25.
Pottery making.
A somewhat similar industry, although not involving the melting of the material in the first instance, is the making of pottery. Pottery was formerly made in the homes of the people, and the potter’s wheel was worked by the foot, as it still is in the East. But nowadays the wheels upon which the pots are shaped are driven by steam. Here we have women at work upon pottery. And in the next slide are men engaged upon a similar process, but their tools are driven by the foot. The pottery that is being made in this instance is of the costly kind, which is produced in small quantity, and demands artistic labour. It requires so little power that it is not worth while to drive the machinery by steam. In large measure steam has not replaced human skill for the very finest work.
But the most important by far of the industries which are based on the use of coal for the melting of the raw material are those which deal with iron and steel.
26.
Blast Furnace.
27.
Rolling Steel.
Here we have a group of blast furnaces, where the iron ore is mixed with coal and burnt. The molten iron flows out from the bottom of the furnace and cools into long blocks known as “pigs.” It would be impossible to show all the processes through which the pig iron is passed in the manufacture of the many wares made of iron and steel. Let us glance at a very few. Here we have a man inserting a white-hot, thick, short block of metal into a machine. He will lift it from that plate with his pincers and will insert it under the roller. The roller, crushing it, will reduce it in thickness and will greatly elongate it to this hot flexible rope. When cold, a steel rod will be the result.
28.
Making an Armour Plate.
Next we see a great sheet of steel coming out of the furnace, not melted but white hot. This is to be used as an armour plate on a battleship. We see how that the men are clothed and masked for the purpose of standing the heat, and how that they are armed with tools appropriate for the handling of the hot metal.
29.
Steam Hammer.
In this slide hot blocks of metal are being hammered under a steam hammer. Again we notice that the man is clothed and masked in order that the heat may not injure him. The hammer is descending rapidly with repeated blows upon these two pieces of white hot metal, and, striking them as a blacksmith will strike two pieces of iron on his anvil, it forces them together and welds them into a single piece. Now we must remember that coal is here used no less than four times. It heats the metal to be forged, it raises the hammer, and beforehand it was used in the smelting of the metal from its ore, and also in the making of the hammer.