158 THE ADDRESSES, LECTURES, ETC., OF 



improvement, have done so to the exclusion of the old pot holes ; 

 one ton of slack is thereby rendered amply sufficient to melt a ton 

 of mild steel, or, in ocher words, to do the work of three tons of 

 coke, for the production of which five tons of coal are required. 

 Here we have a clear saving of 80 per cent, in the weight of the 

 fuel employed, coupled with other advantages, such as increased 

 durability, and a larger output, amounting probably in money 

 value to not less than 2 per ton of steel produced ; and yet the 

 greater number of the Sheffield melting furnaces are still working 

 on the old plan, whereas abroad, and especially in America, the 

 improved furnace for this purpose is all but universally adopted. 

 As regards your correspondent's second question, I consider that 

 it is not a fair one to ask, inasmuch as it implies a state of things 

 the very opposite of what really exists. The Elswick Ordnance 

 Company were among the first to adopt the regenerative gas fur- 

 nace for heavy forgings, and having always been and still continu- 

 ing satisfied with the advantages of the system, have gradually 

 increased its application. 



With reference to the third question, your correspondent was 

 rightly informed that a gas furnace supposed to be a regenera- 

 tive gas furnace was erected at the Woolwich Arsenal in 1867, 

 tried, found wanting, and stopped ; but it is apparently not so 

 well known that I had nothing to do with the construction of that 

 furnace. The Woolwich authorities of that day, acting upon the 

 representations of a person previously in my employ, to the effect 

 that he could design and erect for them a regenerative gas furnace 

 of an improved construction, and that they, as a Government 

 Department, were not bound to apply for a license under a patent, 

 authorised the construction of a most expensive furnace. In this, 

 among other " improvements," the ventilation of the cinder bottom 

 was virtually suppressed, and finding that this furnace would not 

 work, although reheating furnaces for similar purposes were at 

 that time successfully at work at the Elswick Gun Factory, the 

 War Office requested me to inspect and report upon it. As I 

 could, however, only advise them to pull down the furnace, and 

 build de novo with the old material, no further steps were taken 

 in the matter. 



I cannot admit that the result of the application of the regene- 

 rative gas furnace has been on the whole unsatisfactory, inasmuch 



