; the ultra-native._population is favorable to Castro, but those who have interests in the asphalt trust expect aid from the revolutionary party. Ex-President Andrade is sure to be a prominent factor in the Venezuela-Colom- bia imbroglio. That European interests will now watch for advantages from a commercial and political point of view goes without saying, and if our people do not keep thoroughly advised about this situation, which will em- broil all the northern section of South America, we may have to lament before long the loss of not only our pres- tige, but ail future commercial possibilities in all the territory north of Brazil on the Atlantic, and Peru on the Pacific. Cc. Sa The increase in cars and locomotives ordered each month this year over the orders placed during the same time last year continues for June and July. The summary of the orders noted by the Railroad Gazette shows 4024 cars and 43 locomotives ordered in June, 1900, against 10,118 cars and 297 locomotives in June, 1901. For July, 1900, the figures are 6070 cars and 40 locomotives, against 83839 cars and 8&5 locomotives ordered in July, 1901. The totals for the first seven months indicate that about 70 per cent. more locomotives have been ordered so far this year than were ordered in the same period of 1900 and about SO per cent. more cars. The June car orders are divided as follows: Box, stock and refriger- ator cars, 4990; coal and ore cars, 4576; flat cars, 230, and passenger cars, 322. The division of the July car orders is: Box, stock and refrigerator cars, 5730; coal and ore cars, 1917; flat cars, 340; tank cars, 100, and pas- senger cars, 252. > New Equipment at the Plant of the Kilbourne & Jacobs Mfg. Company. A great many improvements are projected at the plant of the Kilbourne & Jacobs Mfg. Company, Colum- bus, Ohio, which when completed will, in addition to in- creasing the capacity of the works and facilitating the output, constitute one of the most modern installations of mechanical and electrical machinery in the country. The company manufacture scrapers, plows, wheelbar- rows, cars and carts. A new power and engine house is to be constructed at a central point in the plant, conveniently situated with respect to the handling of coal and ashes, and in this new building, which is to be of brick, steel and slate construction, are to be located the new engines and dynamos which will generate the power that will be required in the several departments. The steam engines throughout the plant will be replaced by motors. In the new power house will also be located the auxiliary ma- chinery that goes to make up a modern power installa- tion—namely, special outside center packed feed water pumps, capable of handling water at 200 degrees F.; an extra large feed water heater, which will work in con- junction with a water purifying device, for precipitating the carbonates and sulphates of lime and magnesia in the feed water before same get into the boilers; a return line vacuum pump, service pumps, and a compound duplex air compressor capable of supplying between 500 and 600 cubic feet of free air a minute. The latter ma- chine will be equipped with a device for cooling the air in stages while it is being compressed, and its large size indicates the extent to which this modern power will be utilized for driving rivets, drilling, chipping, calking, wood boring, hoists and painting, &c. The engines will be of the tandem compound type and will be direct connected to the generators. The two dynamos will be specially designed and will be of 200-kw. capacity each. They will generate a _ three- phase 60-cycle alternating current at 240 volts pressure. This will be the first installation of alternating current electrical apparatus for power purposes in Columbus and one of the first in Ohio. The beauty of this elec- trical system lies in its flexibility and adaptability, the reduction in repairs, the small amount of wear and tear, and its easy working. The current will be used for arc and incandescent lighting, in addtion to furnishing power for driving the individual motors in the several depart- ments. A new design of electrical welding apparatus will be installed, which can only be operated with alter- nating current. The engines are being specially de- signed, with extra heavy fly wheels, in order to meet the running requirements of the generators, which will oper- ate in parallel. There are several new and large buildings projected, and a force of men is now at work putting a second story on the main office building, which will provide a large and well lighted drafting room. In the shops many changes will be made, and between 20 and 30 new machines will be installed in the different departments. Several of the large Bize new machines will have individual motors to drive them, thus doing away with considerable shafting and the resultant belt transmission losses. Plans are now being developed for a heating system which will use the exhaust steam from the engines. The steam will be circulated throughout the shops at atmospheric pressure, and the condensation will all be returned to the boilers. These changes are well under way—the majority of the contracts having been let—and it is expected that by the first of the year the proposed buildings will be completed and all of the new machinery will be ready for operation. ST eur om pepe err yee nen see ops =e wie! TE ae ee 2 ——anpe are ys ba | ERE 2 oy ay THE The Design of Angle Rolls.—II. BY WILLIAM HIRST, TRENTON, N. J, Modern Designs. The two principal designs of passes used in modern practice for rolling angles are those shown in Figs. 7 to 10. These passes and their setting in the rolis have been evolved from the earlier forms shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, and adapted to the three-high system. Figs. 7 and 8 represent the straight sided passes, which appear to be the most popular; Figs. 9 and 10 show the curved or winged form, which, unlike the straight sided pass, are susceptible of wide variation in the details of their con- struction. Each form of pass has its advantages over IRON MW NVA Fig. 7.—A AGE. August 22, 1901 moment as to make it difficult to keep the rolls in place on account of the passes having the beaviest draft springing the rolls more than those having the least, which is liable to be the case in rolling T sections or angles of very uneven legs. Assuming a line drawn at right angles to the axes of the rolls to be vertical and one parallel to be horizontal, a vertical projection of the dif- ferent areas of passes will approximate the compara- tive values of the roll pressure required by the different torms. Comparing the straight and curved sided passes nere shown, which are for the same sized bar, Figs. 12 aud 13, these values are in proportion of 1 to 1.208, or 20.8 per cent. in favor of the straight pass. On the other hand it will be seen that by bending the legs of the augle down, as in the curved passes, we lessen its N\ \r \ cs. mL Ve THe IRON AGE Modern Design, Straight Sided Passes. DESIGNS FOR ANGLE ROLLS. the other, and each mere outline. Providing the pressure is the same all over the tend- ency of the working surface of a roll is to move away from its work in a line at right angles to a line drawn in the plane of the axes of the rolls touching the ex- tremes of this surface. In all passes where the pressure is on both sides of a collar or a groove, as in those for its distinctive features aside from producing even sided angles, the lines of this resistance on both sides of the pass combine in one direction—in other words, where the lateral roll pressures opposing each other are balanced they into a common stress tending to spread the rolls apart in a line directly‘ AXes, resolve across their In uneven sided passes, such as an- gles with uneven legs, the stress becomes angular to the axes because the forces are unbalanced, and for the pur- pose of being better able to treat this angular stress, in practice and theory we divide it the axis of the roll, The latter may be into transverse, across and lateral or endwise nothing at all, or it pressures, may be of such hight and its horizontal projection, which, represented in figures as before, isas1.4is to 1. This means that for each inch in the length of the leg the straight pass must be cut about \ inch deeper into the roll than the curved pass, which is equal to % inch from the diameter. This may not be of much importance in some instances, but might be the last straw in others, and while the straight has the least projection and requires less roll pressure than the curved the latter does not require the roll te be cut as deep, which means greater strength. So far these advantages may be said to offset each other and to make the use of either form of pass a mere mat- ter of choice, but to go further it will be seen that the curved pass takes up 20 per cent. more space than the other, which is often an important item. This and ad- vantages in operation mentioned hereafterseem to justify the use of the straight pass. In practice it is natural to divide a pass, or rather the section representing the pass, by a line drawn through the largest diameter, if the different parts cannot be re- pass ferred to by name, so in referring to the side of an angle pass it is meant one leg or the other. If the sides of a pass reflect at the same degree of inclination to the axis of the roll, and to a like extent, and if these sides are of equal hight, they will have the same horizontal projection and the pressures on each side of the pass are balanced, as stated before. Should, however, one side be longer than the other, causing a corresponding dis- parity between their hights, the side pressure will be only partly balanced. which results in the end thrust of the rolls. Manifestly, then, any form of pass which tends to equalize the hight of the sides is an advantage, however slight. The passes whose outlines are given in Fig. 13 are of the proportion of an angle 2 x 2% inches. Of the straight sided ane the difference between the Fig. 8.—A Modern Design, August 22, 1901 THE IRON AGE. 13 view of what kind of billet or pile the bar is to be made from, as this pass indicates the characteristics of the whole series. The laying out of the leader of the straight passes involves nothing more than an adherence to the details specified in regard to the thickness of the legs, length and the radii of the corners. It will be readily seen, however, that there may be a large variety of shapes of wing passes laid out between the two ex- tremes, shown in Fig. 15. The one having the least bend is often used for a very thin section when a square billet is to be used. Originally the idea of bending was for the purpose of using a flat pile to make the bar from; the form is still used by some for the purpose of avoid- ing the acute angles and consequent weak corners of the working collars, which are characteristic of the straight | A. “Val A KI / 5 Straight Sided Passes. DESIGNS FOR ANGLE ROLLS. hights of the sides is 0.35 inch, that of the curved one 0.19 inch. By bending the long leg of the latter down a lit- tle more, or by making the curved portion of both sides of the same radius and extending leg tangentially a distance equal to the difference, the side of this section would be of equal hight. To this practice, however, some as- cribe