The Iron Age 1902-08-21: Vol 70

‘THE IRON AGE THuurspay. AucustT 21, 1902. The Flat Iron Building New York tower high above everything in the immediate neigh- 9 s horbood. But it is not to its hight alone that its promi The most conspicuous structure in the so-called shop- _nence is due; its shape is such as to command attention, ping district of New York is the Flat Iron or Fuller While the light stone of which it is built and the beauty — = otitis i —) = ia ~~ - 4 THE FLAT IRON BUILDING, NEW YORK. Building, which has just been completed. It occupies f iis architectural features arrest the eye. The reason the triangle formed by the junction of Broadway and for the name Flat Iron will be understood upon exami- Fifth avenue at Twenty-third street, and its 21 stories nation of the first engraving, which is from a photo F THE IRON AGE. August #93 =1,01 496 ZI=1 9 2.25 121 . roa bc) 13=1,6 aii s EI ho mM ii< t= Silla > ee ee WG-16 wy u é) iv a ry ” e .o 2 “ s # F | 12 - " “ > 2 - a 4s Fig. 2.—Plan Showing Location of Piers. 56 X98 49.4 T? Jt 4 X,9,1# spall Pi.Girder 20 I1=65 49pat'ld Fig. 3.—Floor Plan, Second Story. 21, 1902 W YORK. NE FLAT IRON BUILDING, THE NEW YORK. IRON BUILDING, FLAT THE August 21, 1902 graph taken just north of the building. the sky by the projecting cornice. The building, in plan, is the shape of a right angled triangle, the base of which measures 83 feet, the alti- tude 202 feet, and the hypotenuse 228 feet. As shown by the plan, Fig. 3, the building proper is a little smaller than this, as all the corners are rounded. The piers on the base of the triangle are spaced 16 feet apart, center th F THE IRON AGé 2nd PI. | NOTE All channel brackets ' lit, 16 Rivers % ‘4 slope 45'0"front inter } t AA |\| section with celuma } \ 2L* 15 33 a | —— TNT . pf» | NI 15 Rivets } 1 ive 15" 33 = —— i = FO = 7 As ¢e > i . 15 F uy Ss na $ohes cment#T 20N AGE Fig. 4.—Frame Near Center of Building THE IRON That well- known kitchen utensil is accurately outlined against AGE. 3 piers, located as shown in the plan, Fig. 2. These were built of concrete up to the sub-basement and then capped with granite, upon which were placed the cast iron bases for the columns. Structurally the building follows the methods ordi- narily employed in similar cases, but with two notable exceptions. The frame is unusually heavy, and wher- ever the design would permit corner braces have been introduced to unite the columns and floor girders. These ii" x eu 1-24" Web I “ * —— my : tt it be a Et t -. + ~ ~\ \ % \ ) Floor \ic ‘ = 4g LE NG fe YW tx Web I a 13th Floor L 6° 26° 2 a" L? Litt ‘ p 4 x % Web Pl. eee a ee lath Fig! & t 7 : $+ se reg 2 ~—— — + => ———w ~ i t ~A \ < Flor, \ A ~ x oe ™ ye 7. 1-24 V rl sy : th 4 x zs: L* 2-13" ‘ F 1-24" s 4 W ‘ ~ 6 - + ome. ae - ~~ = —— : '+ SaaS $ = Pe ee ee ee ~-P 341 3% SA, ° .~ hy _ f t As uf 9; 4 x 4 l ‘ rr "Ww & * * tf : ————— aot. a sie > 7 ‘ THE oN AGE 4+6"x x a° 2 F 1-36 x % WebF t or = . ; . = et : 2 eae 2 JF <* Rivets \ ‘\ # VQ f \ 4-6". 6"s % 2-13" « 34” Cover P 1-30": %" Web I es = t= ~ are A tH ++ tt Pe yee — qa a is — aM 7 \~ \ 7 ‘ Cov x Ww t , + 2 : $ & in | = Vy. Rivets AA + NS 4 . . Tue IRON AGE Fig. 5.—Frame at Second Column from Apez of Triangle. fHE FLAT IRON BUILDING, NEW YORK. to center, on the altitude 17 feet, and on the hypotenuse 18 feet 55% inches apart. The foundation extends under the sidewalk, thereby providing a much greater breadth than is apparent from the drawings. The excavation extends 26 feet beyond the center line of the Fifth avenue columns and 22 feet beyond the Broadway columns, so that the whole structure has the benefit of this enlarged base. The excavation for the building was carried to rock. 35 feet below the curb. Upon this were erected the are cleasly shown in both Figs. 6 and 7, but the diag- onals shown in the former engraving are only temporary, and have no permanent place in the building. These brackets are of two kinds—plates, as shown in Fig. 7, and beams of varying sections and weights, as shown in Figs. t and 5. Since it was not possible to introduce braces at every corner, even if such a course had been desir- able, the floor system and its arches are depended upon to distribute the stresses. By this means the strain is distributed over those portions not provided with cor- 4 THE ner brackets, the result being a structure rigid in every respect and well calculated to resist a wind pressure of 50 pounds. The peculiar shape of the building, with its com- paratively long and narrow ground plan, made it neces- sary, as just explained, to pay particular attention to the bracing of the frame. To support the dead load was not such a serious problem as providing against wind pressure. The weights are by no means excessive, and are much greater in many other buildings of similar character. All of the buildings nearby are low, so that for its entire hight above the sixth or seventh story the new structure is entirely unprotected and is exposed to the full force of the wind. This will be severe, particu larly on the Broadway front, which has an area of about 65,000 feet and which will feel the wind sweep- ing across Madison square. Therefore the frame has been designed to resist a wind pressure of 50 p unds to the square foot. It is calculated that in order to wreck the building a wind pressure capable of tipping it, with the bottom of one of its long sides acting as a fulcrum, IRON AGE. Augtst 21, 1902 handsomely framed and is not only a most acceptable mural ornament, but is a striking representation of the progress made in the business of manufacturing plates since the company’s works were founded in 1810. The plant is now one of the largest in the world devoted to the manufacture of steel plates, comprising open hearth steel furnaces, slabbing mills and plate mills of mod- ern type and large capacity. The picture is of a size enabling the various departments of the works to be satisfactorily shown. 8 French Machinery Not Compulsory for Panama Canal. American manufacturers have been agitated over the provisions of the law governing the French Panama Canal Company, and it has been feared that purchases of machinery and supplies would have to be made in France if the United States assumes the work of com- pleting it. Accordingly D. M. Parry, president of the Fig. 6 View of Steel Frame During Construction, rHE FLAT IRON BUILDING, NEW YORK. would have to be exerted. Expressed in another way, it National Association of Manufacturers, requested an possesses strength and rigidity sufficient to permit its being moved as an integral whole, and in no other way. Since there is no weak joint in the entire system there is no danger of failure at any point between the founda tion and roof. The sub-basement has a hight of 11 feet 8 inches; the basement, 18 feet 8 inches; the ground floor, 25 feet 2 inches, and the upper floors, 12 feet 8 inches. The ele- vators are located about in the center of the building, with entrances on both the Broadway and Fifth avenue sides. The first floor is devoted to stores, the rest being divided into offices. It is needless to say that the build- ing is tire prcof throughout. The building is owned by the Geo. A. Fuller Company of 137 Broadway, New York. It was erected after de signs by D. H. Burnham & Co. of Chicago, the engi- neers being Purdy & Henderson of Chicago. _ We have received from: the Lukens Iron & Steel Company, Coatesville, Pa., through the courtesy of W. H. Edgerley, sales agent, 29 Broadway, New York, a large picture of the company’s works. The picture is‘ opinion on this phase of the canal question from Sullivan & Cromwell, New York, general counsel in America of the new Panama Canal Company. They declare that American manufacturers are needlessly alarmed, and that the new company, whose rights the United States proposes to purchase, are in nowise bound by provisions governing the old company. The opinion is as follows: The French law, providing for the purchase of sup- plies in France, is in the act of June 8, 1888. At the time of the passage of this act the old Panama Canal Company, being in great need of money, procured the passage of this act, which authorized them to issue lottery bonds not exceeding 600,000,000 francs. As a condition of this privilege it was provided that all necessary ma- terial for the completion of the canal should be manu- factured in France out of raw material of French origin. The new Panama Canal Company were not affected by this law. They had no power to issue, and never did issue, any lottery bonds. It was not therefore affected by the condition annexed to the privilege, which they did not possess. In fact they bought much of their ma- chinery and supplies in this country, and it never has been suggested, so far as we know, by any one, that August 21, 1902 THE they violated the laws of France by so doing. Any such Statement would have been, indeed, too obviously with- out foundation to be made. It follows necessarily that the United States could not be bound by any such provision. No law of France could bind the United States, in any case, outside the limits of France itself; but this act does not even pro- fess to do so. The United States is a mere purchaser of the property of the new Panama Canal Company. It acquires nothing from the French Government and is under no obligation to it. The privilege of issuing lottery bonds was one which was personal to the old company, and the obligation to use material of French origin was also personal to that company. Neither privilege nor obligation affects any purchaser of any property which they owned. We may observe that the Isthmian Canal Commis sion considered the machinery now on the Isthmus, while in good condition, to be out of date and of no real value. It is obvious, therefore, that an enormous amount of ma- chinery will be required for the completion of the canal, and there can be no doubt that the Government will pur- <hase this in the United States. arr The International Banking Corporation. The International Banking Corporation of 1 Wall Street, New York, with offices and branches in various parts of the world, announce that they are now ready fur business, and American merchants can no longer complain that they are compelled to accept payment for the goods they export through the medium of sterling Fig. 7.--Framing of Rounded Apeg of Triangle THE FLAT IRON exchange, or, in other words, through London, and so have, involuntarily, to divide their profits with the Eng- lish banking houses. The International Banking Corporation were organ- ized some months since under the laws of Connecticut, with a paid up capital and surplus of $6,000,000 and an authorized capital and surplus of $10,000,000. The Board of Directors, of which Gen. Thomas H. Hubbard is chairman, is composed of the following gentlemen: E. H. Harriman, chairman of the Board of Directors of the Union Pacific Railroad Company; H. E. Hunting- ton, vice-president of the Southern Pacific Railroad Company; George Crocker, president of the Pacific Im- provement Company; H. C. Frick of the United States Steel Corporation; Edwin Gould, president of the St. Louis & Southwestern Railway Company; Isaac Gug- IRON BUILDING, NEW AGE. 5 genheim, treasurer American Smelting & Refining Com- pany; Abram SS. Hewitt, Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt, James W. Alexander, president of the Equitable Life Assurance Society; Julius S. Bache of J. S. Bache & Co.; J. M. Ceballos of J. M. Ceballos & Co.; Edward F. Cragin, Eugene Delano of Brown Bros. & Co.; James H. Hyde, vice-president of the Equitable Life Assurance Society; Luther Kountze of Kountze Bros. & Co.; Col. John J. McCook of the law firm of Alexander & Green; John B. Jackson, president Fidelity View Fig. & During Erection YORK & Trust Company; H. P. Melntosh, president Guardian Trust Company; W. H. McIntyre, fourth vice-president of the Equitable Life Assurance Society; Hippolyte Hardy, secretary General Electric Inspection Company; John Hubbard, H. S. Manning of Manning, Maxwell & Moore; Allen W. Paige, H. S. Rodgers, vice-president Merchants’ National Bank; William Salomon of William Salomon & Co., bankers; R. A. C. Smith, president American Steamship Company,and Valentine P. Snyder, president of the Western National Bank. Mr. Snyder is the acting president of the International Banking Cor- poration; Mr. Cragin is the vice-president; James H. Rogers is the secretary pro tem., and John Hubbard is the treasurer. The general manager of the bank is John B. Lee, and the assistant general manager is William H. McIntyre. 6 THE The last named is in charge of the business at present in New York, Mr. Lee having sailed for England for the purpose of. inspecting the London branch and of sub- sequently visiting the continent and getting into per- sonal touch with the bank’s correspondents in Europe. Mr. Lee was for 22 years with the Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China, and he is considered by bankers to be one of the world’s experts in foreign ex- change banking. Mr. McIntyre was for 19 years with the Colonial Bank in London and at its branches and later was the agent of that bank in New York. The International Banking Corporation, besides hav- ing several branches, have perfected arrangements with correspondents in all parts of Europe. The branch of- fices are at London, San Francisco, Manila, Singapore, Yokohama and Shanghai, all of which are in charge of able and experienced bankers. The organization of the four branches in the Far East has been so far advanced as to put them in a position to perform any service which may be required of them. The London office is fully equipped and open for business. The branch at San Francisco will be opened on September 2. For the present, pending further developments, arrangements have been made with leading banks to represent the International Banking Corporation at Bombay, Calcutta, Rangoon and Penang. ‘The International Bank will, of course, do an ordinary foreign banking business; it will issue commercial and travelers’ letters of credit, will buy and sell bills of exchange and cable transfers on all European cities and on ports in the Orient at which the bank 1s represented, and will undertake all such other business as is customary with exchange banks. As stated in a circular announcing that it is open for busi- ness, the bank will afford, through American channels, the banking facilities needed by this country’s rapidly expanding foreign commerce and for meeting the re- quirements of this country’s new insular possessions and Governments. The bank has already been ap- pointed fiscal agents for the United States in China and the Philippine Islands. ‘Phe bank has actually been do- ing business in Manila since January 9. In London its clearing house business will be transacted through the National Provincial Bank of England, one of the largest, if not the largest, joint stock banks in England. er Peat Gas for Steel Making. J. G. Thaulow, in the Teknisk Ugeblad of Christiania, reports that peat gas has been employed as fuel at the Motala Steel Works, Sweden, for the past 30 years, origi- nally for the puddling furnaces, and to a still greater extent, subsequently, for the open hearth furnaces. The peat is got chiefly from the further side of Lake Wetter, across which it is brought in sailing vessels and un- loaded direct into large storehouses, whence it is trammed to the gas producers. The yearly consump- tion is from 13,000 to 16,000 cubic yards of dry kneaded peat, costing about 75 cents per cubic yard delivered at Motala. Two large gas producers are used, from which the gas is led to the open hearth furnaces through a con- denser for ridding it of some of its moisture. Althoug!. the peat gas, owing to the distance the peat has to be brought, is dearer than coal gas, it is used preferably ir most Swedish steel works in consequence of the insig nificant amount of sulphur and phosphorus it contains. In the rolling mills there is a smaller peat gas producer for one of the plate furnaces, and thin steel plates es- pecially scale less in rolling when the furnace is fired with peat gas. The use of peat gas in the Swedish steel industry contributes largely to enhance the quality of the steel, irrespective of the cost of fuel, becoming there- by often higher than with coal. The choice of the fuel, however, is not always determined by its cheapness so much as by its influence upon the material produced. i - _ The Trunk Line Association and the Middle States Freight Association have adopted new regulations in- creasing the minimum carload weight on iron ore gnd iron products from 30,000 to 40.000 pounds, to take effect September 1. LRON AGE. August 21, 1902 Future Markets for American Iron and Steel.* BY AXEL SAHLIN. At present all the activity displayed in enlarging, re- building and in construction of new iron and steel plants has not provided sufficient capacity to fill the demand of a nation growing largely, not only in population, but still more in wealth and industrial development. It is said that the amount of iron and steel consumed per annum per caput of population is a true index of the civilization of a nation. If this be correct, then Amer- ica’s people stand ahead of all others on the globe, be- cause nowhere else is iron and steel used so lavishly and in so many forms as in the United States. Millions of miles of telegraph and telephone wires, other millions of miles of barbed wire fence, over 200,000 miles of railways with an equipment cf over 1,000,000 freight ears and about 40,000 locomstiv cs, steel buildings up to 30 stories in hight, thousands vi .siles of pipe lines send- ing a steady flow of mineral oil from distant regions to the seaports, or distributing the waters of the mountain streams over the vast stretches of arid plains, and all other staple articles into which the metal is formed, have not only absorbed the whole of America’s produc- tion of iron, which in the year 1900 amounted to 13,789,- 242 tons, but a deficiency in the supply had to be filled by importation of German steel. But the greater the present activity the more enor- mous the call for steel in all its various shapes, the greater is also the danger that when this demand falls ott, even by a small percentage, this small percentage in the shape of hundreds of thousands of tons of ma- terial which must be disposed of will be thrown on tuo the markets of the world and, with the usual American energy, placed in competition with the product of other countries. At first, of course, the neutral and colonial markets will be canvassed, but if the overproduction should fill even these, an aggressive export business of American iron and steel products into Europe must be feared. It is not likely that any large quantity of American iron will find its way abroad in the shape of pig iron, except, of course, foundry iron, of which a considerable quantity is coming, and more will come, into European markets. But the bulk of American metal will appear in the shape of finished steel. Billets, rails and shapes, locomotives, cars, bridges, wire nails, tools, plates and bars are some of the articles which the excellent equip- ment and large productive capacity of the American shops and works will make it possible to sell at low prices. Cost of Production. When speaking of costs it is, of course, impossible to quote the source of information, but the figures which I give below are, I am confident, bona-fide, and were given me by men who are thoroughly familiar with this subject. Foundry iron is likely to be shipped partly from Eastern furnaces, partly from the South. A large fur- nace in New Jersey can now manufacture No. 1 foundry iron at a cost of 36 shillings 6 pence ($9.12). The freight rate to New York is, for ordinary business, 2 shillings (50 cents) and somewhat less for export. From New York to Liverpool freights for pig iron vary from 6 shillings ($1.50) to 12 shillings ($3) per ton. No. 1 foun- dry iron might, therefore, at the present time be de- livered in Liverpool at from 44 shillings 6 pence ($11.12) to 50 shillings 6 pence ($12.62) per ton, not allowing for profit. At Birmingham, Ala., foundry iron to-day is costing about 37 shillings 6 pence ($9.37) per ton. This iron is produced in old fashioned furnaces with heavy coke consumption, expensive labor and small output. Mr. Don Bacon, the recently elected chairman of the Ten- nessee Coal, Iron & Railroad Company, has been public- ly quoted as saying that he expects to bring down the * From the “ Report on American Industrial Condition and Competition,’’ by the British Iron Trade Association. August 21, 1902 THE IRON AGE. cost of foundry iron in this district to 25 shillings ($6.25) per ton. From Birmingham the iron would be shipped to one of the following five ports: Miles. PO I EN ns vd Need eu wemaeeee s ae 417 Po aa tae Seat 7 ikwaeuae Se ee eee ee ty wee lewawee 448 Mobile, Ala..... TT ere ere ee er ee Pee rae 276 OPN Oso hk awh ce awiowebusdoagunas aie aa ae The railway freight for export from Birmingham to either of these places is, to-day, 5 shillings 10 pence ($1.45) per ton. The sea transport for iron carried as ballast in cotton ships to Manchester is 8 shillings ($2) per ton. Southern foundry iron can, therefore, to-day be delivered in ship in Manchester at a cost of 51 shil- lings 4 pence ($12.83) per ton; but if the prediction of the head of the leading Southern iron company should be verified (and there is no question but what costs in the South will be rapidly reduced), Southern foundry iron laid down in Manchester may before long cost as little as 38 shillings 10 pence ($9.70) per ton. How far panic prices of labor, machinery, fuel and freights will tend further to reduce these figures remains to be seen. The North will not compete abroad with pig iron. At present Bessemer iron in the Ohio Valleys or at Wheeling is said to cost 45 shillings 10 pence ($11.45) per ton. The lowest average converting costs may be taken at 16 shillings 8 pence ($4.16). Steel billets in the Wheeling district do, therefore, at present cost 62 shil- lings 6 pence ($15.62) per ton. In times of low prices iron has, however, been made for 34 shillings 4 pence ($8.58), and conversion into steel has actually been ac- complished for 15 shillings ($3.75) per ton. The lowest possible cost for billets in the Wheeling district may, therefore, be estimated at about 49 shillings 4 pence ($12.33) per ton, or, say, 50 shillings ($12.50). The ordi- nary freight rate from Wheeling or Pittsburg to Balti- more is 6 shillings 3 pence ($1.56) per ton, but has for export business been done at 4 shillings 8 pence ($1.16). Ocean freight has varied from 6 shillings ($1.50) to 12 shillings ($3). Assuming the average freight at 10 shil- lings ($2.50) per ton, to which figure the Americans confidently expect to bring it down, when, baving their own ships, steel billets could at the present high prices be laid down in Liverpool at a cost of 78 shillings 9 pence ($19.68), but may, if times go down, be expected to arrive at a cost of about 64 shillings 8 pence ($13.66) per ton. It must be borne in mind that the costs quoted above are based on market price of raw materials, but as most of the large steel producers control their own ore, fuel and flux, the cost to producers cannot be ascer- tained, but must be less than the prices named above. Marketing a Surplus, In an interview Charles M. Schwab made the statement that his policy would be to keep the plants of the United States Steel Corporation going at their full output, which, at their present rate of production, represents about 9,000,000 tons of steel per year. “‘ We will sell all we can at home,” he said; “ what we can- not sell at home we will find a market for abroad, and we will rather sell at a slight loss than curtail our pro- duction.” The wisdom of this policy from an American point of view cannot be doubted. The men who wield the destiny of two-thirds of the most important indus- try in the largest industrial country in the world have in their hands an incalculable power for good or evil. A sudden move on their part toward curtailing produc- tion would at once throw the iron business and all kin- dred industries into a panic. The United States Steel Corporation support in supplying the wants of their works hundreds of other plants—engine and boiler man ufacturers, makers of paints, oils and other lubricants, pipe fittings, tools, brass goods, lumber, brick, cement, stationary, chemicals, instruments and what not. As long as the works of the corporation keep going apace, taking their usual supplies, all these industries and their hundreds of thousands of employees will be kept in activity. A sudden retrenchment or partial stoppage on the part of the giant corporation would immediately throw them all into partial idleness and create wide- spread financial distrust and distress. While unchecked and unlimited competition in the iron industry was the order of the day in America, such sudden stoppages did come periodically and with seant warning, causing great and unexpected fluctuations in prices and changes in economical conditions. It is to be hoped, and many believe, that the Steel Corporation will make the world their debtor by using their great influence in their own interests as in that of others, to prevent and minimize these sudden fluctuations. From our point of view in England, on the other hand, this policy certainly carries with it great menace. The Steel Corporation control a practically unlimited capital and the best mines, the best coke, the best plants, the best lines of communication, the ablest man- agers, and the most perfect selling arrangements. When this great syndicate deliberately decide to sell a certain small percentage of their enormous output at cost, or even at a loss, in our own territory, such an action will be apt to demoralize our prices and to send us through such a period of reorganization, failures and destruction of capital as America experienced in the long to be remembered years between 1893 and 1897. But as America during these years, after learning the dearly bought lesson, pulled itself together and created the present successful organization of its iron and steel business, so, I have no doubt, will Great Britain do. English Prospects, There is no point in the world that need teach Mid- dlesborough a lesson in the cheap production of iron and steel. The Durham coke, if properly made, is equally good, if not better, than that of Connellsville. The collieries and coke ovens are nearer to the Tees than is Connellsville to Pittsburgh The Cleveland hills yet contain a goodly store of iron ore, if also the grade is going down. To enrich the mixtures the Scan- dinavian mines, considerably nearer to Middlesborough than are the Lake Superior fields to Pittsburgh, supply an even richer and better raw material. In the opposite direction Spanish hematites are available with easier transport than that of the Lake ores. Middlesborough has also the advantage over Pittsburgh of being located on the sea and in the midst of the densely populated European countries. If, therefore, the Middlesborough ironmasters adapt—not copy—American methods, not only as regards furnace plants and steel works, but also, and of still more importance, as regards generous employment of money, consolidation of interests, con- trol of raw materials, selection of managers and treat- ment and control of labor, they should never need fear competition from an industrial center situated 3500 miles away from the markets at their very door, and this opinion, I take it, will also hold good for South Wales, the Midland districts and Scotland. Nor does the world stand still while the iron industry is growing and developing. New markets, new employ- ments, new needs arise and multiply, and therefore it is, in my opinion, certain that there will be room for us all in the future, as in the past, though the preponderat- ing influence in the iron world, and the largest outputs of iron and steel, counting by nations, will during this and the next. generation continue to be found on the western side of the Atlantic Ocean. It is an axiom that no nation can remain or become a world power without the aid of an adequate iron industry. Great Britain cannot, and, I am sure, will not see its iron industry permanently lose ground. If, therefore, which I do not believe, it should come to pass that protected America to such an extent makes free-trade Britain the market for such a surplus of iron and steel products as cannot elsewhere be disposed of that the home industry of the latter country seriously and permanently suffers thereby, it must be remem- bered that nothing but the will and dictum of the Brit- ish people keeps the door open for such imports, and that it is practicable, if not to close the door, at least to place such a barrier across it as to give those inside a chance to live. eee The eighty-third meeting of the American Institute of Mining Engineers will be held at New Haven, Conn., beginning Tuesday, October 14, 1902. 8 THE The Iron and Steel Industry in Australia. FROM OUR AUSTRALIAN CORRESPONDENT. The Bonus on Iron Manufactures, A curious and unexpected development of affairs has been brought about in Australia by a decision of the Federal House of Representatives. This body, by a large majority, has decided that bonuses for the produc- tion of iron and steel from local ores shall only be granted conditionally on the industry being State owned. The Iron Age, in former issues, has given full particulars of the proposed bonuses. The present position of affairs, and there is no likelihood of the decision being altered, seems intolerable. Any of the State Governments may or may not start the proposed industry—the chances are a million to one they will not—but in face of the fact that if any State does attempt to it would wipe out private enterprise. the position simply resolves itself into a clear statement that private enterprise is not to be encouraged by bonuses. So there are not likely to be any iron works at all, or, if so, the State reserves to itself the right to absolutely destroy by establishing State owned works, which would be entitled to large bonuses, while the private employer would not be entitled to them. The reason for the House coming to such a decision was apparently the statement that Australia could not possibly support more than one large works, and that, consequently, the granting of a bonus to a private firm was practically subsidizing a monopoly. Now, there is only one State where the establishment of State owned iron works comes within the bounds of possibility, and that State is New South Wales. Here alone are coal and iron found in sufficient quantities and in comparative juxtaposition, to justify developing. The New South Wales State Government, as at present constituted, certainly has no intention of starting State iron works, so the whole scheme stands now a little less further advanced than it was 12 months ago. Meantime, W. Sandford, Limited, has been, as pre- viously advised, floated inte a company in London with the huge capital of £750,000 (nearly $4,000,000), on which dividends have to be paid, or ought to be paid. Doubt- less they know their own business, but without State aid it is difficult to realize that they will be able to work local ores to compete with the imported. It is presumed that they intend to do something more than work up scrap—their principal occupation in the past. To deliver pig iron from Lithgow to Melbourne would cost for rail- way freight to Sydney, rehandling at Sydney for a Mel- bourne steamer, and delivery to a Melbourne foundry, not less than 12 shillings 6 pence a ton for cartage only. English and Scotch pig iron is often carried by ships via the Baltic for timber, for a merely nominal freight as ballast,so the imported article is going to have its own way. Then, again, unless the local smelting furnaces can be kept constantly going the manufacture cannot be profitably maintained. To return again to the suggested establishment of State works, it is hard to imagine, judging from the pretty general extravagant administration of State moneys in Australia, that they could be worked on a business like basis. To equip a plant to manufacture all sizes in plates and bars would necessitate immense outlay. In steel rails perhaps something could be done, but even here it is difficult to realize that a Government institution could be so systematically run as to compete against English and American manufacturers. The population of Australia is small and the con- sumption is consequently small. Still, this is no reason why we should not manufacture our own iron, although from a commercia! standpoint it may not appear at first an economical proceeding. But the industry might fairly be classed as a natural one, and one which, once started, would be self supporting and would give employment to several hundreds of people who will be hard put to it to make ends meet during the next few years, and it \s dificult to understand why our legislators insist on making the iron industry a State owned one before grant- [RON AGE. August 21, 1902 ing it assistance, when they have never attempted to apply any such restriction to any of our many other State aided enterprises. Since writing the foregoing an interview with W. Sandford has appeared in the daily press. Mr. Sand- ford, accompanied by a Mr. Thomas, an English expert representing the English capitalists, landed from Lon- don a few weeks ago. Both gentlemen are disappointed at the turn of events, and state that they are not now prepared to expend their money on the up to date works proposed. a The Housatonic Mfg. Company. Capt. A. H. Mattox of New York contributes to the Evening Leader of New Haven, Conn., a highly inter- esting description of the new plant of the Housatonic Mfg. Company in that city, which is about completed and ready for business and which contains many new and special features, looking to the welfare of both the employer and employee. ‘Che company are a consolida- tion of the Eagle Spoon Company of North Haven and the Housatonic Metal Company of Wallingford, Conn., and manufacture Malacca tin plated knives, forks and spoons, brass gas fixtures and electric light fixture trim- mings, metal screw caps, German silver and silver plated novelties, &c. The plant is located on a 6-acre site with a frontage of 750 feet on the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad, and is equipped throughout with the most modern appliances for manufacture, fire protection and heating and ventilation. The main building is 500 feet long and 50 feet wide, two stories, of mill construction, in whicb are located 20 tinning and dipping rooms, each of which is occupied only by the man who does the work. ‘These are so arranged that fresh air is pumped up through the floors and all foul air from acids, &c., is exhausted through the top of the room by a special ap- paratus. The oftice is situated in the west end of the building. The power house, a separate brick building, 45 x 85 feet, is equipped with Heine safety boilers and Westinghouse engines of the compound vertical type, and the latter, belted to Westinghouse generators, sup- ply the electric power which operates the motors in the different departments. Believing that by bettering the condition of their help by agreeable surroundings, ventilation, light and cleanliness, they can create a common _ interest on the part of the employer and employee and thus bring about complete co-operation in the organiza- tion, the company will provide a number of conveniences conducive to both pleasure and comfort. These will in- clude well appointed lavatories at convenient places tn the building, wire lockers for clothing, a well equipped eymnasium, reading room and library, rest rooms with easy chairs and couches, a swimming pool, bathing rooms, &c. The grounds will be made attractive witk flowers, and at the south side of the plant a space 200 x 50 feet will be improved and beautified as a park. The officers are: President, Charles A. Hamilton, who is also president of the Rogers & Hamilton Company of Waterbury, president of the Hamilton-Foster Fog Signal Company of New York and vice-president of the Inter- national Silver Company of Meriden, Conn.; vice-presi- dent, George C. Edwards of Bridgeport, Conn., who is also president of the Holmes & Edwards Silver Com- pany of Bridgeport, a vice-president of the International Silver Company and president of the Bridgeport Chain Company; treasurer and general manager, Edgar A. Russell of New Haven. ec nliiae A Humanitarian Suggestion.—One of our subscrib- ers, Who employs a great many presses, reports a curious accident. A pile of blanks ready to be drawn, standing alongside of the press, fell over while the operator hap- pened to have his hand under the die, and these blanks fell on the treadle, releasing the clutch, causing the punch to descend on his hand. This occurrence suggests the desirability of putting a wooden box around the treadle or a shelf over it, in such a way that if anything falls it will not hit the treadle, leaving room, of course, between the treadle and the top of the box for the foot. i -_ re August 21, 1902 rHE This idea, suggested by the occurrence, may be worth the consideration of those of our readers who are operat- ing similar machinery. oe — The Fritz Method of Perforating Blooms. Letters patent have been Issued to the veteran iron- master John Fritz of Bethlehem, Pa., for a method of perforating blooms and ingots. It is well known that without some suitable support for the ingot the punch will only enter it a short distance and operate in a cor rect manner, and if the punch is then forced further down the ingot will begin to crush in the middle and lower portions, thereby defeating the attempt to produce a perfectly formed tube. It is necessary that the opera- tion be performed rapidly, so as to maintain the ingot In proper condition throughout its length during the entire operation. For this purpose the beginning of the punching operation should be started when the ingot is Tus lnon Acs Fig. 1 THE FRITZ METHOD at the correct temperature, so that the metal at the upper end will flow outwardly without destroying the texture or uniformity of that part of the ingot. Tor this purpose it is very desirable, and in the case of some kinds of metal it is practically necessary, to have the temperature of the entire ingot at a point above what is practicable when the operation is to be carried out in the old way. In the new process the ingot is placed in a specially constructed mold, whose inner diameter is normally less than would otherwise be required. The punch is then forced into the ingot and spreads the up- per part into engagement with the surfaces of the mold The expanded portion of the ingot engages the shoul ders of the mold, which support the upper end of the ingot in such a way that the middle portion cannot move downward. In other words, the displacement takes place laterally and not downwardly. By this method the ingot can be perforated while the metal is at a high temperature and the excessive binding of the ingot upon the punch is obviated. The ingot B is placed upon the bed P of the hydraulic punch- ing machine and the punch N is brought into proper position. The mold D is formed with annular shoulders, B, against which the outer portion of the ingot is forced by the entering punch. These projections resist the longitudinal movement of any part of the ingot. The two parts of the mold are held together by boits, as IRON Sectional Elevation. Fig. 2—Section on aa of Fig. | Fig. 4.- OF AGE. 9 shown in Fig. 2. The mold, Figs. 3 and 4, is constructed of staves, which are held within a hoop or cylinder. This device is especially designed for perforating relatively large steel ingots or blooms. $$ Thomas Devlin & Co.—Thomas Devlin & Co., Phila- delphia, Pa., purchased some months ago a site for the erection of a manufacturing plant at Burlington, N. J., on the Amboy Division of the Pennsylvania Railroad, as previously reported in these columns. The property is known as the * Old Burlington Boys’ College Grounds,” and is 1800 x 900 feet in size, situated on the Delaware River, Reed and Pearl streets. At present a malleable iron foundry, core room, tumbling and sorting room, annealing room, boiler, engine and pump house, storage room and minor buildings are to bé erected. In the near future they contemplate the erection of a gray iron foun- dry of the same size as the malleable iron foundry, gray Tire Tron AGE Tux leon AGE Modified Form. PERFORATING BLOOMS and malleable iron storage buildings, two three-story machine shops, stock houses, pattern shop and vaults, brass foundry, office building, &c. The malleable iron foundry is to be 420 feet long and 56 feet inside width, three wings, 56 feet in length and extending 46 feet each, will join the main building. This foundry will be served by three air furnaces and two cupolas. Indus- trial railway tracks will serve all parts of this and other buildings, while jib cranes will be installed for han- dling the heavy work. This building will be of brick with slag roof, the side walls are to be 23 feet high and the clear hight under the roof trusses at the center is 17 feet 1 inch. The core shed will adjoin the foundry on the east end, and will be a one-story iron and brick build- ing, 79 x 100 feet, and will be equipped with modern conveniences. 'The annealing room will be 204 x 71 feet, and will be placed just south of the foundry; the tum- bling and sorting department being situated between this and the foundry. Kight annealing ovens will be built at the present time. The boiler, engine and pump rooms will be situated at the east end of the annealing room, and will occupy a space 45 x 71 feet. Specifica- tions have been prepared for these and minor buildings, and it is hoped that operations may be started at an early date, so that they may be completed by the end of the year, it being the intention to have iron running in the new malleable iron foundry by January 1, 1903. 10 THE Long Distance Power Transmission.* BY F. A, C. PERRINE, Two elements make success in the long distance elec- trical transmission of power—continuity and regulation. Perhaps these are the most important elements in any electrical undertaking and are the most obvious, but in attaining our ideal in long distance work there lurk pit- falls about these two elements unknown in other fields of the art. From the outset, in the original studies and down the line to the last switch and insulation, lie un- known problems and problems known but unsolved. It is the field of the thoughtful, independent engineer; the ground is stony and fit traveling only to the most re- sourceful. The Regulation. Regulation in direct current work is a simple problem. Its laws are all known; at every lamp it is quite easy to predict the variation of voltage. The same laws con- trol whether the lines be long or short. In his trans- mission plants Thury has met no new difficulties but has effected regulation at 10 or 20 miles, just as he would have done had the delivery been made only in the next room to his dynamos. Resistance is always resistance and his dynamo characteristics remain unaltered by its increase. He deals only with current, voltage and re- sistance and encounters problems simple even to Fara- day, Henry or Olim. It has been said very truly that the introduction of the alternating current raised the electrician above the rank of the artisan. With these currents he is no longer dealing with a few simple, independent quantities con- nected by a primary rule, but must now consider many new elements, some constants and some variables. At every step capacities and self inductions enter into the solution in complex and involved relations. Regulation can no longer be simply determined for each part of the system independently, and the regulation of the whole obtained by a consideration of the parts separately. Self inductions and capacities affect each other, and the generators and lines, as well as the transformers and motors must be chosen or designed with this interde- pendent relation in view. beautifully. When the operation of the transmission supplying current to the city of Stockton, Cal., from the power plant at Mokelumne Hil!, 46 miles away, was first begun a curious state of affairs was observed. In operation of the lines alone the current required on the 2200 volt side of the step up transformers was 60 amperes; with the step down transformers connected the current fell to about 50 amperes, and when a 100-kw. motor was put into operation the current was only 55 amperes. The transmission was designed to be at 25,000 volts, but at the delivery end of the line the voltage was found to be 27,200 volts, aud finally the motors consumed full cur- rent when running at no load and not much more when operating with full load applied. I think that all will agree that here are problems enough for one small in- stance of the difficulties in the regulation of a long dis- tance transmission plant. The lines in this case had been calculated for an 8 per cent. loss of energy for transmission of 1000 kw., and capacity played the most important part in these pranks of voltage and current. With the lines alone the capacity was so great as to ab- sorb an apparent energy of over 130 kilo volt amperes. This is reduced when the transformers are connected and some real energy begins to flow and the self induction of the step down transformers neutralizes some of the capacity of the line. When the motors are connected the real energy is increased and the self inductances of the various parts of the system become more important. The apparent rise of voltage along the line illustrates the interdependence of the whole system even more clearly, for it is only in a very small part due to the line itself, or rather, while due to the line, it occurs in the step up transformers and not to any extent along the line. It is not uncommon to attribute such an effect to * From a paper read before the Boston Society of Arts at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. [RON A simple case illustrates this AGE August 21, 1902 resonance, which really only rarely becomes important; in reality, the regulation of the transformer produces this effect. With any transformer fed with a constant voltage at the primary the secondary voltage falls with noninductive load and falls still further if an inductive load is applied, but if the load is a capacity load the sccondary voltage rises instead of falls. In this case, therefore, the step up transformers were delivering a 10 per cent. higher voltage to the line than their trans- formation ratio accounted for, which necessarily dis- turbed the regulation seriously. This trouble became even more serious when a heavy induction motor was jater operated by the same plant. The load on the motor accounted for a fall of potential amounting to 4 per cent., but the inductance produced a drop of 10 per cent. at least; and, as the rise of voltage on the line at no load was as much as 10 per cent., it may at once be seen that the voltage varied when the motor was connected from 10 per cert. above normal to 10 per cent. below, and thus a variation exceeding 20 per cent. was produced in place of a variation of 4 per cent., for which the load allowed. The effect upon the synchronous motor was also due to this ever troublesome capacity. The generators were giving nearly a true sine wave of E. M. F., while the motors were designed for a peaked wave, the line ca- pacity so affected the generator wave that the differ- ence between the motor and generator became great, and for part of each wave the motor was absorbing power, and for its remainder delivering power, so that ulways a great current was flowing. In this particular case these troubles were corrected by the introduction of a heavy self induction across the ends of the lire which neutralized the line capacity; and this self induction was used until an inductive load was connected in the shape of induction motors, which ren- dered the use of an extra self induction unnecessary. Whenever this arrangement can be thoroughly carried out and the capacities and self inductions connected to any line be evenly balanced the alternating problem can be reduced to the simplicity of the direct current problem and long algebraic equation abandoned in de termination of the expectations. This possibility is be- ginning to be appreciated and regulation attained in long distance transmissions which could not otherwise be hoped for. There is little service which calls for absolutely con- tinuous power. Most plants, which are said to be oper- ating “day and night,” shut down at meal times and are rarely operated more than 20 hours of the 24, and even where the operation is continuous through the day there is a cessation of operation on Sundays and holi- days. For this reason it is difficult to satisfactorily bal- ance the capacity of the line against the inductance of any load. The line capacity current is constant and is continuously in evidence so long as the voltage is ap- plied to the line; indeed, it varies only with the voltage and periodicity. Its importance increases as the load diminishes, for when the load is heavy it is not only completely overcome by inductance, but also is rendered unimportant by reason of the presence of a large cur- rent in phase with the electro motive force. During the time when all loads are diminished the disturbance of regulation by reason of the presence of a line capacity current is most apparent, and consequently the counter- action of that capacity effect, by a