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The Discovery of Cheap Steel 37 The storm startled Bessemer, as may be imagined. But he was convinced that an explanation could be found for the unexpected development. Samples of the worthless, brittle, and rotten steel were sent to him from each of the outraged ironworkers. Bes- semer repeated his experiment with the Blaenavon pig iron, and the success of his first results was re- peated. Then he ascertained what brand of pig iron each of the indignant ironworkers was using. He found that each firm utilised its peculiar brand. From this it was apparent that steel could be made from one brand of pig iron, but not from others. Why ? That was the crucial problem, and Bessemer set out to solve it. Undoubtedly the chemical composition of the pig iron had a great deal to do with the matter. Bessemer, being ignorant of chemistry, as pre- viously narrated, searched high and low for a chemist capable of conducting a series of experiments which he had in mind. At last he succeeded in discovering a man who expressed the opinion that he thought he could work out ways and means of determining the composition of the different samples which had been sent to Bessemer. He went ahead, and after considerable investigation returned with his results. The work of the chemist surprised but pleased Bessemer. His innermost thoughts and non-technical reasons for the failure were fully vindicated. The good steel, such as he had made, was low in phosphorus and sulphur, but the bad samples were rich in these two ingredients. Bessemer digested these chemical analyses, but kept them rigidly to himself. The work of the chemist had set him thinking once again. He embarked upon a series of further experiments.