﻿THE 
  STORY 
  OF 
  THE 
  RUHR 
  

  

  559 
  

  

  single 
  false 
  step, 
  and 
  

   he 
  pays 
  with 
  his 
  life. 
  

  

  Its 
  famous 
  crucible 
  

   steel 
  is 
  the 
  oldest 
  spe- 
  

   cialty 
  of 
  Essen. 
  To 
  

   obtain 
  it, 
  raw 
  materials 
  

   especially 
  chosen 
  are 
  

   melted 
  in 
  separate 
  

   crucibles 
  and 
  then 
  

   poured 
  together 
  to 
  

   form 
  the 
  ingot. 
  This 
  

   particular 
  steel 
  is 
  said 
  

   to 
  excel 
  all 
  others 
  in 
  

   purity; 
  the 
  giant 
  in- 
  

   gots 
  are 
  absolutely 
  

   homogeneous, 
  close- 
  

   grained, 
  and 
  uniform 
  

   throughout. 
  

  

  Lately, 
  too, 
  a 
  new 
  

   stainless 
  and 
  rustless 
  

   steel 
  has 
  been 
  made 
  at 
  

   Essen. 
  It 
  is 
  claimed 
  

   that 
  not 
  even 
  boiling 
  

   nitric 
  acid 
  can 
  affect 
  it, 
  

   and 
  it 
  is 
  well 
  adapted 
  

   as 
  a 
  substitute 
  for 
  

   nickel-plate 
  in 
  the 
  

   manufacture 
  of 
  surgi- 
  

   cal 
  and 
  other 
  instru- 
  

   ments. 
  

  

  Aside 
  from 
  its 
  truly 
  

   amazing 
  industrial 
  as- 
  

   pects, 
  with 
  its 
  singu- 
  

   larly 
  adequate 
  welfare 
  

   institutions 
  for 
  aged 
  

   and 
  crippled 
  workmen, 
  

   Essen 
  is 
  only 
  an 
  over- 
  

   grown 
  German 
  factory 
  

   town 
  — 
  somber 
  and 
  

   smoky. 
  It 
  is 
  the 
  sort 
  

   of 
  place 
  you 
  like 
  to 
  

   see 
  — 
  once. 
  At 
  near-by 
  

   Werden, 
  fitting 
  back- 
  

   ground 
  to 
  the 
  drab 
  

   dullness 
  of 
  Essen, 
  

   stands 
  an 
  old 
  Benedic- 
  

   tine 
  abbey, 
  used 
  now 
  as 
  a 
  penitentiary. 
  

  

  The 
  Ruhr 
  River 
  itself 
  rises 
  on 
  the 
  

   north 
  side 
  of 
  Winterberg, 
  in 
  Sauerland, 
  

   flows 
  northward 
  past 
  the 
  romantically 
  

   situated 
  town 
  of 
  Arnsberg, 
  and 
  thence 
  

   winds 
  on 
  down 
  into 
  the 
  mining 
  district 
  

   around 
  Hagen. 
  Here, 
  after 
  receiving 
  the 
  

   waters 
  of 
  the 
  Lenne. 
  it 
  twists 
  on 
  past 
  

   Witten, 
  Steele, 
  Kettwig, 
  and 
  Alulheim, 
  

   getting 
  greasier 
  and 
  blacker 
  as 
  it 
  washes 
  

   past 
  coal 
  dumps 
  and 
  foundries, 
  till 
  it 
  

  

  Photograph 
  from 
  Frederick 
  Simpich 
  

  

  A 
  BOAT 
  LOAD 
  OF 
  PEAT 
  FROM 
  THE 
  MARSHES 
  

  

  Over 
  these 
  canals 
  millions 
  of 
  tons 
  of 
  bulky 
  freight 
  — 
  peat, 
  coal, 
  

   stone, 
  and 
  cement 
  — 
  are 
  moved 
  every 
  year. 
  To 
  these 
  canals 
  in 
  

   winter 
  thousands 
  of 
  skaters 
  come 
  for 
  Europe's 
  greatest 
  cold 
  

   weather 
  sport. 
  

  

  joins 
  the 
  Rhine 
  at 
  Ruhrort. 
  From 
  this 
  

   point, 
  also, 
  the 
  Ruhr 
  Canal 
  connects 
  it 
  

   with 
  Duisburg. 
  

  

  From 
  Witten 
  to 
  its 
  mouth, 
  some 
  43 
  

   miles, 
  the 
  Ruhr 
  is 
  navigable, 
  with 
  the 
  aid 
  

   of 
  a 
  dozen 
  locks, 
  but 
  low 
  water 
  often 
  de- 
  

   lays 
  the 
  boats. 
  Here 
  and 
  there, 
  along 
  its 
  

   busy 
  course, 
  it 
  even 
  finds 
  time 
  to 
  pause 
  

   and 
  turn 
  the 
  wheels 
  of 
  little 
  mills 
  and 
  

   factories. 
  Down 
  the 
  Rhine 
  the 
  trade 
  of 
  

   the 
  Ruhr 
  moves 
  out 
  to 
  sea. 
  

  

  