The Iron Age 1901-09-05: Vol 68 Iss 10

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1901. The Bath Upright Type Universal and Combination Grinder. The theory upon which the Bath grinder was de- signed and built by the American Watch Tool Company of Waltham, Mass., is as follows: 1. To use large wheels, which cut faster and dupli- cate longer, as every inch added to the diameter of wheel adds three times to its cutting points. 2. An inferior wheel used, larger and not up to grade, has more cutting points to glaze over or crumble, yet ‘THE IRON AGE kinds of wheels of the same size, 8-inch diameter, and getting no better results, a 12-inch finer grade and hard- er wheel, not of the supposed proper grade, was tried, and ground the slot perfectly and quickly. Sometimes it is said that you can find a wheel that will grind any- thing, and supposedly this might have been one. This was not so, as this wheel would not grind all kinds of work. The claims of the makers of this grinder are: High speeds. A large range of speed for work independent of the wheel speed. Seiitee ‘ x se Ee mee THE BATH with all the disadvantages against it that could be men- tioned in many cases it will do better work than the wheels supposed to be of proper grade and smaller size. This theory has been proved to be correct, and it is shown in Fig. 7, where it was required to grind a slot % inch deep and % inch thick, exact distance from cen- tering 12-degree taper on one side. In using the sup- posed proper grade of 8-inch diameter wheel and size of grain, the wheel would crumble or glaze before it was possible to finish the slot one side, therefore not produc- ing a true surface. After trying several grades and UPRIGHT TYPE UNIVERSAL AND COMBINATION GRINDER. ™ Quick and slow movement of slides. The traverse speed independent of the wheel work. The grinder of a proper capacity of range after the work and wheel are in place. Convenient to operate and not affected in position; without elasticity, in no way affecting its accuracy. Also the large wheel, in cutter sharpening, leaves the land much flatter, and thus, being correct, it saves the spacing required with the small wheel. A large wheel run at a higher speed, and not forcing it as a small wheel would be, will remove more stock than a 2 THE IRON AGE. Sep'ember 5, 1901 small wheel, and larger wheels can be used on small does not require as many wheels as a single machine, work in many cases where small ones are now used. the same wheel being used for different purposes, as A wheel used that grinds properly crumbles as it shown. grinds. The large wheel theory is that the emery crum- It is an upright machine, somewhat foreign to a bling when grinding, the kernel becomes crushed, there- grinding machine, but the results obtained are that in fore the surface being flatter holds the crumbled par- operating it is get-at-able, and is at all times convenient ticles, crushing them to a powder, which thus helps to to operate in any of the innumerable positions in which cut and finish. it can be placed. It will be noticed an extremely large Yhe accompanying engravings show a few of the range is obtained in the movement of wheel for the operations performed by the machine. size of machine, as well as being extremely rigid. The "his machine grinds automatically or by hand cut- spindle, projecting from the top, does not collect the THe IRON AGE ~~ Fig. 2.—Surface Work. THE BATH UPRIGHT TYPE UNIVERSAL AND COMBINATION GRIMDER. ters, reamers, internal, cylindrical and surface work, loose emery that falls from the wheel and draw it into with quick and slow movements of the work slides and its bearings when moving, but it is protected. the vertical wheel slides. One of the peculiarities about It will also be observed the projecting spindle arm, it is the incorporation in its design of proper movements having its bearings in the top portion of the upright, and position, using the same removable parts in many does not impart vibration to the wheel, as the pressure cases for different operations of grinding that are re- against the wheel and work is always on the lower end quired in a single machine for one purpose, and at the of the arm. The arm has its bearing in the top portion same time not beiNg complicated or having any of the of the upright, which is split and clamped by a binding disadvantages that might be supposed to exist in a com- screw on the side of a lug, or locked by a hexagon clamp bination machine over a single machine for one purpose. screw. The arm has rack teeth cut on the side, in which It does not have any more extra parts than a machine meshes a pinion suspended from the bearing on the for a single purpose. Again, it will be noticed that it back side, on which is mounted a large hand wheel on September 5, 1901 the end of the pinion shaft. By turning this wheel the sleeve is quickly moved by the rack and pinion. To move the arm slowly or by thousandths of an inch or locking it is accomplished by a worm gear on the pinion shatt and worm, which is held in a pivoting box that allows the worm to be swung in or out of mesh quickly On the back side of the bracket is a steel spring Fig. 3.—Grinding Spiral Cutter Automatically. Tur | Fig. 4.—Cutting a Reamer on the Holder. THE IRON AGE. 3 in which runs the machine counter, and upon which pivot an idler arm and pulley which automatically tight- en the belt. On the bottom portion of the upright is a flat surface, on which can be clamped a work rest or ny special appliance, which can be made very useful. On the bottom portion of the upright is mounted a pivoting knee, which can be clamped in any of its posi- tions. On the left hand side of the knee an adjustable bracket projects downward, shown in Fig. 4, for tight- ening the belt. This carries a drum that is belted from the counter above and transmits the power through the feed belts to the automatie feed device, which consists of a hollow shaft having its bearings in the bottom por- tion of the cross slide upon the shaft, on which are mounted two pulleys that are bushed with steel bear- ings having clutch teeth cut on the ends. The pulleys are spaced far enough apart to allow a central clutch to be engaged in one at a time or disengaged from both. The hollow shaft has two slats the length of movement of the central clutch that is pinned to a plunger oper- ated by the shipping devices through a rocker arm, one end being attached to a sliding bar on which it has a V portion projecting downward. This is moved across another V point adjustable to a plunger, which gives the required tension to the spring. When the two V points pass the center the spring is compressed and moves the clutch from one end to the other, this being done by the machine or by hand. To disengage the central clutch from either there is pivoted a vertical lever which can be swung in the sliding bar as it passes by, thus holding the central clutch out of engagement and stopping the feed. At the same time the table slides are locked or can be moved by the left hand wheel and the automatic feed started at any position. In Fig. 1 it will be noticed that the head and foot Fig. 5 Grinding a Boring Bar. THE BATH UPRIGHT TYPE UNIVERSAL AND COMBINATION GRINDER. held firmly at one end, which acts as a spring latch when engaging into the worm gear. Should the worm thread not match the worm gear tooth, it being small, it can be turned quickly to mesh in the gear, at the same time pressing upward, the steel spring having a hole in the side which snaps on a projecting pin on the side of the worm box. Then the wheel sleeve can be moved by turning the knurled knob, a dial denoting its movement. On top of the upright is a dust cap which can be removed. The spindle runs in phosphor-bronze boxes, which are adjustable. In the center of the upright portion project two arms, stock are mounted with the square lock system. They are split between the top clamp screw and the bottom gcib side, and tongued together and held in place by the fillister screw, as shown. The reason for this is that the swivel plate is exposed to grit and becomes untrue much quicker than any other part of the machine, and by this system it can be put in perfect alignment at any time. The dead center pulley runs on the center bushing and the foot stock center has three movements. It can be moved backward or forward with the screw, or drawn back in mounting or dismounting work, and any de- sired tension of spring can be had. On the floor at the 4 THE IRON AGE, right hand is shown the chuck, in which the back plate and pulley are in one. All that is required in using is to mount in the head stock in place of the center. In front of the chuck are shown the internal attachment and pulley. The wheel collets or bushings and flanges are of lengths which allow a wheel to be put in any position. In front of the machine is shown the driving dog, in the corner the universal holder, and on its left stand the tooth rests, wrenches and center rest. Canadian News. Progress at Sydney. Toronto, August 31, 1901.—Some statements made in a Montreal interview the other day by A. J. Moxham, vice-president and general manager of the Dominion Iron & Steel Company, are interesting as summing up the progress and indicating the further plans of the com- pany. The main difficulty at present, Mr. Moxham says, is the question of skilled labor, and that is one he finds Fig. 6.—Grinding a Flat Surface on a Large Flange Jig. September 5, 1901 we are making, with the exception of a low phosphorus iron needed for a special trade, is made entirely of Wa- bana ore. We will continue using foreign ore so long as we cater to this special trade, but it will be a very small portion of the whole. If we marketed all our product as pig, the low phosphorus iron would be 40,000 tons a year, against 400,000 tons of straight Wabana iron. The En- glish trade is exclusively Wabana ore.” Sales have had to be curtailed, he said, pending the blowing in of blast furnaces Nos. 3 and 4, which are ex- pected to be ready for lighting within 30 to 60 days. Steel making, he promises, will be begun between October and January. The rail mill will probably be finished in the summer or early autumn of next year. Canada is taking about one-third of the company’s present output, and the United Kingdom the remainder, but as production increases at the works he expects the export trade to increase. The statement that the company had sent experts to study the German blast furnace practice he corrected, saying that the business of the agent that had been sent by the company to Germany was to ascertain whether Fig. 7.—Grinding a Notch in a Plate. THE BATH UPRIGHT TYPE UNIVERSAL AND COMBINATION GRINDER. to be rapidly working out its own solution. The two blast furnaces are turning out daily 450 to 500 tons of pig iron. This product is being distributed among 250 customers, and does not fully meet the demands. The theoretical output of the two furnaces, Mr. Moxham said, is 600 tons per day, and from what the company are doing now the actual output is likely to exceed rather than fall short of this. Some difficulty, he admitted, had been experienced at the start in the matter of furnace practice. This has now been overcome. The chief trouble has been with the educating of green and untried labor. This still is somewhat felt as a check upon the company’s operations, Altogether, however, he thinks, the practice at Sydney has been extremely good, considering all the circum- stances. Asked if the cost of production would come within the limits set, he answered: “ Yes. We are al- ready delivering iron ore within the limit of our esti- mates and the ore is the biggest item. The limestone we have just conimenced to deliver, with almost a cer- tainty of coming within our figures, and the coke, while slightly higher to-day than our estimate, is rapidly being brought down to the proper margin. In six months from to-day pig metal will be made inside the limits of the ex- pected cost.” As to the raw material used, he said: “ Everything skilled furnace labor in that country were available for employment in Sydney. As many German blast fur- naces have recently shut down there must be idle fur- nace hands there. The agent is to find out if these men could be drawn upon for a supply of labor that would be satisfactory to the company. On the subject of labor Mr. Moxham had this to say in addition: * Until recently local labor has sufficed. Now that we have begun starting our furnaces skilled labor is neces- sary. We might get some from the States, but demand in the States is greater than the supply, and so we are looking elsewhere. Already hands are coming to us from many different parts of the world, from England, Scot- land and Germany, and even Norway and Sweden will probably contribute to our supply, preference being given in every case when possible to our own labor, though very little of this is skilled. It will not be necessary to import labor very long. The ultimate logic of every man- ufacturing industry is that it can only depend on local iabor, and as our plant develops the further accretions of labor will gradually come from the home market, which in the interval is gradually acquiring the necessary skill.” With regard to the proposed shipbuilding plant, he remarked that as soon as a company were assured the Dominion Iron & Steel Company were ready to erect a a RRR ae OF. a ie Nise OM place 8 ore Pte PURE RTE September 5, 1901 THE plate mill. It would take about a year to construct one, but it would be in a position to turn out plates as soon as the shipbuilding company required. Steel Shipbuilding in Nova Scotia. Following (the interview had with Premier Murray of Nova Scotia, referred to in this correspondence a fortnight ago, came an announcement from the Govern- ment that a grant of $100,000 would be given by the Province to start, a steel shipbuilding industry. The announcement was made in these words by Premier Murray to Mayor Hamilton of Halifax: * “T am prepared to state on behalf of the Government that we will be willing to make an appropriation of $100,000, payable to the first company establishing a ship- yard in the Province, equipped with the most approved mechanical appliances, upon specifications to be ap- proved by the Governor-in-Council, capable of building at least five steamers a year of the capacity of 5000 tons each, and in addition to such an equipped shipyard, hav- ing sufficient working capital for efficiently carrying on the business. The terms upon which the Government bonus shall become payable to be settled by an agree- ment with any company furnishing evidence of their bona fides and financial ability to successfully carry out what is contemplated in the foregoing.” Mayor Hamilton is the chairman of the joint com- mittee of the Halifax City Council and Halifax Board of Trade, to which the handling of the shipbuilding ques- tion was referred by these bodies. It was that commit- tee, with Mayor Hamilton at the head of it, which waited on the Premier some days before in relation to this busi- ness. In his Jetter to Mayor Hamilton, from which the passage quoted above is taken, the Premier referred to previous legislation bearing on the subject. Thus an act was passed in 1899 providing that, subject to the ap- proval of the municipality concerned, the taxation of a shipbuilding plant or other industry using iron or steel shall be limited to the taxes that had previously been payable upon the land forming the site, plus 1 per cent. of the assessed value of the land. In 1901 this act was amended so as to exempt from taxation for 20 years all iron and steel ships built and registered in the Province, and to exempt likewise the shares of companies owning or constructing the same. It was further provided in the same amendment that the Council of any incorporated town or city shall have power to borrow as much as $100,000 to aid a local steel shipbuilding industry. A special case was made for Halifax, whose latitude ta borrow for this purpose was extended to $200,000. The borrowing power thus provided for by statute the City Council of Halifax was recently authorized to exercise by a majority of the qualified electors. So did the town of Dartmouth. But nothing tangible having come from these measures, the Government decided on a Provincial grant of $100,000. Thus, if the company establish their works at Hali- fax they are assured of a total subsidy of $300,000, pro- vided the terms are fulfilled. There is the Government grant of $100,000, and the standing offer of $200,000, ap- proved by the citizens of Hatifax under the authority of the Provincial act of last session. If the company go across the harbor to Dartmouth they have there the offer of a municipal bonus of $100,000, recently ratified by the citizens. If they establish main works in Halifax and branch works in Dartmouth they can earn $400,000 of public aid. The conditions attaching to the Halifax bonus are these: One hundred thousand dollars is to go as a subsidy for establishing a modern and complete yard for building the bulls of iron and steel ships ade- quate to the construction of not less than 20,000 tons an- nually, and for establishing a machine and boiler shop fitted with plant sufficient for equipping such hulls with engines, boilers and machinery. The second $100,000 is to go in bounties of $2 per ton for the steel sailing ships turned out and $5 per ton for the steel steamers, but the total bonuses of this kind are not to exceed $25,000 per year. Thus the Halifax vote subsidizes the yards and plant $100,000, and gives a bonus of $25,000 for four years. Shortly after Premier Murray’s policy was enunciated the Halifax Evening Mail announced that a company in IRON AGE. 5 that city would be formed in a few days to earn the sub- sidies offered. E. B. Swan of Neweastle-on-Tyne, who is in Canada at present, is also said to be looking into the prospects with a view to the possibility of a branch of his com- pany’s works—those of the Armstrong, Whitworth Com- pany—being established at Halifax. Louisburg, a Cape Breton town, offers a bonus and exemption from taxation for a steel shipbuilding plant. Iron Output Increasing. The yield of the metalliferous mines of Ontario for the six months ending June 30, as reported by the Provincial Bureau of Mines, shuws an increase of over 13 per eent., compared with the output for the first half of last cak endar year. Its value is $1,438,539. Pig iron heads the list with a value of $594,617. This involved the smelting of 69,763 tons of ore, of which 41,172 tons were the prod- uct of Ontario mines and 28,591 tons the product of American. Thus the native ore is gaining ground and the imported ore losing. This is the result of the open- ing of the Helen Mine in Michipicoton. Besides the hematite ore of the Helen Mine considerable quantities of magnetite from Eastern Ontario were used. Nickel stands second on the list of values, aggregating $416,- 288. Nickel-copper ore to the amount of 132,370 tons was raised from the mines in Sudbury district. Matte is be- ing produced by the Mond Company at Victoria mines, Algoma. Of pure copper ore 9000 tons were raised. The following table shows the quantity and value of the va- rious metals produced in the six months. Quantity. Value. A, OR oa 5s 6 Wane an eadchdinamesé6oce $70,572 RE Ce CLC CTEEe 594,617 Pe, aN ou ces enbme neh eee reece 416,288 COE Ce I ro hws vedic cttsmasececcee 178,476 ee I ob diet srw ew ere cetacenene 18,912 ks SG alate hae dies SMOG acces 116,898 ee I NS occ cde eee cmcddaadccdnecce 40,776 i Ce wads Fac cee a ck nemeadeadaaeees 2,000 WN i wd oN 6 ca Rein eee ee One yam eee ed eae $1,438,539 cA. CG. J. The Sharon Sheet Steel Company.—The Sharom Sheet Steel Company of Sharon, Pa., will make applica- tion for a charter on September 23. The ineorporators are: John Stevenson, Jr., Nevin McConnell, J. P. Whitla, all of Sharon; George W. Darr of New York and Wil- liam Flinn of Pittsburg. The Sharon Sheet Steel Com- pany are an identiltied interest of the Sharon Steel Com- pany, and propose to build a ten-mill plant at Sharon, for the manufacture of black and galvanized sheets. Nearly all the contracts have been placed, the buildings being given to the American Bridge Company and the mills to Mackintosh, Hemphill & Co. of Pittsburgh. A large galvanizing plant will also be erected, and it is the intention of the Sharon Sheet Steel Company to have one of the most complete sheet mills in the country. It is possible that ufter the first ten mills have been built the plant may be increased to 20 mills. Work of coustruc- tion will be pushed as fast as possible, and the concern expect to be in the market as makers of sheets about the first of the year. ———<—$_$_$_$_$___—_ The Sharon Tin Plate Company.—We can state of- ficially that the report that the Sharon Tin Plate Com- pany would build ten more tin mills, making a total of 30, or the same size of plant as the Shenango works of the American Tin Plate Company, at New Castle, is un- true. The Sharon Tin Plate Company have ten mills running, the output of which goes to the American Tin Plate Company under contract, and are also building ten more mills, which will be ready in October or Novem- ber, at least. There is no intention, however, at the pres- ent time of adding any more mills other than those now under construction. Ree ee eee The Vulcan Works of Chester, Pa., are busy in the manufacture of a marine engine governor, one that has been fully tested on the Transatlantic & Pacifie line. They have also been successful in constructing: in the past few years a number of Tropenas and Bes. semer plants. g THE A Central Compressed Air Power Plant for Quarrying. The use of machinery for the extraction of various kinds of rock from quarries is daily becom ing more important and is slowly attracting the atten- tion which the possibilities of this class of labor saving apparatus warrant. A number of interesting plants can be pointed out in which the use of machinery is carried to a great extent, and, as would be expected, these installations invariably air, in whole or in part. One of the latest, and perhaps the most instructive plant of this sort, recently in- stalled by the Ingersoll-Sergeant Drill Company of New York City. The half-tone illustrations clearly represent the large central compressing engine which furnishes the power for the entire equipment. This engine embodies a number of very novel fea- tures, and is probably destined to be the forerunner of a type of air compressors likely to find a very large field of usefulness in the future, The equipment con- improved very use compressed was A CENTRAL COMPRESSED sists of two 500 horse-power Corliss engines of the lat- est improved Tangye design, and embodying all of the latest features in this class of engine which have demon- strated their permanent value. Each of these engines is connected to a crank disk which is mounted on the end of a single shaft, and between them is an 18-foot fly wheel with a 52-inch face, from which a 50-inch belt runs to a heavy countershaft. This in turn belts off to one No. 8, one No. 7%, one No. 6 and one No. 4 Gates crusher, and also furnishes power for two No. 3 pul- verizers and three buhr mills, and the necessary eleva- tors, screens and auxiliary apparatus. It will be noticed that this is quite a departure from the ordinary form of compressor, in which the fly wheel performs no other function than the equalizing of the motion and maintaining the steady running of the com- pressor. The air cylinders which constitute the compressor portion are coupled tandem to the steam piston tail rods, as is customary in the Corliss air compressors manu- factured by the Ingersoll-Sergeant Drill Company. Rigid distance rods are used to hold the cylinders at an exact distance from the steam cylinders, so that no strain is thrown on the foundation, and at the same IRON AIR AGE. September 5, 1901 time this method permits the clearance in the air cylin- der to be reduced to a minimum, which in turn increases the volumetric etliciency of the air compressor. In the illustrations the air cylinders appear to be very small in comparison to the size of the steam cylin- ders; and this is true, as the steam cylinders perform a double duty and drive the belt wheel as well as the air compressor cylinders. For operating the machine equipment of the plant about 600 horse-power is re- quired, while the air cylinders when compressing to 110 pounds call for about 350 horse-power. The engine operates at a constant speed, as it is necessary that the belt drive be perfectly steady, irrespective of the load on the air compressor cylinders, which, of course, varies from minute to minute according to the air consumption, a factor dependent upon the operation of drills, chan- nelers, hoists and pumps. The engine is provided with a standard Corliss governor, and at the same time the air cylinders, which are of the well-known piston inlet type, are provided with a special form of inlet regulation which operates i ee Vi PSS PAT ee PLANT FOR QUARRYING. entirely independently of the engine governor and is controlled by any variation in the pressure of the air in the receiver. In principle it is a form of balanced cylin- der valve which opens or closes the inlet for supplying air to the cylinder. Thus, when but little air is being used from the receiver the inlet governor automatically shuts the inlet passage until it is nearly closed, so that very little air can be drawn into the cylinder. As the demand for air increases there is a tendency for the pressure to drop, which influences the regulator, causing it to open to a degree which is exactly de- pendent upon the variation in receiver or pipe line pressure. The result is that more and more air is taken into the cylinder as the demand for air increases, until the full limit of the cylinder is reached. It will be seen that this device also controls the power that is consumed in the compression of the air and nicely adjusts matters so that as the need for air decreases the amount com- pressed, and consequently the power consumed, is de- creased in an exact ratio. This regulator is very .in- genious in-principle, and yet is so very simple that it cannot become deranged if anything like ordinary care is used. The compressed air obtained in this way is fed into THE September 5, 1901 a large receiver, from which it is drawn through the main pipe line to supply the various requirements of the scattered quarries. The principal use of the air is for operating Ingersoll-Sergeant rock drills in and about the five different quarries. Several are within a few thousand feet, one fully 1 mile away from the com- pressor and another 14% miles in a different direction. In addition air is used to drive a special pump operating a water supply system which takes its water from a lake; also for an air lift pump in a well some distance from the power station. It is used for hoists, to drive several pumps for the drainage of the quarries, for black smith forges, repair shops for the Lake Side & Marble hegd Railway, and, in fact, a variety of other uses for which it has been found very successful. The object of the proprietors of these quarrries was to concentrate the generation of power at one point, so that the expenses for fuel and general operation and the cost for engineering force would be reduced to a minimum. In other words, it may be likened unto a manufacturing establishment shipping its finished prod- uct on the railways or shipping all of its raw material to IRON AGE. -~] lower cost than would be possible if a belted compressor were used, because the double transmission of power is avoided, besides insuring a more certain operation due to the avoidance of belts. The direct connection of the air piston to the piston rod has been demonstrated to be the ideal arrangement for an air compressor, as it re- duces the friction and decreases the wear and other losses. In the future should the demand for power in- crease beyond the 600 horse-power allowed for the belt drive the air cylinders may be removed and connected to a smaller independent pair of Corliss engines which can be installed at any time, thus allowing the large en- gine to be used for power purposes alone, in which case it would deliver its full capacity of 1000 horse-power. In connection with the outdoor portion of the equip- ment, the fact should be mentioned that several miles of uncovered air mains are in use. These lead to the dif- ferent quarries and are provided with taps and valves, so that tlexible hose or temporary pipes can be quickly connected and power obtained literally at a moment’s notice. To avoid “ freezing of the air,” so called, as is ex- Fig. 2.—View of Engine. A CENTRAL COMPRESSED AIR PLANT FOR QUARRYING. a factory and then reshipping the finished material. With a central power equipment the coal and supplies are landed where’ it is convenient and where they are cheaply handled, and the manufactured article—that is, compressel air—is transmitted in and about the quar- ries. This arrangement also permits of the most effi- cient boilers and an engine of the highest economy, and reduces the wastes of all sorts incident to a considerable number of portable boilers and engines scattered over a wide area, the best of which, when operated by men whose minds are largely taken up with other work, are uneconomical, unsatisfactory and to some extent unsafe. The engineering force in this way is at once reduced to a minimum and the depreciation of the machinery from all causes greatly decreased. The purpose of having two independent engines coupled to the same shaft is to admit of the greatest possible flexibility of the equipment and to insure con- tinuous operation in case of accident. During a certain period of the year, when the demand for air is slight owing to the partial closing down of the work, this ar- rangement permits of either side being disconnected in a very few minutes, leaving the load to be taken care of by one engine and one compressor cylinder. This at once reduces fuel consumption to about one-half. By the use of a steam compressor air is produced at a much perienced at certain times of the year, a trouble which in the early days of compressed air was largely mag- nified, a special separator has been installed which re- moves after compression practically all of the moisture contained in the air, so that the air arrives at the ap- paratus to be operated in a dry condition and exhausts after performing its useful work without moisture, which otherwise might freeze. - > — —— The Seaboard Steel Casting Company of Chester, Pa., have secured the contract for the casting and fin- ishing of the latest patent of Frederick Baldt’s im- proved stockless anchor, the Admiral. This anchor takes hold with both flukes simultaneously and does not roll from side to side before doing so. It has an- other peculiar advantuge—that it will house up very close to the ship’s sides in the hawse pipes. The metal in this anchor is uniform throughout, as has been veri- fied by thorough tests. The South Chester Tube Company of Chester, Pa., manufacturers of steam and line pipe,tubing and casing for artesian, oil and salt wells, have recently added the facilities to their plant for the manufacture of 12- inch pipe. & » ; Fs aie . See: a ii PY Ete = ee a fee fF —— i rE 4 ~_s " see taener ai — aoe i . %, as es 8 THE IRON AGE. Lake Iron Ore Matters. DvututTH, MINN., August 31, 1901.—This month’s ship- ments will be less than for July, largely for the reason that lower lake ports and docks are blocked. There is now an easing up along the line and at some of the upper lake ports there has been quite a material falling off. With ore piling up on receiving docks at Lake Erie this was to have been expected and was necessary. It will be interesting to see, the coming week, what the records for August have been both at shipping and re- ceiving points. While there has been no change in ore freights for the present, wheat freights from Duluth for the fall months are equal to about 30 cents a ton above the present ore rate. There are about 15,000,000 bush- els of wheat alone chartered to go from Duluth in the falls months, and this amount will probably be doubled later. The annual report of the Commissioner of Labor of Minnesota, a more or less reliable document, deals briefly with the mining industry. It states that there are about 8000 miners in the State (St. Louis County), that 40 per cent. are Finns, the same Austro-Huns, 8 per cent. Italians and the remaining 12 per cent. American, German, Scotch, Swedish and Welsh. The report states that the Austrians are the least desirable of all, which is no doubt true. The Finns are said to make excellent citizens, which statement must be taken with some al- lowance. The Welshmen and Americans are, of course, the best miners, but most of them go to fields where they will not compete with unskilled labor that has been accustomed to a wage of a few cents a day, and the few that remain here have positions of reliability and trust. Thirty-nine fatalities were reported from the mines last year, making but one death to each 200 men; it is pos- sible, I think, that there may have been some unreported casualties. Menominee Range. There is considerable activity in exploration and de- velopment on the Menominee range, even though ship- ments there are not active just now. The Union Steel Company (Donora, Pa.) are seeking for non-Bessemer ores, and are looking over this range and the Marquette. They are expected to develop into important miners of this class of ore in addition to their Bessemer finds else- where. The Baltic mine, work in which was begun only about a year ago, is now developed to the point where it can ship, and is sending forward 200 tons daily and extending its development rapidly. The ore body has been found, opened, equipped and mined to the present point all in a year, which is a remarkably good record for the old ranges. At present the Baltic is developed to the depth of 175 feet, where the ore body has been proved for a length of 500 feet and a width of 60 feet. It is near the village of Stambaugh. At the Great Western they are sinking the new shaft 2 feet a day and will have it bottomed shortly. By January the mine will be working again heavily. A big hoisting equipment is being installed. The stock pile at the Columbia, a fixture for years, is being moved, now that the Oliver Iron Mining Company are in con- trol. There were about 75,000 tons therein. No ore is being hoisted yet, the new management getting the property in shape for a larger business. At the Hope exploration, near Crystal Falls, the shaft will be sunk to 350 feet, which depth is expected to show the situa- tion. The Tobin and Monongahela mines, the latter one of the recent purchases of Jones & Laughlins, have become shippers in a small way. The Victoria, a min- eral property in the Crystal Falls district, has been sold for $70,000, a surprising price considering its state of development. The buyers are outside iron making in- terests having a large foundry iron business. Mesaba Range. On the Mesaba Jones & Laughlins are satisfied that there is more ore in their recent purchases than was ex- pected by them, and will probably make some changes in their mining headquarters, in so far at least as to open offices at Duluth and to put Thos. Walters, now of Ish- peming, in charge. In opening offices at Duluth they September 5, 1901 will be following the custom of nearly every large min ing company now interested in the Lake Superior regions. Captain Walters says that there are at least 20,000,000 tons in the company’s Mesaba lands—360 acres—and perhaps much more; that at least 1,000,000 tons a year can probably be mined therefrom without great difficulty. At the Columbia they are mining and extending the shaft that was started by the former own ers; at the Lincoln, close by, they are commencing a shaft, while at the Grant, 12 miles west and a 25-cent lease from the State of Minnesota, they have a shaft down about 60 feet, and will be mining for extensive shipment in another year. The Columbia and Lincoln are both fee properties, and are both very wet. All the properties are underground, and they will doubtless be operated by caving and square set systems. The ore from all three will go to Lake Superior over the Eastern Minnesota road (J. J. Hill), under contracts made some time ago. Ore is said to have been found in at least one location in the lands of the Mesaba Iron Company, in 60-12 and 13, that were not long’ ago taken under option by the Belliton Mountain Iron Company, but no statement as to the quality and quantity of ore found is obtainable. It will be somewhat of a surprise if any great amount of good ore is found in these lands. The same is true of the explorations now under way in the Itasca County section,‘west of range 22. Lots of ore is being opened into, but it%s lower grade than is now wanted, much of it, I am reliably informed, running down to 50 per cent. and under. A hole has been sunk 120 feet in ore of moderate grade a mile south of Hib- bing, on a State lease and in section 24, T 57 R 22, near where the Mesaba Chief explorations are showing mod- erately well; a hole is down about 100 feet in fair ore. A little patch of ore is found in 35-58-21. The numerous leases bought some time ago by the Eastern Minnesota road (J. J. Hill) in T 56 R 23 are said to have been dis- appointing in the grade found. There is some additional activity in T 58 R 19, which was somewhat cursorily explored some years ago, and considerably new work is likely to be done there soon. There should be some rea- sonably large and good finds there. Ore is said to have been found northeast of Hibbing, in section 22, T 58 R 20, where several holes are in iron. The owners of the major portion of the fee to the Negaunee mine have made a lease of their portion of that property to themselves and others at 30 cents a ton, to take effect as soon as the present 25-cent lease to the American Mining Company (United States Steel Cor- poration) expires. This will be in less than two years. The American Mining Company have made a mine of the Negaunee at enormous cost, and have conquered overwhelming obstacles in the past two or three years. The underlying cause for this new lease is quite ap- parent; it is plain, too, that in common decency and fairness the present lessees should have an exten- sion, as they probably will. The old Volunteer, at Palmer, is reported to have been leased to a responsible outside mining company. The Union Steel Company have been offered Besse- mer properties on the Gogebic, but have refused to con- sider them. At Norrie the new four-compartment shaft is down 240 feet, and is sinking about 1 foot a day. Two steam shovels are cleaning up ore at stock piles of 6 and 7. The new part of Jones & Laughlins’ Jackpot is looking well, but the old mine is not satisfactory. The Ashland mine is shipping quite heavily, operating four shafts, and all its ore is going directly to the docks. The Lake Superior & Western Development Com- pany, in whom many Pittsburgh steel men are inter- ested, have issued notice that their affairs will be wound up. Their $10 stock is worth about $125. The com- pany were the basis of the Calumet & Arizona Copper Company, one of the most promising propositions in the United States. Work is continuing steadily on the explorations -of the North American Iron Company in what is called the ‘“‘Gunflint country,” in Northeastern Minnesota. Progress is very slow. It is stated that the company are in an ore free from titanic acid, an interesting fact if true. D. E. W. THE September 5, 1901 The Movement for Reciprocity. WASHINGTON, D. C., September 3, 1901.—The semi- ficial announcement that Reciprocity Commissioner Kasson will return to Washington about October 1 is specially interesting in connection with the meeting of he Executive Committee of the National Association of Manufacturers to be held on the 4th inst. to con sider the question of reciprocity and to prepare a call for a national reciprocity convention to be held prior to the meeting of the first session of the coming Con- Commissioner Kasson placed his resignation in the hands of the President upon the adjournment of the Fifty-sixth Congress without action upon the pend- ing reciprocity treaties, stating very frankly that he did not feel that he could be of any further service in the negotiation of similar commercial conventions, or that other treaties should be formulated in view of the in- disposition of Congress to give serious consideration to the execution of the reciprocity provisions of the Ding- ley act. The President was reluctant to consider Mr. Kasson’s withdrawal from the State Department and finally prevailed upon him to consent to return in the event that his services should be required in connection with the presentation of the Administration’s reci- procity plans to the new Congress or in connection with the drafting of additional treaties should a disposition be manifested on the part of the House and Senate to ratify those pending. While it is not officially announced that Mr. Kasson will at once resume his functions as Special Commis- sioner upon returning to Washington, this is the hope of the friends of the pending treaties, and already pres- sure is being brought to bear upon the President to rehabilitate the Reciprocity Bureau of the State De- partment at the earliest possible date. The indiffer- ence shown by Congress to the President’s expressed desires as to the pending treaties has made him re- luctant to go beyond an earnest recommendation in his forthcoming annual message, but it is being pointed out to him that unless considerable preliminary work is done conditions will not be ripe for reporting the treaties from committee until too late in the session to secure their ratification. They will all again expire during the summer of 1902, and it would be hopeless to expect that the foreign countries with which they have been negotiated would again solicit their extension. For these reasons it is urged that the Reciprocity Bu- reau shall begin an active campaign at the earliest possible date. The importance of the early ratification of the pend- ing treaties and the negotiation of others is emphasized by reports which are now reaching the State Depart- ment through diplomatic channels concerning the ne- gotiations now on foot between various European countries looking to the drafting of commercial con- ventions to take the place of those which expire within the next year or two. By a significant coincidence the tariffs and certain comniercial treaties of Germany, Austria and Italy will expire in 1903, and arrange- ments are already being made looking to the renewal or modification of many of these treaties. It is antici- pated that during the next 12 months all the necessary negotiations will be completed, and the Administration feels that unless the interests of American manufactur- ers are provided for by favorable reciprocal trade ar- rangements within that length of time we shall find our foreign markets greatly restricted. The Administration does not fear a comprehensive international commer- cial alignment against the United States, such as has occasionally been suggested, but it does feel that if we do not take the necessary steps by reciprocal treaties and otherwise to insure favorable treatment for our products in the leading foreign markets, we will find ourselves out in the cold when the general tariff re- adjustment in 1903 is completed. Our Trade with Canada, In this connection the Industrial Commission has just made public the text of a statement on the subject of reciprocity with Canada prepared by Osborne Howes, vice-chairman of the Committee on Reciprocal Trade gress. [IRON AGE, 9 Mr. Howes asserts that Canada, considering her population, is the best customer we have in the world, but that we are in danger of losing this important market because Relations of the Boston Chamber of Commerce. of our indifference and short sighted ‘“ independence.” year Canada purchased American goods to the value of $17.50 per capita of her population, while the United Kingdom, which is our next largest purchaser, Last took but $13.25. Germany took $3.60; Argentina, $3; Mexico, $2.65; France, $2.15; Italy, $1.10; Japan, 70 cents, and Brazil, 60 cents. The 6,000,000 people of Canada purchased of us last year more than the 60,000,- 000 people who live on the American continent south of the Rio Grande. Mr. Howes thinks bituminous coal an item which should be considered in formulating the reciprocity treaty with Canada, and on this point he says: “We supply bituminous coal from a point about 150 miles west of Montreal. There the coal from Penn- sylvania and Ohio begins to come in. From there we run nearly to the Rocky Mountains, supplying the in- terior with bituminous coal. The Canadians supply us to some extent at both ends. On the Pacific there is coal that can be obtained from domestic sources, so it is supplied from Canada or New South Wales, in Australia. In New England our bituminous coal comes chiefly from the mines in Western Mary- land and West Virginia. Now the price of mining coal at the pit’s mouth is as high, if not higher, in Nova Scotia as in West Virginia. The mining in West Vir- ginia is largely carried on by negro laborers at a low scale of pay. The coal of Nova Scotia is mined by white people, who are paid a higher rate of wages. At the pit’s mouth there is not much difference, though the difference is in favor of West Virginia and Mary- land; but the railroad haul to get this latter coal to tidewater involves an average expense of about $1.25 a ton, and this is put on the price of the coal. The mines of Nova Scotia are practically on the water front. There is a haul to Louisburg in the winter time, but this is a trifling expense compared with the rail- road expense in Maryland and West Virginia. We in New England are now paying for that railroad haul. It is a condition that can never be changed. You can- not change it by protecting the business from the pres- ent time to the day of doom. There will always be that disadvantage against us. Our natural source of supply is in Nova Scotia, which is almost on our water front, with no greater water carriage than there is from the capes of the Chesapeake to Massachusetts Bay or the coast of Maine. This is a tolerably even exchange of equivalents. One country supplies the deficiencies in the center and the other at the extremes. When we put a duty on bituminous coal Canada puts it on, and when we take it off Canada takes it off.” The desirability of our trade with Canada from the standpoint of manufacturers of metals is emphasized by Mr. Howes, who says: “ Metals and metal manufactures are one of the most important items in our series of exchange—the most important so far as our sales are concerned. We have been purchasing to quite a large extent the raw min- erals of Canada. For example, we bought of gold quartz $14,135,000. It enters in as an element of trade, but it is about as crude an element as you could possi- bly get. Copper ore, we bought $1,387,000; silver ore, $1,350,000; nickel, $1,040,000; lead ore, $621,280. A large part of this came down from the Kootenai district in Canada, and went to the great smelting centers of Mon- tana, furnishing there the variations in pres needed to get the proper flux in smelting various forms of metals. We do not, on the other hand, sell to the Canadians ores or crude metals. We sold them our metal manu- factures in the following order: Manufactures of cop- per, $1,930,000; agricultural implements, $1,905,000; ma- chinery, $4,821,000; miscellaneous iron and steel manu- factures, $16,476,000; making a total sale of manufac- tured metals last year of $27,707,000. Now, when you take into account that no longer than five years ago, instead of selling them over $27,000,000 of this class of goods, we sold them only $6,650,000, you will see the no good =e ae ee age eye 10 THE enormous increase that has been made in the absorption by Canada of our metal manufactured wares.” The necessity of prompt action if if a satisfactory reciprocal trade arrangement with Canada is to secured is dwelt upon by Mr. Howes at length. be considerable ~ A few years ago,” he says, “ we were blind enough to believe that Canada had no market other than the United States, and that our proper diplomatic course was to close that market and thus force the Canadians down on their knees to beg to be taken as States into the American Union. We never made a more fatal diplomatic error. We raised that class of resentment which we would have felt ourselves if the same policy had been practiced against us. The Canadians are an Anglo-Saxon people and you cannot drive an Anglo- Saxon people, though you may coax them. The result was that we built up for Canada a new market. Instead of the transportation lines running north and south be- tween their country and ours, as they should, we forced Canada into building the Canadian Pacific Railroad, thus paralleling our railway systems. We forced Sir John Macdonald to adopt his ‘ national’ policy and to THe Iron Act IRON AGE. September 5, 1901 Machinery at the Pan-American Ex- position.—VII. Potter & Johnston Machine Company, The Potter & Johnston Machine Company of Paw- tucket, R. I., show their simplex automatic chucking, boring and turning machine, which swings 21inches over the bed and 10 inches over the cross side. The distance between the face of the chuck and the face of the turret at extreme backward positions is 31 inches. The work- ing travel of the turret is adustable in any position be