I had no
opportunity of weighing the charges of ore and coal used, but I saw
the process in actual operation at Rockaway, N.J. The iron produced
was hammered up into good solid blooms, containing but little cinder.
The muck-bar made from the blooms was fibrous in fracture, and showed
every appearance of good iron. I am informed by the manager of the
Sanderson Brothers' steel works, at Syracuse, N.Y., that they
purchased blooms made by the Wilson process in 1881-1882, that _none_
of them showed red-shortness, and that they discontinued their use
only on account of the injurious action of the titanium they contained
on the melting pots. These blooms were made from magnetic sands from
the Long Island and Connecticut coasts.
[Illustration: NEW PROCESS FOR MAKING WROUGHT IRON FROM THE ORE.]
The drawing given shows the construction of the furnace employed. I
quote from the published description:
"The upper part, or deoxidizer, is supported on a strong
mantel plate resting on four cast iron columns.
"The retorts and flues are made entirely of fire-brick, from
special patterns. The outside is protected by a wrought iron
jacket made of No. 14 iron. The puddling furnace is of the
ordinary construction, except in the working bottom, which is
made longer to accommodate two charges of ore, and thus
utilize more of the waste heat in reducing the ore to metallic
iron.
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