54 TOWERS AND TANK'S FOR WATER-WORKS. 



who have to deal with materials for structural purposes are no 

 longer as familiar with iron as they were some time ago, or 

 as they are with steel." 



In view of the conflict of opinion indicated by the ex- 

 pressions above quoted, particular interest attaches to the fol- 

 lowing statement from a well-known firm of boiler-merchants, 

 having an experience covering a period of more than half a 

 century : 



1 'There are very few mills to-day that have among their 

 employees men who can make first-class iron, and by reason 

 of the fact that orders for iron are so exceedingly rare and 

 these men can be put at the work only at infrequent inter- 

 vals, their skill has departed and they have no longer the 

 ability to make as good iron as was made five or ten years 

 ago. 



"Whatever the present status of the question, it is perti- 

 nent to observe that the results of a very similar rivalry be- 

 tween steel and wrought iron in the manufacture of T rails, 

 some years ago, tends forcibly to confirm the belief that the 

 quality of the superseded metal must decline sooner or later 

 in the case under consideration. Such deterioration having 

 taken place, it seems quite certain that wrought iron could show 

 no superiority over steel in open competition, and, as re- 

 marked in discussing this subject at the conclusion of the 

 original record of accidents, it seems altogether probable 

 that the favorable showing of wrought iron indicated by the 

 record of stand-pipe failures would soon be forfeited were the 

 extensive use of wrought iron for this purpose to be suddenly 

 resumed without a corresponding restoration of the former 

 qualities of that metal. Fortunately, the few firms that have 

 adhered loyally to the use of wrought-iron and have built 

 most of the large wrought-iron stand-pipes during the period 

 of alleged retrogression, seem to have recognized the impor- 



