The Iron Age 1903-01-29: Vol 71 Iss 5

IT i, ead P-to61 une 1 oan suy ee OHS A Review of the Hardware, Iron, ss ifiacttaie and Metal Trades. Published every Thursday Morning by David Williams Co., 232-238 William St., New York. ° - lon a y ° ’ ae $8.00 a Y¥ , ineludi Posta Vol. 71: No, 5. _ New York, Thursday, January 29, 1903. inant tec Reading Matter Contents......... page 58]- Alphabetical Index to Advertisers ** 171) Classified List of Advertisers..... “* (64 Advertising‘and Subscription Rates ‘* 77 mip ‘22 LONG } Ye 22 witGHESTER. eae RP Bp A | (Es> INSIDE LUBRICATED New Inside Lubricated Smokeless Cartridges. To meet a growing demand, the U. M. C. Co. now presents to the trade these new cartridges loaded with smokeless powder. They afford all the luxury of smokeless powder and a clean bullet: yet there is sufficient grease to prevent leading of the rifle barrel. INSIDE LUBRICATED The Union Metallic Cartridge Co., onan08 ' BRIDGEPORT, CONN. Bristol’s Patent Steel Belt Lacing. sits Miaiaediineee shemmmiene tine, SAVES New York City. San Francisco, Cal. Time, Belts, Money. GreatestStrength READY TO APPLY FimisHEOvowT With Least Metal Send for Circulars and Free Samples. THE BRISTOL CO., Waterbury, Conn. -— -§68—hrhLLn oe SAMSON 1 SPOT CORD CAHALL BUI LERS $06 —— (20, —— ——— =< = Also SS and Phenix LNG Brands of Sash Cord. SAMSON CORDAGE WORKS, Boston, Mass. Q| REGULAR Sarrvane. 465 Kent Ave., BROOKLYN, N.Y THE CAPEWELL HORSE NAIL COMPANY HARTFORD, CONN. 0 Oo mene ;: CAPEWELL HORSE NAILS; mz 2 g c a Qo Branch Office. 11 Broadway, New York. " e NEW YORK, Branches : PORTLAND, ORE., > Cleveland City Forge and Iron Co., - Cleveland, 0, - PHILADELPHIA, BUFFALO, 4 ae een ae aaa eerie < cuHicaco, DETROIT, BALTIMORE, . ST. LOUIS, CINCINNATI, NEW ORLEANS, 0 . ROSTON, SAN FRANCISCO, DENVER. 2 mn m ; 2 w 2 Forcincs. Girard B — Phil REGULAR PATTERS. Ee JENKINS BROTHERS’ VALVES Perfectly tight under all pressures of steam, oils, or acids. Warranted to give satisfaction under the worst conditions. Received the At the Pan-Amer-« Highest Award Gold Meda ican Exposition, Insist on having the genuine stamped with Trade-Mark, JENKINS BROTHERS, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Ghicago. APOLLO BEST BLOOM GALVANIZED IRON What does anyone gain by using common galvanized oe THE AMERICAN TUBE & STAMPING CO, a : : HOT AND COLD ROLLED Successor to 154, Nothing ; and loses time STRIP STEEL. The WILMOT & HOBBS MF6. CO. paGe MAGNOLIA METAL. Best Anti-Friction Metal for all Machinery Bearings. Pac-Simile of Bar. Beware of Imitationus, MAGNOLIA METAL O.. mg-1tg Bank St., London, Chicago, Montreal. Pittsburgh, Boston We manufacture all graces of Babbitt Metals Owners and Sole Man YORK. at competitive prices. (which is wages) and stand- ing (which also is money). American Sheet Steel Company, New York ae + 2 THE IRON AGE, ANsonia Brass WATERBURY BRASS ff) | THE Puume & Arwooo Mes. Co, MANUFACTURERS OF B® COPPER CO: |. once and mi at Waebury, com| HBL ANG ROll Brass BRASS AND COPPER | _ frovitence’store, No-131 Dorrance St. UTIR Cs and No, 152 Eddy St. Seamless Tubes, Sheets, Rods and Wire. PRINTERS’ BRASS, JEWELERS’ METAL, GERMAN ~wnmee GERMAN SILVER Senex Brass Butt Hinges, Jack Chain, Kere- * Tobi n Sf ronze IN SHEET, ROD AND WIRE ssceeetieinehien ieee, Sania (Trape-Marx REGISTERED.) for Trimmings, &c. Condenser Piates,Pump Linings, Round, Square and Hexagon Bars, for Pump Key Stock 29 MURRAY ST., NEW YORK. Piston Rods and Bolt Forgings. Cutlery Metal 144 HIGH ST., BOSTON. Seamless Tubes for Boilers . saabontenen, Electrical Purposes 199 LAKE ST., CHICAGO, Plated Ware ROLLING MILL : FACTORIES : 99 John Street, . - New York. THOMASTON, CONN. | WATERBURY, CONN. Randolph-Clowes Co., ¢| “Pope's Island White Metal” |fSCOVILL MFG. Co., Manufacturers of for like uses when extra drawing BRASS and spinning is required. ’ WRITE FOR SAMPLES. CGERMAN SILVER Main Office and Mill, WATERBURY, CONN. MANUFACTURERS OF Sheets, Rolis, Wire, RRR Rods, Bolts and Tubes, SHEET BRASS & COPPER. c GENUINE No. 1 BABBITT. » Brass Shells, Cups, Hinges, BRAZED BRASS & COPPER @| « i etaniaidintiaieaiaies y Buttons, Lamp Coods. TUBES. € une, as there te ¢ ractically | | SPECIAL BRASS GOODS TO ORDER 5 no shrink in it. ver tried it? ; SEAMLESS BRASS Sarasa” Star? sagt ip Feeterion, Wate nye COMM. & ere TUBES « GREATEST DURABILITY. ; NEW YORK, CHICAGO, BOSTON. TO 36 IN. DIA aioe ; id “ ‘ (© Bridgeport Deoxidized Bronze aa os aaa —n C a Metal Company, ; JOHN DAVOL & SONS, Chicago Office, 602 Fisher Bldg. f€ Bridgeport, Conn. y AGENTS FOR Beeeee 2 Cee rEve ewe eee ee’ | Brooklyn Brass & Copper Co., DEALERS IN COPPER, TIN, SPELTER, LEAD, ANTIMONY. 100 John Street, - New York. Matthiessen & Hegeler Zinc Co., LA SALLE, ILLINOIS. SMELTERS OF SPELTER Arthur TIT: Rutter AND MANUFACTURERS OF SHEET ZINC AND SULPHURIC ACID se ggpaaghen Special Sizes of Zinc cut to order. Rolled Battery Plates. WILLIAM S. FEARING Selected Plates for Etchers’ and Lithographers’ use. 256 Broadw Selected Sheets for Paper and Card Makers’ use. B ey, NEW YORK. OE Tee Small tubing in Brass, Copper, ZINCS FOR LECLANCHE BATTERY. Steel, Aluminum, German Silver, &c. Sheet Brass, Copper and Ger- man Silver. Copper, Brass and Taw a German Silver Wire. Brazed and HNN RerreReeALLRAUL ES LALIT Seesmic a 6 8/74 West Monroe St., Chicago. boNaarah Tinh)? NAM RIA OTC CUCU ye RSE UUM ULTITTILIT tees a — CONTRACTS rca =parry fy | BRASS, BRONZE and ALUMINUM CASTINGS, : OIL d GAS pe ee ee HO Founders, Finishers, . . nae salami BROTHERS " PROPRIETURS OF THE Send for Circulars and Electrotypec. Belleville Copper Rolling Mills, {T= srivcerorr srass co, MANUFACTURERS OF Bridgeport, Conn. Braziers’ Bolt and Sheathing 1 Murray St.. N.Y. 17 No 7th St., Philadelphia. COPPER, mater COPPER WIRE AND RIVETS. Ds Wheel, $3.00 Importers and Dealers in a Ingot Copper, Block Tin, Spelter, Lead, Antimony, etc. ; 5 Wheel, $8.25 49 CLIFF ST., NEW YORK. R.A.HART. BATTLE CREEK, MICH No better countet made. ‘THE IRON AGE THURSDAY, AN The Cornell Twenty-four Foot Boring Mill. 17 The vertical boring and turning mill of the bed type, designed and built at the West Point Foundry of J. B. & J. M. Cornell, ‘'wenty-sixth street and Ele euth avenue, New York, is here illustrated in its principal characteristics. With the housings in the forwurd posi tion it will turn 14 feet in diameter, and with the hous ings in the back position it will turn 24 feet 6 inches in extension diameter. The hight of work it will take in with the cross rai] in the highest position is 9 feet. It will be seen il Lwe O ~ pe cle 1 be n ed vv hand or p { sl I re adjustable to any ngle w Lo deg Sf side of the el ? ‘7] Another admirable innovation in this class of machine s the method of ng the housings on rollers when along the bed. This is side elevation, Fig. 4 The rollers A A are mounted on bearings in the bottom of the housing. so that when it 1s necessary to move them shown in the Each roller is strictly eccentric to its shaft. the levers on the ends of the shafts are turned a quarter Tile CORNELL TWENTY-FOUR FOO'! from Fig. 1 that the elevating screws for the cross rail extend above the beam, thereby permitting the cross rail to be raised to such a hight that the cutting tools will operate on work that will just clear the lower edge of the tie beam. The housings are moved back and forth and the cross rail raised and lowered by power from the main driving belt. A new and important feature of the machine is the method of counterbalancing the tool bars, which is the invention of J. M. Cornell, the head of the company. This is shown in Fig. 3. On one side of the bar C a rack, with which engages a pinion carried by a shaft mounted in a bracket on the head. Sur- rounding this shaft and having one end secured to it is a helical spring, D, the other end of which is made fast to the ratchet wheel E By means of the paw! and ratchet the tension of the spring can be so adjusted as to exactly overcome the weight of the bar. The arrange- ment presents a neat and unobtrusive appearance as compared with the usval chain and weight, and has been found to be effective and reliable in its actio~ is cut swiveling BORING MILI round the housings are carried by the rollers, which are then free to move the entire load along the bed. When the desired position has been reached a reverse movement of the the housings flat upon the bed. This construction was designed by P. D. Jobhn- ston, mechanical engineer of the The feeds of the ma rangement, and positive from 0 to unusually eavily geared and will take from a countershaft levers brings works their ar- iction, and range table. rhe ma- very chine are complete in instead of fi 7% inch per revolution of the chine is heavy cuts. The power is derived bv beiting, or by direct motor, at A eanvass of the Homestead and Duquesne m lls of the Carnegie Steel Company shows that the men of lower wages have been subscribing freely tor the stock offered by the United States Steel Corporation in con- nection with the profit sharing plan These men are taking from one to two shares \t about ibseribed and at Duquesne Flomestead 25 per cent. of the emp ved st "rom 15 to 20 per cent eer bo Niagara River Power Questions. NIAGARA FALLs, N. Y., January 23, 1903.—The com- missioners of Queen Victoria Free Park have held a meeting to consider the application of the Toronto- Niagara Power Company for a franchise to develop about 100,000 horse-power in Victoria Park at Canadian Niagara. Quite a little time was devoted to the con- sideration of the reports of engineers for both sides and also of the experts appointed by the commission. At the conclusion of the meeting it was announced by the president that the matter would be gone over at greater length before a decision was given. However, it may be stated that there appears reason to believe that the company will get the franchise _Sought. The Toronto-Niagara Power Company are the THE IRON AGE. January 29, 1903 was unable to get any water into its intake at Victoria Park owing to the quantity of ice in the river, as well as to the fact that the water appeared to have been di- verted to the outer channel. The city of Niagara Falls, N. Y., was called upon for help, and a line of hose stretched across the upper steel arch bridge and a sec- ond line was run across the lower steel arch, connections being made at both ends with hydrants and the pumps in the American municipal station pumping for both sides of the river. This low stage of water has aroused the water commissioners of Niagara Falls, Ont., to the danger of further diversions of the water of the upper river unless special care is taken to see that the water supply of that town is not interfered with. For this reason they have passed a series of resclutions pro testing against the granting of any franchise to either THE IRON AGE Fig. 2.—Front Blevation. THE CORNELL TWENTY-FOUR FOOT BORING MILL. ones that are appealing to pride of country, pointing out that the present great works now in progress of con- struction at the Falls are backed mainly by American capital and that the development is an American inter- est. The Toronto-Niagara Company would have all their capital Canadian, and their power developed solely for the advancement of Canadian industries, the other com- panies having the privilege of transmitting half of their power to the American side of the river if they so de- sire. Interested in the Toronto-Niagara Company are William Mackenzie, Lieut.-Col. H. M. Pellatt and Fred- eric Nicholls, and it is understood that their develop- ment is contemplated with a special view to the needs of Toronto, Ont. Inasmuch as the other companies now developing power at Canadian Niagara have also in view the transmission of a portion of their power prod- uct to Toronto, it seems fair to assume that the indus- trial necessities of this Canadian city, so far as electric power is concerned, will in time be well cared for. A short time ago the village of Niagara Falls, Ont., the present app..cant company or any future company without providing for the protection of the town water works and securing a sufficient supply of water for all municipal purposes. The commissioners further ask that if the granting of a franchise has the effect of im- pairing the water supply of the town, the company ob- taining such franchise shall be compelled to furnish water to the town in lieu thereof. a An Independent Fire Brick Consolidation.—Negotia- tions are well under way for a consolidation of the prin- cipal fire brick concerns outside of the Harbison-Walker Refractories Company of Pittsburgh. The new under- taking will be capitalized at $15,000,000, and 32 outside fire brick manufacturers have given options on their plants. The largest company that will probably go into the consolidation are the Reese-Hammond Fire Brick Company, with offices in Pittsburgh and works at Bol- ivar, Pa. Several other Pittsburgh fire brick manufac- turers will probably go intd the consolidation. January 29, 1903 THE IRON AGE. 3 -Method of Counterbalancing the Tool Bars 18 014 _FINISHED FLOOR * ' 16 10 . oon Dei Fig. 4.—Side Elevation. THE CORNELL TWENTY-FOUR FOOT BORING MILL. 4 THE Gas Fuels for Modern Engines. BY GEORGE E. WALSH. Advance in Engines of Large Units. The development of the gas engine in the past year or two has brought to the front the different kinds of gases as important factors in the fuel situation. In this country gas engines have tardily waited upon their de- velopment and improvement abroad, but within the year just closed there has been sudden activity shown in connection with them that promises many changes in the near future. The lack of general practical interest in gas engines in this country until quite recently has been due to the fact that experimenters were unable to produce a muchine of large unit power which would work continuously under nearly all load conditions. A small unit gas engine was, theoretically, all right, and for laboratory and experimental purposes eminently use- ful, but in the field of actual labor it did not count. We have to-day the perfected gas engine of large unit power, and the improvements are rapidly placing the new engines in the competitive list with steam en- gines. Moreover, the development of the steam turbine has called attention to the possibilities of the gas tur- bine. This latter, if evolved, might prove the ideal en- gine for developing power in the future, and the whole field of manufacturing would be revolutionized thereby. The gas turbine, however, is something for the future to demonstrate, and for the present the almost insurmount- able difficulties in the way indicate that the machine will remain in the experimental field for some time to come. The confidence expressed by many leading experts that the gas turbine will be realized within the present dec- ade indicates that science will probably overcome all questions involved. But the steady increase in ,the use of gas engines of large units briugs heme to us the possibilities of the gas supply in the United States. The gas engines will, in this country, be grouped somewhat according to the fuel they will consume. Ordinarily this fuel will be under- stood to possess certain ingredients whose powers of combustion can be estimated by simple calculation. But it should be remembered that gas differs in burning and heating power far more than coal, oil or almost any other well-known fuel. Gas is nothing unless its poten- tial power can be definitely measured. Engines Operated with Natural Gas. In classifying the gas engines in this country, accord- ing to the fuel they will use, the great Central States, where natural gas is still a determinate factor in the manufacturing interests, will steadily draw chief atten- tion to the engines belonging to the first group. There has been for years a steady decrease in the supply of natural gas throughout the Middle Western States, and the rock pressure has in some places become so insig- nificant that the gas wells have been entirely abandoned. On the other hand, the invention of new pumping ma- chinery has partly compensated for this lessening pres- sure, and it has been found possible in some of the old gas regions to secure a full gas supply at little more cost than when it spouted up freely in great quantities. The loss of the gas then was tremendous, but to-day waste is almost entirely eliminated, and every cubic foot of natural gas is utilized. The chief question involved in the use of gas engines of this group is how much natural gas does the earth contain, and is the supply inexhaustible if better and more powerful pumping engines can be invented to draw it up from the interior? Some scientists assure us posi- tively that the supply is unlimited, and that if engineers can keep pace with the consumption of the gas in invent- ing new methods of tapping the great underground reser- voirs there will never come a time when it will be ex- hausted. The theory that the supply is constantly being renewed, and that at almost any day the borers may strike a new reservoir which will spout up more natural gas than the world can use in a hundred years, certainly proves very favorable reading to those interested in the subject. ° The natural field for the gas engines of this group is IRON AGE, January 29, 1903 to show their efficiency in pumping up the gas fuel for manufacturipg and household uses. Consequently we find in the natural gas regions giant gas engines em- ployed to operate these pumps, and they stand as prac- tical demonstrations of the utility of the modern gas en- gine. They have come to replace the old coal steam pumps almost entirely. Gas engines of very large units have been erected for burning natural gas, both directly on the field and at great distances from it. The delivery of the natural gas in pipes has in recent years shown a tendency to limit its field. The natural loss through long pipe delivery has caused manufacturers to group their industries as near the field of supply as possible. With the improvement of the gas engine it is believed that in a short time all the natural gas will be used with- in a radius of 10 or 20 miles of the wells. The saving obtained in this way will prove an important item. The building of enormous gas compressors to facili- tate the efficient and sutisfactory delivery of the nat- ural gas to the surrounding towns and factories has been a feature of the operating work, and there is in progress now the construction of some of the largest gas compressors in the world. Two of 4000 horse-power are being built and several of 1000 horse-power. These en- gines are operated economically with natural gas fuel, which enters the cylinder at almost atmospheric pres- sure. The engines deliver 1 horse-power in the com- pressor cylinder on 8 to 9 cubic feet of natural gas per hour. The larger engines of 4000 horse-power accom- plish about the same results on a consumption of about 7.50 cubic feet of natural gas of 1050 British thermal units. Under the tests and experiments made everything depends upon the supply of natural gas as to whether this form of engine will continue in service. The engine is easier tc operate than one rua by coal, and its ability to start up and shut down quickly without loss of any kind recommends it for many kinds of work. The establishment of more adequate pumping stations and compressors naturally appeals first to engineers in- terested in the development of gas engines of large units intended for operation by the natural gas fuel. The mammoth pumping engines have already demonstrated the possibility of continuing the use of natural gas for indefinite years in the future. Few indeed of those who own uatural gas wells, or manufacturing establishments operated by this fuel, show any doubts about the future certainty of their supply. The impression rather pre- vails throughout the natural gas region that the supply will tend to increase through better methods of obtain- ing and utilizing it and through the gradual adoption of methods to eliminate the present loss and waste, Engines Adapted to Use Poor Gas. The gas engines of the future must be able to adapt themselves to all kinds of gases, from the richest gases of distillation to the poorest products of the blast fur- nace, Between the two extremes there are many kinds and qualities of gas which must be successfully utilized by the construction of engines peculiarly adapted to their use. Through the adoption of better mechanical methods this change from rich to poor gas is obtained. It has been found that a little modification of the pro- portions of the explosive mixture and a proper regula- tion of the degree of compression and the ignition period obtain these results. Gas engines operated by producer and illuminating gas represent a much wider range of usefulness than those dependent upon natural gas. In our cities gas engines belonging to this group have possi- bilities scarcely yet measured. From one part of the country to another the gas engine would have its fuel supplied at all times for its operation. The manufacture and distillation of this gas vary considerably in different parts of the country and in different contiguous cities. Likewise the cost of the gas differs so widely when sup- plied in quantity to the engines that one can figure upon the cost of operation only by ascertaining in advance the charges demanded by the gas companies. The charges for city gas in American cities run all the way from $0.54 to $1.35 per 1000 feet; but it will be seen that the difference in the price is not so great when the qual- ity of the fuel is considered. This runs from 100 calories per foot up to 20. In the Southern cities, where the dis- January 29, 1903 tillation is chiefly from dry wood, the quality expressed in energy is small, while in the Eastern cities and coal regions, where the distillation is chiefly from coal and schist, the highest energy is obtained. While both ex- tremes of quality are found in different parts of the country, the average gas is placed between 130 and 160 calories. The cost of producer gas for operating gas engines is further moditied by some figures obtained from care- ful experiments. ‘These figures, it is true, were obtained from tests made with small horse-power motors, but they apply approximately to the larger unit gas engines. The larger the engine operated the greater is the per- centage of efliciency and suving of cost of fuel. Thus a 4 horse-power engine operated by gas costing $0.54 per 1000 feet would vost per horse-power for each hour of continuous operation about $0.022, while a 10 horse-powcer engine would reduce the cost of operation to $0.019,and a 30 horse-power engine could be run at an average of $0.017. In considering gas at higher prices, it must be assumed that the quality is in proportion to the increased charges. With gas at $0.81 per 1000 cubic feet the 4 horse-power engine could be operated at $0.028, the 10 at $0.025 and the 30 at $0.023. With gas at $1.35 the cost of a 30 horse-power machine would ap proximately be $0.035. With city gas at the highest figure the gas engines could be operated fairly satisfactorily, and even at $1.10 per 1000 feet the gas engine would prove a successful competitor with any other engine built. Without consid- ering the convenience and other advantages of the gas engine this form of power production on a small scale would prove superior to almost any other, and even with permanent gas engines of large unit power the advan- tages would be immeasurably great. The portable gas engines in cities are at present the most popular. These average 10 to 20 horse-power, and their efficiency in do- ing work on the streets, in subways and for building purposes is unequaled. The consunption of city gas for power purposes is not great in any of our American cities at present, but the steady and increased use and manufacture of the en- gines show that within even the current year the change will be quite great. In Germany the gas engine has been popular much longer than in this country, and the nu- merous gas engine shops are crowded with orders. In a great many of the manufacturing German cities the consumption of gas for operating these engines runs as high as 15 and 18 per cent. of the total product. In Paris from 3 to 5 per cent. of the city gas is utilized for the same purpose. There Is hardly a city in this coun- try which has 1 per cent. of its gas product utilized for operating gas engines, although the consumption is in- creasing so rapidly that this statement may not long be true. The reduction in the cost of gas distillation directly affects the usefulness of the gas engine, and to a con- siderable extent determines its future. The cost of coke, anthracite and wood must always be an influen- tial factor in this work, but the modern methods of dis- tillation indicate that improvements will radically alter existing conditions in gas manufacture. The present is not a favorable moment for considering such a reduction of cost, but, despite the present upward tendency of both coke and coal, it cannot be questioned that both of these fuels will go down again. Meanwhile, the effort to use them in less quantities to obtain suitable gas has been of inestimable value. ‘The prohibitive price of any staple article always tends to open ways for getting along without it. Substitutes are bound to be discovered, and science gradually shows that what was formerly con- sidered an absolute necessity is after all more or less of a luxury. Furnace Gas Engines. The construction of gas engines to burn the gases of blast furnaces probably represents even more important economical changes than those for utilizing either nat- oral gas or producer and illuminating gas. Germany has held undisputed supremacy in the development of this form of engine in the past few years, and we are just beginning to profit by her experiments. Engineers THE IRON AGE. 5 look to the German operators for their designs and tests With the blast furnace gas engines, but now that they are perfected it will not be long before a complete change will be effected in this country. With our numerous blast furnaces scattered all through the country, it is es- sential that the installation of engines to utilize the waste gas should be made at once. The gas engine of 1000 horse-power is no longer a dream. It has been steadily developed and improved by the tandem system, so that it can be operated by blast furnace gas of but 27 calories per cubic foot. As a result of this development the blast furnace suddenly assumes an entirely new line of development. It may be that the production of pig iron will in the near future become only of secondary consideration, and the gas for operating engines the chief factor of the works. The blast furnace gases are suffi- cient to run powerful engines even when discounting half for waste ard for heating the air blast of the fur- nace. The amount of gas generated by a blast furnace to produce pig iron is so enormous that if collected and utilized for power purposes it would prove revolutioniz- ing in manufacturing industries. Thus to produce in an ordinary well equipped works about 150 tons of pig iron the blast furnace would generate upward of 20,000,000 cubic feet of gas. To barness this enormous amount of waste fuel is the aim of the builders of gas engines. Utilized for generating steam by burning, about 1000 horse-power could be obtained; but if burnt directly in a modern large gas engine the horse-power generated would be several times as much. Eminent engineers estimated that even if half this volume should be wasted or used for heating the air blast of the furnace there would still be sufficient to produce between 3000 and 4000 horse-power. Such an enormous gas generator would thus prove of the greatest value for ordinary man- ufacturing purposes. Likewise the gases of coke ovens can be utilized in the same way, adding greatly to the importance of the gas engine in its new field. __ Unusual Activity in Wheat. Wheat, which for months has been of minor impor- tance in the commercial movements of the world, has suddenly jumped into prominence, and the Chicago wheat pit is the center of interest. For months wheat has been almost dormant, but during the past two weeks the various leading markets have sympathized closely with each other, reflecting extreme vitality and strength. It is astonishing how quickly “bull” points are de- veloped in the wheat market. At the moment a wet harvest in Argentina is the news having greatest weight end, in conjunction with lighter stocks than usual in Europe, lends coloring and substance to the upward movement, which is further assisted by the reported sale of a large quantity of flour to the Philippines, fol- lowing in the footsteps of similar large sales to Aus- tralia during the preceding week. Purchases of wheat by a single Chicago operator are estimated to have been fully 20,000,000 bushels in the past two weeks, at advances ranging up to 6 cents per bushel. Individual transactions of 100,000 bushels have not been infrequent, one operator being credited with the purchase of 4,000,000 bushels during a single session of the Board of Trade. Foreign purchasers are said to have been caught napping and have been com- pelled to pay the higher prices prevailing upon purchases averaging about 500,000 bushels daily for the last ten days, but it is hard to separate wheat from chaff in the speculative circles. As a feature of the world’s daily ecmmercial life such movements are interesting, al- though not of great importance beyond the arena of the beards of trade, unless long sustained. oro The Damascus Steel Company.—Through what is believed to be the discovery of the process of the pro- duction of Damascus steel, S. R. Dawson of Des Moines, Iowa, the inventor, has interested sufficient capital for the organization of a company to conduct its manu- facture. The company will be known as the Damascus 6 THE IRON AGE. Stee] Company and will be incorporated under the laws of New Jersey, with a capital stock of $2,500,000, of which $50,000 will be paid at the organization of the company. The officers of the company are to be C. C Taft, president; A. M. Haggard of Drake University, vice-president; C. M. Pinkerton, secretary; J. B. Burton of Drake University, treasurer, and 8. R. Dawson, super- intendent. The Board of Directors will be composed of A. U. Chaney, A. H. Todd, M. A. Mills, C. C. Taft, C. M. Pinkerton, S. R. Dawson, N. R. Smith, A. M. Haggard und J. B. Burton, of Des Moines; C. A. Kerr of Chicago, and H. 1. Picking of Orange, N. J. The home offices ot the company will be at Des Moines, where offices have already been opened at 207 Fifth street. It is the intention to begin the construction of a plant at once. The British Metal Trades in 1902. LONDON, January 10, 1903.—The year 1902 proved to be one of distinct unsettlement and anxiety. The home trade grew gradually worse as the months succeeded each other, and the year closed with contracts difficult to ob- inin and only at highly competitive prices. The home trade was naturally affected by the reaction after the war. The home purchaser since the conclusion of peace has been chary of unnecessary expenditure. Not only has this spirit of caution found vent in the ordinary structural engineering work upon which the metal trades sv largely rely, but it has found expression in a marked disinclination to speculate in futures in any of the raw material markets. It is, of course, true that in certain sections of the trade there has been increased activity in making good the ravages of the war. In the home industries we have felt ourselves gradually drifting into a state almost of stagnation. One difficulty with which the engineer has had to con- tend during the year has been a shrinkage of prices in finished commodities, coupled with the maintenance of high prices of raw material and fuel, which prices were maintained for entirely extraneous reasons, notably the unexpected American demand. The result of this has been a disinclination on the part of large engineering concerns to buy except from hand to mouth. Before proceeding to the more general facts of the situation, a few remarks on the state of trade in the various districts of England interested in the metal trades may help to make things clear. Barrow-in-Furness benefited during the year by the American demard. In Birmingham the war brought a good deal of trade, but had a disturbing effect upon other branches. When tne year opened trade was at a low ebb, German and Belgian competition in iron and steel heing very keen, and this competition has continued more or less severe throughout the year, while at times it has been accentuated by equally severe competition from Lancashire and the North of England. The result has been that profits were small. In Cleveland trade wes in a very unsettled condition, the only satisfactory branch being that of pig iron. In the finished iron and steel trade and the shipping industry business was dis tinetly dull, shipping especially suffering from a scarcity of orders and trade disputes. Glasgow was more for- tunate last vear than any other iron and steel or en- gineering center. In shipbuilding the Clyde builders actually beat the record, reaching 518,270 tons, or 6000 tens in advance of the previous record—namely, that made in 1901. The locomotive engine builders in Glas- zow were kept busy. In the steel trade the. largest makers have excecded the previous year’s output, some firms melting as much as 1000 tons of raw material a day. This activity is largely due to the exceptional demand from Aluerica for manufactured and semimanufactured ionteriat In Sheffield trade during the year was in al st eveiy respect unsatisfactory. Lancashire is identi- ficd more with heavy engineering works than with raw material. The textile trades remained depressed through out the year, and this had an adverse influenge upon engineering. The great development of electrical under- takings, chiefly power and traction, but also lighting, January 29, 1903 gave employment to many sections of the trade, and in these departments there was quite a pressure of work. Prices During the Year. By way of indicating the trend of prices during the year in the leading descriptions of iron and other metals I extract the ruling prices on the first Thursday of each month during 1902, as made up from the Jronmonyge: metal market record: Common Staffordshir: Standard Straits Foreign G.O.B. iron bars Date. copper. tin. lead. spelter. at works January 2...... £49 £106 £104 £16% £64 February 6...... 55 111% 11% 17% 6%, , reere re o4 114% 11% 17% 6% Be Be. 6s saws 53% 119%, 11% 17% 6y, Me Res cs ex Ne 52, 130% 11% 18 614 TORS Bids 6.0 385% 54 133% 11% 18% 6% Se eich sins ki 538% 126 11% 1854 614 IF iocstion sou 52% 1264 114 18% 6% September 4..... 51% 123 107% 19% 65 October 2....... 52% 115 1013-16 19% 6%, November 6..... 53 118% 10% 19% 6% December 4..... 505, 113% 1011-16 19% 6% CO ee 57 187% 1lis 19% 6% ROGUE . cn se cans 45% 106 10% 16% 614 I add to the foregoing prices the following of manu- factured iron and steel, showing the differences, if any, on January 1, 1902, and December 31, 1902: December January 31, 1902. 1, 1902. £s. d. £ s. a. Marked bars. South Staffordshire. .. ..8 100 8 10 6 Steel rails, Middlesbrough 5 10 0 510 0 Steel rails, West Coast.. jas ‘a ae 5 10 0 Steel rails, Cardiff. . Se as a 2 oO § 26 Steel angies, Middlesbrough ; --9 15 0 6 26 Steel angles, Glasgow...... eee rd We 5 100 5 12 6 Steel plates (ship), Middlesbrough........ 5 100 6 50 Steel plates (ship), Glasgow.............5 176 6 26 Steel plates (boiler), Glasgow............6 5 0 6 10 © Tin plates, Bessemer, IC cokes, s. d. S &. Beate “WI i. ae iE ele hoi 11 9to12 0 13 0 Pig fron and the American Demand. Our production of pig iron for the year under review is calculated to have been about 8,000,000 tons. This compares poorly with the German output of 9,000,000 tons and that of the United States of 17,500,000 tons. Bolling & Lowe, in their annual statement, offer an in- teresting remark. They say: * When we turn to our reports of 1872-3 it is noteworthy that the stock at Con- nal’s stores, Glasgow, at that time reacheu 106,919 tons, and the price quoted was 119 shillings, as against 54 shillings 9 pence and a stock of 25,857 tons. Steel rafls then stood at £17 per ton.” The outstanding feature of the pig iron market during 1902 was the American de- mand. In 1901 America bought from this country 44, 282 tons of pig iron; last year the figures rose to 504,252 tons. It is my firm conviction that there would have been a sericus slump in pig iron prices had it not been for the opportune arrival of American orders. Finished Iron and Steel. The prices of finished iron and steel during the year have been maintained fairly well, although the trend of the market is distinctly downward. Bolling & Lowe, commenting upon the trade during the year, say: “ The feature of the iron and steel trade of 1901-02 has been the heavy shipment of material from Europe to the United States, and to South America and Mexico for United States account. The exports of steel rails, slabs, blooms and billets have run into hundreds of thousands of tons, a striking contrast to the state of things three years or so ago, when the United States was pouring her surplus of these articles, as well as pig iron and ferromanganese, into this country, the Continent of Eu- rope and many of our colonies, besides competing se- verely with us in the far East.” In the Midlands at the January 1 quarterly meet- ing there was a reduction of 5 shillings in unmarked bars. The effect was, however, nominal, bringing th« association standard into conformity with the actual selling price. The demand for Bessemer and Siemens steel in Shef field has been steady, healthy and without rush. There has been a marked slackening, however, in the demand for Sheffield crucible steel. January 29, 1903 The Tin Plate Trade. It cannot be said, as things go, that the tin plate trade during the year was bad. It was distinctly a typical year, experiencing the “ ups and downs” which we all associate in our mind with the tin plate trade. From the opening of the year prices of plates steadily auvanced, with the result that the proprietors were tempted to restart mills. The result of this was over- production, with the usual slaughter of the market. Notwithstanding this, however, the demand for Welsh tin plates throughout the year was good and employ- ment was better than for some time previously. In January some 393 mills were at work, and that number is still in operation. ..merican competition had affected this branch of the trade in 1901, but did not exist last year. Local steel markets, however, had no m nopoly, as large quantities of German bars were imported. In January tin plate .ars were quoted at £4 17s. 6d.; they advanced in February to £5 5s., remained at that figure until June, when they were reduced to £5 2s. 6d.; in September they went down to £4 17s. 6d., and in October to £4 15s., their present price. This price is considered satisfactory by the tin plate manufacturers, but the bar makers are not so pleased. In January tin plate stocks were reduced to a mini- mum, and makers found themselves for the first time for many a long year in a position to withstand the dic- tation of buyers. In January Siemens,\coke plates were quoted at 12 shillings 9 pence per box. In February they were advanced to 138 shillings 9 pence, in March to 14 shillings 3 pence, continuing so until June, when prices went down 3 pence per box, and there has been a steady decline since. In August plates were quoted at 13 shillings 6 pence, September 13. shillings, October 12 shillings 7144 pence, November and December 12 shil- lings per box. In November a decision was come to by the masters and men to restrict production to harmonize with demand. During the year there were a number of lab:r dis putes and at one time the Wages and Disputes Board existing in South Wales was actually imperiled, the representatives of the Steel Smelters’ Union withdraw ing. However, peace was finally proclaimed and the smelters’ delegates returned to the fold. American tin plate manufacturers will observe with interest and some complacency the fact that very few, if any, im- provements in machinery were effected in South Wales tin plate mills during the year. The year closed with, cn the whole, a steady increase in the demand for tin plates. Galvanized Sheets. The feature of the trade last year was the great spurt in galvanized sheets. The causes of this were, however, not permanent, but transitory. Large de mands were made for galvanized sheets immediately after the war in South Africa, on the general principle, I suppose, that galvanized sheets are the quickest way of getting a roof over dismantled dwellings. Then there was a special demand for galvanized sheets for India, and although I do not know this for certain, yet I think the great Delhi Durbar would account for it. One way and another the sale of galvanized sheets went up by over £1,000,000 during the year. Engineering. It is impossible in a paragraph to generalize upon the condition of the engineering trades during 1902. My impression is that the end of the year saw the conclu sion of many valuable contracts, with considerable doubt as to where new contract were coming from Certain it is that recent tenders to specifications have heen priced on a highly competitive basis, thereby show- ing a keen desire to obtain fresh business. As I have already stated, the engineers have been seriously handi- capped by a marked reduction of prices on contracts, coupled with the maintenance of high prices in raw material and fuel. South Africa has opened up a much needed market for engineering products, and the evi dence is found in the increased exports of steam en- gines, machinery and mill work of all descriptions to THE IRON AGE. that country. The construction of railways in all parts of the world, particularly India, affords increasing scope for engineering talent. During the year the ex- ports of machinery and mill work, compared with the two previous years, were as follows: 1900 190 1902. Steam engines £ £ £ Locomotives aa 1,496,849 1,911,340 2,284,094 Agricultura! 755,505 620,968 633,971 Other descriptions... . 1,842,987 1,725,627 1,859,648 Total of steam engines 4,095,341 4,257,935 4,777,713 Not steam engines: Agricultural 872,636 732,948 814,831 Sewing machines 1,452,000 551,981 1,839,373 Mining ... ‘ 561,557 509,249 549,742 Textile ; 6,214,245 4,725,878 4,509,992 Other descriptions 6,424,005 6.034.353 6,260,161 Total of machinery other than steam en or ae .. 15,524,443 13,554,409 13,974,099 Total of machinery § and mill work g .19,619,784 17,812,344 18,751,812 Shipbuilding. The shipbuilding industry finished the year in gloom and despondency. The following summary not only shows the extent of British shipbuilding during the year 1902 as compared with 1901, but also includes colonial and foreign shipbuilding, and so demonstrates the com- plete extent of the world’s shipbuilding: 1902 1901 Vessels. rons Vessels. Tons. Scotland t:. 404 567. SS6 376 554,406 England 937 891,521 S76 1,092,760 lreland 27 159,633 23 151,922 United Kingdom totals...1,368 1,619,040 1,275 1,799,088 Colonial ..... cater S6 24,700 72 9.594 l‘oreign .... . F . 939 1,054,907 845 954.803 Grand totals 2,393 2,698,647 2,192 2,763,285 If we divide the world’s shipbuilding into districts it works out as follows: Vessels rons I. H.-P. the Clyde 312 518,270 480.870 The Tyne ‘ . 144 332,705 277,960 United States ‘ 162 314,894 174,024 Germany 259 272,350 234,096 rhe Wear 67 230,670 159,450 the ‘Tees and Hartlepools 74 195,114 111,600 Another interesting analysis is the work done by the leading shipbuilders of the world. On this point the well informed Glasgow Herald says: ‘Last year first place in the list of shipbuilders was taken by the American Shipbuilding Company, at whose five yards 119,233 tons of shipping were turned out. Harland & Wolff, however, were really first for any sin gle yard, with an aggregate of 92,316 tons; while Wil liam Gray & Co., West Hartlepool, were second with 82,- 262 tons; Russell & Co., Port Glasgow, third, with 58,- 387 tons; Workman, Clark & Co., Belfast, fourth, with 52,711 tons, and Palmer’s Company, Newcastle-on-Tyne, fifth, with 51,292 tons. This year the American com pany have still more yards in their combine, and they are first with 152,197 tons, the product of seven establish ments, and the order of the six leading firms—not yards Is: rons rhe American Company (7 yards) 132,197 Hariand & Wolff, Belfast a ex T9497 Workman, Clark & Co., Belfast ; i 75,932 (¢. S. Swan & Hunter, Newcastle-on-Tyne.. ee , 58,32: Russell & Co., Port Giaszow ; DODD Armstrong, Whitworth & Co., Newcastle-on-Tyne... 52,039 ‘Taking out the American company, as hardly eligible for a place in such a list, leaves the order the same, with Harland & Wolff at the top and the American company’s Lorain yard sixth, with 44,400 tons. The honors certain ly go to Belfast.” The most interesting feature of the shipbuilding trade last year was the formation of the American combine, followed shortly afterward by the British Government's agreement with the Cunard Company. The British na tion for a month or two was pretty badly scared, but by Christmas we had again come to regard ourselves as quite invincible. elie, The Year’s Export Trade. The total value of metals and articles manufactured therefrom exported during the year 1902 was £42,612,- 141, an increase on 1901 of £3,278,474, but a decrease compared with 1900 of £2,734,768. The exports of ma- chinery and mill work and new ships I have already al- luded to. In noting the increase in the export trade last year it is important to observe that the South African market, to a large extent, accounted for it. If, in addition to the increased exports of metals and allied goods to South Africa, we add the abnormal exports to America, it at once becomes evident that the British market has been upheld by extraneous and fortuitous causes. Our other customers have been chary in buying. The drought in Australia, the unsettlement in China, the drought and famine in India, have all had an adverse influence. Toward the end of the year the South American mar- kets showed distinct signs of resuscitation, and the latest reports to hand as to crops in the Argentine point to a good time in the immediate future. The drought in Aus- tralia is at an end, the Chinese market is more hopeful than it has been for years past, the Indian market, as I have several times urged, is now well worth cultivating, while a number of virgin markets, notably Uganda, Ni- geria and Central Africa, will in the near future be tak- ing great quantities of metal products. The year has been a bad one in Europe, particularly in Russia, Ger- many, Holland and Belgium. Spain has shown con- tinued signs of revival, and it now looks as if she is economically the stronger for the unpleasant surgical operation which deprived her of her colonies. Puture Prospects, 1 cannot see a particularly brilliant prospect in the home market for the coming year. It seems, indeed, to be*merely a question of fending, off trade depression for yet a little longer. It may be that with the improved or- ganization of the trade it will be possible more effect- ively to control prices, and so to prevent the worst forms of a trade slump. During the last 12 months the order of the day has been toward greater associated efforts, and undoubtedly large concerns feel that the only way out of their difficulties is in the direction of large trusts and combines. The South African market will undoubt- edly continue to demand large quantities of material for some months to come, and large merchants tell me that they are not afraid for the first quarter of the year, but the trade generally is in a nervous, anxious frame of mind. In one direction there are signs of distinct im- provement—namely, in technical and commercial educa- tion. The American scare, while it has not shaken us out of our self confidence, has done good in that it has shown us an inherent weakness in our methods. It is recognized that on the scientific side of business we lag behind both America and Germany. Strong efforts are now being put forth to remedy this defect, and for this we have to thank our American cousins. 8. G. H. a L. H. Lewis, manager of the Manchester Corporation Hydraulic Power Supply, Manchester, England, has de- vised a plan for wiilizing hydraulic power for secur- ing greater pressure on the ordinary water supply when used for extinguishing fires. The plan he proposes is very simple, and consists in fixing under foot paths, at regular distances, 40 hydraulic injector hydrants. These will be marked by an iron door let into the level of the foot path, and connected with the water main and with the hydravlic main. When occasion arises the simple turning of a tap will supply the fireman’s hose pipe with a mixture of high pressure water and ordinary water. This mixture, it is stated, will be capable of producing any pressure required in the extinction of fires, even if there be little or no pressure in the ordinary mains, and the hydraulically charged jet, it is added, would be as effective at a hight of 100 feet as at a hight of 20 feet. Another advantage of this system is that firms who have hydraulic supply on their own premises can, at a trifling cost, have automatic injectors placed inside their build- ings, and in case of tire a high pressure water supply could be secured in every room by the simple turning of a tap. THE IRON AGE. January 29, 1903 The Lunkenheimer Mechanical Oil Cup. The Lunkenheimer C