The Works Of Messrs. Schneider And Co.

XVI.- THE ROLLING-MILL DEPARTMENT. Historical.—This important départaient of the Ci-eusot Works was founded by M. Eugène Schneider at the time when the French Commercial Treaty of 1860 came into operation. The eff’ect of this treaty was largely to reduce the tariff on all imports, which had up to that date pro- tected French metallurgy, among other industries. The immédiate result was, of course, inévitable; compétition with foreign iron works became impossible, owing mainly to the ancient and imperfect plant in use at the old Creusot forge, which had been put clown in 1827, and which, under the fostering aie! of Protection, continuée! to serve the purpose. Rising promptly to the necessities of the situation, M. Eugène Schneider, assistée! by his ■ son, M. Henri Schneider, préparée! the plans for the new rolling mills, and tlieir execution was at once put in hand. The levelling of 16 hectares (40 acres) of very uneven ground, involved earthworks of considérable magnitude. This was beo'un in 1861 ; the érection of the buildings was then carried on rapidJy, as well as the construction and érection of the engines and new plant. In 1865 the puddling furnaces and iron rail mills were set to work; the installation of other mills followed without interruption, and in 1867, the year of the second great Paris Exhibition, the undertaking was complétée!. These rolling mills were methodically laid out as a whole and in every détail, in Order to meßt all require- ments as to dimensions and quality of output. They were justly considérée! as a model of their kind, and were visitée! by a great number of foreigners who were in France at the time they were started, especially by Americans, who, later on, built the gigantic establishments now at work in the United States. A reference may be quoted here to these early rolling mills taken from Engineering, vol. iv., 1867, page 476 : “ By far the most imposing structure at Creusot, and one which, in its way, has no rival in the world, is the new rolling mil], which is covered by a roof in five spans, and 1,250 ft. long, supported on cast-iron columns, but inclosed at the sides by continuous glass Windows. The first span of the roof covers the portion devoted to forming the piles of puddle bars as they corne from the puddle mill at the side of the new building. The next portion contains the heating furnaces, in the chimney of each of which is placed a vertical cylindrical boiler without flues, 3 ft. 6 in. in diameter, and extending a short distance above the roof, the heat passing around the outside of the boiler, and issuing from the brickwork casing by means of iron chimneys by the side of the steam-room. This form of boiler is very common at the French. iron works, and gives great satisfaction. Next, under the centre roof, which has the widest span, are the trains of roils of all sizes, from such as are suitable for rails or girders down to the rapid guide-roll for | in. squares. Following this is the straighten- ing shed, and, lastly, the dispatching shed, into which the lines of railway enter to receive the finished product. The appearance of symmetry presented by this mill, with its long row of vertical boilers and its succession of train of rolls, is very striking, and makes even the largest of our English mills seem diminutive by comparison.” Besides completing a first-class plant from the com- mencement, Messrs. Schneider and Co. organisée! a special system as regards control of the work, account-keeping, and regulär inspection of the raw material and of finished products, tlius enabling the central office to ascertain exaetly at any time the state of affairs in this pärticular department. The outside appearance of the rolling-mill department has been altered but lifctle since the early time, notwith- standing the constant improvements which have been made, in order to keep the plant up to the highest standard of efficiency and modem practice, and especially in the sub- stitution of mechanieal for hand labour. Thus, mechanical puddling has taken the place of hand puddling for common qualities of iron ; two high roll mills have been superseded by three-high and reversing mills ; the furnaces are chargée! mechanically by processes which, while they are less tedious for the men, reduce the cost of labour; ail the old cylindrical boilers have been replacée! by multitubular boilers ; the accessory machines—shears, flattening machines, &c.—are being transformée! for working by electricity, &c., &c. Present Rolling-Mill Shops.—At the present time the Creusot rolling-mill department, a plan of which is shown in Fig. 182, Plate XXXVII., occupies a space of 16 hectares (40 acres) of which 7.5 hectares (19 acres) are occupied by buildings. The rolling-mill building (Figs. 183 and 184) alone covers 4.30hectares (10.65 acres); it consists of six connected bays, of varied height and span. Its lengtli is 380 metres (1,250 ft.). The iron framing is of a light and elegant construction, giving a fine appearance to the building. Fig. 185, Plate XXXVIII., gives a good idea of the interiør of the main bay. The other principal shops are the two containing the puddling furnaces, each. one 74 metres (243 ft.) long by 80 metres (263 ft.) wide, and the bar stores which are in