The Iron Age 1902-11-27: Vol 70

HE IRON AGE Tuurspay, Novemeer 27, 1902. American Processes in India. Announcement comes simultaneously from Pittsburgh and London that James N. Tata, the wealthy manufac- turer and merchant of Bombay, who recently traveled over a large part of this country to investigate coking and iron and steel making processes, has arranged to proceed with an iron and steel development in the Chanda district, Central Provinces of India, which will involve an expenditure of upward of $12,000,000. Julian Kennedy of Pittsburgh is acting as consulting engineer for the enterprise, and M. Heim, orice with the Carnegie The New Dreses Radial Drill. In the new radial drill built by the Dreses Machine Tool Company of Cincinnati the lever protruding through the arm near the column starts, stops, reverses the spindle quickly for tapping, and also engages the back gears according to the three positions: central, right or left. The little knurled head screw passing through this lever limits the brake power of the for- ward driving clutch, and ¢an be so adjusted that it just drives the tap, but slips if the hole is too small for the tap or when the latter strikes the bottom of the hole THE NEW DRESES Steel Company, will sail for India for the purpose of taking up the preliminary work. The London cablegram states that a contract has been made with the Universal Fuel Company of Chi- cago, of which Joseph Leiter is vice-president and gen- eral manager, to use their process of coking, which has proved successful in making coke from coal previously classed as non-coking. The Indian coal is of a quality requiring the use of a process of this character. It is altogether probable that the construction of iron and steel works will depend on the degree of success at tained in the coking of the coal, which will be first at- tempted. The projected works will consist of three large blast furnaces and a steel plant, making rails as a part of the product. The deposits of iron ore and coal »wned by Mr. Tata are so extensive that if the initial plant shows satisfactory results a great industry will levelop. RADIAL DRILL. or any other obstruction. The auxiliary lever serves for setting the machine for tapping, all while running, und can also be used for tapping direct when it is de- sired (for small tapping) ‘to run forward at a high speed and back out at an only slightly increased velocity. The two levers operate four friction clutches in connec- tion with the gearing and the two horizontal driving shafts. The spindle is provided with a depth gauge and an automatie stop. Any one of the four quick return levers disengages the feed and operates the spindle, all in one movement and without using both hands. There are four changes of feed, which can be varied by shift- ing the knob on the feed rod while drilling. cE wlieeiadiniiimeasin The H. K. Porter Company of Pittsburgh, builders of light locomotives, have received a contract for a number of locomotives for shipment to Japan. if if i if Doin ree rk Mae re eee re th ot <8 Sa Si 1 ere ad = P er THE IRON AGE. Canadian Niagara Power Plants. It is highly probable that there is no other point in the Dominion of Canada, possibly not in the British Empire, where there is such marked industrial activity as on the Canadian side at Niagara Falls, where two companies are hurrying their work in the development of a portion of the power of the famous Horseshoe Fall, in order that a generous supply of electric current may be placed on the market for the operation of industrial establishments and for transmission to distant places. The companies creatiug the development are the Canadian Niagara Power Company and the Ontario Power Company. The Canadian Niagara Power Company are practically the same company that have already developed power by meaus of a tunnel and wheel pits on the New York side, while the Ontario Power Company have John J. Albright ot Buffalo for their president, and are making a develop- ment which the company expect will be second to none in the Niagara region. Canadian Niagara Power Company. For the development of power on the Canadian side the Canadian Niagara Power Company have adopted methods identical with those already applied to the de- velopment on the New York side—that is, they are to de- velop the power by means of a wheel pit and tunnel. Their work has been under way several months, and they have made splendid progress. The wheel pit is down to a depth of 106 feet, and progresses in depth at the rate of about 12 feet a month. The plans call for a pit 480 feet long, but the section now in course of con- struction is 266 feet in length and will provide room for five turbines and connected installation, affording a de- velopment of 50,000 horse-power, the final development from the pit when fully completed to be 100,000 horse- power. But it is likely that the company will make even a larger development than this on the British side of the river, that is so bountiful in its power supply. The depth to which the wheel pit is to be carried will be about 170 feet, and it will be about 21 feet wide. The wheel pits on the New York side are carried to a depth of about 179 feet, but on the Canadian side the land is slightly higher. In sinking this first Canadian wheel pit it is worthy of note that much the same conditions of rock have been met as on the New York side, with the exception, how- ever, that the blue limestone is found near the surface. In sinking the New York wheel pits this rock was not found, but it crops out near Queenston on the Canadian side 5 miles or so below. The water dischargedfrom the turbines to be installed in the Canadian wheel pit will be carried to the lower river through a tunnel. This tunnel will be 2200 feet long, 25 feet high and 18 feet wide at the spring line in- side the lining. Thus it will be 4 feet greater in hight than the tunnel on the New York side. The contractor on the tunnel is Anthony C. Douglass, who has had much experience in driving tunnels through the Niagara rock. Midway between the wheel pit and the portal of the tunnel a shaft, 10 x 16 feet, was sunk, and this fa- cilitated the tunnel construction. The work of removing the lower bench of the tunnel is now in progress, and it has been taken out for a distance of about 1000 feet. The tuunel at Niagara Falls, N. Y., is lined with brick throughout, but, owing to the prevailing brick famine, the Canadian Niagara Power Company will dispense with brick to a considerable extent, and from the spring line down the Canadian tunnel will be lined with con- crete, the facing, however, to be of vitrified brick. This application of concrete to this portion of the work will save using about 3,000,000 brick. The arch of the tun- nel will require at least 1,250,000 brick. 200,000 of which are already in hand. Method of Taking the Water Supply. It will be recalled by those familiar with the condi- tions of the development on the New York side that the water supply is taken from the upper river through an inlet canal. On the Canadian side a vast forebay will be constructed, the couiract for which is in the hands of Dawson & Riley of St. Catharines, Ontario, the same‘ ‘ ° ® ‘ firm having the contract for sinking the Canadian wheel pit. This forebay will have a length equal to that of the November 27, 1902 wheel pit, and after spreading out in front of the pit it will narrow down to 250 feet at the point where it will be crossed by the tracks of the Niagara Falls Park & River Railroad, when it flares out again to a width of about 400 feet. The walls will be of stone brought from the vicinity of Montreal. The forebay will carry an av erage depth of 18 feet of water. From a point near the north end of the wheel pit a cunal 16 feet wide and run nipg northeast for a distance of about 500 feet will be constructed as an ice run, the difference of level between the entrance and the mouth of the canal to be 4 or 5 feet, so that a good current will be created through it. It will discharge into the river below the forebay, and gates will be erected near the wheel pit end to regulate the tlow. The tracks of the Niagara Falls Park & River Rail- way will cross this forebay, or what may be termed the canal like portion of it, on a magnificent stone bridge com- posed of five arches, each about 50 feet long and 60 feet wide. The bridge will also be provided with a boulevard driveway, and when finished is expected to be the finest piece of stone arch bridge construction in the country. The contractors on this bridge are Mumford & Lowery. The plant of Dawson & Riley begins with a boiler ca- pacity of 750 horse-power. They have two compound Rand air compressors of 250 horse-power each, Corliss valve type; also eight channeling machines of Sullivan make, and two gadders and eight drills of the Ingersoll type. They have in use two 10-ton Brown locomotive cranes, but until recently they have been using derricks on the work. They employ a large number of hands. Anthony C. Douglass, who has the contract for the tunnel, shaft and portal, also employs many hands. He has two compound duplex Ingersoll air compressors, each of 125 horse-power, in use. They are operated by a 400 horse-power electric motor, the current being transmitted from the New York side. In addition to this his plant consists of about 12 drills. two Lidgerwood hoists, one Otis elevator hoist and a rock crusher. He will use about 20,000 barrels of Lehigh cement, and in the timber work of the tunnel he has used about 2,000,000 feet of timber. In the masonry about the portal he will use 60 carloads of granite from Quebec and 200 carloads of Queenston limestone. Large Units in the Power House. In this connection it is worthy of note that the power house to be erected over the wheel pit on the Canadian side of the river will have units of 10,000 horse-power, or 7500 kw., which is double the output capacity of the units in the stations of the Niagara Falls Power Com- pany. The generators will be wound for 12,000 volts, three phase, but in order that the machines may be paralleled with those in the stations on the New York side the frequency will be maintained at 25 cycles. In establishing 10,000 horse-power as the unit for the Cana- dian development the Canadian Niagara Power Cempany effect a lower cost of generator and turbine per horse-power, while the machines. will take up but little more space than a machine that will generate but 5000 horse-power. The generators to be installed will be of the internal revolving field typ« with vertical shaft. They will make 250 revolutions per minute. The diameter of the generators will be about 19 feet, while 141,000 pounds will be the weight of th¢ revolving part of the machine. In the agreement between the Canadian Niagara Power Company and the commissioners of Victoria Free Park it is provided that the developed power is to be transmitted beyond the park boundaries for use in manu- facivring plants or otherwise, and for this reason it is believed that the voltage of 12,000 will result in economy for this transmission and distribution to consumers While it is contemplated to supply Toronto, Ontario, with electric power from this great installation, the voltage of the power to be sent there will be raised to something like 60,000 volts, it is understood. Under the controlling agreement the Canadian Niagara Power Company must have contracted to expend or actually expended by July 1. 1903, the sum of $1,500,000 in works, plant and ma terial in connection with the project, while by July 1 1904, they are to have water connections for the de velopment of 50,000 horse-power, and to have 20,00 horse-power actually ready for use, transmission and upply. Ontario Power Company. The pian of this company contemplates a develop- uent of power on the Canadian side very similar to that mployed by the Niagara Falls Hydraulic Power & Mfg. Company on the New York side. However, so far as heir plans have been made clear, it appears that the upply of water for the wheels will be conducted through me or more pipes of large size, possibly about 18 feet in diameter. This water supply will, it is indicated, be taken from a forebay structure created in the vicinity of Dufferin Islands, the pipes running through Victoria ree Park to a point on the high bank in the vicinity of ihe power station. ‘These pipes will be either of wood or steel, and will be placed underground, so as not to inar the scenic beauty of the park. It is understood that a series of penstocks will extend from them down the bank to the station and the wheels to be there installed. The excavation for the site of the power house is be- ing pushed as fast as possible, the hope being that the company will be able to clear the débris slope of the bank away before cold weather sets in. This site is not far distant from the Horseshoe [all, and it is almost continually under the influence of the spray cloud of the cataract. For this reason it is evident that unless the winter is a very open one it will be impossible to do much on the site during the cold season, when it may be expected that vast quantities of ice will form on the site and in its vicinity. The dimensions of this station are not as yet announced. It is probable that the winter will be employed in driving tunnels through the cliff to ihe point of the large pipe feeders above mentioned. In preparing for their development the Ontario Power Company have wrought a truly marvelous condition of affairs in the vicinity of the beautiful Dufferin Islands, and there is now visible there a scene which human eyes have never before witnessed. Starting from the mainland they have built a dam about 782 feet out into and down the river, and this has served to divert all the water from the island vicinity out into the deeper main enannels, leaving the river bed for a vast area high and dry. it is a remarkable spectacle so created, and it may be judged that many people made anxious search over the dry rocks, in the pot holes, depressions and crevices for things that might form relics of this strange condi- tion of affairs. It is found through this work that the river bed is of solid rock of strange formation, the rap- ids-creating ledges all being bared to the eye. It is thus ciear where the upper Niagara obtains its pretty little falls as the waters of the greatlakes rush in such mighty torrent toward the world famed brink. The constructicn of this big cofferdam was accom- plished by Barry & Co., and it is looked upon as one of the best pieces of work of the kind done at Niagara. It runs through water having a depth of from 6 to 7 feet, while outside of it the current sweeps along at a 12-mile per hour pace. During the winter the Ontario Power Com- pany will push the work at every possible point, and it is expected that with the opening of next spring there will be truly wonderful activity in the progress of de- veloping the power of Niagara on the Canadian side by both of the companies having franchises there. a A Chicago Engineers’ Club.—A new club, to be called the Engineers’ Club, was formed in Chicago on Novem- ber 17, the object of which is purely social. According to the Railroad Gazette the club will have no constitution, by-laws or regular dues, the financial requirements be- ng provided for by a small initiation fee and an occa- sional assessment. The club will be primarily a luncheon club and suitable quarters are to be secured for the purpose of meeting daily at the luncheon hour. The ‘harter members are Andrews Allen, B. J. Arnold, On- ward Bates, T. L. Condron, H. N. Elmer, W. N. Finley. H. M. Herr, H. E. Horton, C. W. Hotchkiss, W. M. Hughes, R. W. Hunt, C. F. Loweth, C. W. Melcher, Ralph Modjeski, H. W. Parkhurst, A. V. Powell, Isham tandolph, Louis E. Ritter, G. H. Scribner, EB. C. Shank- land, T. W. Snow, J. F. Wallace and August Ziesing Mr. Modjeski was made chairman of the temporary or- November 27, 1902 THE IRON AGE. ~~ ganization and Messrs. Bates, Modjeski and Ritter were made a committee on permanent organization. ———— Imperial Works of Oi! Well Supply Company. The Oil Well Supply Company have nearly completed the building of a large plant at Oil City, Pa., known as the Imperial Works. ‘The new plant is located about 1 mile from the center of the city, on an electric railway line. The plot of ground comprises nearly 45 acres, of which about 25 acres will be devoted to manufacturing purposes and the remainder used as sites for dwelling houses for the employees. . The property is located on the Allegheny River and on the lines of the Pennsylvania, Lake Shore and Michigan Southern and Erie Railroad systems. Twenty buildings, covering a distance of about 1500 feet along the railroad and river, have already been occupied. A vacant space of 600 feet in length at each end of the property has been reserved for future use. The manufacturing buildings are one story high, con- structed of steel and brick, with slate roofs. The sizes of the buildings and the purposes for which they are designed are as follows: Office, two-story and basement stone building, 50 x 75 feet; building for steam and gas engines, 150 x 200 feet; general machine shop, 150 x 200 feet; pattern and carpenter shop, 50 x 130 feet; black- smith shop, 75 x 150 feet; pattern storage, 75 x 150 feet; drop forge shop, 75 x 150 feet; tapping malleable iron fittings, 50 x 150 feet; iron sucker rods, 75 x 150 feet; annealing malleable iron fittings, &c., 50 x 150 feet; sucker rod joints, 75 x 150 feet; malleable iron foundry, 75 x 150 feet; foundry storage, 50 x 150 feet; storage and shipping, 75 x 150 feet; storage shed, 50 x 100 feet; gray iron foundry, 125 x 300 feet; foundry storage, 50 x 150 feet; power plant, 75 x 100 feet, and gas regulating sta- tion. Nearly all of these buildings have direct connection by switch with the lines of railroad above named. There is also a comprehensive system of narrow gauge tracks, 20 inches wide, outside and inside of each build- ing. Overhead pneumatic and electric cranes are placed in every building requiring such service. The power house is located in the center of the property, on the bank of the river. There are six 250 horse-power Ton- kin patent internally fired water tube boilers. The stack connected to them is of steel, self supporting, 175 feet high. There are four 350 horse-power tandem compound condensing engines and four 200-kw. direct current dy- namos of 250 volts potential. Steam, electricity, hydrau- lie pressure and compressed air are used for power. The machinery is operated by electric motors. The buildings are heated by the fan system, cold air being passed over pipes heated by exhaust steam from the en- gines and the heated air blown into the buildings. Natural gas is used under the boilers and in the heat- ing furnaces, the company having their own pipe line, more than 10 miles in length, and several thousand acres of gas territory. Provision is made for burning coal if required. A water plant with two 60,000-gallon high duty pumps, located in the power house, provides water for the works and dwelling houses on the company’s property: also for other buildings, and fire protection for that end of the city. The plant is laid out with a view to enlarging each building if so desired. The gray iron foundry is now 300 feet in length and it can readily be extended to 1000 feet or more. Every other building can be lengthened from 100 to 200 feet. This is the largest individual plant owned by the Oil Well Supply Company and is expected to be in full operation shortly after the first of the year. —— The Hockensmith Wheel & Mine Car Company, with works at Irwin, Pa., will build a new plant at Penn, Pa., about 3 miles east of Irwin. The new plant will cover about 35,000 square feet and the buildings will be of steel and brick. The company have been con- gested with orders for wheels and modern cars and find it necessary to greatly increase their capacity. The present capital stock is $100,000, but this will be ma- terially increased. See cygwin GreeintiheAE Ne nena nD ed wiser etree: AB ce a a ee ee ee ee ed ee eT Fo 1 meee on PM een. Meet 4 THE IRON AGE. The Proposed New York Electrical Laboratory. At the last session of the Legislature of New York State a commission was appointed to consider the ques- tion of the advisability of the State establishing an elec- trical laboratory. This commission consists of State En- gineer Edward A. Bond, Charles P. Steinmetz of the General Electric Company, and H. W. Buck, electrical director of the Niagara Falls Power Company. The commission has heid several sessions since it was formed, and on November 18 it held one of its final ses- sions at Niagara Falls. It is understood that the com- mission will report in favor of the establishment of a laboratory by the State, also in favor of a standardiza- tion bureau. Among other interesting facts brought out by the commission is that the capitalization of the com- panies in New York State inyolving the use of electricity amounts to $1,462,615,595, while the capitalization of companies engaged in the manufacture of electrical ap- paratus is $217,974,695, making a total of the capital in- terested $1,680,590,290. In these figures is represented the capital interested in the use of electricity in the Em- pire State alone. Considering the manner in which electricity is grow- ing in popular use and application throughout the world it is no wonder that other States and countries will watch with a vast amount of interest these important steps about to be taken by New York State, a State that is the happy possessor of the greatest electric power de- velopment and source of supply. The location of the proposed electrical laboratory will no doubt be a ques- tion for future decision, but Niagara Falls is quite hope- ful that it will be located there. In fact the claim is ad- vanced that there is every reason why it should be lo- cated at Niagara, where a large amount of power, at any voltage, would always be on tap for experimental purposes. For this reason, and considering the object of the proposed laboratory, it would appear that no other place could be a rivai of Niagara. It is understood that should the laboratory be estab- lished, it would act as arbitrator in disputes over elec- trical matters, while it would serve as a standardization bureau, the benefits of which would be manifold to all parts of the State. Every city and town and every in- dividual consumer of electric light would be in place to be benefited. The inaccuracy of meters on the quantity of current supplied to individuals would come up for treatment and remedy. Owing to a lack of standardiza- tion many cities get good bargains in their public lights and others get very bad bargains. When a standard is adopted by the State authorities all would fare alike and there would be an improvement of the illumination in many places. There would be no end of work for the laboratory of- ficials. To-day there are many disputes arising from mutual induction, especially between circuits carrying large currents and the circuits used for the transmission of intelligence, notably the telegraph and telephone lines. Another point is the crossing of circuits and failures of insulation, resulting in accidents to life. The subject of electrolysis has long been a question of consideration in many municipalities, and in all of these places the elec- trolysis of underground pipes is a feature of alarm. In the systems of insulation and installation the insurance companies in all sections are vitally interested. Then the new department would have the settlement of all disputes between manufacturers and buyers as to the efliciency of apparatus, and in this way a high stand- ard would be established. The question of transmitting power at high voltages through thickly populated sec- tions would no donbt have consideration, especially when the transmission is made by pole lines. The trans- mission of voltage on overhead lines often causes trouble between the electrical companies and municipalities. It is also probable that the laboratory would have to do with disputes between manufacturers of electrochemical products and the general public, especially where and when poisonous gases or noxious gases are liberated Curing the process of manufacture, damaging surround- ing property and causipg much injury to the general health of a locality. As Niagara Falls advances as an November 27, 1902 electrochemical center such a laboratory would be » great benefit to it. Under the conditions of to-day large sums of money are expended in the adjustment of disputes that migh‘ easily and satisfactorily be settled by laboratory officials, removing a heavy burden from both sides of a contest In case a standardization bureau were established the oflicial authority from it would supersede the exper witnesses. At present, strange to say, the electrical standards come largely from Germany, and these are not always adaptabie to the conditions in the United States. One of the important features of the proposed laboratory would be to have several thousand horse-power always avail- able, as stated, and phenomena could be observed as well as valuable experiments made. As the equipment of the laboratory would be thoroughly complete, it might be expected that the standard reached would be as high as any in the world. Considering the industrial prominence of New York State, the action of the next Legislature on this ques- tion will be awaited with much general interest, while it may be expected that the complete report of the com- mission above mentioned will have much in it of in- terest to the electrical industry. eo The Indiana Iron Ore Deposits. Sensational reports have appeared in the daily press concerning recent discoveries of iron ore in Sullivan, Greene and other counties of Southern Indiana. They were based on alleged investigations by Alabama ore experts engaged by the promoters of the Indianapolis Southern Railroad, which will traverse the territory in which the rumored rich beds of ore lie. The reported assay made by them was stated to be 60 to 70 per cent. metallic iron and the value of the deposits at $100,000,- 000. Some of the daily papers put the amount at $100,000,000,000. The projectors of the road deny respon- sibility for the reports, including alleged interviews with themselves, and say the announcements in the news- papers were the first they had heard of the so-called discoveries. W. S. Blatchley, Indiana’s State Geologist, says he has learned of nothing new as fo the iron deposits. There were blast furnaces reducing the ores of the State as long ago as 1840. There have been, he says, 18 or 19 furnaces all told using these ores, the last of which, at Brazil, went out of operation about 1893. A furnace at Terre Haute continued to use the better ores from other States until 1896. The ores of the State are limonite, brown hematite, siderite and pyrites, the bog iron being found in largest quantities in Greene, Martin, Monroe and Perry counties and in the swamps of Lake, Porter and St. Joseph counties. It is too siliceous to compete with the richer hematites of Lake Superior, Missouri, Tennessee and Georgia. There are in Greene County veins, 5 to 8 feet thick, of a mixture of limonite and brown hematite, covering an area of 1500 acres. The analysis of this shows 55.09 per cent. metallic iron, 0.60 phosphorus and 11.66 free silica. Block coal of good quality is found near the iron ore. Mr. Blatchley says that pyrites, or “ fools’ gold,” is the most widely dis- tributed iron ore in the State, being found in greater or less quantities in every county. It has 46.7 per cent. of iron and 53.3 per cent. of sulphur. It occurs most abundantly associated with the thickest veins of bitu minous coal mined in the State. rr The Louisville & Nashville Railroad Company have - issued a new freight tariff sheet, advances taking effect November 22, and reductions November 15. The new rate on pig iron, per ton of 2268 pounds, from the Bir- mingham group to Beloit, Wis., is $4.40; Chester, IIL, $4.15; Granite City, LL, $3.75; Menard, IIl., $4.15; Mon- mouth, Ill, $4.15; Mt. Vernon, Ill., $3.75; Murphysbore, Ill., $3.75; New Athens, IIl., $3.75; Venice, Ill, $3.75; Janesville, Wis., $4.40, and Lincoln, Neb., $5.56. The usual differentials apply from other Southern points. ie —_ HP November 27, 1902 THE IRON AGE. 5 Boiler Explosion at the City Pumping Station, Astoria. BY A. OSGYANI, NEW YORK. No article, however profusely supported by chemical analyses proving the dangerous character of some kinds of water, could be so convincing as a boiler explosion which is the natural consequence of using such water for a long period in its original state of impurity. In my article published in the issue of The Iron Age for No- vember 6 I described the character of the water ob- Fig. 3 The Boiler BOILER EXPLOSION AT THE CITY tained from a city pumping station which the New York Steel & Wire Company had been obliged to use in their works at Astoria, on Long Island. In that article an an- alysis was given of the water when conditions were fa vorable. The impurities amcunted to about 50 grains per gallon, due to the fact that the supplies from several public pumping stations when mixed resulted in a far better quality of water than would have been the case had this particular pumping station, which no longer ex- ists, supplied the water alone. The plant under consid- eration blew up on November 9. It was a portion of the veneral water equipment of the Water Department of the City of Greater New York. This plant, which was the cause of expenditures run- Ling up to thousands of dollars by manufacturers in its vicinity, consisted of two 125 horse-power horizontal tubular boilers, each 6 feet in diameter and 18 feet long, having skells % inch thick. They were inclosed in a brick buildivg 50 x 50 feet, with a maximum hight of 30 feet, containing also the usual pumps. The water was used without any attempt at purifying it, except that some boiler compound had been added which did not seem to have worked to great perfection, as it was found necessary, L understand, frequently to clean out the scale deposit on the boiler shell and tubes. Of the arrange- ments used in order to accomplish this I have been un- able to ascertain anything. The fact is that the exploded boiler plainly shows heavy scaling in places, and where at present there is no scale the injuries caused Fig 2.—The Uninjured Boiler. Pete vot 2 Which Paeploded. PUMPING STATION, ASTORIA, N. Y. te the steel by previous inecrustations are still more evi- dent. The boiler which blew up, killing the engineer and fireman, caused the destruction common in such acci- dents. It totally demolished the brick building shelter- ing it, hurling the bricks a distance of over 1000 feet and lifting up the second boiler from its foundations and de- positing it 100 feet away. The boiler which exploded w9s thrown a distance of some 200 feet. Its shell has been opened lengthwise, exposing the thickness of metal. At one-place this was reduced to 1-32 inch from the original % inch, and it is likely that this was the starting peint for the explosion, it being the weakest spot on the line. In many places the thickness was found to be only 1-16 inch. It was a well-known fact for years that the water obtained at this station was not only unfit for boiler use eg RTE —— pio stmseanin—ponaens a SRR Rh TT BON TT AT SST es TT OE AE TT a, SRE st 6 THE IRON y point of view. At one time it was entirely abandoned on these grounds, but was opened up again wheu changes in the administra- tion of the city’s affairs took place. Deplorable as the ac- cident is, owing tc the loss of life, manufacturers in the neighborbood are to be congratulated on the obliteration of this plant, which while ‘t existed was a _ public uulisance. The accompanying illustrations were taken shortly after the explosion and show the destructive force of the high pressure of the steam. Fig. 1 shows the loca- tion of the power house. In the foreground is the foun- dation. In the background, in the middle of the picture, the uninjured boiler which was carried away from its setting can be seen with the tube sheet partly covered by a section of the chimney. In Fig. 2 this boiler is more plainly shown. Fig. 3 is a picture of the boiler which exploded and which lies about 140 feet from the first boiler. but also Gangerous from a sanitary Notes from Mexico. Exchange aud import Duties. DuRANGO, November 12, 1902.—The fluctuations in the value of the Mexican dollar has caused not alone inconvenience to the importers, but also to the Mexican Government in the collection of duties upon goods brought into the country. To mitigate the trouble inci- dental to these fluctuations, without disturbing the ex- isting tariff schedules, the Department of Finance has just introduced a bill into Congress asking that the Ex- ecutive be empowered as follows: To establish a basis for the liquidation and collection of im- port duties, so that without variation in the tariff rates the yield of the duties may vary in proportion to the fluctuations of foreign exchange above 120 per cent. or its equivalent of 22144. per peso, adopted in the current budget of expenditure and within the limits that in the opinion of the executive are indis- pensable to meet the excess of expense for exchange and remit- tance of funds incidental to payments that have to be made by the nation in foreign money. Authority is also requested “ To repeal the stamp tax of 7 per cent. on import duties and 2 per cent. of port dues authorized by the laws of May 12, 1896, and Novem- ber 30, 1898.” The active operations in prospecting and drilling for petroleum, and the increasing use of the crude prod- uct for fuel purposes have caused the Minister of Finance to consider this article as a legitimate one for taxation. A clause of the same bill asks for power as follows: To establish an interior tax upon crude petroleum intended for refining purposes or upon refined petroleum, provided that, in reducing the tariff duty on said article in order to facilitate its importation on a large scale for fuel purposes the executive should consider necessary to avail itself of that means in order not to curtail the amount of the duties which the treasury at present receives for petroleum intended for refining. The Monterey Stee) Piant. Word comes from Monterey that good progress is being made in the construction and equipment of the works of the Monterey Iron & Steel Company. It is now thought that everything will be ready to make a start early in the new year. The management and share- holders generally are sanguine that the works will prove to be a profitable undertaking from the beginning. One of the active promoters of the industry who was receut- ly interviewed in Mexico City made the avowal that the company ‘ will enter into competition with the whole world in the production of steel rails and steel beams for building,” and that they “ will be able to turn out a finished article equal to any the world produces, and at a lower cost.’ Granting that these professions can be made good, the success of the new venture seems as- sured. Ratiway Purchase, Mexico’s greatest railway system, the Mexican Cen- tral, have added to their mileage, already extensive, by the acquisition of the Cuernavaca & Pacific Line, which runs from Mexico City to the old home of Cortez Cuer- navaca. The terms of the transfer‘ are said to be the payment by the Mexican Central of the liabilities of the Cuernavaca & Pacific, between $4,060,000 and $5,000,000, AGE. November 27, 10: Mexican silver. The track of the latter will be extend to the Pacific Coast, probably to Acapulco. 3.3. D —— $$$ a Joseph T. Ryerson & Son’s Sixtieth Birthda) The sixtieth birthday of Joseph T. Ryerson & S of Chicago is commemorated by a special anniversai issue of Ryerson’s Monthly Journal and Stock List. <A: vantage is taken of this opportunity to present a nu ber of exceedingly interesting features. Among the: are some historical points which are well worthy of a tention. The name of Ryerson, it is stated, has be associated with the iron and steel business in Ameri: since its inception. The records of the family go t show that one George Ryerson in 1695, together wit two or three other men of that time, purchased fro: the Indians 6000 acres of land in Northern New Jerse, which they developed for its agricultural and minera resources. His son, Martin, pushed the development of the iron interests to the extent of manufacturing pig iron as early as 1740. His son, Thomas, started in busi ness as a wholesale dealer in finished iron and stee! products in Philadelphia in 1790. His son, Joseph T., removed to Chicago and established the present firm of Joseph T. Ryerson & Son in 1842. His son, Edward L.. continued the business, which since the year 1888 has been a corporation of which he has been president. His son, Joseph T., enters the employment of the firm on the sixtieth anniversary of their formation, thus making the sixth generation in the line of descent asso ciated with interests of this character. Illustrations are given of the old Ryerson Forge established about 1815 at Bloomingdale, N. J., using ore which came from mines partly owned by Martin J. Ryerson, at Ringwood, Mae The circumstances connected with the foundation of the Chicago house and a history of the growth of the business from that time form a very interesting part of the contents of this publication. Illustrations are given of the warehouses which have been successively occu pied, together with a view of the very large warehouse which is now used as their headquarters, at Milwaukee avenue and Lake street. The corporation have also erected and nearly completed warehouses occupying, to gether with improved structural yards, the greater part of the block between Fifteenth, Sixteenth and Rockwell streets and the Pennsylvania Railroad tracks. The building, of two stories, is 175 x 266 feet in dimensions, 60 feet high; and has an annex one story in hight, 112 x 125 feet. Through the entire length of the main build ing and structural yards, 300 x 600 feet, a railroad track runs, which is connected directly with all lines. Over these tracks are two overhead electric cranes, one for each floor, which are served by trolleys running th¢ entire width of the building. It is therefore possibl to move steel in any form to and from cars, into and out of any part of the buildings, without dropping the load In this warehouse machinery has been installed com prising a heavy electrically controlled plate shear, 4 powerful cold saw for heavy structural shapes and a combined machine specially built for shearing, punch ing or coping lighter beams, bars and angles. In connection with this information relative to th¢ house itself letters are published from old Western boiler makers, giving their reminiscences of early days in the West in the steel trade. The corporation now enjoy 3 most conspicuous position in the Western steel trade earrying at all times one of the largest stocks of plates, sheets, hoops, bars and boiler makers’ supplies in the world. Hermon B. Butler as treasurer and Clyde M. Carr as secretary have been closely identified with the develop ment of the business of the corporation for many years and have contributed materially to the success achieved a _ The United States Fire Proofing Corporation of Pittsburgh will make extensive improvements at thei! works at Salineville, Keystone and Lisbon, Ohio. At the Salineville Works a new power house has been built and much of the equipment for it was furnished by R. Munroe & Son of Pittsburgh. November 27, 1902 THE IRON AGE. Kokomo Steel & Wire Company’s New Rod Mill Started. The new rod mill of the Kokomo Steel & Wire Com- pany, Kokomo, Ind., when placed in operation November 17 made a most phenomenal start, turning out, as it did, perfect rods from the time the first wheel was turned. Three hours after the mill was running perfectly and is now stated to be producing as fine rods as go through any mill in America. This is said to be the only mill that has ever accomplished as much. The first billet put through the mill went clear through and came out in a nearly perfect bundle of rods. Out of 15 billets sent through 12 resulted in perfect rods, and the loss will not exceed 400 pounds of waste from the time of start- ing until it was working perfectly. Much credit for the successful starting of the mill is due to the skillful and efficient workmanship of Thomas Harris, the foreman, who ran the Anderson mill for 18 years, and F. M. Mitchell, who was master me- chanic of the Illinois Steel Company for 17 years; also the Garrett-Cromwell Engineering Company of Cleve land, Ohio, who had charge of its construction. The present daily capacity is about 250 tons, but with in- creased power they will be able to produce 400 tons of rods. The capacity of the nail mill is now about 3000 kegs per day and they can, if necessary, turn out 1,000,000 kegs a year. The company write us that they will put their new rod mill on double turn within a few days and that the steel they purchased in foreign markets is working to their entire satisfaction. They manufacture wire rods wire nails, market wire, barb wire, the Diamond corru gated steel spring wire fence, wire guards, fence posts, «&e. oo The Russian Sugar Bounty Case. WASIUNGTON, D. C., November 25, 1902.—The argu ment of the Russian sugar bounty case, involving the validity of the action of Secretary Gage in imposing countervailing duties on Russian sugar, which was made the basis of a retaliatory decree increasing the duties on American machinery and other metal products, bas been concluded in the United States Supreme Court and an early decision 1s expected, both parties having united in securing the advancement of the case and otherwise in- timating the desirability of disposing of it promptly. The case is ou appeal from the decision of the United States Circuit Court of Appeals, which affirmed the deci- sion of the Board of General Appraisers, holding that the manipulation of the export certificates issued by the Russian Government operated as a direct bounty upon exportation, The administration officials confidently predict that the Supreme Court’s decision will either sustain the Court of Appeals in the view that the Russian law ac- tually provides a bounty, or that it will be held that the question is uot within the jurisdiction of the courts, be- cause it is within the exclusive discretion of the ex ecutive department of the Government. So confident are the officials that the courts will sustain the action of the Treasury Department that the State Department au- thorities are preparing to make vigorous representations to the Russian Government urging the rescinding of Minister de Witte’s decree imposing retaliatory duties on American metal products. The recent publication of misleading reports to the ef- fect that the Treasury Department was about to with- draw Secretary Gage’s order levying countervailing du- ties on Russian sugar bas resulted in a deluge of letters from revresentatives of two important interests in the controversy—namely, the manufacturers of machine tools and the producers of beet sugar. The machinery manufacturers express the hope that the Department will see its way clear to withdrawing the countervailing order, at least until the decision of the question by the courts, while the sugar producers protest vigorously against any such action, asserting that unless counter- vailing duiy is collected the American market will be flooded with cheap Russian sugar. The Department has replied to all these letters that “the continuation or sus- pension of countervailing duties on Russian sugars will depend upon the decision of the United States Supreme Court npon the question now pending before that tri- bunal whether Russia does, or does not, pay on the ex- port of sugar bovnties within the meaning of Section 5, of the act of July 24, 1897; when a decision is rendered it will be dely promulgated by this Department with proper instructions to customs officers.” The Department has uniformly held that it could not rescind its action in such cases, and this fact has been emphasized by the Assistant Attorney-General in his ar- gument in the United States Supreme Court, in the course of which he said that “the point which might be urged in favor of executive authority to determine this ques- tion appears to have been definitely waived by Secretary Gage’s voluntary submission to the judicial determina- tion of the Board of General Appraisers and the courts.” The case having been taken into court it cannot now be reviewed by the Department until it has been acted upon by the highest legal tribunal. Ww. L. C. Compressed Air or Steam Hammer. The American Engineering Works of Chicago have designed a post hammer, actuated by steam or com- pressed air, which is made in two sizes—namely, 100 COMPRESSED AIR OR STEAM HAMMER. and 250 pounds falling weight. The illustration shows the latter mounted on a 12-inch steel column. These hammers are also arranged to be carried by a wooden post. The smaller size will handle any work up to 24 inches, square or round, while the larger size will han- dle anything up to 3% inches. A special valve move- ment and treadle have been provided. The arrangement is such that a slight movement of the treadle causes the ram to rise to the top of its stroke and remain there for any length of time desired, thus enabling the oper- ator to adjust the work or tools on the lower die. If the treadle is then pressed down to the limit the ram will give a hard, full blow, the same as a drop hammer; or, if desired, the treadle can be pressed down part way, when the hammer will give repeated light or hard blows, as may be required. The special valve gear permits one man to easily handle the hammer for drawing or regular forge work, or for die work similar to drop forg- ings. The change from one kind of blow to the other is made instantly and smoothly. aan RENTER ee ee THE IRON AGE. November 27, 1902 coniferous wood, grown in the temperate countries of the northern hemisphere, and this was the lumber most largely consumed in engineering work. As Europe could not supply its own wants, our only other source was Canada. India required its own deodar forests. Siberia was as yet unworked, and the distance was too great. New Zealand has already exhausted its Kauvi pine forests. The only country we could look to for the lumber we must have was Canada. Canada still had, it was said, 38 per cent, of its area forest, but much of what was called forest was not lumber producing, Voctor Soblich said not more than one-third. sut while the grass grows the steed starves, and undoubtedly the question of railway sleepers will before long become a pressing problem, not only in this country, but also in tropical climates where insects eat into the wood with serious results. In these circumstances it is a little surprising to me that iron and steel manufacturers do Notes from Great Britain. Ralls and Lumber. Lonpon, November 8, 1902.—During the last few days our attention has been called to the strength, durability and future use of heavy rails. At the Royal Society of Engineers Thomas Andrews read a paper on the effect of segregation on the strength of steel rails. Doctor wing, Professor of Mechanism and Applied Mechanics ‘im the University of Cambridge, and J. C. W. Humfrey ‘of St. John’s College, Cambridge, contributed a joint \paper to the proceedings on the fracture of metals un- “der repeated alternations of stress. This paper describes <an ijavestigation by means of the microscope and of “he process by which iron becomes “fatigued” and breaks down when subjected to repeated reversals of Brs'a028 o Sd — cee ois fener Ber se eet. me eras Scapa denies Sieicmate oe a RE ee EE AE iM isn ik & - FRM BHA 4 AS e+ a | al teint coated ated PRT OL - stress. In the particular metal dealt with—Swedish iron, having an elastic limit tension of about 13 tons per square inch and a breaking strength of 23.6 tons per square inch—the writers state that they found that a stress not exceeding 9 tons per square inch when re- versed some millions of times was sufficient to develop cracks and to bring about the fracture of the piece. Stresses of 8 and even 7 tons per square inch were found to develop slip bands, which would probably turn into cracks under a sufficient number of reversals. The bearing of these experiments on steel rails is per- haps a little remote, but will doubtless be taken into account. The paper read by Mr. Andrews is the result o. seven years’ experiments upon steel rails. In the course of this long research Thomas Andrews has had resort to numerous chemical, physical and high power microscopic examinations on a large number of rails, in which local segregation of some of the chemical con stituents had been detected, and the result of his in- vestigations has demonstrated that local segregation of this nature distinctly reduces the general physical strength and main line endurance of steel rails where such segregation exists. He states that in the course of his experience he has examined many rails which have fractured in main line service in tunnels or bridges and on other parts of the permanent way, and he has been able in many instances to trace the cause of these fractures to local segregation leading to prema- ture physical weakness in the mass structure of the rails when under the vibratory stress caused by heavy traffic. He shows that it is by no means uniformly the ease that the chemical and physical properties of steel rails are uniform throughout their longitudinal and transverse