SCIENCE AND THE EMERGENCE OF MODERN AMERICA 



which, either in its form as patented, or in a modification of it as now 

 used in all American works, has rendered possible, as much as any other 

 one thing, the present immense production. 



Then he tried many forms of cupolas at Troy, adopting in the 

 original plant a changeable bottom or section below the tuyeres, and 

 developing this idea still further in the first 5-ton works; then later, at 

 Harrisburg, assisting Mr. J. B. Pearse the furnace was improved to a 

 point which rendered these many bottoms unnecessary, chiefly by deep- 

 ening the bottom and enlarging the tuyere area. Upon his rebuilding the 

 Troy works after their destruction by fire, Mr. Holley put in the per- 

 fected cupolas. At this time the practice was to run a cupola for a turn's 

 melting, which had reached eight heats or forty tons of steel, and then 

 dropping its bottom. This was already an increase of one hundred per 

 cent, over his boast about the same amount in twenty-four hours. 



The Cambria works were now running, and Mr. Holley had be- 

 come officially connected with them as consulting Bessemer engineer. 

 Many discussions and consultations took place between Mr. George Fritz, 

 Mr. Holley, and the writer, as to the possibility of increasing the prod- 

 uct of the works. Among other things, tapping cinder from the cupolas 

 was thought of, and decided upon. These works had already placed 

 their turn's work at nine instead of eight heats. The Pennsylvania works 

 under Mr. J. B. Pearse's management, followed with an increased pro- 

 duction. The Cambria works applied the cinder tap, and the production 

 went up to the unanticipated amount of thirty heats, or one hundred 

 and fifty tons in twenty-four hours. Grand as we thought this, it is only 

 about one-half of the present yield of each of several works. During all 

 this time many details were modified, and as the new ways proved suc- 

 cessful they were adopted in the regular practice. I think one thing 

 which had a strong bearing on the increased production was the labor 

 organization of the Cambria works. In compliance with the policy de- 

 cided upon, I started the converting works without a single man who 

 had ever seen even the outside of Bessemer works, and, with a very few 

 exceptions, they were not even skilled rolling-mill men, but on the con- 

 trary were selected from intelligent laborers. The result was that we had 

 willing pupils with no prejudices, and without any reminiscences of 

 what they had done in the old country or at any other works. Of course 

 when one works went ahead, the others had to follow. Mr. George 

 Fritz was the embodiment of push, and with such men to call on as 

 William R. Jones, J. E. Fry, Charles Kennedy, Alexander Hamilton, and 

 D. N. Jones, his efforts were ably seconded, and Cambria for a long 

 time maintained the lead. . . . 



While I am not able to mention all of the very many good things 

 accomplished by the gentlemen at each and all the various works, I am, 

 at the same time, well aware they have all done their share toward 

 achieving the great end; and, fortunately, their mutual relations have 

 been so pleasant, that each one's experiences have been freely imparted 

 to the others. This has done wonders to advance the science. But with- 

 out one element, all skill and all mechanical talent would have been 

 wasted, and with it nearly all things have been possible. That element 

 has been, and is, "American push." 



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