148 THE ADDRESSES, LECTURES, ETC., OF 



what is called wrought iron, shall be called Weld-iron (German 

 Schweisseisen ; French, Fer-soude). 



" II. That such compounds when they will from any cause harden 

 and temper, and which resemble what is now called 'puddled 

 steel,' shall be called Weld-steel (German, Schweiss-stahl ; French, 

 Acier-soude.) 



" III. That all compounds of iron, with its ordinary ingredients, 

 which have been cast from a fluid state into malleable masses, and 

 which will not sensibly harden by being quenched in water while 

 at a red heat, shall be called Ingot-iron (German, Fluss-eisen ; 

 French, Fer-fondu). 



" IV. That all such compounds, when they shall from any cause 

 so harden, shall be called Ingot-steel (German, Fluss-stahl ; 

 French, Acier fondu)." 



The nomenclature here proposed is entitled to careful considera- 

 tion from the eminence for both theoretical and practical knowledge 

 of the gentlemen composing the committee ; but I apprehend 

 that, for common use, the distinctions desired to be drawn are too 

 manifold. Moreover, the lines of demarcation laid down run 

 through materials very similar, if not identical, in their applica- 

 tion, where a distinction in name would be extremely difficult to 

 maintain, and awkward to draw. Take, for instance, railway bars 

 from Ingot-metal, which are usually specified to bear a given dead 

 load without deflecting beyond certain limits, and to resist a 

 certain impact without rupture. The materials answering to 

 these requirements contain from '2 to - 6 per cent, of carbon, 

 depending in a great measure upon the mode of production, and 

 upon the amount of admixture of phosphorus, sulphur, silicon, 

 and manganese. But inasmuch as the quality of tempering is 

 chiefly due to carbon, part of the rails delivered under such 

 specification might have to be classified as ingot-iron, and part as 

 ingot-steel. The committee omits to define the degree of hardening 

 which it considers necessary to bring a material within the 

 denomination of ingot-steel ; it is well known, however, that the 

 temper depends upon the exact temperature to which the metal is 

 heated before being plunged into the refrigerating medium, and 

 also upon the temperature and conductivity of the latter, and that 

 ingot metal with only '2 per cent, of carbon, when plunged hot 

 into cold water, takes a certain amount of temper. The question 



