198 Krupp’s Steel Works at Essen. 
of High Holborn, and by the Patent Plumbago Crucible 
Company at Battersea, are equal to anything yet produced 
abroad.” The foundry is a very large building, with 
furnaces capable of heating upwards of 1,200 crucibles at 
once, that number being actually used for some of the 
largest casts. The crucibles are arranged by batches of 
eight to ten in furnaces running the whole length of the 
building, their roofs being on a level with the floor of the 
foundry. The flame travels the whole length to a chimney 
at the end. The arrangement is similar to the one given 
in the second volume of Dr. Percy’s “ Metallurgy,” pp. 830 
to 836, but carried out on a much larger scale. A distinct 
feature at Essen, however, is that the crucibles rest on loose 
iron bars, which also support the fuel, and can be drawn 
out when required; the use of these will be mentioned 
presently. The heat attained in the furnace is so intense 
as to bring the best Scotch fire-bricks, with which they are 
lined, and the crucibles themselves to a state of incipient 
fusion, the pots, indeed, being only used once. The reser- 
voir and mould are cylinders of cast iron, and into the 
former lead two troughs to conduct the molten metal. The 
mould rests on the bottom of the pit, and is unsupported 
at the sides. The use of the reservoir, which is placed over 
the mould, is only to secure a steady vertical flow of metal 
into the latter. Both have been sometimes lined with clay, 
but usually present a clean surface of cast iron to the 
molten steel. Mr. Piesser assured me that they attach no 
importance to the question of lining. 
The organisation of the workmen is most excellent. 
When a cast is to be made (the one that I saw was of 
sixteen tons, and required about 400 men), those told off 
for the purpose rapidly assemble and fall into their places 
with military precision. They are divided into numerous 
gangs, some in the foundry and some in the cellar below. 
At the right moment, all the crucibles being ready, the 
“engineer” in charge of the cast (who stands near the 
reservoir) gives a word of command, which is repeated 
loudly by the gangs of men above the furthest sets of 
crucibles (z.¢., those nearest the corners of the building, the 
cast being in the centre) to the gangs below them. The 
latter draw out all the bars from their portion of the fur- 
nace, except the two upon which each crucible rests, and 
some of the men above rapidly clear away, with iron rods, 
the fuel adhering to’ the pots. The “puller-out” now: 
thrusts down his tongs, seizes his crucible, and heaves it up 
