The Iron Age 1902-12-25: Vol 70

‘THE IRON AGE Tuurspay, Decemper 25, 1902 The Cuban Reciprocity Treaty. The new reciprocity treaty between the United States and Cuba, now pending in the Senate, which was nego- tiated at Havana by Gen. Tasker H. Bliss and the Cu- ban Secretary of the Treasury, provides for a reciprocal reduction of 20 per cent. in the rates of duty on mer- chandise of one country imported into the other. On 4 great variety of staple articles Cuba grants 25, 30 and 40 per cent. reduction. American, Porto Rican and Philippine tobaccos, however, are expressly barred from the benefits of the reduced tariff. The ratifications of the treaty are to be exchanged at Washiugton before January 31 next, and go into effect ten days after the exchange, continuing for five years, unless after the The object of the treaty, it is stated, is to strengthen the bonds of friendship between the two countries and to facilitate their commercial intercourse by improving the trade between them. a Boiler Explosion at the Packing Plant of Swift & Co., Chicago. A disastrous boiler explosion occurred November 29 at the packing plant of Swift & Co., Chicago, in which 14 lives were lost and many persons seriously injured. Not only have the city officials and others in authority been seeking the cause for the accident, but it is under- stood that officials of the Master Steam Boiler Makers’ BOILER EXPLOSION AT THE PACKING first year Cuba finds its concessions excessive under the new tariff law which the republic is to enact. In this case it is provided that negotiations may be reopened with a view to securing modifications of its terms. After five years the treaty can be terminated, after 12 months’ notice, by either republic. In case of tariff changes by either country which work to disadvantage of the other, only six months’ notice is necessary to abrogate the treaty, whether within the five-year limit or thereafter. On the following articles from the United States a reduction of 25 per cent. is made on importation into Cuba, omitting those in which our readers are not spe- cially interested: Cast iron, wrought iron and steel and its manufac- tures; machinery and apparatus of which copper is the component of chief value; ships and water borne vessels of all kinds, of iron or steel. A reduction of 30 per eent. is granted on the follow- ing: All articles of cutlery: gold and silver plated wares. PLANT OF SWIFT & CO., CHICAGO Association have been making personal investigation and that the subject will be taken up by a special committee of the association at the next monthly meeting. T. C. Best and Bernard Solinsky, president and secretary re spectively of the association, have taken much interest in discovering the cause of and responsibility for the catastrophe. The illustrations which are herewith pre- sented were taken for Motive Power, the official paper of the Master Steam Boiler Makers’ Association. The boiler house was a one-story building located on Forty-first street, midway between Ashland avenue and Laflin street. Immediately opposite the boiler house on Forty-first street were low sheds used as car shops. Ad- joining the boiler house on the west was a two-story structure used as a warehouse. The engine room and re- frigerator plant were separated from the boiler house by a court stretching south to Forty-second street. The boilers were arranged in two batteries, five on the north and five on the south side of the building. In one corner was another boiler of much larger size, and still another generator was separated from the others 4S His ee oe oe TER ant 2 i ? t ; of ry tA) 2 THE by a partition. It was the center boiler of the north battery which exploded. According to the information brought out at the in- vestigation each of the ten boilers weighed about 10 tons and was of 80 horse-power. They were installed about two years ago, but were reconstructed during the early part of this year. At the inspection made by city authorities in June the boilers are said to have been tested to 188 pounds pressure. Representatives of in- surance companies who had also tested the batteries were present at the inquiry. The inspection of the in- surance compenies is said to have been about two months ago. The separate boilers were of 250 and 400 horse-power each. The following statement concerning the effect of the explosion is given by Motive Power: “ The entire top was blown completely off the boiler and the flues were scat- tered in every direction. One of the tubes was com- pletely collapsed from end to end. One peculiar feature about the explosion was that the top of the boiler did not give way at the seams, as is the usual occurrence, but Fig. 2.—The Wrecked Boiler. BOILER EXPLOSION AT THE PACKING PLANT OF SWIFT & CO., CHICAGO. tore through the solid plate. [This is shown in Fig. 2.] This fact proved that the boiler was well made.” “ The horizontal seams were double riveted, the boiler was riveted by hand. When the boiler exploded it raised up and sheared all the rivets in one center round about seam of the long steam drum, which extended over the entire battery of boilers and threw one-half of the drum about 100 feet to the east and the other half about the same distance to the west. All the force of the explosion struck this latter haif, which went through the west end of the rvof of the building and next came in contact with the walls of the sterehouse to the west. The brick struc- ture toppled with the force of the collision. The drum carried away 50 feet of the wall and then rose through the roof of the storehouse about 30 feet in the air and dropped back again. The west wall obstructed the way, but the impact scattered the bricks and beams in every direction, and the drum shot out across an open space and buried itself in the earth.” It is reported that tne wrecked plant will be rebuilt at once. — Or A meeting of the National Association of Emery and Braser Wheel Manufacturers of America was held at the Iroquois Hotel, Buffalo, on December 16. It is under- stood representatives of 17 companies engaged in the manufacture of abrasive wheels were present. The stated object of the gathering was to agree upon a plan and schedule of prices which would increase the profits. while also lessening the cost of production. It was de- cided to hold another meeting in Niagara Falls six months hence, at which time it is hoped to make further progress with the plan. IRON AGE. December 25, 1902 Steel Rails in Canada. The ** Soo * Steel Mills. Toronto, CANADA, December 20, 1902.—Naturally much interest has been excited here by the closing down of some of the works of the Consolidated Lake Superior Company, the cancelling of the last dividend resolution. the resignation of the president and the break in the company’s stocks. A considerable number of people in Toronto had made speculative or investment purchases of the stock, but apart from any personal stake in the enterprises of the company there is the public commit- ment. Mr. Clergue is looked upon as a great pioneer in the work of developing the resources of a region that was a wilderness when he entered upon it. With re- markable courage and energy he overcame difficulties which Canadians might not have grappled with for 20 or 30 years. He has laid the lines and put down the foundations of a very extensive system of transporta- tion, colonization and manufactures. It would be a seri- ous thing for the country tributary to Sault Ste. Marie and for Ontario if the work he has pushed so far should stop. It would be a blow to the Provincial Government, which has given him very large concessions of lands, some of it heavily timbered, some of it supposed to he richly mineralized and some of it fit for agriculture. Of course the Government and its supporters, who are numerous enough to eiect more than half the members of the Legislature, are anxious to have the Clergue un- dertakings succeed. One of the reasons submitted by the Government why it should be returned in the last election was that it had through its arrangements with Mr. Clergue and his colleagues brought about wonderful developments in New Ontario. Temiskaming Halil Coutract. Being thus closely identified with his projects in Northwestern Ontario the Government would feel bound to do anything reasonably to be expected of it to see them through. Mr. Clergue had stated that one great difficulty to the continuous operating of his rail mill was the lack of tariff protection. His efforts to induce the Dominion Government to put a duty on rails were not successful. Shortly after his return from Ottawa the steel plant was closed down. It was not possible. he said, to meet the prices at which German sellers laid down rails here. When the break in the company’s stocks came the Ontario Government brought forward a measure of relief. The Government is building a line of railway from North Bay, on the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railroad, into the Temiskaming coun- try. The commission in charge of the construction made public the following statement on the 13th: It has been decided by the commission, with the approval of the Government, to award the contract for the rails for the first 60 miles of the Temiskaming & Northern Ontario Railway and 5 miles of sidings to the Algoma Steel Company, subject to the execution of a satisfactory contract form, the terms of which will be 8200 tons, 80 pounds to the yard, which is the style of rail now adopted as the standard by the leading railways on the continent. The price is $32 per ton of 2240 pounds, f.o.b. cars, North Bay; and the deliveries called for are one-third May 15, one-third June 15, and one-third July 15, 1903. Tenders for the rail requirements of the Temiskaming Rail- way were called for from A. G. Kidson & Co. of Glasgow, Scot- iand: Maclure, Limited, Toronto: the United States Steel Cor- poration, the Illinois Steel Company, the Dominion Iron & Steel Company, Gerald Lomer, Montreal (representing German man- ufacturers), M. & L. Samuel, Benjamin & Co., Toronto; Jas. Cooper, Montreal (representing Charles Cammell & Co. of Shef- field, England), and the Algoma Steel Company. No replies were received from Kidson & Co., Glasgow, Scot- land, and Maclure, Limited, Toronto. The United States Steel Corporation intimated that they would not be in a position to quote, as did also the Illinois Steel Company of Chicago and the Dominion Iron & Steel Company of Sydney, C. B. In calling for tenders the commission required that the price quoted should be duty paid, f.o.b. cars at North Bay, as it felt that the foreign manufacturers of rails should assume the risk of the [mposition of an import duty on steel rails at the approaching session of Parilament. The lowest tender received was from Mr. Lomer of Montreal, representing German manu- facturers, but his price was not duty free, his quotation being on the understanding that should a duty be imposed the com- mission should pay it. James Cooper of Montreal, representing December 25, 1902 THE Cnarles Cammell & Co., was the next lowest tenderer, but his quotation was on the same basis as Mr. Lomer’s. M. & L. Sam- uel, Benjamin & Co. of Toronto were the next lowest tenderers, they agreeing to guarantee no duty if the commission would give them the option of delivery before the dates specified. It will therefore be seen that should the Dominion Government at the approaching session of Parliament think it proper to give the steel rai] manufacturing industry protection, approximating in extent that already afforded to other steel and iron manufac turers—viz., $7 per ton, the price at which the contract was awarded to the Canadian manufacturers is well within the fig- ure at which steel rails may be imported if such a duty be im- posed. The commission took the view that as a question of public policy was involved in placing the order, it would be proper to submit the matter to the Government to ascertain whether it would be fully in accord with the disposition of the commission to award the contract to the company operating within the province. This was done, and the reply received from the Gov- ernment was that it would cordially approve of the contract being awarded to the Algoma Steel Company. So the Ontario Government pays the Sault compary a price that yields several dollars a ton at present mar- ket quotations, but if a duty is imposed before delivery the price may be within that at which the rails could be laid down from outside. No Help from Dominion Government. A contract for 25,000 tons of rails has just been awarded by the Dominion Government. The question of a duty being on or off at the time of delivery would not have to be calculated for in the tenders, for whether rails are dutiable or on the free list at that time they must come in free for the Dominion Government. No favors were shown to Canadian steel works. The Gov- ernment went into the open market and bought at the lowest price. English, German and Belgian firms ten- dered and the contract was given to an English com- pany. The Sault company have a standing contract to de- liver 25,000 tons per annum to the Government. For the first year the price was to be $32 and for subse- quent years that ruling in the British market. It ap- pears that only 3500 tons have been delivered by the Sault company on the current year’s contract and for that reason the Government decided to go into the open market. Nothing has been said about the quality of the rails delivered, nor have the Canadian Northern Railway Company, who have taken to buying abroad after receiving some Sault rails, anything to say on that point. No Rails from Sydney. It was decided at a meeting of the Executive Com- mittee of the Dominion Iron & Steel Company at Mon- treal on the 18th inst. not to continue the construction of the steel rail mill for the present, but to turn the building to the purpose of manufacturing structural steel. It is held that there is a much larger Canadian market for the latter than for steel rails. Had there been a fair market here for rails the rail mill would probably have been finished some time ago, but the steel rail industry being unprotected in Canada and the mar- ket for pig iron and steel billets in the United States being exceptionally profitable for the trade in these raw materials, the company were in no hurry to com- plete their rail plant. Now they have concluded not to go on with the plant at all, but to turn to the making of structural shapes. Machinery for the manufacture of these is being bought in Germany and the works are expected to be ready for operation by May 1. Evidently there is little reason for expecting a duty to be placed on steel rails at the next session of Par- liament. Mr. Clergue must have felt that the outlook for such a tariff change was not bright after his inter- view with the Government or he would hardly have given out the gloomy statements that he made public as to the causes of his closing down. And now comes the announcement that the Dominion Company will abandon the rail project, for which they had their capital stock increased. That company must be pretty well satisfied that there is no protection on rails forthcoming. Curiosity is expressed as to the form in which the Dominion Government will assist the construction of the transcontinental line which is to be built by the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway Company. Will a land subsidy be given similar to that given to the Canadian IRON AGE. *acific Railroad? Strong opposition to such a method has already been signitied by the Premier of Manitoba. A cash subsidy for so long a line is out of the question. A bond guarantee is a possibility. Another possibility is that the Government will assure the company the free importation of rails. If such an understanding has been reached the reason for not meeting the wishes of the steel rail makers here is obvious. Two years ago the Dominion Government made it plain that it did not consider a duty the best way in which to aid the rail industry. It declined to impose a duty and gave a premium on a price at which it con- tracted to take rails from Mr. Clergue’s company. Cc. A. C. J. —_————_ > ____ Michigan Manufacturers’ Association. Michigan cities were well represented on December 17 at a meeting of the Michigan Manufacturers’ Asso- ciation held in Detroit. The association is in its in- fancy, having been organized only last June at Lansing, and this was its first annual meeting. The principal action taken in trade matters was the decision to ap- point what is to be called an Advisory Committee, which will, in turn, appoint subadvisory committees to have jurisdiction in all matters of trade interest in every Senatorial district of the State. The appointment of the main committee will be left to the president. These advisory committees will look into all matters of im- portance in each district and discuss them with a view to satisfactory legislation. George H. Barbour, the retiring president, in his ad- dress advised the encouragement of the Michigan Manu- facturers’ Association by all manufacturers in the State, and advocated it as a means of settling all trade diffi- culties. Especially in the question of strikes, or if dif- ficulties should arise between the manufacturers them- selves, he recommended that the association be called on to remedy the trouble by arbitration. This, he said, could be accomplished with ease, as it was the natural way of settlement of serious difficulties. He proposed in such event that the trouble be submitted to the sec- retary by both sides. In ‘urn, the secretary would make it known to the Board of Directors and a committee would be appointed to settle matters. This is the only proper way, he thinks, to keep the horizon clear. Mr. Barbour emphasized the value of Michigan as a manufacturing center, showing in what lines the State stands at the head in manufactured articles, mention- ing particularly stoves and furniture. Unsatisfactory conditions may come up when least expected, and for this reason he thought that general support should be given the association. In addition, he urged that the manufacturers join the national organization, and that greater attention be paid to the export trade by the in- dividual manufacturer. In this way better results in trade relations could be obtained. The officers elected for the coming year were as fol- lows: President, George E. Bardeen, president of the Bardeen Paper Company, Otsego; first vice-president, William Barnhart, president of the Nelson-Matter Fur- niture Company, Grand Rapids; second vice-president, J. Henry Dort of the Dort Carriage Company, Flint. The position of secretary and treasurer will be filled later by the directors. This is a double office, and will, without doubt, be given to the present incumbent, J. J. Handshue of Lansing. ae The Schweizerische Bauzeitung reports an examination recently made into the condition of a Parsons steam tur- bine of 600 horse-power, supplied some time ago to the Tschépelner Braun Kohlen-und Tonwerke by Brown Zoveri & Co. of Baden. The motor had never been opened since its receipt and had at the time of examination run for a _ total of 7000 hovrs, which is equivalent to over two years’ work at the rate of ten hours per working day. A thorough investigation into the condition of the buck- ets, brasses and journals was made. Not the least signs of wear were anywhere discoverable, so that the turbine was simply closed up again and set to work without any adjustment or repair. SRS BT. s <i bin Coe ne Se Soa gere ceseemenses eos ae | | : are io . re P DE GP ape ae a ee ae ed ROE CREATE al CEN Cee © IE i AE THE IRON AGE. Central Pennsylvania News. HARRISBURG, Pa.. December 20, 1902.—Three of the largest departments of the Pennsylvania Steel Company, at Steelton, have been closed on acceunt of ipability to secure coal and iron. There is no relief In sight and no prospect of resumption until the Monday following Christmas, at the earliest. The blast furnaces are mak- ing fair outputs, as there is a “from hand to mouth” supply of coke on hand and considerable ore. The fur- naces were all banked during several days of the week. So busy are the mills of those departments not affected by the fuel and material scarcity that there will be no shut down on Christmas. It was the plan of the officials to work all departments on Christmas Day, in order to catch up with back orders, but inability to secure fuel has thwarted this plan. Car shortage, the officials say, is wholly responsible for the present situation. Empty ears are also hard to secure and shipments were sbort this week, so much so, indeed, that iron that should be out of the yards this time will hardly be moved before the new year. The Chesapeake Nail Works of Harrisburg are also closed on account of the fuel famine and will not resume uniil after Christmas. The Central Iron Works, the Harrisburg Foundry & Machine Works, the Lalance & Grosjean tin plant, the Harrisburg Pipe & Pipe Bending Works and the Harrisburg Boiler & Mfg. Company are all working with fair supplies of fuel on hand, but will suspend for one day, December 25. The largest local transaction of the week was the order of the Pipe & Pipe Bending Works for 2160 plates from the Central Iron & Steel Company, to be delivered immediately. The Carbondale Machine Company of Carbondale have been awarded the contract for equipping the new cold storage house of the Scranton Refrigerating Com- pany, at Scranton. Plans and specifications for what will be the largest freight car plant in the world have been completed by the draftsmen of the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad Company. The plant will be located along the Kersey Valley branch in West Scranton. The estimated cost of the plant ready for operation is $550,000. The Keystone Furnace, at Reading, which was banked for repairs, was put in blast on Monday and is again in full operation. The stack is making foundry iron at present and is turning out about 1000 tons a week. The employees of the Climax Locomotive Works, at Corry, were on Monday notified of an advance of 10 per cent. in their wages, the raise to take effect imme- diately. 8S. P. & H. H. Light of Lebanon expect to begin oper- ating one :ill of their new iron plant at Hebron on Jan- uary 1. Employment will be given to 110 men, and as ‘the other mills are started the working force will be in- creased. It is expected that the entire plant will be in operation by February. The Vulcan Iron Company of Scranton are enlarging their plant. The buildings of the company already cover several acres, but business has been growing so rapidly that a new molding department has become an imperative necessity. The annex will be of brick, 200 feet wide by 500 feet in length. It will be used for mold- ing department and machine shop, the old machine shop being too small to meet present needs. The enlargement will allow the company to extend several branches of the industry to which little attention has heretofore been paid. Work was suspended at the- Lebanon Stove Works this week as a result of the roof of the flask department collapsing under a heavy weight of snow and ice. The machinery was somewhat damaged. The Dauphin County Court this week declared null apd void the charters as corporations of the Chickies Iron Company of Lancaster and the Conewago Iron Company of Dauphin County. Counsel for both com- panies was in court and stated that he had no objections to make to the rule. Neither of the companies is active- ly engaged in business. At the annual meeting of the West End Rolling Mill Company & Chain Works of Lebanon the following of- December 25, 1902 ficers were re-elected for the year 1903: C. Shenk, presi- dent; J. R. Evans, secretary; H. M. Capp, treasurer and general wanager. The annual report showed the com- pany to be in a flourishing condition. The usual 3 per cent. dividend was declared and an “extra” of 22 per cent. The Emmert Mfg. Company of Waynesboro this week shipped a large consignment of pattern makers’ tools to England and Canada. The factory is working full time on rush orders. Large orders for traction engines and saw mills were this week received by the Geiser Mfg. Company of Waynesboro. Lack of fuel caused a shut down of the works of the Floyd-Weils Stove Company, at Phcenixville, for several days this week. Shortage of coal has cut the production of the Dun- cannon Iron Company, at Duncannon, almost in half this week. The outlook at present is anything but bright. 8. ee = Another Niagara Power Project. The application of the Toronto Niagara Power Com- pany for a franchise privilege to develop 100,000 horse- power in Queen Victoria Free Park, on the Canadian side at Niagara Falls, has opened anew the discussion in regard to the extent of the development at Canadian Niagara. On the evening of Friday, December 19, 2 hearing on the application was held in the Parliamert buildings, in Toronto, on which occasion the Govern- ment was represented by Premier Ross and Gibson, Stratton, Harcourt and Dryden. Among those who appeared as interested in the pros- pective action of the Government on the application were representatives of the Toronto Niagara Power Company, the petitioning co:mpany, the Canadian Ni- agara Power Company, the Ontario Power Com- pany and the Niagara Falls Park & River Rail- way Company. The subject was presented in the form of a report from the Park Commission, which advocated the granting of the petition of the Toronto Niagara Power Company, and it would appear from this report that the new company contemplate a development on lines very similar to those of the Canadian Niagara Power Company, which is by means of a wheel pit and tunnel tail race. The report expressed the opinion of the commissioners that the granting of the privilege would not interfere with ihe rights of any of the present companies, and in this contention they were supported by the opinion of J. J. R. Croes, who held that the contemplated work of the company would not divert the flow of the river away from the intake of the Canadian Niagara Power Com- pany, nor would the taking of 11,200 cubic feet of water per second from the river appreciably lower its level. Inasmuch as the Ontario Power Company contem- plate establishing their forebay and intake far above the point where the Toronto Niagara Power Company seek to tap the river that company were not much in- terested in opposing the grant. However, the Canadian Niagara Power Company representatives recognized in the contemplated grant serious menace and danger to the great works they are now erecting in Victoria Park and on which they are expending millions of dollars. The question hinged on whether or not the inlet works of the Toronto Niagara Power Company would or would not affect the water level and water supply of the Canadian Niagara Power Company. One side contended that it would, while the other side was equally positive it would not. In order to illustrate how reasonable was their contention the Canadian Niagara Power Company pointed out the remarkable effect of the wing dam erected by the Ontario Power Company, which has had the effect of diverting the entire flow of that portion of the river from about the Dufferin Islands. ——————S_ The general offices of the Virginia Iron, Coal & Coke Cempany will be moved on January 1 from Bristol, Tenn., to Radford, Va. December 25, 1902 THE IRON AGE. 5 The Tynan Annealer and Rivet Heating Forge. Many uses will be found for the Tynan annealer and forge in repair and regular ship work, and also in particular classes of work in boiler, copper and plate shops, steel car work, bridge building and the like. This device has shown its efficiency in railroad repair shops for straightening bent sills and sides of pressed steel cars, straightening damaged steel body and truck bol- sters, arch bars, truss rods, &c. The entire outfit is ofa strictly portable character, so that it can be used in any desired position or location. The first engraving shows the annealer applied for annealing the armor plate of a battle ship to receive the armor door hinges. The general arrangement of the parts is illustrated in the drawing, Fig. 2. The oil sup- ply tank may be carried upon a small truck or placed near the work, as shown in Fig. 1. ‘The air pressure is taken from a general or special pneumatic plant, and is allowed to pass through an air pressure reducing de- vice, thus serving the precise amount of air required for economical combustion. Regulating devices are also used for controlling the supply of air and oil at the com bustion nozzle. When a pneumatic pressure service is not convenient a small hand pump will serve the pur pose equally as well, an auxiliary air receiver of suit- able size being the only detail required to form a port- able air power plant. The burner can be directed at any point, and the lo- calizer or concentrator, which is composed of a special mixture of nonradiating material, while allowing the flame to be concentrated on the part to be operated on, to about $1,500,000. The stockholders will hold a special meeting February 16 to vote upon the proposition. The company have a funded debt of $2,300,000, made up of $1,400,000 first mortgage 6 per cent. bonds and $700,000 general mortgage 6s. The first mortgage bonds are payable $200,000 per year, the original amount having been $2,000,000. The general mortgage is for $2,500,000 and was created in 1901, sufficient bonds being reserved to retire the firsts. The bonds are subject to call at Fig. 2—Annealer as Used for Pressed Steel Car Work. THE TYNAN ANNEALER also protects the surrounding parts from the heat and prevents the spread of flame. The same burner has been applied successfully to a portable forge by the man- ufacturers, the Chicago Pneumatic Tool Company, Fish- er Building, Chicago. asiacecsindaiicailiiein otis It is the intention of the National Glass Company of Pittsburgh to increase their capital stock by retiring $800,000 of their common stock and issuing in its place $1,600,000 preferred stock bearing 7 per cent., $800,000 in cash being received in addition to the common shares. This will give additional working capital of $800,000, which will be used for betterments. The authorized capital is $4,000,000, but only $2,325,000 has been is- sued. The common stock will be reduced by the plan WORKING ON ARMOR 105 for a sinking fund, which is made up from 5 per cent. of the company’s earnings each year. After several months of negotiations, the Austrian and Hungarian iron and steel industries have succeeded in forming a gigantic combination, comprising 23 sep- arate establishments, with an aggregate capital of 280,- 000,000 Kronen, says a Reuter telegram from Vienna. The new organization is not a trust, but a “ cartel,” or combination under which each establishment is worked separately under the supervision of the central board, which regulates the output and fixes the prices. The new cartel includes practically every important iron and stee] interest in the dual monarchy, such as raw iron, bars, plates, rails, nails and wire. ne: na | i | 6 THE The Electric Smelting of Iron Ore.—II.* BY A. J. ROSSI, NEW YORK. These results being based on certain prices of materials or current, either actual or obtainable, it may be in- teresting for the comparison we are making of the two processes not to assume any particular prices, but to determine a general equation, showing what reiations should exist between the cost of all the elements con- sidered, in order to have an equality of cost of pro- duction by the two methods of smelting. Let f in dollars in general be the price of fuel per gross ton, delivered at the blast furnace, f* in dollars be the cost of the fuel available at the electric furnace, p be the price per gross ton of the ore at the blast fur- nace, p' that of the same or a similar ore at the electric furnace, the physical character of which is immaterial in this case: both ores containing on an average 57 per cent. iron, or 80 per cent. oxide of iron (Fe,0,, for sim- plicity sake), and yielding or capable of yielding, theo- retically, per 100 pounds of ore, 60 pounds of a pig iron (containing, say, 95 per cent. of iron, the balance being silicon, carbon, &¢c.). Since 1 pound of ore gives 0.60 pound of pig metal, in order to make 1 ton of pig we require: a 1.666 tons of such ore. This 1.666 tons of ore contains 1.333 tons of ferric oxide, requiring for its reduction 0.224 pound of carbon per pound, or, assuming a fuel with 10 per cent of ash, 0.25 pound of fuel per unit of oxide of iron. Calling K the constant for limestone and labor, &c., which can certainly be taken to be practically the same in both cases, whatever it may be; H the electric horse- power considered necessary or sufficient per gross ton of pig iron, and @C its price per year, we have for the cost of one gross ton of pig iron made per day, as- suming $2.50 for the wear of electrodes: In the blast furnace: P = 1.666 p +f +X. In the electric furnace: Hx0 — P* = 1.666 p' + 1.333 x 0.25 x f* + - 365 + X + 2.50. These two formulas may be written more simply: (1) P Cost at blast furnace = . BS8pr+3f+3K 1) pepe Ka SPT Els: and assuming for K $2.50: 5p+3f+7.50 (2) P= (blast furnace) 3 - and at electric furnace: (3) P* (electric furnace) = 5 p'+f°+0.00822 Hx 0+3 K+7.50 ——— and for K = 2.50, as in blast furnace: tees 5 p'+ f+ 0.00822 H x 0 +15 (4) P* (electric furnace) = 3 If we assume H = 200 horse-power per gross ton, a moderately high practical figure, which we have ob- tained and which, if we admit the calculations of others, could be bettered, we have: 8p+f+1.6440+15 (5) Cost at electric furnace, P? = 3 ae and, for equality of cost by the two methods, we have in general: 5 p+ f'+0.00822HxC+3K+7.50 Sp+3f+3K 3 v 3 (Electric furnace) (Blast furnace) or, since 3 K, common to both members, disappears, whatever value we may have assumed for it, 5p+3f—5p'+f' + 0.00822 AH x C + 7.50, from which we find as a general formula: . n.. 0 (p—p’) +3 f—f—7.50 ——— 0.00822 H For H = 200 horse-power: F __m) 2 2 f._ fi__7 & (7) oust (p p)+sf f'—7.50 Formula No. 7 shows what the electric horse-power should cost per gross ton per year to reach equality of * Concluded from The Iron Age, November 20, 1902, page 5. IRON AGE. December 25, 1902 cost of production of 1 gross ton of pig iron per day by the two methods of smelting. The above equation (5) shows that C varies inversely as H, the horse-power per ton; hence, having found C by an assumption of H= 200 horse-power, by equa- tion (5) we can find C for any other horse-power, d,, which would be considered admissible, by a simple Cx H = 200 C x 200 mm > = a and we need not use the general formula of equation (4) for C, but equation (5). From equation (6) we have also: 0.00822 Hx C—3 f+f'+7.50 (8) (p—p’) = 5 " in general and, if H = 200 horse-power: 1.644 C —3 {+f'+7.50 wo rule of three: C,= (9) (p—p") = This equation represents what should be the differ- ence between p and p’, or the price of ore per gross ton at the blast and at the electric furnace, for an equality of cost of production for a given price of current per year. We should remark that an average of the run of the mine at.57 per cent. of iron will practically answer all! purposes for an approximate comparison. A richer ore delivered at the blast furnace from a long distance will be paid for at the rate of so much the unit of iron. Since the electric furnace will be located at or in the immediate proximity of the mine and the ore is put in at practically the cost of mining, the increased per- centage of iron does not affect its price. As to the amount of carbon, or its equivalent in fuel, at the elec- tric furnace it is clearly the same, whatever may be the percentage of the iron in the ore, since the amount of ore to be smelted in order to make 1 ton of pig iron varies just in inverse ratio to the percentage of iron it contains. In other words, for the same quantity, it is obvious that we will have to reduce the same quantity of oxide of iron, whatever may be the amount of ore that we may require in order to secure this quantity of oxide of iron. Therefore, f? remains the same. In the blast furnace, within the limits of percentage of iron likely to occur in the ores, say from 56 to 63 per cent., the amount of fuel will not be sensibly af- fected, either, and f will also remain the same. For a richer ore more oxide of iron will have to be reduced, strictly speaking, but less slag will result and within these limits, with a favorable factor of 1 ton of coke per ton of iron, and a rather unfavorable figure, 200 horse-power per ton, electrically, the results will not be practically affected for our purpose of an approximate estimate of the value of the two methods. However, if this percentage of iron in the ores, above or below 57 per cent., even within the reasonable limits we have mentioned, were to be considered of importance as affecting the results it can easily be taken care of in the formulz, so as to make them as general as possi- ble. Let m per cent. and m' per cent. be, respectively, the percentage of metallic iron in the ores used in the blast furnace and electric furnace. If, as before, we assume that pig iron contains about 95 per cent. iron, 1 ton of iron in the ores corresponds to 1.05 tons of pig iron. For 1 ton of pig iron we want: 100 of the blast furnace ore =0.95x J m _100_ of the electric furnace ore = 0.95 x 1.05 m* . We have then: (10) Cost at blast furnace: 1 P, = 0.95 x = xp+f+K (11) Cost at electric furnace: 1 gy ' P; = 0.95 x = i% p+ 3 + 0.00274 H.C + 2.50 1 - and fur equality of cost of production in general: p p' ; f? _ 1 95 = * sa (12) ey _ ( ™m y oe 3 2.950 mr 0.00274 H December 25, 1902 and for H = 200 horse-power: (fe£ | ae (18) C= “ (= ~~ am! ) +] = oe 2 50 0.548 Being given in a certain locality the prices of fuel, ore and stone, and of current per year, and what these materials cost at the nearest working blast furnace, on the assumption of 200 horse-power electrically supplied per gross ton of pig.iron, we can find from the general formulz (1 and 2), (3 and 4), the approximate cost of the ton by the two processes, and from the general formule (6 and 7) what should be the cost of the current per year, if it has to be established or if it is supplied by outsiders, for an equality of cost of manufacture, and if it can be delivered at a smaller figure than thus cal- culated the advantage is in favor of the electric smelt- ing. Knowing the price of the current we can calculate p—p'—that is, what margin is left for the price of ore at the electric furnace. If the assumption of 200 horse-power appears too high or too low, a rule of three will show how to correct the figure obtained on a basis of 200 horse-power for the special horse-power con- sidered admissible. One of the very important factors in the relative economy of the two processes is “How many horse- power are required per ton of pig iron?” It has formed the principal subject of this examination, and we have given formule to calculate the probable cost of the two processes and for an equality of the same, assum- ing a figure (200 horse-power per ton of pig iron) which we believe will be considered conservative, in order to present the comparison in conditions not particularly favorable to electric smelting.* Others have claimed a much lower horse-power per ton than we have done. In furnaces properly constructed for the purpose and in which the heat of the combustion of the escaping car- bon monoxide would be effectively made available, bet- ter results could be secured and legitimately expected, but they cannot be such as to violate the laws of thermo- dynamics of equivalence of heat and energy. By re- ferring to Table I one can see that, with a full yield and no allowance for any kind of loss, excepting non- utilization of the gases, with an ore such as we have smelted and taken as the basis of calculations, the best that we could have obtained theoretically would have been 175 horse-power per ton (Table I, f, column 4), and that the calculations of the writer of the article in Engineering News, calculations perfectly correct, give, on an assumption of a very pure iron ore (Table I,C, column 4), in an electric furnace working theoretically per- fectly, 146 horse-power. With an iron containing noth- ing but oxide of iron (Fe,0,), chemically pure, the cal- culation of heat necessary to reduce 1 pound of iron from its oxide (Fe,0,) would give 146 horse-power per gross ton of pig iron containing 95 per cent. iron, the balance being carbon only. Must we conclude from this discussion that the electric smelting is to supersede the blast furnace prac- tice? Even if the enormous electric plants necessary to smelt per day what our present large blast furnaces produce were to be available, we do not pretend to say that they could necessarily be established at the cost of an equivalent blast furnace. Electric smelting, at least actually, cannot certainly make such claim, but what we believe it can do, and we think that the above shows such a possibility, is that for good iron ores, free from injurious elements; for ores in such physical state as sands and powder, unfit for blast furnace use or which can only be used sparingly or after special mechanical preparations; for ores which, owing to some of their constituents, can yield a valu- able pig iron; for good ores in general which are not easily or immediately accessible and therefore of no important use, electric smelting does open a field of usefulness. The metal electrically obtained is of as good a quality, at least, as that smelted in the blast ® Our calculations are based on 1 horse-power electric being the mechanical horse-power. If in the calculations made in Eu- rope, it means the kilowatt; this means 1.33 mechanical horse- power, and the figures in horse-power should be increased 33 per cent. for European data. THE IRON AGE. 7 furnace and can be obtained at a cost equal or even lower, under special favorable circumstances, than by the present process applied to the same ores, provided the electric power can be developed right where such ores are abundant, easily mined and obtained at a lower cost than similar ores could be delivered at a blast furnace, or if such electric power can be secured at a comparatively low cost by a plant already established. The advantage of the electric power is that it can be collected from different sources and delivered by a wire at a distance from its place of production. We believe also that, in certain districts where such cheap ores and water power are available, and where the erection of a blast furnace, for reasons of lack of fuel or inadequate quality or for any other causes, could not be remunerative, a profitable local, limited in- dustry could be established, supplying the pig iron for local wants and for such allied products as require the pig iron as raw material. This would be particularly the case if the rate of transportation of this pig iron from a blast furnace to the district constitutes a real and important premium on the cost of manufacture. In short, it seems to us that, while some metal- lurgists, treating the question on a sound and incon- testable scientific basis, have shown the fallacy of the claims of the too fervent apostles of the new creed, they have not taken into consideration all of the elements of the cost of manufacture of pig iron, but only some of them, such as that of fuel consumed in a blast fur- nace per ton as compared to its equivalent of mechanical energy electrically developed. They have ignored such other items of cost as that of the ores themselves, and even of fuel, assuming even an annual cost for electrical energy which, instead of being a minimum, as they stated, is on the contrary at the present time nearer a maximum. The equation led them to an unavoid- able result, but as it did not involve all the elements of the problem, the solution, mathematically correct, was not the true one. It is more logical, it seems to us, to conclude that it is a question of dollars and cents in each case, a ques- tion which can only be determined by local circum- stances and conditions of power available, physical and other characters of the ores and fuel, their situation, the extent of the deposits, the cheapness of mining, the cost of labor and transportation of the raw materials or the product, the local demand for the latter and even its special qualities in certain cases and thereby increased value on the market. All these considera- tions, taken together, may decide the question in favor of the electric smelting, the essential character of which is to adapt itself to surrounding conditions and to the demand and to allow a limited and divided production instead of its concentration in enormous plants requir- ing for their erection enormous capital and the con- trol of the means of transportation of the different materials, fuel and ore, and even of the mines them- selves. With them electric smelting will never compete as to amount of production, if it could do so as to cost. In the Comptes Rendus de la Société de l'Industrie Minerale (December, 1901, January, 1902), there has ap- peared an article by Mr. Pitaval on this very question of electric smelting, and as, on many points, its conclu- sions are much the same as ours, it may be interesting to quote them briefly. After a few considerations on this new industry, which, he says, “so justly occupies the attention of engineers,” the author remarks that in the present state of the arts and in most cases, no process of reduction of iron ore in the electric furnace can stand the comparison, economically speaking, with that of the ordinary blast furnace—that is, “ whenever the ore and fuel are in proximity to.each other and to the blast furnace, but when these conditions are not ful- filled and specially when it is a question of manufac- turing certain grades of iron or of treating certain ores physically unfit for the blast furnace, the ques- tion of the electro-metallurgy of iron must be con- sidered seriously, particularly if one has to deal with isolated deposits of rich ores, as many are found in Spain, Italy, Greece, Sweden and elsewhere.” Speak- - een | | | | an = eu. Me ory gee TE ese Re oe ST ee Oe <a 3 12 See Wess ee 8 THE IRON AGE. ing of France he remarks that a great number of its colonies possess remarkable deposits of iron and very little of mineral fuel. The electric smelting appears to him then to be very practicable, provided water power in sufficient quantity is available at a fair price. This proved true for French colonies sooner than he expected. We have been (in the early months of this year) consulted on this very subject of electrical smelting of immense de- posits of sands in Martinique, sands either very rich in iron (568 to 60 per cent.) or easily and cheaply concen- trated, forming an ideal stock for an electric furnace, as they could be delivered at the electric furnace, we were told by the parties alluded to, at less than 40 cents (2 francs), with labor at 50 cents a day (2% frances), and water power close by, which could easily and cheaply be made available, as also charcoal, which could be made in the immediate vicinity. The fearful catastro- phe of last summer has, of course, put an end to this scheme. In a general way, Mr. Pitaval recalls that electric furnaces have several advantages over blast furnaces. Their construction is simple, much less cost- ly; their working can be continuous or intermittent, ac cording to the state of the trade; they can change their production at once, and a greater temperature is possi- ble, which increases the fluidity of the metal; a great quantity of carbon monoxide is obtained, whose heating power can be utilized to increase the production of a given number of horse-power by preparing the charges for reduction or for other uses. Furthermore, as we have remarked, the carbon in the electric furnace is only there for the reduction of the oxide of iron of the ore, and consequently the amount of fuel required is but a fraction (one-quarter to one-third) of what is actu- ally necessary in the metallurgical treatment of the ore in a blast furnace and we can add, its physical state is immaterial in the electric smelting, while it is of para- mount importance in the other case. (cndsciiedsscgias sii thd The Elasticity of the Currency. William B. Ridgely, Comptroller of the Currency, who was so long prominently identified with the iron in- dustry, has delivered an address before Group VIII of the New York State Bankers’ Association, which was very well received. He touches upon weighty problems as will be noted from the following passages in his speech: Any complete and satisfactory solution of our present currency problems should include some plan for the re- tirement of the legal tenders. While I firmly believe the currency would be greatly improved by this retirement and especially that it would make a place for bank notes which would be much better for our people in every way, I do not agree with this extreme view. I believe the bank note circulation can be greatly improved by a few quite conservative changes which will add to its elas- ticity, or rather introduce some elasticity where there is now practically none. These changes are not new sug- gestions; they have been considered and discussed for several years. The Committee on Finance and Currency of the New York Chamber of Commerce in their report recently sub- mitted have set a most excellent example. The act of 1882 contains a prohibition of the retirement of more than $3,000,000 of national bank notes in any calendar month. This prohibition has not only prevented the con- traction of the currency when not