The Works Of Messrs. Schneider And Co.

166 MESSRS. SCHNEIDER AND CO.’S WORKS. (203 ft.) long and 21.50 metres (72 ft.) wide ; a building, 29.50 metres (97 ft.) long, and 14 metres (46 ft.) wide, which contains the central steam and electric power generating station for this particular department. The boiler-house of this station covers an area of 27 metres by 14 metres (88 ft. by 46 ft.). Near the south shops is another boiler-house which measures 28 metres by 18 metres (92 ft. by 59 ft.) ; there are besicles several sheds for warehousing material, for drying and bending wood- woi’k, &c. The railway system of the Creusot Works provicies communication with the Artillery Department, which, of course, has in addition ample track accommodation in sidings, and in lines running through the principal shops. The usual rolling stock is used for ordinary transport, but special waggons are always held in readiness for the carriage of extra heavy or bulky pieces. Six-ton and 10-ton portable crânes are provided to handle gun parts in their rough state, as they are received from the other departments of the Creusot Works. All the gun parts are brought inside the shops on trucks, where they are tak en up and distributed to the various machine tools with the help of the overhead travellers. The north shops are provided with fourteen of these travellers, namely, one of 60 tons and two of 30 tons in the central spåns ; three of 15 tons and eight of 6 tons and 3 tons in the lateral spåns. Each of these travellers is operated by an electric motor, driven by a belt and shaft, fitted with friction cônes that transmit the motions for lifting or traversing a load. The man in charge of this work is stationed in a cabin mounted on the traveller, from which he Controls all the movements by means of a series of levers. In the south shops there is a 6-ton electric traveller for each spån. All the crânes were built by Messrs. Schneider and Co. ; they are provided with three electro-motors, one for each operation. As we have seen, the north shops serve for the machining of large and medium sized guns, for gun carriages for coast defence, for gun mountings, ship’s turrets, and turrets for land service ; and they contain all the machine tools required for this large range of work. The central spåns in which the 30- and 60-ton overhead travellers are placed, contain very large lathes, boring machines, and numerous other massive machine tools for the manufacture of large guns and their carriages or mountings, Part of this space is also utilised up for the érection of heavy and medium-sized work. The lateral west spån of the west group, with two 15-ton overhead travellers, contains the lathes, boring machines, and other tools required for the finishing of medium-calibre guns, their carriages or mountings, and for the manufacture of various accessories of artillery. The other lateral spån of the same group, served by overhead travellers of 3 and 6 tons, is occupied by the smaller machine tools, by lathes for turning copper fittings, by vice benches, and space is reserved for a dépôt for tools and stores. In the west spån of the east group, served by a 15-ton overhead traveller, is a range of planing machines, and a space in which the various gun parts are hand-fitted and put together ; while the fourth side span forms the smiths’ shop, and contains several machine tools, more especially used in the manufacture of accessory electric apparatus ; in it are also placed a series of vice benches. Of the three south shops, one covers an area of 8,200 square metres (9,820 square yards), and each of the two others an area of 2,600 square metres (3,115 square yards). In the main building of the south shops, three spåns are filled with lathes ; one with rifling and other machine tools; and the three others are utilisée! as fitting shops. Here are assembled the various gun elements, and the jackets and coils are shrunk on (Fig. 564) ; this shop also contains the dépôt for tools and stores. The two other buildings, of three spåns each, are used for the manufacture of forgings and for the working up of shields and plates ; they also çontain a storehouse for wood and other material, and the necessary wood-working machinery for the manufacture of wheels, caissons, &c. Among the largest machine tools in the gun factory may be mentioned two gun-boring machines of 15 metres (49 ft. 2| in.) travel, and 1.200 metres (47| in.) lieiglit of centres; a lathe 1.400 metre (55^- in.) height of centres and lo metres (49 ft. 2^ in.) between centres; one large hori- zontal surfacing lathe, that can turn up to a diameter of 8 metres (26 ft. 3 in.), and one rifling machine of 14 metres (45 ft. 11T3 in.) travel ; these tools are employed for machining guns of the largest calibres. With such a plant the heaviest guns are now produced at Creusot. Among the larger plate-working machines, there is one 150-ton hydraulic press for stamping gun-carriage cheeks, a hydraulic rivetting machine, and two special hydraulic presses for putting on the bands of projectiles. The three steam-hammers in this départaient are very light, one being of 5 cwt. and one of 10 cwt., both double-acting ; there is also a 2-ton hammer for the manufacture of drop forgings. This part of the plant includes also furnaces for heating, annealing, tempering, and cementing the smaller parts that enter into the construction of field artillery. The large forgings are made in the steel départaient, and are brought forward to the gun-shops. The plant is com- pleted by füll sets of all the necessary gauges, standard measures, instruments of précision, &c., required in manufacture of ordnance. In Figs. 565 to 570, Plates CL, CIL, and GUI., Fig. 571, are given several further interior views of different shops described above. The central electric station (Fig. 572) for the artillery department is complété in itself, and contains the necessary engines and dynamos for producing the required electric energy; it is situated near the north shops. A total of 700 horse-power is available; the electric energy is distributed by three mains. The boilers are registered for a pressure of 9 kilo- grammes (128 Ib. per square inch), and are of two different the and the