254 THE SCIENTIFIC PAPERS OF 



MR. SIEMENS said he quite agreed with most of the remarks 

 that had been made. 



Mr. Bram well's way of putting the loss of iron was quite correct, 

 and if ever the puddling process was brought to an absolute state 

 of perfection the saving would in some cases be 20 per cent, instead 

 of only 12 per cent, as at present. Undoubtedly what was saved 

 in weight, was due to the improved chemical action, as named by 

 Mr. Hawksley and Mr. Mallet, and he was glad to find that his 

 explanation of the theory of puddling was so readily appreciated, 

 both by chemists, in Section B, where his paper had also been 

 read, and by engineers. In working it out he admitted at once 

 that he had had the benefit of special advantages, by being able 

 to exclude nearly all free oxygen whilst he was working with a 

 very high temperature, much higher indeed than usual. 



In answer to Mr. Mallet's remark as to the use of the new 

 furnace for other metals, he might say it was now being used for 

 zinc, lead, and other ores, with great success. 



He was happy to be able to relieve Mr. Jones's mind of the 

 impression that the furnace cost 3,000 ; the cost of a pair of 

 puddling furnaces and their gas producers was 450, or 225 

 per puddling furnace complete. 



Caking coal, brown coal, free burning coal, and peat, &c., &c., 

 had been in daily use for years in the gas producers with excellent 

 effect, indeed the arrangement offered a means of utilising for 

 operations requiring high temperatures, several descriptions of fuel 

 that had never been used for the purpose before. 



He certainly did not heat the boilers in a mill with the waste 

 heat from the puddling furnaces, simply because he had no " waste 

 heat " to throw away ; all he made he used, and for the highest 

 or best paying purposes. With regard to the last objection that 

 had been raised, he was happy to say he had not found any diffi- 

 culty with the workmen, they had, in fact, after a few days' work 

 at the furnace, taken to it very well indeed ; he was sorry to say 

 that it was with the masters only that he had any trouble, and he 

 simply mentioned it as the contrary had been stated, but without 

 the intention of finding fault with ironmasters, who would no 

 doubt soon see that what was chemically right, and practicable, 

 must also prove remunerative to themselves. 

 He would only add one word in explanation of the quality 



