Manyotherlargefirmsnowcompetefortheirshareofthetrade；andtheextenttowhichithasgrown，thenumberoffurnacesconstantlyatwork，andthequantityofsteelcastintoingots，tobetiltedorrolledforthevariouspurposestowhichitisapplied，haverenderedSheffieldthegreatestlaboratoryintheworldofthisvaluablematerial。Ofthetotalquantityofcast-steelmanufacturedinEngland，notlessthanfive-sixthsareproducedthere；andthefacilitiesforexperimentandadaptationonthespothaveenabledtheSheffieldsteel-makerstokeeptheleadinthemanufacture，andsurpassallothersintheperfectiontowhichtheyhavecarriedthisimportantbranchofournationalindustry。Itisindeedaremarkablefactthatthisverytown，whichwasformerlyindebtedtoStyriaforthesteelusedinitsmanufactures，nowexportsamaterialofitsownconversiontotheAustrianforgesandotherplacesontheContinentfromwhichitwasbeforeaccustomedtodrawitsownsupplies。
AmongtheimprovedprocessesinventedoflateyearsforthemanufactureofsteelarethoseofHeath，Mushet，andBessemer。Thelastpromisestoeffectbeforelonganentirerevolutionintheironandsteeltrade。Byitthecrudemetalisconvertedbyonesimpleprocess，directlyasitcomesfromtheblast-furnace。Thisiseffectedbydrivingthroughit，whilestillinamoltenstate，severalstreamsofatmosphericair，onwhichthecarbonofthecrudeironuniteswiththeoxygenoftheatmosphere，thetemperatureisgreatlyraised，andaviolentebullitiontakesplace，duringwhich，iftheprocessbecontinued，thatpartofthecarbonwhichappearstobemechanicallymixedanddiffusedthroughthecrudeironisentirelyconsumed。Themetalbecomesthoroughlycleansed，theslagisejectedandremoved，whilethesulphurandothervolatilemattersaredrivenoff；theresultbeinganingotofmalleableironofthequalityofcharcoaliron。Animportant。featureintheprocessis，thatbystoppingitataparticularstage，immediatelyfollowingtheboil，beforethewholeofthecarbonhasbeenabstractedbytheoxygen，thecrudeironwillbefoundtohavepassedintotheconditionofcast-steelofordinaryquality。Bycontinuingtheprocess，themetallosingitscarbon，itpassesfromhardtosoftsteel，thencetosteelyiron，andlastofalltoverysoftiron；sothatbyinterruptingtheprocessatanystage，orcontinuingittotheend，almostanyqualityofironandsteelmaybeobtained。OneofthemostvaluableformsofthemetalisdescribedbyMr。Bessemeras”semi-steel，”beinginhardnessaboutmidwaybetweenordinarycast-steelandsoftmalleableiron。TheBessemerprocessesarenowinfulloperationinEnglandaswellasabroad，bothforconvertingcrudeintomalleableiron，andforproducingsteel；andtheresultsareexpectedtoproveofthegreatestpracticalutilityinallcaseswhereironandsteelareextensivelyemployed。
Yet，likeeveryotherinvention，thisofMr。Bessemerhadlongbeendreamtof，ifnotreallymade。WeareinformedinWarner’sTourthroughtheNorthern。CountiesofEngland，publishedatBathinl80L，thataMr。ReedofWhitehavenhadsucceededatthatearlyperiodinmakingsteeldirectfromtheore；andMr。Mushetclearlyalludestotheprocessinhis”PapersonIronandSteel。”Nevertheless，Mr。
Bessemerisentitledtothemeritofworkingouttheidea，andbringingtheprocesstoperfection，byhisgreatskillandindomitableperseverance。IntheHeathprocess，carburetofmanganeseisemployedtoaidtheconversionofironintosteel，whileitalsoconfersonthemetalthepropertyofweldingandworkingmoresoundlyunderthehammer——afactdiscoveredbyMr。HeathwhileresidinginIndia。Mr。Mushet’sprocessisofasimilarcharacter。Anotherinventor，MajorUchatius，anAustrianengineer，granulatescrudeironwhileinamoltenstatebypouringitintowater，andthensubjectingittotheprocessofconversion。Someofthemanufacturersstillaffectsecrecyintheiroperations；butasoneoftheSandersonfirm——famousfortheexcellenceoftheirsteel——remarkedtoavisitorwhenshowinghimovertheirworks，”thegreatsecretistohavethecouragetobehonest——aspirittopurchasethebestmaterial，andthemeansanddispositiontodojusticetoitinthemanufacture。”
Itremainstobeadded，thatmuchofthesuccessoftheSheffieldmanufacturesisattributabletothepracticalskilloftheworkmen，whohaveprofitedbytheaccumulatedexperiencetreasuredupbytheirclassthroughmanygenerations。Theresultsoftheinnumerableexperimentsconductedbeforetheireyeshaveissuedinamostvaluablethoughunwrittencodeofpractice，thedetailsofwhichareknownonlytothemselves。Theyarealsoamostlaboriousclass；andLePlaysaysofthem，whenalludingtothefactofasingleworkmansuperintendingtheoperationsofthreesteel-castingfurnaces——”I
havefoundnowhereinEurope，exceptinEngland，workmenableforanentireday，withoutanyintervalofrest，toundergosuchtoilsomeandexhaustinglabourasthatperformedbytheseSheffieldworkmen。”
CHAPTERVII。
THEINVENTIONSOFHENRYCORT。”Ihavealwaysfounditinmineownexperienceaneasiermattertodevisemanieandprofitableinventions，thantodisposeofoneofthemtothegoodoftheauthorhimself。”——SirHughPlatt，1589。
HenryCortwasbornin1740atLancaster，wherehisfathercarriedonthetradeofabuilderandbrickmaker。NothingisknownastoHenry’searlyhistory；butheseemstohaveraisedhimselfbyhisowneffortstoarespectableposition。In1765wefindhimestablishedinSurreyStreet，Strand，carryingonthebusinessofanavyagent，inwhichheissaidtohaverealizedconsiderableprofits。ItwaswhileconductingthisbusinessthathebecameawareoftheinferiorityofBritishironcomparedwiththatobtainedfromforeigncountries。TheEnglishwroughtironwasconsideredsobadthatitwasprohibitedfromallgovernmentsupplies，whilethecastironwasconsideredoftoobrittleanaturetobesuitedforgeneraluse。*
[footnote……
LifeofBrunel，p。60。
IndeedtheRussiangovernmentbecamesopersuadedthattheEnglishnationcouldnotcarryontheirmanufactureswithoutRussianiron，thatin1770theyorderedthepricetoberaisedfrom70and80copecsperpoodto200and220
copecsperpood。*
[footnote……
SCRIVENOR，HistoryoftheIronTrade，169。
Suchbeingthecase，Cort’sattentionbecamedirectedtothesubjectinconnectionwiththesupplyofirontotheNavy，andheenteredonaseriesofexperimentswiththeobjectofimprovingthemanufactureofEnglishiron。Whattheparticularexperimentswere，andbywhatstepshearrivedatresultsofsomuchimportancetotheBritishirontrade，noonecannowtell。Allthatisknownis，thatabouttheyear1775herelinquishedhisbusinessasanavyagent，andtookaleaseofcertainpremisesatFontley，nearFareham，atthenorth-westerncornerofPortsmouthHarbour，whereheerectedaforgeandanironmill。HewasafterwardsjoinedinpartnershipbySamuelJellicoesonofAdamJellicoe，thenDeputy-PaymasterofSeamen’sWages，whichturnedout，aswillshortlyappear，amostunfortunateconnectionforCort。
Asinthecaseofotherinventions，Corttookupthemanufactureofironatthepointtowhichhispredecessorshadbroughtit，carryingitstillfurther，andimprovingupontheirprocesses。Wemayherebrieflyrecitethestepsbywhichthemanufactureofbar-ironbymeansofpit-coalhaduptothistimebeenadvanced。In1747，Mr。
FordsucceededatCoalbrookdaleinsmeltingironorewithpit-coal，afterwhichitwasrefinedintheusualwaybymeansofcokeandcharcoal。In1762，Dr。Roebuckhereaftertobereferredtotookoutapatentformeltingthecastorpigironinahearthheatedwithpit-coalbytheblastofbellows，andthenworkingtheironuntilitwasreducedtonature，ormetallized，asitwastermed；afterwhichitwasexposedtotheactionofahollowpit-coalfireurgedbyablast，untilitwasreducedtoaloopanddrawnoutintobar-ironunderacommonforge-hammer。ThenthebrothersCranege，in1766，adoptedthereverberatoryorairfurnace，inwhichtheyplacedthepigorcastiron，andwithoutblastortheadditionofanythingmorethancommonrawpit-coal，convertedthesameintogoodmalleableiron，whichbeingtakenredhotfromthereverberatoryfurnacetotheforgehammer，wasdrawnintobarsaccordingtothewilloftheworkman。PeterOnionsofMerthyrTydvil，in1783，carriedthemanufactureastagefurther，asdescribedbyhiminhispatentofthatyear。Havingchargedhisfurnace”boundwithironworkandwellannealed”withpigorfusedcastironfromthesmeltingfurnace，itwasclosedupandthedoorswerelutedwithsand。Thefirewasurgedbyablastadmittedunderneath，apparentlyforthepurposeofkeepingupthecombustionofthefuelonthegrate。ThusOnions’furnacewasofthenatureofapuddlingfurnace，thefireofwhichwasurgedbyablast。Thefirewastobekeptupuntilthemetalbecamelessfluid，and”thickenedintoakindoffroth，whichtheworkman，byopeningthedoor，mustturnandstirwithabarorotherironinstrument，andthenclosetheapertureagain，applyingtheblastandfireuntiltherewasafermentinthemetal。”Thepatentfurtherdescribesthat”astheworkmanstirsthemetal，”thescoriaewillseparate，”andtheparticlesofironwilladhere，whichparticlestheworkmanmustcollectorgatherintoamassorlump。”Thismassorlumpwasthentoberaisedtoawhiteheat，andforgedintomalleableironattheforge-hammer。
Suchwasthestageofadvancereachedinthemanufactureofbar-iron，whenHenryCortpublishedhispatentsin1783and1784。Indispensingwithablast，hehadbeenanticipatedbytheCraneges，andintheprocessofpuddlingbyOnions；butheintroducedsomanyimprovementsofanoriginalcharacter，withwhichhecombinedtheinventionsofhispredecessors，astoestablishquiteanewerainthehistoryoftheironmanufacture，and，inthecourseofafewyears，toraiseittothehigheststateofprosperity。Asearlyas1786，LordSheffieldrecognisedthegreatnationalimportanceofCort’simprovementsinthefollowingwords：-IfMr。Cort’sveryingeniousandmeritoriousimprovementsintheartofmakingandworkingiron，thesteam-engineofBoultonandWatt，andLordDundonald’sdiscoveryofmakingcokeathalfthepresentprice，shouldallsucceed，itisnotassertingtoomuchtosaythattheresultwillbemoreadvantageoustoGreatBritainthanthepossessionofthethirteencoloniesofAmerica；
foritwillgivethecompletecommandoftheirontradetothiscountry，withitsvastadvantagestonavigation。”ItisscarcelynecessaryheretopointouthowcompletelytheanticipationsofLordSheffieldhavebeenfulfilled，sanguinethoughtheymightappeartobewhenutteredsomeseventy-sixyearsago。*
[footnote……
Althoughtheironmanufacturehadgraduallybeenincreasingsincethemiddleofthecentury，itwasasyetcomparativelyinsignificantinamount。Thuswefind，fromastatementbyW。Wilkinson，datedDec。
25，1791，containedinthememorandum-bookofWm。ReynoldsofCoalbrookdale，thattheproduceinEnglandandScotlandwasthenestimatedtobeCokeFurnaces。CharcoalFurnaces。
InEngland……73producing67，548tons20producing8500tonsInScotland……12”12，480”2”1000”
85”80，028”22”9500”
AtthesametimetheannualimportofOregroundsironfromSwedenamountedtoabout20，000tons，andofbarsandslabsfromRussiaabout50，000tons，atanaveragecostof35L。aton！
WewillendeavourasbrieflyaspossibletopointouttheimportantcharacterofMr。Cort’simprovements，asembodiedinhistwopatentsof1783and1784。Inthefirsthestatesthat，after”greatstudy，labour，andexpense，intryingavarietyofexperiments，andmakingmanydiscoveries，hehadinventedandbroughttoperfectionapeculiarmethodandprocessofpreparing，welding，andworkingvarioussortsofiron，andofreducingthesameintousesbymachinery：afurnace，andotherapparatus，adaptedandappliedtothesaidprocess。”Hefirstdescribeshismethodofmakingironfor”largeuses，”suchasshanks，arms，rings，andpalmsofanchors，bythemethodofpilingandfaggoting，sincebecomegenerallypractised，bylayingbarsofironofsuitablelengths，forgedonpurpose，andtaperingsoastobethinneratoneendthantheother，laidoveroneanotherinthemannerofbricksinbuildings，sothattheendsshouldeverywhereoverlayeachother。Thefaggotssoprepared，totheamountofhalfatonmoreorless，werethentobeputintoacommonairorballingfurnace，andbroughttoaweldingheat，whichwasaccomplishedbyhismethodinamuchshortertimethaninanyhollowfire；andwhentheheatwasperfect，thefaggotswerethenbroughtunderaforge-hammerofgreatsizeandweight，andweldedintoasolidmass。Mr。Cortallegesinthespecificationthatironfor”largeruses”thusfinished，isinallrespect’spossessedofthehighestdegreeofperfection；andthatthefireintheballingfurnaceisbettersuited，fromitsregularityandpenetratingquality，togivetheironaperfectweldingheatthroughoutitswholemass，withoutfusinginanypart，thananyfireblownbyablast。