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process; followed Huntsman implicitly in this respect; and they would

not allow their own workmen to flux the pots lest they also should

obtain possession of the secret。  But it turned out eventually that no

such flux was necessary; and the practice has long since been

discontinued。  A Frenchman named Jars; frequently quoted by Le Play in

his account of the manufacture of steel in Yorkshire;*

 'footnote。。。

Annales des Mines; vols。 iii。 and ix。; 4th Series。

 。。。'

paid a visit to Sheffield towards the end of last century; and

described the process so far as he was permitted to examine it。

According to his statement all kinds of fragments of broken steel

were used; but this is corrected by Le Play; who states that only the

best bar steel manufactured of Dannemora iron was employed。  Jars adds

that 〃the steel is put into the crucible with A FLUX; the composition

of which is kept secret;〃 and he states that the time then occupied

in the conversion was five hours。



It is said that the person who first succeeded in copying Huntsman's

process was an ironfounder named Walker; who carried on his business

at Greenside near Sheffield; and it was certainly there that the

making of cast…steel was next begun。  Walker adopted the 〃ruse〃 of

disguising himself as a tramp; and; feigning great distress and

abject poverty; he appeared shivering at the door of Huntsman's

foundry late one night when the workmen were about to begin their

labours at steel…casting; and asked for admission to warm himself by

the furnace fire。  The workmen's hearts were moved; and they permitted

him to enter。  We have the above facts from the descendants of the

Huntsman family; but we add the traditional story preserved in the

neighbourhood; as given in a well…known book on metallurgy :  



〃One cold winter's night; while the snow was falling in heavy flakes;

and the manufactory threw its red glared light over the

neighbourhood; a person of the most abject appearance presented

himself at the entrance; praying for permission to share the warmth

and shelter which it afforded。  The humane workmen found the appeal

irresistible; and the apparent beggar was permitted to take up his

quarters in a warm corner of the building。  A careful scrutiny would

have discovered little real sleep in the drowsiness which seemed to

overtake the stranger; for he eagerly watched every movement of the

workmen while they went through the operations of the newly

discovered process。  He observed; first of all; that bars of blistered

steel were broken into small pieces; two or three inches in length;

and placed in crucibles of fire clay。  When nearly full; a little

green glass broken into small fragments was spread over the top; and

the whole covered over with a closely…fitting cover。  The crucibles

were then placed in a furnace previously prepared for them; and after

a lapse of from three to four hours; during which the crucibles were

examined from time to time to see that the metal was thoroughly

melted and incorporated; the workmen proceeded to lift the crucible

from its place on the furnace by means of tongs; and its molten

contents; blazing; sparkling; and spurting; were poured into a mould

of cast…iron previously prepared:  here it was suffered to cool; while

the crucibles were again filled; and the process repeated。  When cool;

the mould was unscrewed; and a bar of cast…steel presented itself;

which only required the aid of the hammerman to form a finished bar

of cast…steel。  How the unauthorized spectator of these operations

effected his escape without detection tradition does not say; but it

tells us that; before many months had passed; the Huntsman

manufactory was not the only one where cast…steel was produced。〃*

 'footnote。。。

The Useful Metals and their Alloys (p。 348); an excellent little

work; in which the process of cast…steel making will be found fully

described。

 。。。'



However the facts may be; the discovery of the elder Huntsman proved

of the greatest advantage to Sheffield; for there is scarcely a

civilized country where Sheffield steel is not largely used; either

in its most highly finished forms of cutlery; or as the raw material

for some home manufacture。  In the mean time the demand for Huntsman's

steel steadily increased; and in l770; for the purpose of obtaining

greater scope for his operations; he removed to a large new

manufactory which he erected at Attercliffe; a little to the north of

Sheffield; more conveniently situated for business purposes。  There he

continued to flourish for six years more; making steel and practising

benevolence; for; like the Darbys and Reynoldses of Coalbrookdale; he

was a worthy and highly respected member of the Society of Friends。

He was well versed in the science of his day; and skilled in

chemistry; which doubtless proved of great advantage to him in

pursuing his experiments in metallurgy。*

 'footnote。。。

We are informed that a mirror is still preserved at Attercliffe; made

by Huntsman in the days of his early experiments。

 。。。'

That he was possessed of great perseverance will be obvious from the

difficulties he encountered and overcame in perfecting his valuable

invention。  He was; however; like many persons of strong original

character; eccentric in his habits and reserved in his manner。  The

Royal Society wished to enrol him as a member in acknowledgment of

the high merit of his discovery of cast…steel; as well as because of

his skill in practical chemistry; but as this would have drawn him in

some measure from his seclusion; and was also; as he imagined;

opposed to the principles of the Society to which he belonged; he

declined the honour。  Mr。 Huntsman died in 1776; in his seventy…second

year; and was buried in the churchyard at Attercliffe; where a

gravestone with an inscription marks his resting…place。



His son continued to carry on the business; and largely extended its

operations。  The Huntsman mark became known throughout the civilised

world。  Le Play the French Professor of Metallurgy; in his Memoire of

1846; still speaks of the cast…steel bearing the mark of 〃Huntsman

and Marshall〃 as the best that is made; and he adds; 〃the buyer of

this article; who pays a higher price for it than for other sorts; is

not acting merely in the blind spirit of routine; but pays a logical

and well…deserved homage to all the material and moral qualities of

which the true Huntsman mark has been the guarantee for a century。〃*

 'footnote。。。

Annales des Mines; vol。 ix。; 4th Series; 266。

 。。。'



Many other large firms now compete for their share of the trade; and

the extent to which it has grown; the number of furnaces constantly

at work; and the quantity of steel cast into ingots; to be tilted or

rolled for the various purposes to which it is applied; have rendered

Sheffield the greatest laboratory in the world of this valuable

material。  Of the total quantity of cast…steel manufactured in

England; not less than five…sixths are produced there; and the

facilities for experiment and adaptation on the spot have enabled the

Sheffield steel…makers to keep the lead in the manufacture; and

surpass all others in the perfection to which they have carried this

important branch of our national industry。  It is indeed a remarkable

fact that this very town; which was formerly indebted to Styria for

the steel used in its manufactures; now exports a material of its own

conversion to the Austrian forges and other places on the Continent

from which it was before accustomed to draw its own supplies。



Among the improved processes invented of late years for the

manufacture of steel are those of Heath; Mushet; and Bessemer。  The

last promises to effect before long an entire revolution in the iron

and steel trade。  By it the crude metal is converted by one simple

process; directly as it comes from the blast…furnace。  This is

effected by driving through it; while still in a molten state;

several streams of atmospheric air; on which the carbon of the crude

iron unites with the oxygen of the atmosphere; the temperature is

greatly raised; and a violent ebullition takes place; during which;

if the process be continued; that part of the carbon which appears to

be mechanically mixed and diffused through the crude iron is entirely

consumed。  The metal becomes thoroughly cleansed; the slag is ejected

and removed; while the sulphur and other volatile matters are driven

off; the result being an ingot of malleable iron of the quality of

charcoal iron。  An important。  feature in the process is; that by

stopping it at a particular stage; immediately following the boil;

before the whole of the carbon has been abstracted by the oxygen; the

crude iron will be found to have passed into the condition of

cast…steel of ordinary quality。  By continuing the process; the metal

losing its carbon; it passes from hard to soft steel; thence to

steely iron; and last of all to very so

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