The Iron Age 1906-01-18: Vol 77 Iss 3

THE at. IR@a> AGE ae0 nr OF ata, 1qvy A Review of the Hardware, Iron, Machinery and Metal Trades. Published every Thursday Morning by David Williams Co Vol. 77: No. 3. Reading Matter Contents Alphabetical Index to Advertisers “ Classified List of Advertisers.... ‘‘ Advertising and eee Rates‘ . 14-16 Park Place, New York. New York, Thursday, January 18, 1906. ~ Compression Shaft * Couplings Manufactured by FORSTER PULLEY WORKS oe Cuba, N. Y. The-AmericanMfg. Ce. Ropes and Twines 65 Wall Street, New York Bristol’s Patent Steel Belt Lacing. SAVES Time, Belts, Money. Croaqeiivene® READY TO APPLY = FiNisHEDvow? with Least Send for Circulars and Free po nemeana THE BRISTOL CO., Waterbury, Conn. SAMSON SPOT CORD Also Linen and Italian Hemp Sash Cord, SAMSON CORDAGE WORKS, Boston, Mass. TURNBUCKLES. Branch Office, 11 Broadway, New York. Cleveland City Forge and IronCo., - Cleveland, O. TURN BUCH UES. MERRILL BROS., aig aS 465 to 471 Kent Ave , a. aeons E.D., N.Y PILLING & AAA H PILLING & CRANE Ce Bullding, Philada. UURE “G3 A sheet of Apollo Best Bloom Galvanized is per- fect from corner to corner and all the way through. That is why it is called “‘Apollo’”’-—and why you should specify it every time you build or repair. nasiememenn See AMERICAN SHEET & TIN PLATE COMPANY’S Ad, on Page 14. $5.00 a Year, including Postage. Single Copies, 15 Cents. AT Pra mares59™ DEALERS—Remington, Marlin, Stevens, Winchester and Savage rifles all consume U. M. C. Cartridges. Do your sales show that you are getting your share of the popular de- mand? Send to U.M.C. Advertising Department for window display hangers, literature, etc. The demand for U. M. C. Cartridges comes from every dzrection. THE UNION METALLIC CARTRIDGE COMPANY, BRIDGEPORT, CONN. AGENCY, 813 Broadway, New York City. DEPOT, 86-88 First Street, San Francisco, Cal. STIRLING CONSOLIDATED BOILER CO. see Page 46 The Leading Horse Nails and the Best in the World are the Capewell THEY HAVE KEEN AND PERFECT POINTS which make a clean cut hole in the most brittle hoof. “Sr The Capewell Horse Nail Company HARTFORD, CONN. HEREVER and whenever you may be in need of Valves, and desire superior quality and reliability, insist on having the genuine, JENHINS BROS. VALVES All genuine bear Trade Mark as shown in cut. They are absolutely guaranteed. Write for Booklet. JENKINS BROS., New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, London. ““SMCCON” GOLM ROME Steer cre Tang 2 ca THE aT TUBE & STAMPING COMPANY BrrpGEPrort, Conn, MAGNOLIA METAL. Best Anti-Friction Metal for all Machinerv Bearings. a of id Baw. gto. : Beware wos imitations. MAGNOLIA METAL CO., Owners and Sole Manufacturers, 13-115 Bank Street, San Francisco, Montreal, and Pittsburg. We of Bal Chicago. Fisher Bidg. NEW YORK. manufacture et evades rs, Babbitt Metals at (Water and Rail Delivery SSP J AN yy ERY VS syey +, ~% % The Queen’s Run Fire Brick co. HIGHEST GRADE Shapes a Specialty Lock Haven, Penn. Wer MAKERS FOLLANSBE PITTSBURGH BROTHERS COMPANY SHEET —_| THE PLUME & ATWOOD M6. Co., R, R AS 5 ROD MANUFACTURERS OF WIRE Sheet and Roll Brass COPPER WIRE} printers’ BRASS, JEWELERS’ METAL, GERMAN SILVER AND GILDING METAL, COPPER RIVETS GERM AN { SHEET AND BURRS. LOW BRASS. SHEET BRONZE. pie ooo mages SEAMLESS BRASS AND COPPER 199 LAKE ST., CHICAGO, BRONZE TUBING. :: 3:22:33 #/3 SCOVILL MFG. CO., WATERBURY BRASS (0., ‘a WATERBURY, CONN. GERMAN SILVE R, THE IRON AGE SHEET —AND— ROD WIR EG SILVER eT aa ( WIRE Trimmings, &c. TUBING. BRAZED BRASS AND ROLLING MILL : FACTORIES : THOMASTON, CONN. WATERBURY, CONN. 99 John St, New York. Providence RL|H acct isoute “ama Tatson Brass Shells, Cups, Hinges, Special Brass Goods to Order. Metal G0., cron: Fa WATERBURY, CONN, BRIDGEPORT, GONN. DEPoTs: Automobile Castings a Specialty. | “EW Yor. CHICAGO. BOSTON. High Tensile Strength. Henry Souther Engineering Go, Bronze and Aluminum Alloys. HARTFORD, CONN. Write Us. Consulting Chemists, Metallurgists and Analysts. Compiete Physical Testing Laboratory; Expert Testimony im Court and Patent Cases. -_ Matthiessen & Hegeler Zinc Co., a Arthur T. Rutter & Co. AND MANUFACTURERS OF g 5 6 Broad way, SHEET ZINC AND SULPHURIC ACID. NEW YORK. Special Sizes of Zinc cut to order. Rolled Battery Plates. Selected Plates for Etchers’ and Lithographers’ use. Small tubing in Brass, Copper Selected Sheets for Paper and Card Makers’ use. Steel, Aluminum, German Silver, &c. Sheet Brass, Copper and Ger- Stove and Washboard Blanks. ZINCS FOR LECLANCHE BATTERY. man Silver. Copper, Brass and German Silver Wire. Brazed and Seamless Brass and Copper Tube. Copper and Brass Rod. UUs) trian AM aL 2 “PHONO-ELECTRIC ” ONSET LLU UCSC C USE RSS Leer UC UU ie eae WIRE, “it's Touch.” Pte adc an ns MELE RC TROLLEY, rass, Bronze and ® Aluminum #2 a A ~~ TI N G S TELEPHONE Grcthaditinietiediniicll FOwneEne-o I, ee epee. enienaitl eit PH HENDRICKS BROTHERS LINES. Belleville Copper Rolling Mills, | tse. vue empee o" MANUFACTURERS OF , The Styles in Ornament. A handbook for Braziers Bolt and Sheathing architects, painters, sculptors, carvers and self instruction. BY. Alex. peltz. German text. OPP ER, Toa oe 25 9 Organizing a Factory. An analysis of the COPPER WIRE AND RIV HTS, | ‘siemens th tactory ‘organization. “A presen- n tation of the fundamental principles Importers and Dealers in management and a description of the antnodb ingot Copper, Block Tin, Spelter, Lead, Antimony, etc. scene ae Ginkes ae tees 49 CLIFF ST., NEW YORK. pages. (Business man’s library.) Cloth. .$2.00 . For Bale by David Williams Co., 14-16 Park Place, N.¥ THE IRON AGE New York, Thursday, January 18, 1906. The Bliss Automatic Press for Wired Can Tops. There are many ways of opening cans. The first and oldest is by the use of the ordinary can opener, which cuts a jagged opening around the top or along the side. This tool is reliable, as it will always do the work, but at best the process is crude. A neater way is provided for in the can itself by weakening the body along two parallel lines about %4 inch apart, just below the top. The two lines are cuts or scores made in the tin, so that when the projecting tip of the strip is placed in a key ings, Figs. 3 to 7, show the work performed by the suc- cessive dies. The press has four independently adjustable dies car- ried by a cross head moving in guides on the front of the frame. The cross head is attached to the ends of a pair of walking beams mounted on top of the housing. To their rear ends are secured connecting rods actuated by eccentrics on a shaft driven by pinion and gear from the main driving shaft. By this arrangement the prin- cipal and heaviest parts of the machine are placed low and all the actuating mechanism is within easy reach. The first operation is the cupping of the disk to the Fig. 1.—Front View of Press for Making Wired Can Tops, Showing the Wire Actuating Mechanism at the Right. and the latter turned the body of the can will be sepa- rated along the lines as the strip is wound upon the key. The theory is good, but it has been found difficult to make the score uniform because the thickness of the sheets varies both as to the iron and the tin coating, and a score the right depth on one sheet will be too deep on another and not deep enough on a third. The process when it works satisfactorily is intended to leave a clean edged body, but frequently the weak link is weak only in spots and the strip runs off the marked track and breaks. A can top has been introduced that has its lower edge turned in to form a groove, and in this groove is placed a wire, one end of which projects outside the top about linch. This is grasped with a key or wrapped around a nail and pulled and the wire separates the tin along the groove all the way round. A very interesting machine has been perfected by the E. W. Bliss Company, Brooklyn, N. Y., for making these tops. While the machine itself, considered merely as a press for sheet metal work, has several new features, the most interest attaches to the method of introducing the wire in the groove around the top. The accompanying half-tones, Figs 1 and 2, show front and rear views of the press and the outline draw- shape indicated in Fig. 3. This is done upon a separate press. The blanks are placed upon the table A, which is revolved by a round belt from the shaft B. This guides the blanks in single file under the first die, which turns the edge of the cup slightly inward, as shown at a, Fig. 4, ready for the final forming of the groove for the wire. The next operation sinks the key depression and cuts the notches ¢c c in the edge, as shown in Fig. 5. At each for- ward step of the blank it is grasped between the branches of two forks, arranged with their tops toward each other. The grips are carried by a slide moving across the face of the machine and actuated through the lever D and grooved cam C on the shaft B. The third operation in- troduces the wire into the groove and cuts it off, so as to- leave about 1 inch projecting, as indicated at f, Fig. 6. It is passed through one of the notches c, when it en- counters a curved die that guides it into the groove around which it passes. The wire is fed’ forward by rollers. It is evident that it would be impossible to push any considerable length of wire if it were not supported in such a way as to prevent its bending. In this case the wire, immediately upon leaving the feed rolls, enters a small tube, through which it is pushed to the entrance arene ma i | § ; z t i & 258 THE of the groove. Once entered the groove itself provides the support needed. The movement of the wire is intermittent. The rolls turn to feed a length of wire sufficient for one top and then stop until another top has moved into position. On one end of the shaft carrying the rolls is a pinion, F, with which the rack G engages. The pinion is mounted ratchet fashion, so that its shaft is turned when the rack € IRON AGE January 18, 1906 receive it. The final operation bends the projecting wire down close to the side of the top, as shown in Fig. 7. oe To facilitate cleaning and repairing cars in the winter the new car barn of the Twin City Rapid Transit Com- pany, St. Paul, Minn., which will be heated by the Sturte- vant system, is to be arranged so that the air will be dis- ie ie — THelron Ace: Vig. 2.—Rear View. Showing Blank Feeding Mechanism at the Right. Lsaieecenbochetedinial a a Fig. 3.—Blank as Fed Fig. 4.—Edges Turned to the Machine. in Ready for Groovy- ing. Wire. moves in one direction and is idle upon the reverse move- ment of the rack. The rack is moved by the arm H at- tached to one end of the shaft B. The length of the movement of the rack and consequently the length of the wire fed to the top can be changed by shifting the rack connection with the arm H. This adjustment is provided in order to meet the requirements of tops of different sizes. An automatic stop is provided to prevent the feeding of the wire in case there should be no top in position to Fig. 5.—Key Seat Sunk and Notches Cut for Fig. 6.—Groove Turned Fig. and Wired. 7.—End of Wire Bent Against Side of Top. charged into the pits and so rapidly melt snow and ice from the running gear. The thirty-sixth annual catalogue of the Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Mass., has been issued. It contains 210 pages. An interesting feature of this in- stitution’s annual publications is the detail given relative to the Worcester Polytechnic workshops, these being the first to be established as adjuncts of the training of the mechanical engineer. ‘ January 18, 1906 The Coal Trade. BY FREDERICK E. SAWARD. I have known The Iron Age and many of its managers for over 30 years and have with others looked up to it as the chief among class papers. Looking over its issue for January 4, in which it celebrated its semicentennial. the thought came to me that the growth of the coal trade has been of moment in the period covered—for 1855 showed a soft coal product for the United States of 7,000,- 000 tons and of anthracite 6,600,000 tons, while in 1905 the figures were 40 times as great for the former and 10 times for the latter. This is another evidence of the fact that industrial development has grown far and away be- yond all anticipation. So much for reviews of the past. What will the next half century show us? In all human probability nearly as great progress. The Anthracite Situation, Now a few words as to current conditions in the coal trade: As to the hard coal end, which has a bearing on soft coal, for a high price of the former leads to an ad- vance in the price of the latter, it may be said that there is a vast-amount of surmise and prophecy as to the pos- sibility of an anthracite strike after April 1, but the issue is altogether beclouded. The outcome is not yet one to be accurately foretold, but to those who take a calm view of the situation there is more of peace in the outlook than there was in any preceeding year when a basis was to be arranged. No one is breathing defiance, and this is a point of great significance. Both sides are more inclined to respect the views of the other as the years go by; this will be admitted by the leaders of each. One of the interesting features in the present situation is that the operators are disposed to meet their employees. This surely is an indication of a peaceable disposition on the part of the operators, and perhaps forecasts the re- sult so much to be desired—a continuance of the present agreement in its main features. An interesting point in all this labor discussion, so far as the anthracite situa- tion is concerned, is that the president of the national organization is making his power for conservatism felt in conference with the district presidents of the hard coal regions. Much has been said about mild weather during the past few weeks, and in view of this condition it is doubt- ful if the first quarter of 1906 will turn out much above the average hard coal tonnage of the preceding four years—say, 13,400,000 tons—and this estimate of tonnage is helped by the splendid showing of the first quarter of 1905, which ran over 15,245,000 tons. The Bituminous Trade in Good Condition. There is not so much strike talk in this branch of the fuel industry either, and I find some usually well-posted people at Pittsburgh claiming that no idleness will take place in the tri-State district this spring. In the mean- time there is a very good demand for fuel, and the first heavy fall of snow, which might impede prompt deliv- eries, would make an active market. There is a good de- mand for soft coal through New England, and prices are rather firmer for good coal, as there is the expectancy of winter storms now coming on. At some of the loading ports there is a freer movement, owing to the open weather having given an opportunity for the better car- handling by the carriers. At the more southern points of loading there is still delay and the number of vessels waiting does not decrease materially. It is a notable feature that the total business out of Baltimore last year showed an increase of something like 50 per cent. over the preceding year. It seems a peculiar fact that many of the towns and cities in the West are already complain- ing of a short supply of coal, but that portion of our country is growing at a very rapid rate and something extra. is called for in the matter of a fuel supply. The reports from the head of the lakes show that there is a decidedly short tonnage with which to go into an ordi- nary winter campaign. THE IRON AGE Ambitious Projects for Trade Expansion. The scarcity of coal in the Northwest is of great consequence to the Pittsburgh district and I am advised that the Pittsburgh Coal Company, the United Coal Com- pany, the Pittsburgh-Westmoreland Coal Company and about all other of the more considerable operators, as well as some of the smaller ones, will enlarge their output capacity during the year and add to their equipment in various ways to effect economies and facilitate a more satisfactory transaction of business. There are some ambitious campaigns being perfected for expansion of trade in the lake territory, up Buffalo way, down south and toward the seaboard, that mean that the stronger position in which the coal trade of the Pittsburgh dis- trict now is will bear monetary fruit in a number of ways. The attitude of aggressiveness is due to the fact that to a degree never before known the coal-producing industry of this prolific region is now directed by strong men of great business energy, supported by large capital and animated by a laudable desire to bring the coal- mining industry up to the standard of steadiness and order that has been realized in the iron and steel in- dustries. It is imperative that the enormous capital now invested shall return a profit that will justify the haz- ards that necessarily surround coal mining operations. It is now recognized that mining properties are unlike manufacturing plants, in that a factory building stands as a more or less permanent asset, while every ton of coal taken out of a mine leaves only a hole, the asset hav- ing been taken out and converted into merchandise. Not only this, but every foot of distance away from the mouth of the mine means additional expense in the way of increased haulage cost from face to tipple and in addi- tional safguard expense that must be charged against every ton of coal remaining in the mine. Present Market Conditions, The open weather made shipments from cars to ves- sels better in the holiday season and for a few days after, so that the New York harbor trade on bituminous coal has been extremely light so far as new business is con- cerned, although shipments on contracts have been heavy. Prices are ruling from $2.70 per gross ton on cheaper West Virginia grades to $3 for the better South Fork grades, at New York. Georges Creek is heard of again at considerable recessions from the asking price of a month ago. The situation at Southern ports is as serious as at any time this season, there still being a large fleet of vessels and barges waiting for cargoes. The bunker business is checking the accumulation, however, an un- usually large number of steamers calling and taking a large part of the coal arriving. Some vessels have been on the waiting list for several weeks. In this time of statistics for the year just ended there are many items worthy of note, but a striking feature is the total of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company’s coal and coke tonnage, which came to 46,000,000 net tons carried last year, a gain of 6,000,000 tons. What this means may be gathered from the fact that no State is credited with such a tonnage of production—barring Pennsylvania. Illinois mines 37,000,000, West Virginia 32,000,000, Ohio 23,000,000 and Alabama 12,500,000 tons in a year, and that is the list after Pennsylvania. Put in another way the Pennsylvania Railroad coal and coke tonnage last year was greater than the yearly combined coal outputs of the States of Indiana, Kentucky, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Wyoming, Maryland and Tennessee. Surely that is an item of the coal industry worthy of note. + As to the increase in the population of Chicago in 1905, something is indicated by the statistics of traffic on the elevated lines. The Northwestern Elevated carried 28,238,621 passengers last year as against 24,933,313 in 1904, an increase of 9.89 per cent. The South Side Com- pany carried 32,959,752 passengers, an increase of 8.47 per cent. The Metropolitan Elevated carried an average of 124,271 passengers daily against 114,232 in 1904, a gain of 8.8 per cent. 260 Factory Education, The necessity of providing agencies for training boys to become mechanics, in addition to the restricted op- portunities afforded in the trades as now conducted and controlled, is receiving widespread attention. The prob- lem is a difficult one but it is being handled in some fashion in nearly every industrial community. Related to this question, and fully as important if not more so, is the matter of providing the training through which can be secured the material for expert superintendence. The old workshop in which a man of parts developed into a well rounded mechanic, able to instruct and di- rect others, has largely given way to the factory with every hand working at some specialty. In such an es- ‘tablishment the conditions are usually unfavorable for the development of those qualifications which fit a man for superintendence. Here the factory system breaks down. For its own advancement the system needs a competent supply of men well qualified to direct others and it fails to produce them. Discussing this point in an article in Machinery on “ Factory Education,” O. M. Becker says: “Most managers have experienced the difficulty of getting the right man for the place, especially if the place were one requiring considerable knowledge of the business as a whole. An industry is lacking in some respects if it cannot to a considerable extent train up the men who are later to be the directing forces in it. Most businesses are not now doing it. Nor on the basis of present systems is it possible to be done. “There are evidently two methods of attack in the solution of this problem; increasing facilities for in- dustrial and technical education, that is, for the ade- quate training of workers for their work, and a modi- fication of the piecework system of labor. The latter may be neglected in this discussion, for the reason that as yet there appears to be at hand no practicable sub- stitute that is economically as satisfactory. There re- mains, then, the other alternative, that of education. Factory education, or perhaps better stated the educa- tion of factory operatives, is not an untried theory of the idealist. Level-headed men have long seen the eco- nomic necessity for something of the sort, and as long ago as the time of Robert Owen factory schools were more or less effective agencies in the development of certain industries. “The old apprentice system, inefficient as it was from the modern point of view, was one manifestation of the idea and a powerful factor in the promotion of in- dustrial progress. Its wastefulness of time and the de velopment of the specialized machine tool have led to its practical disappearance, unfortunately leaving no organized means for the accomplishment of its purposes in its stead. A few far-sighted employers of large in- terests, to their great advantage, as they stoutly main- tain, have retained the apprenticeship system in a mod- ified form, and make it part of an educational system conducted along with and as a part of their manufac- turing plants. The Baldwin Locomotive Works, the Brown & Sharpe Manufacturing Company, the General Electric Company, and R. Hoe & Company may be men- tioned ¢s notable examples in this country. The school conducted at the Hoe printing press works for more than thirty years has developed to such an extent that it is re- cognized as one of the leading private trade schools in the country. From it go out, usually after some years’ additional service with the company, men who take re- sponsible positions in manufacturing plants all over the country.” +e Tennessee Properties Change Ownership.—Graham Macfarlane has bought the Dover and Bear Spring cold blast charcoal furnaces in Stewart County, Tennessee, also the ore rights and wood reserves of the Cumberland River Land Company, and will continue to manufacture the Dover cold blast iron, which has been on the market since 1829. He has sold one-half his interest in the Red River Furnace Company to Guy R. Johnson, who will have charge of the operation of Helen Furnace at Clarks- ville, Tenn. Mr. Macfarlane will also act as consulting engineer on the Southern coal and iron questions. THE IRON AGE January 18, 1906 Electrolytical Galvanizing. BY HENRY I. WHITE. Within the past two years increased attention has been given to cold zinking or electrolytic galvanizing. This is not a new process, as it had been in successful use a long time previously, coating all kinds of iron cast- ings, tubes, wire, sheets, etc. More particularly, however, has attention been given to this special branch of in- dustry in Germany, Italy, England, Austria and Hun- gary. In the last named country the researches of Czermay have attracted considerable interest. In govern- ment yards, various shipbuilding establishments, tube, and wire works the results obtained have been so econ- omical and gratifying to the users that hot galvanizing has been suspended, The results that have been accomplished by Czermay on the theory of neutral baths have been amply confirmed by the splendid work accomplished by Prof. C. F. Burgess of our own country. They demonstrate that on the one hand electrolytic zinking resists atmospheric and other corroding influences much better than hot galvanizing, while on the other hand the cold process dispenses with the employment of the dross and skinning man and the man who is needed to keep the pots hot all the 24 hours, and further avoids the inevitable loss of pots and metal. In order to convince parties who were more or less interested in this process, severe tests were made for lengthy periods on pieces of various articles coated by the cold process, such as wide variations of temperature, carbonic acid, sulphurous acid, and humidity. To make these tests conclusive an atmosphere containing 15 per cent. of carbonic acid (CO,) and 12 per cent. of sulphur- ous acid (SO,) was artificially created, while the greatest proportion of these acids in the ordinary at- mosphere does not exceed 0.03 per cent. of CO, and 3 per cent. of SO, even under the every worst conditions, The mechanical and chemical tests described below were made on articles galvanized by the hot process in Eng- land and Germany and those treated electrolytically came from different works operating under the Czermay pro- cess. Mechanical Tests. A. ROOFING PLATES. 1. Bending and Folding.—The corners were turned down and the metal was beaten flat on itself with a wooden hammer; then reversed and beaten flat on itself at the opposite side. Work was done on both sides at the same location. Other sheets were folded, singly and doubled. . 2. Torsion Tests.—The sheets were strips, then wound spirally. 3. Tension Tests.—The sheet strips were slowly stretched between jaws to 10 per cent. above the original length. The results were as follows: cut into small Table I. Article. Bending and Folding. Torsion. Tension. nani 5 —_ o _ —— gee EERSTE A. First bending, good. Showed scal- | Zinc flaked Second bendingatsame_ ing on zinc. off. location, zine scaled Sheets coated by hot process. | off. | Single folding. good. Double folding, zinc came off in places. A.I. Aftertwobendingsand No scaling at| Zinc kept on Sheets coated after two foldings all. the stretched cold, electroly-| on each side, the pieces. tically. sheet showed no signs of failure. B. TUBING, 1. Bending Test.—Tubes 14 inch to 1% inches outside diameter were fixed at one end in a vice and the opposite eid was bent sharply around the vice. January 18, 1906 2. Hammering Test—The tubes were hammered at the point of weld until they split. 3. Inside Test.—The tubes were sawed lengthwise to show the interior coating. The results were as follows: Table I. Article Bending Hammering Interior B. Tubes coated Stood no es bending. dy See hot process. remarks. Broke like cast iron. Zine sealed off in No coating in many places. places. B. I. Tubes ae Showed perfect Separated at the point All sizes cok coating both aoa ahieest showed perfect electrolyti- inside and “ weld 8 acne coating cally. outside. line but zine adhered inside. C. IRON AND STEEL WIRE. 1. Bending Test.—All the wire, No. 12 gauge, was wound spirally with force into a very tight loop, then unwound and reversed into a loop. Other pieces were wound around their own diameter in tight spirals. 2. Torsion Test.—The stretched wires were turned around their own axes and deformed. 3. Tension Test.—The wires were stretched 20 per cent. above their original length. 4. Hammering Test.—The wires were flattened to one- half their original diameter. The results were as follows: THE IRON AGE 261 articles when exposed to atmospheric action. The im- mersion in a saturated solution of sulphate of copper, or in a solution of normal sulphuric acid simply shows to what degree these sulphates attack and dissolve the zinc. Since these sulphates are not present in the air, no conclusion can be formed as to the corrosive action of the atmosphere on galvanized iron. The above mentioned tests are all the more mislead- ing, as iron coated with lead, tin, or nickel will stand any number of such immersions without the steel or iron ap- pearing, although the three metals named, in consequence of their electro-negative nature, afford no protection against corrosion, and goods coated with them, when ex- posed to the action of the air, corrode very quickly. It was thought proper therefore to provide such tests and to expose the tested articles to such influences as really prevail in the atmosphere, which are variation of tem- perature and the presence of carbonic acid, sulphurous acid, and humidity. These results are given in Table IV. Remarks on the Above Results, The articles galvanized by the hot process showed a change during exposure—namely, a blackish appearance. After exposure in the apparatus, all samples were further exposed to the action of air in a works yard. A, B and C, after three weeks’ exposure, bore traces of scaling on the parts where the zine was still visible, through corrosion from the inside to the outside. C 1 was entirely rusted after two weeks. A 1, B 1 and C 2 showed on the places where no dipping had taken place that the surface was intact or a perfect zine coating remained. Table III. Article Bending First bending good. C. Second bending, zinc partly disintegrated. Wire coated by hot process. First and very good. C.1 second bendings American and English steel ; Zine wire coated by hot process When wound spirally zine and wiped. came off at places. . © » C.2 First and second bendings Wire coated cold, electrolyt- faultless; spirals also; Zine ically. zine adhered. After each test the respective pieces were dipped for a moment in a solution of sulphate of copper, then rinsed in water and wiped dry, in order to determine on the coppery places the exact extent of the zinc disappearance. Parallel tests with black and galvanized tubes of the same make were conducted, which showed that the tubes galvanized by the hot process had undergone a molecular change in the structure of the iron, probably due to rapid cooling after subjection to a high temperature. This had the effect of making the tubes brittle, and in a galvanized state they would not stand the bending and hammering tests, whereas in the electrolytic process the iron suffered no such deterioration. The inside coating of the tubes showed serious defects in the case of the hot galvanized, which became more apparent in tubes of smaller diameter, where, with the exception of small lists and streaks of molten zinc, no inside coating could be found; whereas all the tubes gal- vanized electrolytically showed in every case a faultless and complete inside coating. Chemical Tests. The tested pieces consisted of strips cut from the sheets, sections of the tubes cut from the center, and pieces of wire cut from the coils. It should be stated that the method generally in use for effecting rapid corrosion gives no indication as to the durability and resistance to corrosion of galvanized Zine sealed off Torsion Tension Hammering. No zine on hammered pieces. No zine on elongated pieces Zine adhered on elon- No zinc on hammered scaled in , gated portions. spots. pieces. Thin zine coatings on hammered portions. Zine on all elongated coating perfect : a. . portions This demonstrated the value of the testing method. It is interesting and instructive to compare the results of dipping C 1 in a fresh state and after it had been ex- posed. In the fresh state 2% dippings were obtained, after which the largest part of the wire showed a copper coating. But after it had been exposed the zinc was totally eaten away, and what remained of the coating was lead and other impvrities, which, untouched by the sulphate of copper, could not protect the underlying steel wire from corrosion in 14 days when exposed in the fresh air. The above experiments clearly demonstrate the worth- lessness of the usual dipping test. Conclusions. The above tests prove convincingly that steel and iron articles coated by the electrolytical process are superior to those galvanized by the hot process in their resistance to mechanical as well as to atmospheric action. 1. Whereas, in the hot process, in consequence of the unavoidable impurities of the zinc large quantities of zine must be applied to insure protection against corro- sion, a very much thinner electrolytical zine deposit will equally well and even better protect the goods because of its chemical purity. 2. In the hot process the larger quantities of zinc and the unevenness of the coating injure the solid adherence, and since sheets, tubes and wire are worked up when used inne a enn cerenensnresnenicmnereenee 262 a premature corrosion takes place on the worked up spots. In the last few years an effort has been made to overcome this serious drawback by the wiping process, especially in the case of wire. A certain economy in the use of zinc is effected and greater uniformity and ad- herence of the coating are obtained (see C 1 in Table III of mechanical tests), but very much to the detriment of protection against corrosion, as the chemical tests will prove. The tested wiped wire was obtained from Eng- lish and American works of world-wide repute, and it is clearly demonstrated by these tests that notwithstanding their bright appearance and greater flexibility they most decidedly are not proof against corrosion, as many con- sumers have found out to their cost. 3. In consequence of the use of ammonia and chloride of zinc, these being unavoidable in the hot process, the coating corrodes in case of mechanical injury, and the combined salts cause corrosion from inside to outside, notwithstanding the thick zine coating, which, as shown in the tests, stood a high number of immersions. None of these defects appear in electrolytical galvan- THE IRON AGE January 18, 1906 1723-4, which is still in existence, A blast furnace was put up which began operations in 1724 and the iron made was run directly into molds for pots and kettles. Bog ore was used from the immediate vicinity. The blast furnace ran for many )y-ars. —_——_9--@————__—_ The New England Foundrymen’s Association. The annual meeting and tenth anniversary of the New England Foundrymen’s Association was held at the Ex- change Club, Boston, Wednesday evening, January 10, with a large attendance, 81 members and guests enjoying the excellent dinner and the interesting exercises which came afterward. The retiring president, John Magee, occupied the chair during the business meeting, at which the following offi- cers were elected for the year: President, Walter B. Snow, B. F. Sturtevant Company, Hyde Park, Mass. ; vice-president, William H. Bense, Kinsley Iron & Ma- chine Company, Canton, Mass.; treasurer, George H. Lin- coln, George H. Lincoln & Co., Boston; secretary, Fred Table IV. Average weight of zine deposit. Minutes immersed before exposure. A. 0.859 oz. Sheets coated by per square foot 6 hot process. single surface. A. 1. 0.215 oz. Sheets coated cold per square foot 4 electrolytically. single surface. B. 0.887 oz. Outside Tubes coated by per + lgmaae aoe hot process. is , 41% = i 0.219 oz. Outside Tubes coated cold per square foot 7 electrolytically. surface. —_ ©. 0.550 oz. Wire coated by per pound. 4 hot process. C. 1. Wire coated by hot 0.3002. _ 214 process and per pound: wiped. C. 2. ities: : Wire coated cold per pound. electrolytically. izing, which for these reasons alone is preferable to the hot process. It is, however, a matter of great impor- tance that the solution used in electrolytic baths be of a nature to give a really nonporous, consistent and dura- ble coating, unadulterated by deleterious metals and strong acids, which will in every case cause corrosion, as explained above. All the above tests were made on a commercial scale at works where the Szermay process is in operation. Ma- terials galvanized under this process have been exposed for years and are to-day in perfect condition. $< __—_—_ Through the courtesy of the Compressed Steel Shaft- ing Company, 398 Dorchester avenue, Boston, Mass., we are in receipt of a copy of the Wareham Times, pub- lished at Onset, Mass., January 6, in which an interesting historical account is given of the passing of the old mill site at King’s Furnace, near Onset, to a use for decidedly different purposes from those to which it had long been devoted. The statement is made that on this site was erected the first hollow ware factory in New England and that it was the fifth of the iron works to be started in that part of the State. The original operators who built the dam at that place to supply power bound them- selves by a unique agreement under date of February 25, ous black spots. Minutes immersed Remarks. after exposure. Remarks. Same as in Col. IV., only the number of black spots considera- bly increased. After immersion zinc remained in some 3 places, with numer- After immersion co- herent zinc coatin i oA with exception o 1% Geseean Sa Oe. 5 edges. Inside dippings refer : Zine adhered on the | to tubes 34-10, and one outside, and black upwards only. Those ; spots inside; no trace of smaller diameter Inside of zine with exception showed no zinc after 0 of pieces of list. ¥% minute. Outside After immersion zinc tiie Same as in Col. IV. in places. 24 After immersion zinc in places on dipped 2 Same as in Col. IV. spots. : : 4 After first immersion After immersion zinc : no trace whatever of in places on dipped 6 , zinc, but no copper spots. skin even after sixth immersion. After immersion zinc in places on dipped 1% Same as in Col. IV. spots. F. Stockwell, Barbour-Stockwell Company, Cambridge, Mass. Executive Committee of five: Henry A. Carpenter, A. Carpenter & Sons Foundry Company, Providence; H. F. Arnold, American Tool & Machine Company, Boston; Charles J. Caley, Russell & Erwin Mfg. Company, New Britain, Conn.; Arthur Gibby, Mechanics’ Iron Foundry, Boston; H. E. Wetherbee, James Hunter Machine Com- pany, Boston. Announcement was made of the death of M. J. Dyer, Valley Falls, R. I., and a committee consisting of Samuel M. Nicholson, Henry A. Carpenter and A. J. Miller, all of Providence, was appointed to prepare resolutions. After dinner President Snow introduced Henry A. Carpenter as the toastmaster, who met the requirements most acceptably. He congratulated the association upon its growth, declaring it to be the pioneer of the local foundrymen’s associations and responsible for the forma- tion of the national body. Eugene N. Foss, head of the B. F,. Sturtevant Company, was introduced as the speaker of the evening and made an interesting address on the question of reciprocity. George H. Gibby, Boston, gave an historical sketch of the association, showing its rapid progress in numbers and in influence. The meeting was altogether successful, constituting a fitting anniversary celebration. January 18, 1906 Customs Administration Reforms. WASHINGTON D. C., January 15, 1905.—The Ways and Means Committee will shortly report to the House three bills of great importance to importers in all lines and especially to the iron and steel trade. These measures include a comprehensive revision ofthe principal sections of the customs administrative act of 1890, the consolida- tion and reorganization of customs collection districts and the licensing of custom house brokers. The Treas- ury Department and the Board of General Appraisers have indorsed these measures. To Amend the Act of 1890. The bill providing for the amendment of the customs administrative act of 1890 has been drafted with a view to curing certain defects in the statute pointed out sev- eral years ago by the Treasury Department and the Board of General Appraisers. A measure embracing cer- tain amendments passed the House in the last Congress but was ignored by the Senate Finance Committee, as it was then believed that a revision of the tariff would soon take place. The disposition to defer tariff legislation indefinitely now being manifested by the leaders of both houses will naturally strengthen the movement to reform the administrative laws. The bill to be reported by the Ways and Means Com- mittee first proposes to amend section 7 of the act of June 10, 1890, by providing that in the case of under- valuations additional duties may be assessed up to 100 per cent. of the appraised value of the merchandise in question, instead of 50 per cent., as in the present law. If the appraised value shall exceed the declared value by more than 100 per cent., except when arising from a manifest clerical error, the entry shall be held to be pre- sumptively fraudulent and the collector of customs shall seize the merchandise and proceed as in case of forfeit- ure for violation of the customs laws. The necessity for this change has been made apparent by the experience under the present law. It has been found in many cases that, while it would be a comparatively easy mat- ter to collect additional duties up to 100 per cent. of the value of the merchandise it is impossible to secure such evidence as would result in the forfeiture of the goods. As a result, it is believed that in thousands of cases where additional duties could have been assessed up to 80, 90 or even 100 per cent. of the appraised values, the appraising officers have assessed additional duties of not to exceed 45 to 48 per cent. in order to avoid the neces- sity of bringing forfeiture proceedings in which the gov- ernment would probably be worsted. Should this feature of the bill be incorporated in the law it would result in the collection of a much larger amount in the form of additional duties, and at the same time would obviate a great deal of fruitless and costly litigation in the shape of forfeiture proceedings. To Expedite Litigation. It is also proposed to amend sections 14 and 15 of the administrative act of 1890 by providing that appeals be taken from the Board of General Appraisers directly to the United States Circuit Court of Appeals, ignoring the circuit court, provided that “the board of three gen- eral appraisers, or a majority of them, who decided the case, may, within 30 days from the date of the receipt of their decision by the collector, grant a rehearing of said case when, in their opinion, the ends of justice may require it; and said board shall have power to establish from time to time such reasonable rules of practice as may be deemed necessary for the conduct of their pro- ceedings not inconsistent with law.” The object of this change is to expedite the adjudica- tion of all customs appeals, and it is estimated that many months, if not an entire year, will be saved in the aver- age case involving issues of importance. In the iron and steel trade, especially, the expediting of customs cases is of the utmost importance. It is the almost uniform practice of the Treasury Department to appeal from adverse decisions of the board based on the metal schedule, as the department, realizing the magnitude of the industry, assumes that each victory of the importers THE IRON AGE 263 will be followed by a large influx of foreign material. It usually happens also that after all available evidence has been presented to the Board of General Appraisers an investigation by a special agent is ordered, with the result that new testimony is secured for presentation either to the circuit court or to the board in a new test case. The practice under the amended law would make it necessary for the Government to lay all its evidence before the board, and appeals to the United States Circuit Court of Appeals would involve the consideration of none but questions of law. The demands of justice are fully safeguarded by a proviso that if the Court of Appeals is in doubt as to any particular fact in the record it may order the Board of General Appraisers to take additional testimony on that issue. In order that litigants who may now be in court shall be amply protected, the bill provides that nothing therein “shall be construed to repeal or modify the provisions of section 34 of the tariff act of July 24, 1897, as to rights accrued or suits or proceedings commenced and now pending in any of the circuit courts or other courts of the United States.” Reorganization of Customs Districts. The bill relating to the consolidation and reorganiza- tion of customs collection districts contains a single com- prehensive provision authorizing the President of the United States “to establish convenient districts for the collection of revenue from customs and for the interests of commerce and shipping, and for those purposes he may subdivide any State or Territory within or appurtenant to the United States or any part or parts thereof into one district, and may from time to time alter said districts: provided that there shall be no more than 120 collection districts.” No reform in the customs service is so urgent as that provided for in this bill. In his last annual report Secre- tary Shaw called attention to the waste of the revenues in the maintenance of large numbers of small ports at which the receipts are insignificant, but at which large quantities of merchandise are frequently imported and examined by officials having no technical knowledge of the goods in question; hence invoice valuations are ac- cepted without question and the Government thus suffers a heavy loss in revenue. The necessity for licensing customs brokers grows out of the desirability of extending to such attorneys all pos- sible facilities, while at the same time bringing them within the general supervision of the Treasury Depart- ment. The new bill provides, however, that the act * shall not be so construed as to prohibit any importer from transacting business in person at a custom house per- taining to his own importations.” Drawback Law Amendments, It is probable that when these measures are taken up in the House an attempt will be made to add thereto cer- tain features of the pending bills providing for the amend- ment of the drawback law. Such amendments would un- doubtedly be germane to the bill for the amendment of the customs administrative act above described, but the Ways and Means leaders will probably not be willing to accept such amendments unless in the meantime it is de- cided to investigate the question of the desirability of the proposed changes in the drawback law. Ww. L. ©. —_——o-o———— Michipicoten Range Statistics.—It has hitherto been impossible to get the precise figures of iron ore shipments from the Michipicoten range, Lake Superior. All statis- tical statements regarding the range have therefore been slightly inaccurate. But the necessary data have now been found and the accurate figures are given below for the first time of Helen mine shipments frem the begin- ning, in gross tons: De stssdeetateniane 53,470 Rv deceteduteennen 203,413 1901..... . 232,505 SOG éacedeiaactde nae 118,355 | Cr See 298,430 Sak éaddeeks anne 169,527 This makes a total of 1,075,700 tons, which differs from the total of 1,007,000 tons given heretofore. Lake Erie receipts will be 1 per cent. less on account of the regular deduction for losses, plus a loss of 5000 tons in a wrecked ship. i 264 Piping History Repeating Itself. BY JAMES ACTON MILLER.* It has been but a few years since the many forms of pipe fittings have been available, and the old-time piper can remember when all bends of every conceivable degree were made on the job. Of course the pipe then used was rarely larger than 2 inches and 14-inch was considered to constitute a big piping job. The ability of the piper of those days to put crooks and turns in a line of piping was wonderful, as he really had no appliances for doing such jobs except hands, feet and a knee frequently util- ized as a former to bend the pipe around. In the last 8 | yeeros enn cet Rngeiinale mawioglins ‘. ~— Fig. 1—A Right Angle Turn Executed with a Bend and with Fittings. few years wrought pipe bends have come into use again, largely from necessity, as before, though a necessity of a different kind—namely, the greater steam pressure now demanded in the effort to get more work out of the engine or pump, which makes it unsafe to use cast iron ells. Another advantage of wrought bends is a saving in ex- pense, in erection. maintenance and operation. As to the first cost, take for example a right angle turn in a line of 10-inch pipe. If fittings are used there will be needed a long sweep extra heavy cast iron ell, two extra heavy companion flanges, two corrugated cop- per gaskets, two sets of bolts and two threads on the pipe. Add to the cost of these the cost of making up and the expense will be close to $30. To carry the above sized line around a corner (see Fig. 1) it will take 18 feet of pipe to measure 10 feet each way in the run, allow- ing for the ell. The same length of pipe formed into a bend with the proper radius of about 8 diameters will reach 1 foot farther in the line than the same pipe with the ell, and the entire $30 will be saved, less the cost of bending the pipe, which ought not to be more than one- third or one-fourth the above amount. There is, more- over, a logs in the use of the pipe with the ell, due to friction, eddies and counter currents in the steam, con- densation induced by such friction, &c., which is avoided with well made wrought pipe bends. Besides