LOADING ORE INTO CARS AT ASHTABULA, OHIO 



The most massive ore-handling machinery in the world is in use at this great lower lake 

 port. Here come untold millions of tons of ore to be transhipped to Pittsburgh, Youngs- 

 town, and other blast furnace points. The big Hulett unloader dumps its burden into a bin 

 almost as soon as it is out of the hatchway. While it is diving down into the hold for 

 another load, the bin, which is mounted on wheels, moves away and dumps its contents into 

 waiting cars, as seen in the picture. By the time another mouthful is ready the bin is back 

 to receive it. The cars are standing under the rear end of the unloader, as that big mech- 

 anism is seen in the picture on page 134. 



16 pounds to the square inch. A veri- 

 table inferno results, and the blast causes 

 all the oxygen in the air to unite with 

 the carbon and leave through the gas 

 pipes. 



The ore and the limestone melt under 

 the ordeal and the foreign matter in the 

 ore unites at once with the molten lime- 

 stone. Being lighter than liquid iron, 



these newly wedded soul-mates rise to the 

 top of the bubbling cauldron as oil rises 

 to the top of water or cream to the top 

 of milk. There are two holes in the 

 lower part of the furnace. Out of the 

 upper one of these, when tapped, come 

 the affinities, now liquid slag, which soon 

 hardens and is shipped away to be made 

 into prosaic cement. 



141 



