NOTES BY THE EDITOR. VII 



The Siemens regenerating furnaces are being rapidly intro- 

 duced into this country. 



These processes tend towards cheapening a very first-class ma- 

 terial, which will undoubtedly supersede iron for almost all struc- 

 tural purposes. Engineers hesitate at present to use this material, 

 since no adequate experiments have been made in regard to the 

 limits to which steel structures can be loaded with safetv. Ex- 

 perimental researches have been carried on for some time in En 2^- 

 land, at Woolwich, under a committee appointed by the Institution 

 of Civil Engineers, which prouiise to supply this want. 



The results of Mr. Whitworth's experiments, tending to super- 

 sede the hammer and rolls by forcing cast steel, while in a semi- 

 fluid state, into strong iron moulds by hydraulic pressure, are 

 regarded with great interest. 



The use of pulverized fuel, experiments on which are now 

 being conducted, promises, by surrounding each particle with 

 just the amount of oxygen which it needs for perfect combus- 

 tion, to utilize fuel to greater advantage. 



"The Bulletin of the American Iron and Steel Association" 

 states that 65 new blast furnaces have been erected in this 

 country during the last 18 months. It adds that it has a 

 record of 58 more in contemplation, the greater number 

 at the West, nearly all of which will be built the coming year, 

 if those engaged can be assured of the stability of the tariff. 



The " Bulletin" computes the total product of Pig Iron in this 

 country during 1869 at more than 1,900,000 tons. In 1865 (the 

 first year after the war), it was but 931,000 tons, — an increase 

 without a parallel in the history of any country. 



Steel rails are being largely adopted both at home and abroad. 

 The results of the experiments made are not merely satisfactory 

 in regard to the increased durability of the new material. They 

 demonstrate that the section might bo materially reduced. The 

 Northern Railway Company, of Austria, was one of the ear- 

 liest to experiment upon rails of Bessemer steel, and exhibited 

 specimens of its rails at the exposition of 1867. With a weight 

 per yard of only 45 pounds, the company obtained a steel 

 rail having double the strength of the iron rails of a larger 

 section previously employed by them ; the cost to the company 

 per ton of iron rails having been from 60 dollars to 70 dollars, 

 and that of steel rails being from 90 dollars to 100 dollars. The 

 expense per running mile is still kept nearly within its original 



