The Works Of Messrs. Schneider And Co.

Tt- CO MESSES. SCHNEIDER AND CO.’S WORKS. A.D. 1875, 1876 The workmen inhabitants of Creusot raise a private subscription for erecting a statue to Mr. J. Eugène Schneider. The statue was inaugurated in 1879. 1876 Putting down of mechanical puddling plant, containing two rotary puddling furnaces, Schneider patent system, for the production of superior quality iron, for the manu- facture of gun and arniour-plate Steel. 1876 First compétitive Firing Trials at Spezia. Substitution of mild steel for iron in the manufacture of armour plates. 1876 The patent Schneider Bolt is used for the fixing of armour plates. 1877 First transformation of No. 3 Plate-mill ; use of Siemens gas- furnaces. 1877 Putting down of zincing plant at the Chalon Works. 1877 Building of iron work for the 1878 Exhibition hall. 1877 Taking out of a 76 years’ lease for the St. Georges (Savoie) iron mines, seven concessions. 187 i Laying down of special plant for the manufacture of armour- plates and forgings for large-calibre guns, including : One 100-ton Steam Hammer, with four furnaces and four crânes (three of 100 tons and one of 150 tons). Casting pit for gun and armour-plate ingots. Pit for hardening armour plates, served by a 100-ton traveller. Machine shops for armour-plates. 1877 Supply to the Italian Navy of the armour for the “Duilio” and the “Dandolo.” 1878 Construction of Field Bridges for the French Corps of Engineers. 1878 Construction of a 20-ton hammer. 1878 Putting down of a seventh Siemens-Martin furnace (20 tons). 1878, 1879 Construction of railway and inclines for working the Allevard iron mines. 1878, 1879 Construction of Armoured Turrets for France. 1878 Mr. F. de Lesseps sets fire to the blast-furnace which has been the longest in biast (seventeen years and seven months). 1879 Inauguration of Statue to Mr. J. Eugène Schneider. 1880 The manufacture of basic Bessemer steel is started. 1880 Putting down the plant for tempering gun forgings vertically. 1881 Building of furnaces for roasting the Allevard iron ore. 1881 Supply to the French Admiralty of the first Schneider metal armour-plates (for the “Terrible”), Messrs. Schneider and Co. thus overcoming all the difficulties tbey had met with up to that date. 1882 Second compétitive trials at Spezia. The Schneider metal plate is the only one that withstands the firing of the J00 ton gun. The English plates are destroyed at the second round. 1884 Putting down of a 40-ton Steam Hammer. 1884 Building of Steam Launches for France. 1884 Transformation of No. 4 Plate Mill. Putting down of roils three-high for plate rolling. 1885 Erection of 6000-ton hydraulic shaping-press for armour plates. 1885 Starting the manufacture of steel castings. 1886 Building of 35-metre Torpedo Boats for France. 1886 Messrs. Schneider and Co. cease rolling iron rails and heavy steel rails. 1887 First Torpedo - Boats built in Chalon yard for Foreign Governments. A.D. 1887 Construction of bridges for Chili ; the Malleco Viaduct and others. 1887 Starting of No. 2 Plate Mili. Special piling plant near puddling furnaces (Group No. 1), 1888 Provisional steel foundry plant near the Bessemer Converters. 1889 Building of ai'tillery shops. 1888 Nickel steel first used in the manufacture of armour plates. 1888 Starting the manufacture of Rolied Armour Plates. Trans- formation of thin sheet miils. Messrs. Schneider and Co. cease manufacturing thin iron sheets. 1889 Mr. Henri Schneider is elected Député for the second division of Autun. 1890 First delivery of nickel steel armour plates to the French Navy (for the “ Dupuy-de-Lônie ”). 1889 Starting the Corliss Biowing Engines at Creusot biast furnaces. 1890 Firing trial at Annapolis (United States) of a Schneider nickel steel plate. 1890 Putting down the 2000-ton hydraulic forging press. 1891 The Blooming Mill starts working. 1892 Building the bridge over the Borcea (Roumania). 1893 Putting down of the Steel Foundry. 1892 Increase of the armour-plate finishing shop. 1894 Mr. Henri Schneider is re-elected Député for the second division of Autun. 1893 Putting down of an eighth Siemens-Martin furnace (25 tons). 1893 Enlarging the casting pit for heavy ingots ; building of 150 ton electric traveller. 1893 Manufacture of Cemented Armour Plate. 1894 Construction of tunnel under the town, for transit between the Steel Works and the Rolling Mills. 1895 Application of electricity, as motive force at Rolling Miil departnient. 1895 Construction at Chalon yard of the first high -power tugs for service on the Rhône. 1895 Construction of nevv Tyre Shops. 1895 Construction of new shops for cenienting and tempering armour plates. 1895 Construction of 30-toti Siemens-Martin steel furnaces to replace the older furnaces. 1895 Putting down of a 1200-ton hydraulic press for shaping armour- plates. 1895 Installation of electric motive-power at the Decize coal mines. 1896 Putting down of a 10,000-ton hydraulic press, for fluid compression sf steel. 1896 3000 ton hydraulic press, for forging on mandrils, of hollow cylindrical pieces (shafts, gun-parts, Æc.). 1896 Mr. C. P. Eugène Schneider is appointée! partner with his father. 1897 From 1836 to 1897, seventy-seven blast-furnaces have been put in biast. 1897 Building of special shops for electric construction. 1897 Construction of iron work for the Santiago (Chili) Railway Station. 1897 Purchase by Messrs. Schneider and Co. of the Havre Artillery Works, which belonged to the Société Anonyme des Forges et Chantiers de la Mediterranée. 1898 Commencing the sinking of the St. Antoine Pit, Creusot. 1898 Construction of new Ai'tillery Shops, Creusot. 1899 Death of Mr. H. Schneider. 1900 The heavy Forging Shops are enlargeJ. 1901 Laying out of long-range Proving Ground at Harfleur.