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MARINE REVIEW. i1 Acid vs, Basic Steel for Ship Construction. Readers of the REV1Ew will remember several articles that have ap- peared in these columns relative to the merits of Basic open-hearth and acid open-hearth steel for ship construction. One of these articles, which compared the Basic product unfavorably with acid steel, was copied in the Boiler Maker, a publication that is gotten out by Joseph T. Ryer- son & Son of Chicago, dealers in high grades of iron and steel for rail- roads, boiler makers and workers in heavy sheet iron and steel. A.C. Cunningham, a well known engineer of Albany, N. Y., took exception to the article. He claimed, without apparent cause, however, that from the article one might infer that all acid open-hearth steel was superior to all Basic open-hearth, and that it was a question if Bessemer steel was not superior to the latter. "Such an inference would be entirely unjust and incorrect" he said. "There is plenty of good Basic open-hearth steel made today and plenty of poor acid open-hearth made also. One thing is certain: If acid open-hearth steel is made from low grade stock, high in phosphorus and sulphur, the resulting product is certain to be a steel of poor quality. A low grade stock which if used for the acid process, would produce a steel which was worthless, may when used in the Basic process produce a steel which is good, or even excellent. It is incorrect to make comparisons between the melting stock for acid and Basic steel; one might as well make comparisons between clay for bread and flour for bricks. A stock which will make good Basic steel may make worthless acid steel, and a stock which will make fair acid steel will make excellent Basic steel. That there is nothing fundamentally wrong with Basic steel is shown by the fact that some of the best grades of acid steel made de- pend upon Basic melting stock for their results. To secure a good steel of any kind it is necessary to havea specification which provides for steel, and such a specification must contain not only physical, but chem- ical requirements. The specification, alone, however, is not sufficient; it must be backed by physical and chemical tests, intelligently selected and made, and the authenticity of which is unquestionable." The Chicago firm seems to have a leaning toward acid steel, although they represent, among other concerns, the Otis Steel Co. of Cleveland, manufacturers of Basic steel. They accordingly forwarded the above communication, with the article from the REVIEW, toa steel manufact- urer whom they regard as an expert and one of the ablest metallurgists in this country. He requests that his name be not published, and this is unfortunate, as his letter, which follows, makes an interesting addi- tion to the several that have been printed in the REVIEW: "Mr. Cunningham says that 'one might infer that all acid open-hearth steel was superior to all Basic open-hearth, and that it wasa question if Bessemer steel was not superior to the latter.' The writer of the article in the MARINE REVIEW did not intend that such inference should be drawn. That writer's frequent use of the word 'uniform' in connec- tion with the acid processes clearly indicates that the inference he meant to be drawn by the readeris that acid steel is 'uniform' and that Basic steel is not 'uniform'; or, to put it in other words, is irregular and vari- able ; some Basic steel is good, and some bad; 'numerous instances of peculiar defects resulting in fracture of steel, with apparently no sufficient causes,' indicate that Basic steel is unreliable and uncertain in use Itis true that by acid methods low grade stock, high in phosporus and sul- phur, is certain to make steel of poor quality; itis equally true that by acid methods high grade stock, low in phosphorus and sulphur, is certain to make a steel of good quality. Mr. Cunningham states: 'A low grade stock, which if used for the acid process, would produce a steel which was worthless, may when used in the Basic process produce a steel which is good, or even excellent,' It is probable the MARINE REVIEW writer would say in the last clause: 'May produce a steel apparently good or excellent; but there is an uncertainty as to whether it is really good or bad till it is actually in service for some time.' "From the foregoing we see that steel by the acid process is cer- tainly good or bad according as the stock from which it is madeis good or bad; with the Basic process the result is uncertain. It is assumed that the metallurgical skill of the steel maker is the same in all cases. The acid process is comparatively simple; the Basic process complex. The acid process because of its greater simplicity ought to, and does produce steel more uniform and regular than the Basic process in its results in actual use. When all steels were made by acid processes the quantity of the phosphorus and sulphur therein gave a fair index of their quality ; that is, the presence of those elements in greater or less quantities gave an unfailing indication as to the relative value and desir- ability of steels made by the same process. With Basic steels the case is different. Phosphorus and sulphur are no longer definite indices of qual- ity in comparing steels made by this same process orin comparing them with steels made by the acid process. Steel made on the Basic hearth probably contains injurious elements or compounds, other than phos- phorus and sulphur, not ordinarily determined by the chemist when when making analyses of steels. When these 'other' deleterious ele- ments or compounds are recognized and are quantitatively determined by the chemist, the quality of Basic steel can be predicated from analysis of the steel itself; but from the nature of the Basic process, depending as it does upon numerous and varying reactions and conditions, which must be properly and promptly carried out and met, to successfully rescue the steel from 'the bad,' the quality of the resulting product can never be as certainly predicated from analyses of the stock from which the steel is to be made as in the case of acid steels. Briefly, the acid steel princip- ally depends for quality and uniformity on the purity and regularity of the stock from which it is made; the Basic process attempts to regularly attain the same ends by complicated treatment and manipulation of heterogeneous and cheap stock after charging it into the furnace. Bear- ing these thoughts in mind it is clear that the greater uniformity of the acid steels is due the simpler and more direct characteristics of the stock and the process. "The foregoing supports the statement of the Marine REVIEW, 'that many prominent engineers who have made the subject a study pre- fer to use good Bessemer steel rather than Basic open-hearth, and that makers of Basic open-hearth steel must improve their methods before their steel can be accepted as equal to the best.' Railroads keeping care- ful records of the durability of their fire box steels in service have aband- oned Basic and returned to acid steel, because of the greater reliability and regularity of the latter. They naturally had been attracted by the apparently superior chemical analyses and physical tests of the Basic steel, but later they found to their cost that those results were not true criteria of the value of fire-box steels when put to the severe and long continued test of actual service.in the fire-box itself. "All this is not an attempt to exalt acid steel at the expense of Basic steel. The endeavor is to present facts as they appear to exist to enable us to arrive at a true and well supported position as to the relative value of the two processes. Turning now to acid Bessemer steel. It is a popu- lar fallacy that soft Bessemer steelis more irregular than open-hearth steel- Soft Bessemer steel suitable for ship plate, water pipe and stand- pipes is now made by some manufacturers, who make a specialty of soft steels, of remarkable regularity indicated by both chemical and eiee! tests, and proven by its durability in actual service. "Now as to specifications: Specifications are not absolutely necessary to enable the consumer to get good steel from manufacturers of high and well established reputation Such manufacturers regularly test and in- spect the material as it is rolled, toenable them to keep proper control of the manufacture and to inform themselves definitely as to the steel they ship. Most manufacturers prefer reasonable specifications, as they then know that they are without doubt furnishing the steel neque? by the buyer." Trade Notes. John B. Roach of Chester, Pa., has secured a contract to build two double-deck steel ferry boats for the Brooklyn & New York Ferry Co, They will each be 168 feet long, 36 feet 6 inches moulded beam, 62 feet over guards and 14 feet 6 inches depth amidships. The Williams & Rodgers Co., Cleveland, is finding ais a' large patronage from vessel owners whe have occasion to furnish cabins of new vessels or to refurnish vessels already in commission, either freight or passenger. A large order taken by this firm recently was for refurn- ishing the Cleveland & Buffalo company's steamer State of New York. The Graham-Meyer Torch and Liquid Light Co. of Boston has re- cently perfected a self-feeding torch to burn any length of time that may be desired. The devise is very ingenious and should prove of very great value on docks, at mines and for use at life saving stations, etc. Gas generated from kerosene oil is the illuminant used. It produces a most powerful light. Byits aid a newspaper has been easily read at a distance from it of ninety yards on a very dark night. The Berlin Iron Bridge Co. of East Berlin, Ct., has just' fonpleea: a very successful year. Shipments have been the lareeset in the history of the company, representing over $1,500,000 worth of business. At the annual meeting of stockholders, held on Jan. 30, the following directors were elected: Chas. M. Jarvis, Burr K. Field, George H. Sage, H. H. Peck of Waterbury, S. H. Wilcox of Brooklyn, N. Y.,J. W. Burr and F, L.. Wilcox. These directors elected the following officers: President and chief engineer, Chas. M. Jarvis; vice-president, B. K. Field; secre- tary, Geo. H. Sage; treasurer, F. L. Wilcox; manager of highway bridge department, D. E. Bradley; assistant to the president, E. W. Stearns. THE WILLIAMS & RODGERS Co. SUPERIOR and SENECA STREETS. BOAT SUPPLIES We make special rates to vessel owners on Dry Coods, Bedding, Floor Coverings, Furniture, Kitchen Utensils, etc. THE WILLIAMS & RODGERS CO., CLEVELAND, O.