The Works Of Messrs. Schneider And Co.

4 MESSES. SCHNEIDER AND CO.’S WORKS. “ Schneider frères et Compagnie.” After the death of his brother, on August 3rd, 1845, M. Eugène Schneider re- mained as the sole director of Creusot, and it was at this time that the name of the Company was altered to its present title, “ Schneider et Cie.” M. Eugène Schneider’s son Henri, born in 1840, was closely Associated with his f’ather in the management of the works ; he became the sole clirector on the death of the latter (November 27th 1875). M. Eugène Schneider, of the tliird generation, born in 1868, had recently become associated in the management of the business with his father, M. Henri Schneider. Since, the death of his father, which occurred on the 17tli May, 1898, M. Eugène Schneider is the sole responsible chief of the whole concern. Reverting to the periocl when the foundations for the real prosperity of Creusot were laid after the disastrous failure of June, 1833, it will be observed that MM. Schneider frères acquired Creusot at the time when railway construction and steam navigation were expected to give an immense impulse to metallurgical industries ; and the new owners did not fail to recognise that if they were to be able to meet the requirements of a coming industrial era, it was necessary to equip their works with the hest and most complété plant that could be obtained. Extensive machine shops were, therefore, erected at Creusot ; and at the same time, engine works specially adapted for the construction of marine engines, were built on the banks of the Saône at Chalon. In 1838 the first loco- motive manufactured in France steamed out of the Creusot works, and in 1839 the company completed other loco- motives, as well as some steamboats for the navigation of the Saône and the Rhône. All of these extensive Orders had been completed with relatively imperfect appliances, which it was the special care of the energetic chief of the company to improve, so as to increase the facilities of output. At the same time, Mr. Eugène Schneider, senior, possessed the gift of bringing around him able engineers ; amongst others, Mr. Bourdon, who constructed the steam hammer that created an entire revo- lution in the forge. It was with this first hammer that Messrs. Schneider and Co. were able to make the machinery for vessels of war of 1,350 horse-power, as well as the engines for ocean-going steamers. In this way Creusot continuée! to advance from year to year. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are varions views of Creusot, all reproductions of Contemporary engravings dated 1851. In 1855, when the Crimean war broke out, Messrs. Schneider and Co. rendered the Frencli Government very notable services by their rapid delivery of considérable Orders for warship machinery, and the first armour-plates for floating batteries. During a periocl of seven montiis they completed seventeen marine engines, each of 450 horse-power, for gun- boats and floating batteries. They also, during the same time, finished four marine engines of 1,950 horse-power for ships of the line, and commenced three of 2,400 horse-power { for frigates. In the year 1860, treaties of commerce were made I which brought about great changes by tlirowing open the gates of France to foreign compétition. The industrial situation appeared critical, and for awhile the Creusot works, in common with many other industries, feared extinction. They could not eompete with the importations from abroad, as regards price, for they were not equipped to carry on a war of compétition. To do this successfully meant a practical reconstruction of the works, the in- troduction of new machinery, and of improved methods of production : a complété awakening, in short, from the indifference born of protection. The alternative of extinction was not one that commended itself to the energetic managers of the Works, who faced the situation with no half measures. The number of blast-furnaces was increased ; new rolling mills with an annual capaeity of 150,000 tons were erected ; the railway system of the works was extended to the iron mines of Mazenay ; and plant for the manufacture of fireclay and other refractory products was started on the bank of the Canal du Centre, near the Perreuil forges. In the year 1867 the steel industry was introduced at Creusot : at first, Messrs. Schneider and Co. employed the Martin-Siemens process, and this, a little later, was supple- mentet! by the Bessemer process. It is from this time that dates the manufacture, at Creusot, of steel rails ; plates and bars of soft steel for shipbuikling ; and steel ingots and forgings for gun construction. By this development, Messrs. Schneider and Co. were very largely instrumental in the reconstruction of the artillery of the Fi-ench Army and Navy. In 1875 a large department was created, especially for producing heavy steel forgings, and steel tyres for loco- motives and rolling stock. The 100-ton steam hammer, an enormous machine, was completed the following year ; it was used almost entirely for forging marine-engine steel shafting, and steel gun tubes of large size. Up to this time the plates used for armoured ships had been made wholly of iron. Messrs. Schneider and Co. saw the benefits to be derived from their special qualities of steel, and they sent to Spezia, in 1876, for comparative firing tests, the first steel armour-plate that had ever been made. The results obtained were remarkable, and the Italian Govern- ment was so convinced of Messrs. Schneider and Co.’s claims, that they gave to Creusot the order for steel armour- plates for the two great war-vessels Duilio and Dandolo. The value of steel for armour was hotly disputée!, and the füll degree of crédit due to Messrs. Schneider and Co. for this bold departure in armour-plate construction, was not accorded them till many years later. The improvements constantly introduced into means of defence since the first practical tests of armour-plates— those placecl by Messrs. Schneider and Co. on the floating batteries used during the Crimean War—naturally résultée! in equally active developments in methods of attack. Cast- iron guns gave place to bronze, and afterwards to breech- loading steel, guns ; and in this connection it may be mentioned that the tests of the steel plates of Creusot were contemporary with the completion of the Armstrong