496 Chronicles of Science. [ July, 
In order to facilitate the process of oxidation, and to refine the 
iron, Mr. Griffiths substitutes, at the proper times during the process, a 
hollow rabble, or puddling tool. The object of this being to convey 
air, either hot or cold, to the iron, this blast being supplied to the 
hollow tool by a flexible tube capable of ready attachment to, and 
detachment from, the tool. 
In the Annales des Mines in 1862,* MM. Dumeny and Lemut 
described a mechanical puddler which had been adopted at the Clos- 
Mortier Forges, Haute Marne. Hven then the inventors conceived 
they had obtained an improvement in the quality of the products, an 
economy in the consumption of materials, and a diminution in the 
labour of the puddler. In a recent number } of the same journal, M. 
Lemut informs us that the result of working at seven furnaces fitted with 
the mechanical puddler is so satisfactory, that there is no hesitation 
felt in applying them without further modification to all the other 
furnaces. In the present state of things in this country, it is very 
important to obtain the advantage of the experience of two years’ prac- 
tice in large and well-conducted forges. M. Lemut gives the following 
summary :— 
The consumption of fuel for each ton of malleable iron made is 
considerably reduced. 
Economy is effected in the general expenses, as the work is acceler- 
ated, and the production of each furnace increased. 
The ‘“underhand” is dispensed with, and the labour of the 
puddler is diminished. 
But, he says, the improvement in the quality of the iron is the 
most important result of mechanical puddling. Grey pig-iron made 
with coke, which was difficult to refine under the action of three or 
four heavy rabbles, “came to nature” in a very short time with the 
addition of cinders, and produced iron of a superior quality. 
It may be incidentally noticed that, on the Continent, considerable 
attention has lately been given to the construction of the blast furnace. 
In 1859, Mr. Alger, an American ironmaster, formed a company for 
introducing a new form of furnace, the hearth being an elongated 
ellipse. Although some experiments made appeared to indicate a 
favourable result, this furnace has not been, in this country, adopted. 
A Russian mining engineer, General Wladimir Rachette, showed at 
our Exhibition of 1862, a model of his new blast furnace. This did not 
excite much attention in this country, but in Russia and in Germany 
some of Rachette’s furnaces have been constructed, and the results are 
said to be in every way satisfactory. Like Alger’s furnace, Rachette’s 
has a hearth of a narrow and elongated section. A good account of 
this furnace and its applications has been given by Dr. L. Beck, of 
the Metallurgical Laboratory, Royal School of Mines. 
M. Eugéne Peligot has recently brought before the Academy of 
Sciences, of Paris, the result of his experimental researches on the 
alloys of zinc and silver, and of silver and copper. ‘These examina- 
* « Annales des Mines,’ 6th series, tome li. 1862. 
+ ‘ Annales des Mines,’ 6th series, tome iv. 1864. 
{ ‘Mining and Smelting Magazine,’ April, 1864. 
