The Works Of Messrs. Schneider And Co.

THE ROLLING MILL SHOPS. 79 twelve hours. As the total quantity of steam required niay exceed 800 tons, the difference is made up by eight auxiliary bollers, which act as regulators, and maintain the pressure at 5 kilogrammes (71.115 Ib. per square incli); the number of these boilers in use varies according to the work in progress. Steel, though requiring a lesser degree of reheating, demands greater power for rolling, than iron ; therefore, through the increase in the proportion of steel manu- factured, Messrs. Schneider and Co. were obligée! to replace most of the old vertical boilers heated by the furnaces with special multitubular boilers, which produce 4| Ib. to and more especially that coming from the condensers has had to be stored in a large lake which contains 380,000 cubic metres (13J million cubic feet). The rolling mili department alone requires 1,100 to 1,200 cubic metres (40,620 cubic feet) per liour. The water is pumped up from this lake, and returns to it afterwards, to be again pumped up. The lake is fed by the water from a small stream 18 kilometres (11 miles) distant. This is diverted and brought down to Creusot through pipes ; the rain water is also collected. Six pumps of 75 horse-power each are plaeed in a special building of the rolling-mill department; four of these, the capacity of which is 600 Gas-Fired Water-Tube Boilers; Rolling-Mill Department. 5 Ib. of steam per pound of coal bumt on the grate of the reheating furnaces. This type of boiler, which is illustrated by Figs. 186 to 189, does not take up more room than the vertical boilers, and does not interfère in any way with the draught of the furnaces. An electric station lias been put clown for the pro- duction of energy, which is distributed to the varions shops, and is employée! to work a large number of machines. Another, but older, means of transmitting the power necessary for this department is by water pressure ; there are at work a number of pumps and accumulators which transmit to the varions machines a pressure of 35 kilo- grammes per square centimetre (498 Ib. per square inch). As there are no rivers in the vicinity of Creusot, water, cubic metres (21,190 cubic feet per hour), serve this depart- ment. They deliver into a small reservoir marked P2 on the general plan, Fig. 182, Plate XXXVII., the water running down from there to the varions parts of the department. The two othei- pumps have each a capacity of 300 cubic metres (10,595 cubic feet) per hour; they deliver into higher reservoirs than the one above men- tioned, the water from these being distributed in other parts of the Works. The rolling-mill department may be conveniently divided for description into two principal parts. 1. The puddling section, which. decreases in importance every day. 2. The rolling section, which, on the other hand, is constantly developing.