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The Discovery of Cheap Steel 39 small works which he had established in Sheffield and was submitted to his treatment. But to his disgust he discovered that the resultant steel was nothing like that which he had first obtained, and was as rotten, brittle, and useless as that which had been made by the dissatisfied, licsncees. This surprise was a poser, but confident that some explanation was forthcoming, he passed the steel on to his chemist. The analysis came to hand and showed that the steel was rich in phosphorus. Now the raw orc was low in phosphorus, but tlie steel was rich in this chemical. How had this surplus of the bad element entered into the pig iron ? To him it was an inexplicable riddle, but he decided to attack it and to probe it to the bottom. He hastened to West Cumberland and sought out the manager of the ironworks at which the pig iron had been pre- pared, his object being to follow the process of pro- ducing the pig from the raw ore, which he knew full well complied with his requirements. While passing through the works the observing Bessemer detected a pile of dingy-looking rock which aroused his curiosity. He examined it closely, and then, turning to the manager, inquired blandly : “ What is this ? ” “ The flux we use,” was the retort. “ Yes, but what is it ? ” “ Oh, puddle furnace cinder ! ” Bessemer could not curb a low ejaculatory whistle. He had stumbled upon the reason for the exceptional proportion of phosphorus in the pig from which he was attempting to make his steel, because he knew only too well that this cinder must possess a high