204 HEROES OF INVENTION AND DISCO VERY. 



down as a failure, and the iron and steel makers declined to 

 have anything to do with it. The inventor accordingly found 

 that either the invention must be abandoned, or he himself 

 must become steel manufacturer. He adopted the latter alter- 

 native, and started his works in the very stronghold of steelmak- 

 ing, at Sheffield, with a success which is matter of history. 



The great value of this invention is unmistakably shown by 

 the fact that 500,000 tons of steel were, in 1874, being made 

 annually by the Bessemer process in Great Britain, the total 

 number of converting vessels in use being ninety-one, and their 

 aggregate capacity 467 tons. Large quantities are also manu- 

 factured by it in Sweden, Russia, Austria, Prussia, and other 

 European countries. In America it is likewise extensively 

 employed. 



A recent experimental trial is reported, which is said to have 

 been quite fairly conducted : as the result, it was found that a 

 Bessemer steel rail lasted fully longer than twenty iron ones. 



