All About Inventions and Discoveries
The Romance of modern scientific and mechanical Achievements

44 All About Inventions the air greedily devours the carbon and other chemi- cals present, removing them in the form of oxides. Only one chemical constituent refuses to be ejected summarily in this manner. That is the phosphorus. A Bessemer converter in full blast presents an inspiring spectacle. When the air jet is brought into action a thrilling pyrotechnic display is precipitated. A huge volume of flame shoots out of the mouth of the vessel, accompanied by a coruscating mad shower of sparks—the silicon—which fly in all directions. The turmoil increases as the air blast settles down to its work, and continues until the silicon, carbon, and other elements have been removed, when the spark shower and the tongue of flame diminish, the fiery liquid within the converter ultimately reverting to a condition of comparative quiescence. After settling down to manufacture, Bessemer discovered that in order to render the steel malleable for rolling or hammering in its heated condition, a certain proportion of carburet of manganese was necessary. But his freedom to add this element to the molten steel was vigorously challenged as the discovery of another investigator, Robert Mushet, and had been duly patented. This constituted a thorn in the side of the steel inventor, which was aggravated by one of the licencees to whom Bessemer had originally sold the right to exploit his invention, and which he had bought back. This firm had striven to compel Bessemer to re-sell the shop rights to them, but, as already related, he refused to entertain any offers except upon the royalty basis. The firm in question acquired an interest in Mushet’s patent, and then, realising that Bessemer