The Iron Age 1904-01-21: Vol 73 Iss 3

s < ee et em he Oe | ee ee ee ee ee ee ee eee ee ee = 8¢ 7) |THE IRON.AG A Review of the Hardware, Iron, ce Frades. Published every Thursday Morning by David Williams Co., 232-238 William St., New _ Vol. 73: No. 3. New York, Thursday, January 217, 1904. Single Copies, 1s Genta Reading Matter Contents ....... page 68), Alphabetical Index to Advertisers ‘* 181 )| Classified List of Advertisers.... “ 173 Advertising and Subsoription Rates ‘‘ 180 The 32 Automatic Colt Pistol Cartridge is loaded with a special high power smokeless powder, giving bigh velocity and operating freely through the mechanism of the Automatic Colt Pistoi (pocket model), Those with the soft point bullet wiil be ane desirable for sporting purposes, and those with metal case for military and target use. RIM FIRE CARTRIDGES. The U. M. C. .22 automatic rifle (Winchester model 1903) cartridge is now ready for the market. New .22 shorc ungreased, .22 long ungreased, and .22 Winchester inside lubricated are inexpensive rim fire cartridges loaded with the best grade of smokeless powder. Boys are calling for these cartridges as they can be carried loose in the pocket without the old inconvenience of the greased cartridge. They will not lead the gun, THE BRISTOL COMPANY, U. M. C. Ammunition shoots well in any gun. Waterbury, Conn, THE UNION METALLIC CARTRIDGE Co. Bristol’s Recording BRIDGEPORT, CONN. “Wer sae | Co Agency: 313-16 Broadway, New York City Depot: 86-88 First St., San Francisco, Gal. Silver Medal, Paris Exposition. All Ranges, Low Prices, and Guar- anteed. Send for Circulars. SAMSON SPOT CORD Ase "irands ofSash ord. C PATTERN. SAMSON CORDAGE WORKS, Boston, Mass. ' TURNBUCKLES. ° i GAPEWELL HORSE NAILS: Cleveland City pra eit Forge sie wg 0. FE NEW YORK, Branches 3 ronwnam ND, ORE., > TURN BUCHKIES. < caneaaes ai DETROIT, BALTIMORE, . MERRILL BROS., 8ST. LOUIS, CINCINNATI, NEW ORLEANS, gD Fit 465 to 471 Kent Ave . . BOSTON, SAN FRANCISCO, DENVER. y =| J] 3 THE CAPEWELL HORSE NAIL COMPANY + a CONN, rouneny lees Jenkins eee Valves. The metal and workmanship are the best. All parts are interchange- able. Need no regrinding, as they are more effectively repaired by re- newing the disc, which can be easily and quickly done without removing valve from the pipe, and costs but a trifle. Insist on having the genuine, which always bear our Trade-Mark. JENKINS BROS., New York, Boston, Philadelphia, ee London. “Swecon” Gold Rtfed Steel cs Drawing »« Stamping (Water and Rail Delivery) Baiperport, Comy vaun a ream ene onsemmmmenenemn se oatmeal tae sass itiitaaieaiiddee ane SEE ADVERTISEMENTS PAGE 26 THE AMERICAN TUBE & ST Seen COMPANY American Sheet & Tin Plate Company Battery Park Building 4 z MAGNOLIA METAL. New York Best Anti-Friction Metal for all Machinery Bearings. ~ an MAGNOLIA LIA METAL C0., Owners and Sole Manufacturers, _—13-115 Bank Street, Pitsburg and Philedelpbie, "We manufacture Chicago, Fisher Bldg. NEW YORK, grades of Be a We manufacture al prices 2 THE IRON AGE. 7 ae ANSONIA Brass B R AS S p” COPPER CO. MANOVACTUEEES OF ee BRASS AND COPPER COPPER aie GERMAN | SHEET GOLE MANUFACTURERS ROD Tobin Br Condenser Plates,Pump Lininge. ound, Square and Hexagon Bars, for Pump LOW BRASS. SHEET BRONZE. eiccernleng takes ee ote | SEAMLESS BRASS AND COPPER my ae Ce bi ies TUBING. BRAZED BRASS AND —___________—= | BRONZE TUBING. :::::::3 MAU MMMMMNMN 05000 Randolph-Clowes Co. :|waTERBURY BRASS CO., Main Office and Mill WATERBURY, CONN. 3 MANUFACTURERS OF SHEET BRASS & COPPER. BRAZED BRASS & COPPER TUBES. SEAMLESS BRASS Largest Jobbing Brass Foundry in & COPPER TUBES wen Tevet TO 36 IN. DIAM. LARGE CASTINGS A SPECIALTY. New York Office, 253 Broadway, Postal Breaze, Brass, Aluminum and Telegraph Building, Room 715. Babbitt Metals. Chicago Office, 602 Fisher Bldg. fe on ed wo bap for oe t0 Sand. a WATERBURY, CONN. BRIDGEPORT DEOXIDIZED BRONZE AND METAL COMPANY, BRIDGEPORT, CONN. -Matthiessen & Hegeler Zinc Co., LA SALLE, ILLINOIS, SMELTERS OF SPELTER AND MANUFACTURERS OF SHEET ZINC AND SULPHURIC ACID. Special Sizes of Zinc cut to order. Rolled Battery Plates. Selected Plates for Etchers’ and Lithographers’ use. Selected Sheets for Paper and Card Makers’ use. Stove and Washboard Blanks. ZINCS FOR LECLANCHE BATTERY. 88:74 nial aaa ot Metals oo Aluminum ‘ ore, pre rass, Bronze and ® Aluminum 2 FOUN DERS— FINISHERS. ww. G&G. ROWZLEL & CoO., HENDRICKS BROTHERS PROPRIETURS OF THE Belleville Copper Rolling Mills, MANUFACTURERS OF Brasiers’ Bolt and Sheathing CorPrrPritF AND COPPER WIRED Importers and Dealers in ingot Copper, Block Tin, Spelter, Lead, 49 CLIFF ST., NEW YORK. Antimony, etc. “aie 130 Centre St., New York. Providence, R. |. CASTINGS Bridgeport, Conn. RIVETS. THE PLUME & ATWooD MF6. Ca, MANUFACTURERS OF Sheet and Roll Brass — AND— WIRE PRINTERS’ BRASS, JEWELERS’ METAL, GERMAN SILVER AND GILDING METAL, COPPER RIVETS AND BURRS. Pins, Brass Butt Hinges, Jack Chain, Kero- sene Burners, Lamps, Lamp Trimmings, &c. 29 MURRAY SI., NEW YORE. 144 HIGH ST., BOSTON. 199 LAKE ST., CHICAGO, ROLLING MILL : FACTORIES : THOMASTON, CONN. WATERBURY, CONN. SCOVILL MFG. CO., BRASS, GERMAN SILVER Sheets, Rolls, Wire Reds, Bolts and Tubes, Brass Shelis, Cups, Hinges, Buttons, Lamp Goods. SPECIAL BRASS GOODS TO ORDER Factories, WATERBURY, CONN. DEPOTS: NEW YORK, CHICAGO, BOSTON. JOHN DAVOL & SONS, AGENTS FOR Brooklyn Brass & Copper Co., DEALERS IN COPPER, TIN, SPELTER, LEAD, ANTIMONY. 100 John Street, - New York. Arthur T. Rutter SUCCESSOR TO WILLIAM S. FEARING 256 Broadway, NEW YORK. Small tubing in Brass, Copper, Steel, Aluminum, German Silver, &c. Sheet Brass, Copper and Ger- iman Silver. Copper, Brass and German Silver Wire. Brazed and Seamless Brass and Copper Tube. Copper and Brass Rod. “PHONO-ELECTRIC” WIRE. “1's tovan.” TROLLEY, TELEPHONE and fy TELEGRAPE ~ LINES. Bridgeport, BRIDGEPORT BRA BRASS ( CO Hot Water Supply. A practical treatise upon fitting of hot water ~ em ye for do Pitt edith a cn Jf ceern “it * 72° a t tion, entire rewr tten. Gi "ale For eale by David Williams Go., 228 Wititam 81.,¥.Y. LIBRARY f CONGRESS Two Copies Received JAN 21 1904 Copyright Entry CLASS HE ILRON AGE THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 1904. XXe. No. COPY g =a N Philadelphia’s New Fire Fighting amount and pressure of water required in the emergen- $ cies of large fires, but the increased demands incident to Service. the construction of tall buildings were entirely unprovided e \e . ° for. ie Central Pumping Station and Independent Pipe The new system provides separate mains utilized only PA System Whereby High Pressures are Ob- = {or fire service, and a central pumping station located tained Directly at the Hydrants. right in the district to be protected, and having the Dela- — ware River as the source of its supply instead of the To overcome the unreliability of the ordinary city distant reservoirs. water service for fire fighting purposes, and to obtain The fact that the special mains were laid in the very THE IRON AGE ‘ Fig. 1.— Stream Obtained Directly from One of the Hydrants. higher water pressures than are obtainable frum the busiest section of the city made this work a rather pro- 1 regular steam fire engines, the city of Philadelphia has tracted operation, which consumed a period covering more just completed the installation of an independent high than two years. The construction of the pumping station pressure fire fighting service, which covers the congested necessitated further delay in the completion of the whole business portion of the city. In this district the largely project. This is, however, now accomplished, and the ir-reased demands upon the regular water service have entire system is now about to be turned over for active op- not only made it inadequate to supply the necessary cration. While awaiting the completion of the central 2 THE IRON AGE. pumping station the system was used by the substitution of fire boats, which pumped river water through the mains. The connections provided for this purpose are so arranged as to permit the supplementing by the fire boats of the completed system should occasion require it. The results obtained by means of the pressure pro- vided by the fire boats, which, although not as great as that obtainable from the central pumping station, is still considerably higher than that in the city mains, have jproved conclusively the success of the project. Recent tests have produced the results illustrated in Fig. 2.—Twelve Streams Playing on One Point.—Taken from Two Hydrants. Figs. 1 and 2, which show power of streams far beyond the possibilities of the ordinary steam fire engines, even when several engines are concentrated on one line of hose, -according to the best modern practice. These tests were made under the supervision of the Board of Fire Under- writers, and the best evidence of their success was an im- mediate reduction of the insurance rates in the particular district covered by the system of 15 cents per $100. If the increased efficiency expected by the system with the central pumping station in operation is attained a fur- ther reduction of 10 cents per $100 in insurance rates is promised. As the insured values in the district referred to repre- sent a total of almost $200,000,000, the value of the sys- tem to the business interests of Philadelphia will be seen to be very substantial. It is estimated that it will be possible to send four streams over Philadelphia’s tallest ‘building, and that a sufficient amount of water can oe poured into a building to literally drown out any fire within half an hour. These estimates are based on results already accom- plished by means of the employment of the fire boats for pumping. A very hot fire was recently encountered in a large five- story building at the corner of Eleventh and Race streets, containing straw board storage, paper boxes and other in- ‘flammable material. The alarm was given at 11 p.m. and the fire was extinguished at 11.30, the fire boat “ Stuart” exerting its pressure within two minutes after the alarm was sounded and operating under a pressure of 150 pounds. There were four lines of 34-inch hose with 2-inch noz- zles used, and after the extinguishment of the fire a single stream was kept on the débris and contents for some 16 hours. It is stated that the prompt response of the high pressure fire service on this occasion is deserving of the credit of the extinguishment of the fire and the fact that there was no extension beyond the building in which it originally occurred. Previous to this a cotton and wool warehouse fire on Chestnut street, between Front and Second, was promptly extinguished, and similar results obtained on the occasion of the fire in the produce warehouse on North Delaware avenue. January 21, 1904 At another warehouse the steel shutters were torn off of the building by means of the streams and the powerful columns of water stove large holes through the partitions of the building, enabling the firemen to direct their streams right into the heart of the fire immediately. The system of piping as now constructed covers ef- fectually about 425 acres. in area. The location of the mains and connections is shown in Fig. 4. The amount and sizes of piping are as follows: Feet. Walnut street, from Delaware River, 12-inch...........-. 6,519 Market street, from Delaware avenue, 12-inch.......... 221 Market street, from Water street, 16-inch.............+- 5,979 Arch street, from Delaware River, 12-inch............++. 6,210 Race street, from Delaware River, 12-inch.............. 5,121 Juniper street, from Filbert to Arch streets, 12-inch...... 540 Broad street, from Walnut street to S. Penn Square, ca teen ae ch 050% bbs $6 0.600.046 e eke es oss 06 871 Around City Hall, U2-imch. 0. cic ce.sccssccccccccsccece 2,248 Delaware avenue, from Markct to Race streets, 8-inch.... 1,446 Second street, from Walnut to Race streets, 8-inch...... 2,642 Vifth street, from Walnut to Race streets, 8-inch........ 2,642 HKighth street, from Walnut to Race streets, 8-inch...... 2,642 Eleventh street, from Walnut to Race streets, 8-inch..... 2,642 Fire hydrant connections, 8-inch...........0+eeeeeeeee 2,471 Total Mis BIG, 6 see's é cicien es Fo eee shee evebveseen ee 42,194 The sizes given ‘above are nominal. The external di- ameters conform to the standards used by the Water Bureau, and the internal diameters are reduced in pro- portion to the increased thickness of barrel necessary to give the required strength. Figs. 5 and 6 show the ex- act proportions of the piping and fittings used. The straight and the curved pipes are of cast iron and are flanged at both ends, but owing to the former being ar | ee a Fig. 3.—Special Hydrant with Siamese Connections for Sia Streams, cast vertically, the flanges cn the cope ends of these pipes are reinforced with brackets. All flanges are straight faced and spot faced around the bolt holes. The joints are packed with canvas, thor- oughly coated with North Carolina tar, and cover the full width of the face of the flange. The straight pipes are 12 feet in ‘Jength; the curved pipes, for changing directions and passing obstructions encountered in the line of work, are from 8 to 16 feet radii, and the hydrant connections 19 inches radii, all of which vary in length from 1 to 8 feet, according to re- quirements. ° | ef rank / / ! aa) Si SR a® THE IRON AGE. 3 January 21, 1904 Telephone Boxes Hydrants Sleeves Crosses Mains Stops Tees Telephone Box |Fire Bout Connection |Arch St. Wharf AUVMVTAE » Telephone Box || Fire Boat Connection | Race St. Wharf Walnut St. Wharf | Fire Boat Connection i. Telephone Box eg} efranklin Fig. 4.—Vap of District Covered by the High Pressure Pumping Service. The dimensions of the pipes and bolts are as follows: -—— Pipe. —_,_ —F langes. ——_, ————- Bolts. -——,, Bolt Internal External Thick- circle Size. diam. diam. Diam. ness. diam. Diam. Length. Inches. Inches. Inches. Inches. Inches. Inches. No. Inches. Inches. 8 ™ 9 13% 1% 11% 8 1 4% 12 10/6 13%/19 17% 2% 15%° 12 1% 5% 16 14% 17% 22% 2% 20 16 1% 7% The crosses and tees for connecting laterals or inter- secting pipes are made of cast steel, and in all respects are of the same diameters as those given above for cast 3°... wre —-——- 54s eu tron Act Fig. 5.—Details of Special Piping Used. iron pipes, except that the interior diameters are greater and the thickness of the flanges is reduced, as follows: 8-inch interior diameter, 7% in.; thickness of flange, 1 in. 12-inch interior diameter, 11/4 in.; thickness of flange, 1 in. 16-inch interior diameter, 15% in.; thickness of flange, 1% in. The gate valves are of the double disk pattern, with inside screws; the bodies are of semi-steel; the gates, valve seats and screws, of bronze; the 16-inch size being provided with by-passes, bolted to the body of the stop with flanged connections. The piping and fittings were furnished by the Hoff- man Engineering & Contracting Company of Philadelphia at a cost of $274,000. The hydrants, one of which is shown in Fig. 3, are of the post pattern and were especially designed for this work by the A. P. Smith Mfg. Company of Newark, N. J. Each hydrant is provided with two 4inch nozzles, controlled by independent valves, and the main valve of the hydrant is a solid 8-inch single faced gate, all of the working parts being of bronze and so constructed that they can be taken out for repairs by removing the top of the hydrant. The body and gooseneck are of semi-steel. There are at present 166 hydrants connected to the b---279"dia- 4%, —_ Fig. 6.—Detaile Showing Proportions of Fittings Used. system, spaced on an average 300 feet apart, each fire plug having two 4-inch outlets. To each outlet can be attached a three-stream Siamese 34-inch hose connection, giving a six-stream capacity to each fire plug. A gate valve is placed in the connection to each fire plug. Valves are also placed in the mains at every crossing, so that sections can be put out of service for repairs, and also, if desired, the pressure can be directed in the line from pumps to fire. Two styles of expansion joints were used on the mains, one consisting of a solid sleeve with lead joints, such as is ordinarily adopted in water works practice for joining the bead, or cut ends, of cast iron water pipes, and the other, of which by far the greater number were used, was of the stuffing box and gland pattern, as shown in Fig. 8, in which square flax packing was used for making the joints water tight. Brass air cocks, of the ordinary plug type, but made extra strong, are placed on all summits in the mains. Brick chambers, with iron manhole covers, are con- ——Sa— a 4 THE IRON AGE. structed over all stops and expansion joints, so that re- pairs can be easily made and without unnecessary delay. At the foot of Walnut, Arch and Race streets, the 12- inch pipes terminate in an enlarged bottle shaped cham- ber, which serves as a fire boat connection. This is 36 inches in diameter, the outer or river end of which is flanged, and to which is bolted a heavy plate, the latter being provided with eight 4-inch nozzles, as shown in Fig. 7. Each of these nozzles is controlled by a check valve within, and so arranged that no water can flow out of the chamber. Details of this check valve are shown in Fig. 8. On top of the fire boat connection there is a 15-inch 4” a 2”Drain Valve Besar < u- January 21, 1904 ground wires with a central station at the City Hall, offers means of quick and direct communication by telephone between the pumping station or the fire boats stationed on the river front and the immediate vicinity of any fire which may occur within the boundaries covered by the independent fire mains. In Fig. 4 the locations of the telephone boxes, piping, fittings and hydrants are shown, together with the three fire boat and pumping plant connections at the river end of the system, and the city reservoir connection and check valve at the opposite end, directly north of the City Hall. The new central pumping station which has just been Bae eomtah of am ao @ | Single /Rivetted Double Rivetted Seam §”Steel Plate Fig. 7.—Siamese and Air Chamber Connection Whereby Hight Lines from the Fire Boat are Connected to One of the Mains. flanged opening surmounted by an air chamber 24 inches in diameter and 6 feet high. The fire boat connection is made of cast steel, the nozzle and check valves of bronze and the air chamber of 44-inch steel plate. ; All pipe and materials forming part of the fire main system were subjected to a hydrostatic pressure of 800 pounds to the square inch at the manufacturers, and to another test of 400 pounds to the square inch after being laid in the ground, in order to insure the integrity of the completed work. The total cost of the materials consumed in the piping system was $216,670. The cost of excavating was $20,630, and the cost of laying the pipe $90,670. The system is maintained under a constant pressure of Fig. 8.—-Details of Check Valve. about 60 pounds to the square inch, by means of a 12-inch connection to the main which supplies the City Hall with water by gravity from the city reservoir. The 12-inch connection is also provided with a check valve, similar to that shown in Fig. 8, which permits the water to pass into the fire mains, but not in the reverse direction. The principal feature of the gravity supply is to keep the fire mains primed and ready for instant service at all times; but in addition to this it is useful for the extin- guishment of incipient fires not exceeding 100 feet in ele- vation above the street level. A complete system of fire boxes, connected by under- completed is located on the Delaware River front at the corner of Delaware avenue and Race street, or in the northeast corner of the piping system. This location al- lows for the extension of the system in a northerly di- rection. A 20-inch pumping main, 1400 feel long, however, connects the pumps with the fire main system at Water and Market streets, delivering the water nearer the center of the present service. The building is a strictly modern structure of brick and steel construction one story high and 72 feet wide by 140 feet in depth. It is proportioned to contain ten 11% x 12 inch vertical direct acting triplex Deane pumps, each capable of de- livering 1200 gallons per minute at 40 revolutions, against a pressure of 300 pounds per square inch. There are also two 6144 x 12 inch pumps of the same type of 350 gallons Tas aon AGE Fig. 9.—-Type of Expansion Sleeves Used. capacity per minute. These pumps are to work together or singly, as may be desired, and all will discharge into a common 20-inch main. The water supply for the pumps will be taken direct from the Delaware River through a 36-inch suction main. Only seven of the larger pumps are being installed at present. Each of the large pumps will be driven by a 280 horse-power Westinghouse three-cylinder single acting gas engine, and the small pumps by engines of the same type of 125 horse-power each. The smaller engines wi!) be direct connected to the smaller pumps through friction clutches, and will also drive electric ignition generators of 7.5 kw. each and the air compressors supplying air at an Sh ans Go oh atlUMlUCVllCOMf ~- A teas yo — -—=S wie ~*~ oh January 21, 1904 200 pounds pressure for starting the main engines. There are three sources of current for ignition, connections with the city lighting mains and a storage battery being provid- ed in addition to the ignition generators. The lighting cur- rent is reduced from 220 to 110 volts by a rotary trans- former. Cooling water for the gas engine cylinders may be taken from two different city water mains and from the fire mains. A gas pressure regulator on the supply pipe of each engine maintains the pressure constant. Triplex pumps have been selected because of the even flow of the discharge, producing practically constaut pressure on the discharge mains and making a very eveu load through all parts of the gas engine cycle. The crank shafts are driven from the engine shafts through single reduction gears. The fact that the pumps are of the ver- tical type makes it very easy to connect the pumps di- rectly to the engines, and also results in a considerable saving in space. Each pump is fitted with a by-pass valve and a relief THE IRON AGE. ar ~ the specification. The valves are of hard rubber, es- pecially suited for this work. The mechines were especially designed for fire serv- ice by the Deane Steam Pump Company of Holyoke, Mass., and are brass fitted throughout in order that they may be able to start after long periods of idleness. Alt of the moving parts, such as bearings, connecting rods, crank pin boxes, cross head shoes, &¢., are adjustable for wear. The crank shafts and connecting rods are made of forged compressed steel, have large factors of safety and are much superior to the steel castings sometimes used for this purpose. The pinions are of steel and the gears are of steel castings, all very carefully cut by machine and running with very little noise. The pumps are very heavy in every particular and insure that every requirement on the pumping end of the equip- ment will be fully met. The engines are started with compressed air in one cylinder with the relief valves on the pumps open. These Fig. 10.—IJ nterier View of Pumping Station. valve, the manner of using these valves being well de- scribed in the following clause from the specifications : “It is proposed to maintain about 60 pounds pressure on the fire mains from the city reservoir. The pumps will be started under these conditions with the by-pass open, and any surplus of water pumped will be discharged through the relief valve into the suction main. When the engine is under way the by-pass will be closed, and when the water is used as fast as this unit will de- liver it its relief valve will close. In the meantime a second unit will be started and handled in the same way, and so on until the full plant is in operation.” The pressure in the fire mains is controlled auto- matically by an electric motor acting on the by-pass valve. It may be held steadily at any point under 300 pounds, while a spring relief valve ‘prevents it from going above that point. The water ends of the pumps are divided into sec- tions ; that is, each cylinder and valve chest is a separate casting and can easily be removed by itself without dis- turbing the other parts of the machine. This makes a very convenient arrangement in case repairs are ever required for the water end parts. The pumps have very large valve areas and are capable of a very much higher speed and much greater pressure than are called for in valves are controlled by electric motors operated from the engine platform, one motor being on each valve. The entire work of operating the engines, pumps, and valves is under the immediate control of one person, who, from the gallery of the engine, without moving from his posi- tion, can open and close all valves by means of electrical devices. ‘he division of the pumping plant into comparatively small units presents an advantage in connection with the telephone communication with all parts of the fire dis- trict in increasing or decreasing the quantity of water re- quired at a moment’s notice. The large engines are geared directly to the pumps through the spur gears without friction clutches, in the proportion of 5 to 1; this, with the moderate rate of pis- ton speed of the engines, gives a slow piston speed to the pumps. The suction pipe of the pumps is riveted to a 36-inch steel suction main crossing Delaware avenue to the river, turning down at the bulkhead, and extending about 3 feet below tide, and provided with check valve and stop valve. The selection of gas engines for motive power is novel, but is believed to be justified, in view of the perfection of the modern gas engine as regards reliability and free- dom from breakdown. ‘The great advantages incident to ; iu Sa | - | = - 6 THE IRON the use of gas engines are their economy during periods of idleness as compared with steam plants and the abil- ity to start up immediately and at full power. In computing the comparative costs of operating the pumping plant by steam or gas engines the following de- O ——e *.., - . oe = . . . : oe \—_le Tuer IRon Acs Fig. 11.—Foundation Plan of Pumping Station. ductions were made, calculating on one fire of ten hours’ duration per month: : Steam engines. Gas engines. Number of engines. ...........esee005 3 8 eee OE WON s 6 6ais ie ints écsiewe aod B.<sr ci Bedess Cost of engines, boiiers and stack...... $140,000 $150,000 Total capacity in million gallons per 24 wok sn bcd Cabs o bbls e ace he tbs eo 15 16 WHE DOP GAOMED, ccc cesvccccvccices $650 $450 Cost of coal per month............... re COBS WE RE BOE BOGE. o ccc cc ccvngcse. cesese *$392 I As ou 00.5.0 5 06% 63020266 03.00 $48 $48 EE ph enkN use as ccs doRecceswestes $85 $85 Total cost per month, one ten-hour fire. $1,283 $975 Cost per year, one ten-hour fire per D4. .ccditndaovnn ahh tn hyee et $15,396 $11,700 “ * Cost of gas for ten hours. It will be noted that the actual saving accredited to the gas engine is considerable. An elaborate series of tests will be conducted by F. L. Hand, chief of the Bureau of Water of Philadelphia, as soon as the weather moderates sufficiently to permit the AGE. January 21, 1904 pouring upon the streets of the immense quantities of water necessary. Prominently associated with Chief Hand in the work of designing and installing the system were John E. Codman and John W. Weaver of the city’s engineering force. ———- The New England Foundrymen’s Association. The New England Foundrymen’s Association held its annual meeting at the Exchange Club, Boston, Wed- nesday evening, the 13th inst., it being the date of the regular January meeting. There was a large attendance, notwithstanding that it rained in torrents, making travel exceedingly disagreeable. These officers were elected: President, Bartlett M. Shaw, the Walker & Pratt Mfg. Company, Boston, Mass. Vice-president, John Magee, Magee Furnace Company, Chelsea, Mass. Secretary, Fred. B. Stockwell, Company, Cambridge, Mass. Treasurer, George H. Lincoln, George H. Lincoln & Co., South Boston. Executive Committee: W. B. Snow, B. F. Sturtevant Company, Hyde Park, Mass.; J. O. Henshaw, N. S. Bart- lett & Co., Boston; A. J. Miller, Jr., Whitehead Bros., Providence, R. I.: W. C. Doherty, Doherty Bros., Lowell, Mass., and J. F. Lanigan, Davis F: undry Company, Law- rence, Mass. Following the election Henry A. Carpenter of Provi- dence, the retiring president, who had declined re-elec- tion, after two years in the office, made a brief address, reviewing the growth of the association in its two years of existence, from 10 to 102 members, making it the banner foundrymen’s association of the country, and so recognized in the industry. President Shaw and Vice President Magee spoke of the great credit that should be given to Mr. Carpenter for his work in bringing the Barbour-Stockwell Tue IRon AoE Fig. 12.—End Elevation of Pump, Showing Connections. association to its present influential position. He was given a rising vote of thanks. These new members were elected: Eaton, Cole & Burnham Company, Bridgeport, Conn.; Whiting Foun- dry Equipment Company, Chicago, W. A. Garrett, New England agent; Chicago Pneumatic Tool Company, James S. Towle, New England agent. After dinner there were addresses by I. W. Frank, of the Frank-Kneeland Machine Company of Pittsburgh, Pa., president of the National Founders’ Association, and O. P. Briggs, of the Twin City Iron Works, Minneapolis, Minn., commissioner of the National Association. Both January 21, 1904 spoke along the lines of the Washington convention, pay- ing particular attention to the uniform agreement, as recommended by the convention. Their remarks were listened to with great interest. The New England Foundrymen’s Association is tak- ing a good deal of interest in the Foundry Exhibit Build- ing at the St. Louis Exposition, and the members are ex- Fiy. 18. THE IRON AGE. q importers of pig iron in San Francisco. To Meyer, Wil- son & Co. he is indebted to the extent of more than $200,- 000. To Balfour, Guthrie & Co. and Girvin & Eyre he owes about $100,000. Mr. Church’s present financial con- dition is due to the fact that he overestimated the capac- ity of the coast to consume pig iron. His three principal creditors likewise overestimated the market. In the last THE IRON AGE lan of Gas Engine Pumping Set ___ Floor Line ae ie ee se Fig. 14.-—Front Elevation of Gas Engine Pumping Set. pected to subscribe liberally to the necessary fund in answer to the general notice which each has received. oe Seymour R. Church Fails.—A press dispatch from San Francisco, dated January 16, says: Seymour R. Church has failed for $320,000. Three prominent firms from whom in the aggregate Mr. Church contracted to take 16,000 tons of pig iron, which he will now be unable to handle, are Balfour, Guthrie & Co., Girvin & Byre and Meyer, Wilson & Co. These concerns are the principal four or five years Mr. Church has had things his own way in local pig iron circles. Without difficulty he has prac- tically maintained a corner of the commodity. He is now said to be very ill. oa _—— ~>--< i According to a Berlin press dispatch, the German government, after long experiments, has ordered turbine engines to be constructed for the German third class cruiser “ Merkur” (formerly the “ Arcona,” of 2,373 tons displacement) and for a torpedo boat. nen ~sS Pere r 7 Scotch Industrial News. Pig [ron Statistics. Guiascow, January 7, 1904.—The iron trade here is under holiday influences, all iron and steel works being still closed. Since my last letter the Scottish Pig Iron Trade Association have issued their report for 1903 on returns obtained from ironmasters and other sources. The Cleveland ironmasters do not make any returns either of production or of stocks held by them, but I am making up an estimate from information supplied to me, which I shall submit later. Meanwhile, I present the following summary of the production, consumption, shipments and stocks of Scotch pig iron: Change. 1903.—Tons. 1902.—Tons. Tons. Pues. «2 ews esavk 1,288,073 1,295,074 Dec. 7,001 ae eee 923,465 956,219 Dec. 32,754 DEERE . oi. o> Gs saanan 323,904 886,758 Dec. 62,854 Stocks : = ——_ = In Warrant Stores. . 9,290 24,035 Dec. 14,745 In makers’ hands.... 118,768 63,319 Inc. 55,449 Total stocks...... 128,058 87,854 Inc. 40,704 Furnaces in blast, December 31. 79 86 Dec. 7 Average number of furnaces in blast during the year...... 85 84 Inc. 1 Average price of G. M. B..... 52s. 3d. 54s.6d. Dec. 2s. 3d. Highest price of G. M. B..... 57s. 6d. 58s. 4d. Dec. 10d. Lowest price of G. M. B..... 48s. 9d. 48s. 10d. Dec. 1d. The shipments of Scotch pig iron to the United States in 1908 were 40,296 tons as compared with 71,917 tons in 1902 and 2905 tons in 1901. The warrant stock, which was reduced by 14,745 tons during the year, is now of so trifling amount that a Scotch iron warrant is becoming an object of curiosity in the avenues of commerce. Only fourteen years ago th> warrant stores in Glasgow held 1,250,000 tons of G. M. B. Following is a summary of the statistics of hematite iron of the Cumberland and Barrow districts: 1903.—Tons. 1902.—Toas. PE is cccieneceabh +atraawee 1,333,900 1,382,100 Stocks: == a Me meakers’ bam@s... 2.0. ccsececce 83,188 22,314 In store at Workington......... 3,265 3,390 In store at Maryport............ 1,000 1,500 In store at Whitehaven.......... 1,688 8,833 In store at Barrow............. 7,080 15,580 ete) -GHRIR 6.0.n5'6 Keak es 4 ened 96,221 46,617 The Steel Trade. The Steel Company of Scotland Ltd. report that 1903 has been, in the Scotch steel trade, another year of fluctuations and uncertainties. The opening was not en- couraging, prices of raw material being high, and the selling price of steel abnormally low; and this state of matters continued practically during the greater part of the year. The volume of business done was, however, almost equal to that of 1902. Business with British Colonies and the Far Bast has been well maintained. For Canada the company secured several important con- tracts, including one for the material required for the construction of a large penstock at Niagara Falls. David Colville & Sons, Limited, Dalzell Steel & Iron Works, Motherwell, say that notwithstanding the dull prospects at the beginning of the year, their volume of business has been surprisingly large. The output of steel, including plates and bars, was in excess of any pre- vious year. But the general trade of the country, taken as a whole, has been depressed by excessive comptition, intensified by the importation of foreign manufactured steel, frequently sold in this country under the cost here of similar material. A feature of this competition has been the extensive purchases of foreign steel billets by malleable iron manufacturers, which enabled them to put into the market large quantities of steel merchant bars and small sections-in direct competition not only with their own malleable iron bars, but also with home made steel. Shipbuilding. The work done in the Clyde Shipbuilding yards dur- ing 1908 was, as expected, less than that of 1902. The total output was 277 vessels of 446,869 tons, as com- pared with 12 of 516,977 tons in 1902—a decrease of 35 THE IRON AGE. January 21, 1904 vessels and 70,108 tons. The decrease is not serious, though it represents less work in the district than in the previous year and more idle men. The work done by Clyde shipbuilders last year included only 104 trading steamers. Thus of the 277 vessels less than half the number were additions to the freight carrying fleets of the world, though the largest share of the tonnage. B. T. ~~ The Milwaukee Foundrymen’s Association. The annual dinner of the Milwaukee Foundrymen’s Association, Milwaukee, Wis., was held at the Hotel Pfister on the evening of January 12. Labor, in its relation to the iron industries, came up as an important item for discussion, pertinent remarks being heard from Irving H. Reynolds, formerly with the Allis-Chalmers Company, and Charles E. Sammond, of the Stowell Foundry & Machine Company. Mr. Reynolds spoke of the necessity of co-operation among local organizations and the need of forming local bodies into one national organization, which only can resist the exactions of such strong unions as the iron molders’ union, with its strike fund of $250,000 to $300,000. Mr. Reynolds declared that “the fundamental principle of all trades unions is to restrict the output, and this is a more important problem for the employer to meet than the wage question.” Mr. Sammond presented the objects of the American Foun- drymen’s Association, giving education as its underlying principle. C. A. Sercomb, formerly prominent in the Milwaukee foundry trade, discussed the need of closer relationship between employer and employed. Frederick W. Sivyer gave a history of the National Association of Manufacturers, whose objects are to protect its members from unjust taxation, exorbitant freight rates and the impositions of trade unionism. Walter Read, of the Filer-Stowell Company was elected president to succeed T. J. Neacy of the same company, who had resigned. , — pe It is estimated that the daily capacity of the docks at Ashtabula harbor will be increased from 25 to 30 per cent. next season over that of the past season. On the Hanna docks, on the Pennsylvania side, the fast hoists are being equipped with clam shell buckets, just as the King machines were equipped during the past season. The new electric power house is being enlarged. The boiler capacity will be augmented by two additional boilers. Electricity for power for operating dock ma- chinery was installed about a year ago and has proved very satisfactory. On the Lake Shore side of the river there are four clam shell machines, which were erected last fall on the Ashtabula dock. By reason of suits entered by the Mesta Machine Company and the American Ingot Mold Company against the Clairton Steel Company, mechanics’ liens have been entered against the defendant company, aggregating $23,055.71. The indebtedness to the Mesta Machine Company is said to have been incurred at the time that the works of the defendant were erected, and it is also stated that the plaintiffs have no collateral security for their claims. The liens are entered against the property of the Clairton Steel Company in Jefferson township. The resumption at the Sharon Steel Company’s rod. wire and nail mills at South Sharon, Pa., on January 11, was not without spectacular features.. It was the great- est day in South Sharon, perhaps, since it was a town. There were places for about 2000 men, but in the town, eager for work, there were fully 1200 Slavs, to say noth ing of other nationalities. When the gates were opened these Slavs crowded into the mills and sought out their old locations. There was not work for half of them, and a force of 11 policemen was required to restore order and keep them away. It was after a vacation of five months, and all the labor of the town was most eager for employment. The blast furnaces and blooming mill, and about half the tin mills; have resumed, and in a short time the entire concern will be in operation, giving em- ployment to as many more men, at least. January 21, 1904 THE A Heavily Built Drop Hammer for Cold Stamping. Cold stamping is recognized as imposing extreme con- ditions which must be properly met in the design of a hammer which will successfully endure the heavy stresses repeatedly occurring and the severe strains thereby produced. Our illustration shows a board lift drop hammer involving practically all of the mechan- ical features of previous designs by the same makers, but supporting and housing these by and within exces- sively massive and heavy base and uprights. Compari- son of the accompanying illustration with those of other machines of a similar type made by the same firm, as well as by other builders of drop hammers, shows that in the new design many unusual features are incorpo- rated in the form and proportions of the base and the uprights. The mechanism for operation and control of A HEAVILY BUILT DROP HAMMER. the hammer is, however, scarcely changed except in such details as are made necessary by the altered form of the housing. The particular line of work for which the redesign of this hammer was made is that of stamping from bronze ‘and sheet steel various articles of high-class build- ers’ hardware. The more familiar T-section of uprights has been changed in favor of a half box section with strong middle rib. The base, as already mentioned, is made very heavy, and is of increased depth front to back, giving in the case of the 1200-pound hammer here il- lustrated a bearing length of 24 inches for each of the up- rights. The total weight of the 1200-pound machine is 28,000 pounds. It is made by BE. W. Merrill, Jr., 465 Kent ave- nue, Brooklyn, N. Y. The mechanical features of the hammers made by this company are familiar, and as they are practically unchanged in the new design, no special description of them is necessary. It may simply be recalled, however, that automatic features are pro- vided, such that either light or heavy blows may be struck as the operator may desire, or a succession of heavy blows may be had without removal of foot pres- sure from the treadle. es! The American Chamber of Commerce of Berlin, Ger- many, will celebrate its first anniversary on January 27. IRON AGE. 9 The officers are Hermann Kreismann, president; F. Hess- enberg, managing director of the Westinghouse, vice- president; Elmer Roberts, second vice-president, and J. Wolf, Jr., treasurer. The Board of Directors includes Julius A. Hutmacher, the Berlin representative of the McCormick Harvester Machine Company; W. F. Plass, of the American Machinery Company, and R. A. Panckow, an importer of American iron and steel. iticieicin alll iacaiiac The American Car & Foundry Company Re- duce Wages. A reduction has been made in the wages of the offi- cials and employees of the American Car & Foundry Com- pany. About 5000 men are affected by the reduction. General Manager W. J. McBride makes the following ex- planation: “The reduction was made because of a falling off in business, and because our competitors reduced the salaries of their employees. There has been no dissatisfaction ever the cut, however, the employees understanding why it was done. During the past three years wages have been raised from 25 to 33 1-3 per cent. The business pros- pect for the next few months is not so good, and the re- duction comes naturally, in view of the previous in- creases. It will be only temporary. When business re- vives old wages will be restored. ‘The officers of the com- pany have voluntarily accepted a temporary reduction in wages also.” A reduction in the rate of the dividend on the com- mon stock of the corporation was announced a few days ago, but Mr. McBride says the reduction in wages had nothing to do with this. The forces have been reduced at all the plants of the company, particularly in the freight car departments. The St. Louis World’s Fair has occa- sioned considerable business in the passenger car depart- ment. +e. A $3,000,000 mortgage has been recorded by the New Castle & Beaver Falls Street Railway Company in the counties of Lawrence and Beaver, in Pennsylvania, and it is likely that the 20 miles of line between Beaver Falls and New Castle will be constructed in 1904, just as soon as rights of way can be settled and enough bonds sold to construct the line. It will be the most important of the very few links remaining to be constructed in the direct line from Pittsburgh to Cleveland. Franchises have al- ready been secured at Wampum Borough, south of New Castle, and at the new town of West Pittsburgh, and arrangements have been made for the entry into New Castle. It is almost certain that the next few years will see several new town sites opened along the new line. A somewhat important novelty in the handling of the phosphoric slag from the basic process has lately been announced by Dr. Miiller—namely, that by subjecting it to the action of steam under pressure for a few hours the lime is slacked and the mass is reduced to the fine powder required for agricultural use, thus doing away with the costly and unpleasant process of grinding now in use, with the further advantage that the proportion of phos- phorie acid soluble in citric acid is increased from 2 to 21% per cent., with a corresponding increase in its fertiliz- ing value above that ground in the ordinary way. The Post Office department is connecting its various postal stations in St. Louis with the main office by means of pneumatic tubes for the transmission of mail matter. The proposition to run a line across the Eads bridge to East St. Louis has received a temporary set back, the bridge owners stating that until certain repairs are com- pleted next fall they do not think the bridge will stand the added weight of the tube. The power plants have not yet been installed. W. J. Johnston has sold to H. M. Swetland of New York his stock in the Johnston Publishing Company. the corporation which owns the Engineering and Mining Journal. Mr. Johnston will devote his entire time to the Pacific Coast Miner. poet Si 10 THE IRON AGE. Tests of Metals at Watertown Arsenal The report of tests of metals for 1902, recently pub- lished by the Ordnance Department of the Army, con- tains tests on materials for military and civil engineer- ing purposes. Tests of bronze are reported representing the metal in guns of early manufacture which showed a tensile strength of 39,000 to 47,000 pounds per square inch, with an elongation as high as 40 per cent. The so-called gun metal—88 Cu, 10 Sn, 2 Zn—is represented, also a mix- ture of copper and tin in the proportions of 90 and 10. These results, on the strength of metal cast in 1864, at a time when bronze held an important place in gun con- Fig. 1.—-Nickel Steel Ingot. struction, probably represent maximum values for the mixtures shown. There was a series of tests on puddled irons of differ- ent sizes and shapes. The strength is given for the metal in the state of merchant bars, also after treat- ment by sudden cooling from higher temperatures. Speci- mens, in triplicate, were heated to a full yellow ; one was cooled in the air, one quenched in oil and one in water. A marked gain in strength accompanied the quenched specimens, which was more pronounced in the water quenched bars than in those cooled in the less energetic oil. Burden’s best, which had a tensile strength of 50,- 120 pounds per square inch in the air cooled bar, rose to 61,360 pounds when quenched in oil and to 66,280 pounds when quenched in water. Norway iron was the least affected by treatment, although this iron advanced from 42,400 to 46.300 pounds by quenching in water. In re- spect to the elastic limits there was a vagueness in their definition in the suddenly quenched specimens; the jog in the stress strain curve shown by the air cooled speci- mens was absent in the others. The water quenched bars displayed a somewhat greater state of rigidity under loads above the elastic limit without reaching a condition of brittleness in the fracture. Comparative tests were made on metal from two steel ingots, nearly alike in carbon, one of which contained 3.25 per cent. of nickel, the other none. The ingots were cut into slices, and some very spongy metal was disclosed. Illustrations, here reproduced in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, show a block as it appeared when taken from the ingot, after hammering on the several sides and after planing the surfaces and cutting apart. The effacement of these de- fects was nearly complete, the result of hammering at a forging heat. The report contains photo-micrographs showing the range in structure found in different parts of the ingot, and three views showing the diversity of structure displayed in the same test piece. Tests were made with the metal in the natural state of the ingot and after treatment by heating and quench- ing at different temperatures, followed in some cases by annealing. In the carbon steel ingot, carbon 0.20, the metal had an elastic limit of 16,000 pounds and ,tensile strength of 54,000 pounds per square inch. After heat- ing to a bright vellow and quenching in oil the tensile strength rose to 94,000 pounds. In this condition the elastic limit was not well defined, but became so upon annealing at 1000 degrees F., with a value of 48,000 pounds, the tensile strength having dropped to 76,000 January 21, 1904 pounds, the elongation being 11 per cent., and the con- traction 41.9 per cent. The companion nickel steel ingot, carbon 0.17, ini- tially had a tensile strength of 66,000 pounds, which rose to 156,800 pounds after corresponding treatment of heat- ing to a bright yellow and quenching in oil. The elastic ‘imit was now vague, as in the carbon steel ingot. An nealing at 1000 degrees F. after treatment resulted in the properties being: Elastic limit, 74,000 pounds; ten- sile strength, 94,400 pounds; elongation, 19 per cent.; contraction, 57 per cent. There were tests upon suspender rods from the New York and Brooklyn Bridge similar to those which were found fractured in the bridge in July, 1901. Incipient cracks were found along the threaded parts of these old rods at the roots of the threads, which are described in the report as having existed in the rods before testing, “fractures which were in progress in the bridge,” and, furthermore, that they “ were generally located at the ex- tremities of the diameter which was parallel to the axis of the bridge, and seldom found on the sides taken cross- wise the bridge.” The position of the cracks was re- garded as significant in explaining the caus