1'. A ■B **ED&to -^sg^- HIS LIFE AND WORK '^ o. E. Mi c ^' 1$ $11 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from Boston Library Consortium Member Libraries http://www.archive.org/details/alfredkruppsketc1888mich 1 &'ntfi'ti--ntercussion and time fuzes were designed and thoroughly tested. The standard models of carriages were improved, and in many respects entirely re- constructed. Thus was born the Krupp system of ordnance, ac- knowledged to be the best in the world, which, by its simple and enduring constructions, its easy service and thorough accuracy, hae gained a foot-hold in every quarter of the globe — the Ordnance system of the " Can- non King." ' ' We owe it to the restless activity of the departed Chief Constructor of Ordnance of the day," says the Deutsche Heereszeitung, " that first the Prussian, then the German, artillery could meet the foe with assured superiority." In 1861, Prussia adopted the Krupp rifled breech- loading gun. In the intrenchments, at Dueppel and at Alsen, the Krupp gun first spoke in thunder tones, proving its might in the hands of Zhe Prussians, — here first did its part in achieving victory. The war of 1866 did not add new laurels for the Krupp guns. The Prussian artillery played no important part in this bloody drama, and the efficiency of its weapons, in the most important battles, was disap- pointing. A crisis came as regarded Krupp' s guns. A heated debate was carried on by experts in regard to the adaptability of rifled breech-loaders for field service. But in Berlin, in the authoritative circle, the con- viction of the superiority of the Krupp breech- loading- system remained unshaken ; eight hundred and twenty- six guns of various calibres were ordered during the same year, and at the re-formation of the IX, X and XI Army corps, the batteries were supplied with Krupp suns. — 30 — General von Voigts-Rhetz, later one of Alfred Krupp's most intimate friends, was especially active in agitating for the retention and extension of the Krupp system. The future justified his opinions. The Deutsche Heereszeitung to-day, does honor to Krupp's tactical genius, in proving that the unfavorable artillery results of the war of 1866, were not due to the field-guns, even at that time recognized as admirable, but must be ascribed to the faulty organization of the field artillery. " In these trying times, the decided opinion of Krupp, the artillery-man, not the gun constructor, had much weight in bringing about the triumph of the breech-loader." England, at that time still in the lead, was compelled, nolens miens, to acknowledge that its great German rival was right. The superiority of the Krupp breech- loader, especially for naval and sea-coast service, in comparison with foreign systems of construction, was definitely proven at the great competitive trial between Krupp and Woolwich guns at the Tegel Proving Ground, near Berlin, in 1868. The superiority of English guns, powder and pro- jectiles, was undisputed at that time, even by Prussian Ordnance officers, not a single one of whom thought it possible that the German gun could come out ahead. The result was astounding. Under all circumstances of trial, the Krupp guns retained the lead in accuracy and endurance. The Krupp breech-loader drove the Woolwich muzzle- loader defeated from the field. At present, the armament of German, Austro- Hungarian, Italian, and Russian field artillery is based on the Krupp system ; German field, naval, fortress and sea- coast guns consist, exclusively of the constructions, of the " Cannon King." — 31 — The whole world over, the Krupp gun is known and desired : when Servian and Bulgarian, Turk and Greek, do battle with each other, Krupp guns cast forth death and destruction to both sides; when European j)owers undertake frontier defense, their fortresses bristle with Krupp guns ; even when wandering in Africa, sailing up the Nile, or in Asia, among the almond-eyed subjects of the Flowery Kingdom, Krupp guns bear grim witness to the progress of civilization. But Krupp' s greatest triumph was in the war of 1870-71 — a triumph which has inscribed his name in im- perishable characters upon the scroll of fame, and con- nected it forever with this most glorious epoch of German History. Krupp guns thundered in every battle when German Unity was the stake. A brilliant justification awaited those in authority, who, notwithstanding the apparent failure of 1866, had clung to the Krupp system. The Krupp breech-loader achieved unparalelled success. The hither-to celebrated French Artillery " paled its in- effectual fires " before its German foes. The Chassepot, on account of its greater range, was far superior to the needle-gun, and the German infantry would hardly have succeeded in so frequently def eating- its far better armed ox>ponents, had not the German Artillery, with its peerless Krupp guns, cleared the way. A competent judge thus expresses himself in No. 207 of the RheiiisTi- Westplialian Gazette in regard to the share assignable to Krupp guns in the successful ter- mination of the great war. ' ' Every artillery-man will recall the joyful satisfaction experienced, how the confidence in the superiority of his own weapon grew, from the very first encounter with French guns. The knowledge that they possessed a better gun, gave' our artillery a feeling of security, -32 - and on all occasions inspirited them for active, enthusiastic, pushing work, often saving us many an anxious hour, and giving joyful confidence to our in- fantry, so hard pressed by the much superior Chassepot. Frequently our artillery, with its Krupp guns, was enabled to pluck the laurels of the brunt of the fight from the infantry, to whom, usually, they were so gladly yielded. In this sense, Sedan was an artillery duel, the grandest of the century. On the day of Sedan, our national Thanksgiving day, our artillery, with its Krupp breech-loaders, celebrated its greatest triumph." Krupp' s deadly field pieces turned the scale at Gravelotte, and at most of the other great battles ; Krupp' s massive siege-guns thundered at Strasburg and at Paris ; and gave their powerful aid in forcing capitu- lation. So is the name of Alfred Krupp, written in golden blazonry among ' ' the few, the immortal few, who were not born to die," who worked for Germany and German Unity, names that will be household words, so long as there is a being left to speak with German tongue. Until the "sixties," the Works were exclusively en- gaged in the fabrication of crucible steel ; subsequently the later processes of Bessemer and Martin were intro- duced, methods that brought about the more economical production of a large output, decidely inferior in quality, however, to crucible steel. On this account, crucible steel, the real specialty of the Works, still remained the only gun metal. Since this period, Krupp, in accordance with his plan which he, as already stated, had formed at the very founding of the Works, that of being independent of other manufacturers and the daily fluctuations in raw material, acquired ore beds, coal mines, and blast fur- naces. To-day the entire amount of ore and coal con- — 33 — sumed is home supplied. The Firm owns not less than six hundred ore beds in Germany and in Spain (near Bilboa), eleven blast furnaces, some coal mines near Essen and Boclium, a number of smelting works on the Rhine and in the Westerwald, a series of stone quar- ries, clay and sand pits, and an extensive proving ground at Meppen, nearly ten miles long. Four steamers, of 1,700 tons each, serve for the transportation of the Spanish ores to the Firm' s blast furnaces. In all this immense progress and success, Alfred Krupp allotted his employees an intrinsic share. The great praise vouchsafed to his products, gave him re- peatedly the opportunity of offering his workmen, after weary weeks of labor, rest and recreation. Above and beyond all, simultaneously with every step of progress, with every increase of scope, his efforts to better the circumstances of his peoj)le grew. " Every manufacturing establishment should, my Works must, insure the health and prosperity of all con- cerned. With assured and sufficient earnings, with content and comfort at home, every individual can enjoy the very fact of living." This was the very corner-stone of Alfred Krupp' s business belief, and he lived up to it. The arrangements for the general well-being, already described, were im- proved and extended ; many other additional measures for the same purpose were put in practice. To-day the supply department embraces everything needed in daily life. New regulations for the government and adminis- tration of the Sick, Pension, and Widows' Funds, have been formulated. In 1871, a general hospital was erected, in 1872, one for contagious diseases. In 1874, a bathing establishment was built, with individual bath-rooms and a Russian bath. The Life Insurance Company instituted in 1874 now — 34 — numbers 2,000 policy holders. To give work to invalids and convalescents, who were not fit for regular shop duties, brush, and paper-bag, making, and other light employments were undertaken in the interest of the Supply Department. Krupp interested himself not only in the bodily com- fort and health of his people, but also in their mental development. Four large public schools were turned over free of cost to the new communities ; in addition, a non-sec- tarian private school with seventeen forms was erected. To make good housekeepers of the wives and daugh- ters of his workmen, to awaken and to train their sense of order, their desire for active usefulness, he built two industrial schools at Essen, in the year 1875, and three in Kronenberg and Schederhof. The evening schools at Essen and Altenessen were endowed and supported ; and every apprentice was re- quired to attend them. Krupp had therefore the right, in 1877 thus to address his workmen: ' ' To better the conditions of my employees, my ear- nest endeavor, from the very beginning, was to insure that when the time came when they could no longer work, a comfortable existence was still before them. You yourselves best know how the sick, the aged are treated by us. I have built houses for you, sheltering at this time, 20,000 souls ; I have founded schools, made do- nations, instituted measures for the economical supply of every thing required in your daily home life. In return, I ask but one thing, that each one, do his duty and live up to our regulations." Krupp did not let his charity stop at his own Works. Many were the people aided and led on to prosperity by him. He dried many a tear, relieved many a need. The Golden Eule was his guiding principle. — 35 — A new proof, were one wanted, of his care for the wel- fare of his people is offered in the magnificent, almost princely, legacy, which he bequeathed through his son to his employees, for which they must be rilled with gratitude to both father and son. ( 1 ) In I860, Krupp gave up the modest dwelling built in 1852 beside the " home," and removed to a roomy house, also within the Works, surrounded by lawns and parterres, the so-called " Garden home," in which also lived his son, Friedrich Alfred Krupp, during the first year of his marriage with the Baroness Margerethe von Ende. Alfred Krupp lived here until 1864, when he pur- chased a small country home near Bredeney. It was built upon a w^ooded height rising from the Ruhr and enjoying a beautiful view of the valley of the river. By degrees, he added more and more land, converted it into a magnificent park, and there built in 1870, a palatial residence, "Hill-side House," in which he lived until his death. Even after Alfred Krupp had moved to Bredeney, and had ceased to dwell among his hammers and smok- ing chimneys, he still led all in active work. Up to 1871 and 1872, he could be seen daily, riding at early morn to his duties. High and low were alike impressed as they recognized his stately figure riding through the Works, a hunting cap increasing the soldierly aspect, his bright searching eyes seeing everything, and their owner never failing to acknowledge the salute of even the most insignificant of his employees. ( x ) Note.— One Million Marks were set aside August 3rd, 1887, by Mr. F. A. Krupp, in compliance with his father's wish, for the benefit of all workmen connected with the establishment, The interest is to be disbursed under direction of a committee of employees. A similar committee is to submit a project regarding the scope of applioalion of the income. Mr. Krupp also presented to the city of Essen, 500,000 Marks " for charitable and general purposes." — 36 - About 1870 he began gradually to withdraw from the? workshop and the active duties of the establishment. He had so far finished his life-work, that he was enabled to leave the administration and the carrying-out of de- tails to men whom his keen insight into character had found worthy, and he had so arranged matters as to make this possible. The talent for organizing, possessed by their great head, was an important factor in bringing the Krupp Works up to their high repute. He devised, for the administration of the complicated affairs of this estab- lishment, busying over 20,000 people, a system worthy of serving as a model, its parts functioning one with another, all answering their purpose with the utmost exactness. One note-worthy point in the study of this man's work was that, he planned and finished an undertaking that bore the strong impress of his remarkable personality, embodied his individuality, views, and principles, and. yet was not dependent upon him alone for further use- fulness and success. Most great undertakings have been so much part of their founders that, the master-mind gone, the work- also faded out of the world. Alfred Krupp is dead — but the Krupp Works, his noblest memorial, live. Early in the " seventies," Krupp thus expressed him- self in a legal proceeding in which the Works were con- cerned. "I have intentionally withdrawn from the business arrangements of the Works, to such an extent as to de- mand their acquirement of the necessary self-reliance — so essential an element of lasting success." Krupp shared with some few well-known master- minds, a most wonderful power of keen insight into human motives, the great gift of judging human char- — 37 — acter, enabling him to choose, unerringly, fit instru- ments for the execution of his plans. He gathered the best mechanics and business men from all parts of Ger- many, and unfailingly assigned the right man to the right place. To-day the Works possess a general staff of thoroughly able officials, under the leadershijD of a managing committee composed of technical, commercial, and legal experts, who have authority to act in the name of the Firm. The present head, Friedrich Alfred Krupp, has for years taken an important part in the conduct of the business, as an active member of this committee, and has earned for himself, from officials and workmen, the same love and confidence given to his great father. Until the very end, Krupp kept his keen eye upon everything, all general projects originated with him, numerous important and unimportant inventions, many of which, of course, never came to practical use, bear testimony to the restless activity of his inventive genius, to the last days of his life. As an example of these inventions, only executed in model, we may cite his "Naval Pivot-Gun," a piece established on the flush deck of a low iron-clad. Noth- ing is exposed on the deck of the boat except this rota- ting gun, which is served from below by an absolutely protected and invisible crew, Many of Krupp' s instructions were written with pen- cil, in short trenchant words, on memorandum blocks. Most of his thinking and planning was done in the silence of the night, when brooding, ruminating thoughts robbed him of sleep, and many of his inventions were the outcome of midnight reflection. Pencil and paper were always kept on a table close to his bed — a sudden new idea was at once recorded, and tested the first thing in the morning. - 38 — He, himself, often told, that on one occasion when the mighty Eureka of one of his most important inven- tions, came thus to him, in the dead of night, paper and pencil were wanting, so he blackened the candle-stick plate, and, with a match, fixed his thoughts and sketches on the sooted surface. Krupp held aloof from political turmoil. He con- centrated himself upon the interests of his Works and hence was able to do so much — to carry his success so far. He not only avoided politics for himself, but he was averse to his employees taking part in political agita- tions. ' ' Earnest, active interest in State politics, demands more time and a deeper study of complicated relations than is at your command. Besides, political hobnobbery is expensive, you can get better money's worth at home. Your daily work finished, spend your time in your houses, with your parents, your wives and your children. There find your recreation, there reflect upon household mat- ters and education — let this and your work constitute your politics — and thus enjoy contented lives." In this paternal fashion did he advise his people. He scrutinized sharply all insidious political in- fluences, emanating from various quarters and having for their object the destruction of the contentment of his force, and the undermining of the confidence and love which he inspired to such an extraordinary degree. He met such seditious efforts with admonishing words where confidence still existed, put them down with a firm hand, when necessary. His published ad- dresses to his workmen were always couched in an earnest heart-appealing tone, for the words came straight from his heart. The paternal friend, not the proud owner, appealed to them. — 39 — In reading these addresses, appeals to the employees of the establishment, never wanting when danger was to be averted, plain forceful words, breathing loving care and manly determination ; one can realize the impres- sion they must have made, and can understand that Alfred Krupp's individuality must have made itself felt among his workmen, even among those who had never seen him, as a firm rock in the midst of the seething waters of unceasing deceitful machinations. He expressed himself with, such unequalled practical common-sense and convincing truth within the under- standing of even the most insignificant ; he imparted so clear and simple a conception of all social questions, that the blatant mouthings of unprincipled agitators lost their effect, he drove them before him from the field. His hearers, even if unsympathetic at first, were com- pelled to admit, — Here is Truth and Unselfishness, there — Deceit and Egoism. " I wish to be understood by every one, man and woman, educated and uneducated, therefore I use plain, homely German." So begins one of his addresses. "Mutual loyalty has made our work great." For the first time Alfred Krupp saw this loyalty endangered, in 1872, at a time when the reckless agitations of ' ' social- democratic" and "ultramontane-socialistic" dema- gogues threatened the peace and unity that had dwelt so long among his people. Then he appealed to his work- men warningly, admonishingly : "Before I have occasion to complain of disloyalty and resistance, let me warn you of the lot which irre- sponsible agitators and unprincipled sheets, under guise of benevolent intentions and by the misuse of re- ligious and moral maxims, are trying to impose upon the great labor class." He was then compelled to re- mind them of what he had done in their behalf : "As — 40 — the circumstances of the Works changed, as their growth increased, I gradually raised wages, as a rule, voluntarily, anticipating all reminders, and this course shall continue. One useful measure after another has been intro- duced, and the tale is not ended, the most strenuous efforts have heretofore been made in the interests of the workmen ; the dwellings now in course of construction, run up into the thousands." Where in the world could less motive for ' ' social de- mocratic " agitation be found than in this great plant, where the solution of all social problems, and the improvement of the workman' s condition, had been the life-study of the founder ? Here, where countless measures for the common good had taken away all grounds for complaint on the workman's part, Alfred Krupp took up the fight against false socialistic doctrines and subdued them with the weapons of intelligence and deed-doing love. In 1875, that his workmen might become familiar with the baneful spirit of social democracy, Krupp gave to each one of them, a book which made clear the real sources of social misery, stating them with a truth regardless of consequences. He prefaced Friedrich Harkort' s "Arbeiter- Spiegel" ("The Worker's Mirror.") with clear and incisive words, recommending this excellent work to his employees — "that they might take it to heart, as it clearly pictures the condition of Labor, the causes of its grievances, its rights and its wrongs, and points out the only path that leads to enduring welfare and happiness." The agricultural depression of the following years with the resulting lowering of wages, again furnished social agitators with the fruitful soil of discontent. — 41 — The Reichstag election of 1877 offered renewed op- portunity for goading on the workmen and for infecting them with the virus of discontent. At the election, January 10th, the ultramontane- socialistic candidate polled 7,802 votes, the social-demo- cratic 3,062. Then, in March, Krupp again issued at length ' ' A Word to all connected with my Establish- ment." In this address, a model in form and substance, he enters with more detail into the aims of ' ' social- democratic" effort, and makes known his own views on the labor question. With all the convincing power of the plainest com- mon-sense and practical experience of life, with in- comparably simple, cumulative, incontrovertible deduc- tion, he cuts away the ground of all theoretical calculations and chimerical projects. Vividly and forcibly he depicts the character and the aims of those ' ■ new benefactors of the world ' ' who, 4 'in order, (when the time seems to them ripe for the overthrow of social systems) to obtain from the ranks of the helpless, willing tools with which to work out their selfish, rapacious ends, are, in the guise of guar- dians, striving to ruin the laborers." The successful result of his fight against the false doctrines, which threatened the peace of society, is well known. Social democracy, which is increasing so alarmingly in all directions, especially in all manufacturing dis- tricts, has to day no foot-hold within Krupp' s com- munity. (!) The Works founded by Alfred Krupp are animated by a spirit of concord, of common loyalty and trust, emanating directly from its head. His own religious C 1 ) Notk. — Of 36,905 votes east in the city and district of Essen at the last Reichstag election, the social-democratic candidate received but 486. — 42 - tolerance and strict impartiality, in all directions, were as remarkable as were his efforts to promote among his employees a spirit of toleration and mutual affection. No one sect stood first with him, duty well done was his only standard of merit. " Eoery upright and in- dustrious applicant is welcome to our community, and,, no matter where Tie comes from or what he believes, has equal claim to protection and reward." " The Catholic workman was just as dear to me as the Protestant. I have never been a religious bigot, never limited myself to the employment of a certain- sect. I have only demanded that the laborer be worthy* of his hire." " I also desire that in the schools and on the play- grounds, which I have established, children of all con- fessions shall become friends, so that later, when grown to man's estate, each one sliill, according to liis power and ability, ply his trade awl earn his bread in my WorJcs, in close association, and each on good terms ■with every other." " Concord is the very foundation, of contentment and, of happiness in labor." All the schools established by Krupp were non- sectarian. In this, as in all else, equality — in its truest sense — was his watch-word, and the cause of the spirit of harmony which provailed where he ruled. Any attempt, no matter whether concealed under the liberty-cap or under priestly vestments, to mar this social and religious peace, Krupp sternly combatted. His admonition of July 24th, 1872, against the agita- tors who aimed at the destruction of religious concord, was supplemented by a second address on November 1st, 1873, in which he warns that " religious dissension destroys peaceful relations." On the occasion of the last Reichstag election, at a time when the ultramontane papers had attempted in a most -43 — unjustifiable manner to cast suspicion upon one of Al- fred Krupp's addresses to his workmen, and to sow the seeds of discord, he energetically met the insinuations of "those who for political ends, misuse and shame Religion." ' ' It appears to me that an attempt is making to create a chasm between my Catholic and my Protestant work- men — This is a most shameless proceeding." Alfred Krupp's personality meets us in all these quotations. We see in them all, word and phrase, the man's mental peculiarities. The pride of a self- made man, tenderest charity, simplicity of nature, reverence for the demands of duty, plainest common- sense and noble intellect, — all are there to be found. Alfred Krupp was of the chosen few, who recognize with intuitive insight the needs and demands of the age, have the courage of their convictions, and patiently, perseveringly, labor for a great end, overcoming all obstacles in their paths. In the successful execution of well-considered plans, in the enjoyment of well-earned fruits of labor, in the glad recognition of his contemporaries, he found full re-payment for the efforts and struggles of a life full of work. In 1826, in workman's overalls, at the anvil, swinging with hardened hands the blacksmith' s sledge, in 1886, the ruler of a State within the State, one of the noted men of the century — in 1826, a workman, struggling against life's bitterest needs, most sorrowful cares, in 1886, the heaviest tax-payer of the great German Empire, the good genius of sixty thousand souls — this is the contrast sixty years present. The little country town of 4,000 inhabitants is to-day one of the busiest manufacturing cities of the world, with 70,000 inhabitants, with great industrial wealth. — 44 — This wonderful development is the work of Alfred Krupp, the worthy successor of the patron saint and founder of the ninth century, Bishop Alfried von Hildesheim, nobly deserving as well, the title of founder and benefactor. In the spring of 1887 Alfred Krupp began to droop, long years of care had undermined his vigorous health, no medical skill could long postpone the hour of sum- mons. His strength decreased visibly and on July 14th, 1887, in the seventy-fifth year of his age, he gently closed his eyes upon his work here, to resume it in a hrigher sphere. A man, for all time a celebrity of his century, passed out of sight, mourned by his, and all, countries, mourned by Kings and Princes, mourned most, as their truest friend, by the thousands of his own "kingdom." To see the sorrowing hush that fell upon the whole city at the news of his death, to see the deep grief and earnest sadness of the crowds that followed him to his last resting place; to see the tears shed at his grave by those he had aided, those he had led to fortune, those who almost worshipped his genius, those who reverenced his noble deeds, by near friends, by admiring strangers, by high and low alike, was to see also what manner of man this had been. A rare man, of highest genius, of largest heart — a duty-lover and doer, uncompromisingly severe upon neglect of duty, but most tenderly loyal to all worthy his confidence — a man whose yes was yes — his no, no ! A beautiful trait of his character was his touching love and reverence for everything connected with his hard times — nothing belonging to them was forgotten. His hospitality was proverbial, gentle and common — 45 — were welcome to his house, fond of good company he looked from principle for the joyous points in life, " Work for the daylight, smiles for the night, Earn by each day's toil, a Sunday's delight," was his motto. He was a charming conversationalist, joining to his knowledge and experience a keen sense of humor, which survived all his trials and perhaps lightened them. " Shadow owes its birth to light," the poet tells us, in all natures light and shadow are mingled, but in few, does the light so predominate as in Alfred Krupp's, shining in imperishable works of love, imperishable works of genius. Alfred Krupp has builded his own monuments — those of stone and iron, which tell of his executive force and of his achievements in the field of industrial progress — those of good deeds and benevolent measures, which tell of the generous heart of which his mental powers were but the servitors. "Write him as one who loved his fellow men". T A VISIT TO he Krupp Works, AT ESSEN. From the French op Captain E. Monthaye, Translated by Captain O. E. Michaelis, U. S. Army. > < si o W en at W a: s a! o j B w b CO U A VISIT TO THE KRUPP WORKS; If we have been fortunate enough to retain our readers' interest thus far, we will invite them to visit with us the great Krupp Works at Essen, which are so justly entitled to be called the pride of Germany. I. — ESSEN". The city of Essen lies north-east of Dusseldorf,and is reached from Brussels by way either of Cologne or of Gladbach. It is situated in the fertile basin of the Ruhr, near Duisburg, another manufacturing city. Indeed, Essen is in the centre of the great factory district of Westphalia, a veritable hive of industry, in which are also to be found, Crefeld, Elberfeld, and Dortmund. These are not the only noticeable features of Essen's position, for it lies in one of those fortunate regions in which Nature has stored abundant coal and iron, the very bases of metal working. To the Krupp Works Essen owes its world-wide rep- utation, and in a great measure, all its prosperity. In 1862, its population scarcely reached seventeen thousand, but the number of workmen employed in the great foundry increasing from day to day, the little town did not cover sufficient ground to shelter them all, and rap- idly expanded. In ten years the population doubled, and to-day, encircled by a belt of attractive suburbs, the old city contains nearly one hundred thousand people. The impression is at once received that the whole town is more or less dependent upon the Works. •* From " Krupp and De Bange," New York, 1888. — 50 - Let us stand at about noon near the Mills, on the Essen and Duisburg turnpike which traverses them; at the twelfth stroke, the gates open, a flood of workers issues, and scattering, flows towards the comfortable, well-drained houses, which Krupp's fatherly interest in his people has provided at moderate rentals. When the bell recalls to work, the city resumes its medieval calm, and retains it until evening, when again the mighty multitude overflows its streets. II. — TuKGAisf's Pamphlet. Turgan, who published in 1865 a description of the Krupp Works, as far as we know, the only one up to the present time, relates that he experienced a singular sens- ation when awakened in the early morning by the foot- falls of the men silently marching to their work. " The Germans on this side of the Rhine, ' ' the French writer tells us, ' ' either have little to say, or talk in very low tones." We were impressed in the same way, and, had our attention not been called to the fact, we should have thought of the still, impressive marching-by of an army. As we have mentioned Turgan, we may say that in many points., his description applies to-day ; we have verified his statements step by step. His account of the fabri- cation of crucible steel is still, in the main, accurate. Of course it is hardly necessary to state that since 1865 every improvement, the result of scientific investigation or practical experience, has been introduced. Bessemer converters and Martin-Siemens furnaces are used in making commercial brands of steel, but— to us the cardinal, the essential point — for gun-metal, crucible steel alone is used, a steel produced here for over half a century, and to which the establishment owes its success. — 51 -- III.— First Impressions. The Krupp establishment at Essen occupies about 1,000 acres, of which nearly 200 are under roof. Let the reader endeavor to realize what this really means. The buildings run north and south of the Dortmund and Duisburg turnpike. On approaching from the town, these rows of shops present an imposing sight; fifty, sixty, possibly more, structures, whose high chimneys or rather towers, are continually pouring forth showers of sparks, or thick clouds of smoke, the ponderous booming of the steam hammers, the loud humming of the engines, the signal whistles of the locomotives, laboring and puffing under their heavy loads, the black bulk of the enormous bulging gasholders for lighting the Works, all appear to be the embodiment of wonderful force and power, and bring up a vivid image of the man who, actuated by a determination as unbending as iron, a persistence as strong as steel, created this Temple of Work. IV. — The Entrance. Here we are at the Works ; the gates do not open for every caller, everybody knows that. Admission is posit- ively refused to all metal makers or workers, these must tarry in the reception room. This prohibition is not due altogether to a useless desire for mystery, still there are processes, the results of several generations of experience, which are kept secret. Were all admitted, the crowds of sight-seers, who would be attracted by the great rep- utation of the Essen Works, would require an army of guides to conduct them through the labyrinth of shops. The attention of workmen would be diverted, the prompt handling of huge masses of metal would be delayed. Such continual interruptions would be a great nuisance, certainly causing loss of time and money, without the slightest return, for Krupp' s reputation is made. As to — 52 — interested visitors, manufacturers, scientific and practical experts, etc. , it certainly would be the height of folly to permit them to wander at will all over the Works, and study at leisure the thousand peculiar details in vogue, any one of which may for the moment assure especial advantage. Whatever may be said, we regard the experience gained in a life-time of incessant work and unparalleled activity such as Krupp' s, as a precious pos- session, whose influence outweighs all else in the daily improvement of manufacturing methods. To allow the keen glances of rival manufacturers an opportunity of noting and appropriating the fruits ol such life-long labors and experience, would be silly and weak, and against the interests of thousands who are dependent upon the Works for their living. It would. be a voluntary cession of all rights. V. — The Office and Krupp' s Cottage. But a truce to these prefatory comments, let us enter. The gatekeeper, one of a number, whose long uniform overcoat suggests the old soldier, eyes us as keenly as a customs inspector scrutinizes a passenger suspected of smuggling; we make no sign, however, and as we are. under proper guidance, Cerberus hides his tusks. , This great building which first meets our view is the Office, where a regiment of accountants pass their days, in keeping the books of the great firm. Here is entered everything that goes out and comes in, here are kept the accounts of the States dealing with the Works. We felt a longing to peep, were it but for an instant, into the great ledger, whose contents must be /exceedingly interesting, but we did not seek to indulge, our indiscreet curiosity ; besides we had so much to learn / that we did not dare jeoparding, for the gratification of an idle whim, f uther opportunity o.f gaining information.- — 53 — Close to this brick structure, there is a, cottage, such a one as Jean Jacques Rousseau sighs for, with green blinds, small square lights and clean white window cur- tains ; it is pretty and attractive, and had not a locomo- tive, drawing iron laden cars, rudely interrupted our train of thought, we should for the moment have believed ourselves rusticating amid Swiss mountains. In this little house, the father of the present proprie- tor passed his life in making the incomparable steel which has made the Works to-day famous.* He was not spared to see the full fruition of his life- work, but the tool which his aged hand could no longer wield, was firmly grasped by his son. With the help of a few mechanics, he set to work, by his perseverance he conquered all difficulties — the result is known. * See note on page 71. — 54 — This humble cot, almost lost amidst its towering surroundings, has been kept as an experimental labora- tory, and here Krupp' s son works daily ; it is the family talisman, and the recollections which it calls into life make up the history of two generations, devoted to labor and to duty. VI. — The Gun Shops. Our obliging guide takes us first of all to the gun shops; we enter an immense roofed space, we must apologize for the frequent use of this adjective, but it alone, is descriptive — where about one hundred Krupp field-guns are receiving their final touches. These little playthings, so neat, so pretty that one feels like using them for watch charms, are for his Highness the Sultan of Turkey. He seems to be in a hurry for them, as they are in hand day and night. We enter a second shop, then a third, both of colossal dimensions ; in one, the guns are turned, in the other, bored ; here, grooves are cut, there, the breech mechan- isms are constructed. We will not dwell upon this phase of our visit, for though we saw the many operations necessary to convert the unfinished tube with its mantle and hoops into a gun, yet in the main they are similar to those pursued in other gun factories. Only, here, the work is done on a grander scale. As elsewhere, great lathes turn with ponderous dignity, fleet pulleys whirr on their shafts, metal parts groan under the biting of smoothing files; here, however, the hundreds of lathes, the thousands of pulleys, and the steel fashioned by numberless tools, constitute a grand orchestra, ever performing the im- pressive symphony of Work. Do VII.— The Four 120-ton Guns. In an adjoining skop, the great guns are majestically enthroned*; the Leviathans of naval armament, the Behemoths of coast defense. Man feels his insignificance in the presence of these awe-inspiring engines, yet he is their lord and master. Among all these finished masses of pure steel, at whose sides a horde of mechanics are busy, four especially rivet the attention of the beholder ; they are the 40 cent, guns, 14 metres long, and weighing the trifle of 120 tons, say one hundred and twenty thou- sand kilograms ! And yet but a few years ago, the 1 00- ton iron gun with steel lining, made by Sir William Armstrong for the " Duilio" was emphatically announc- ed as the supreme effort in the struggle of ordnance against armor, the final outcome of constructive ability ! Here the metal is not iron, but steel entirely, and crucible steel at that. The charge of each crucible is only 40 kilograms, and the reader can picture to himself the amount of work embodied in each of these pieces, in remembering that the casting of each involves the simul- taneous pouring of from 1,700 to 1,800 crucibles, yielding an ingot of 70,000 kilograms. As each gun consists of tube, mantle and rings, this Titanic operation must be repeated twice for each piece, as the rings alone permit the use of much smaller ingots. The ponderous blocks of steel required for these enormous guns are neverthe- less forged and finished with comparative ease, so great is the capacity of Krupp's tools and so daring the intelli- gence which directs them. These guns were ordered by the Italian Government for sea- coast defense. * *Two of Iheseguns are now embarking at Antwerp for Spezia, their destination. The others will presently follow by the same route. — 56 — The press questioned the practicability of transport- ing these ponderous and unwieldy productions, and asserted that the rails would give under the weight of so exceptional a load. But the problem was readily solved by Krupp' s engineers ; a platform car was constructed, running on thirty-two wheels with independent axles, so arranged that the whole weight was equally distributed upon ail the wheel bases. YIII. — The Carriage Assembling Shop. We regretfully left this interesting sight to enter another structure in which are the assembling shops for naval and sea-coast carriages. Communicating galleries are built at a height of 10 metres between the shops. From one of these we glanced above us at the traveling cranes of 50, 000, and 30,000 kilograms' capacity, which, at a height of 15, and with a span of 22, metres, traverse the great shops, lifting and shifting the heaviest masses, working automatically by bell signals. Below us we see in hand a carriage with rotating platform protected by a sheet steel cupola. This model is designed for a great ironclad, the pride of modern navies. Other carriages, of established model, with hydraulic buffers and shot-cranes are ready for the cars, for the track that serves the Works and connects with the Government Railroad system, begins at these shops, and is thus a terminus of the main lines. Let us go down to get a nearer view of the work of assembling ; let us see how the cupola turns on its rollers. Stop, it is moving. " She doesn't work badly," said the foreman, "a little filing here and there, and she's all right." Above us the crane advances, goes back with impressive deliberation, making nothing of its huge loads, and, from time to time, the click of gearing and the ringing of a small bell reveals the existence of the — 57 - train that moves this indispensable apparatus ; and every- thing goes apparently in a routine way, quietly, without excitement or shouting ; little is said in the Krupp establishment, but the work goes on all the time. At the four corners of the edifice, ponderous lifts are installed, and taken all in all, we are sure that there could not be a better disposition of the powerful mechanical devices with science has placed in the hands of the constructor. But let us hasten to examine the various processes of steel making in use here, for the Essen Works turn out Bessemer, Open-hearth, Puddled and Crucible steel. IX. — The Bessemer Plant. Bessemer steel is made on a great scale at Essen, ten thousand tons of rails can be made per month. This shows that Krupp is not unwilling to take advantage of scientific progress, in whatever direction it trends, and does not disdain to make cheap steel to meet the wants of all railroad interests. But we must make no mistake; he uses the Bessemer process only for making commer- cial brands. Interested parties have started a rumor that the crucible steel which alone is used for gun-metal, is made in part by remelting Bessemer scrap. We have assured ourselves by watching the charging of crucibles that this rumor is entirely baseless. It would be still more audacious to assert that the converters furnish the ingots required for tubes, mantles or even rings, for we looked in vain for moulds at the Bessemer Works of sufficient size for the purpose, or for cranes powerful enough to handle the great blocks out of which the gun parts are fashioned. The fact is apparent that the Works are especially equipped for the output of the small ingots required in rail fabrication. The Bessemer process is so - 58 — well known, even taking into account the most recent im- provements, that it would be a thankless task to attempt a description here : whoever lias seen it in operation must recall the absorbed interest with which he watched it ; the gorgeous pyrotechnic display of "blowing off," the silvery sheen of the sheet of living steel flowing from the converter's mouth amid a scintillating halo into the devouring maw of the charging ladle. Once seen, this fairylike spectacle can never be forgotten. We witnessed every detail of rail fabrication, from the billets' leaving the heating furnace to undergo transformation in the roll trains, to the last mechanical operations, cutting to length and straightening. We think that, in this manufacture, our own makers are not behind Krupp, and that they do the work just as well, and as economically. But the old saw, ls Shoe- maker, stick to your last," comes to mind, let us stop talking of rails, concerning which we have nothing new to say. X. — The Open-hearth Plant. Krupp also makes steel by the Martin- Siemens pro- cess, which besides affording facilities for determining the character of the bath by the drawing of test speci- mens, yields a more constant and homogeneous product than the Bessemer. It is slower, we must admit, but it is more certain ; the carbon point can be so regulated that we can obtain the hardest as well as the softest metal, steel suitable for springs or for boiler plates. The open- hearth plant is extensive and well arranged. The reverberatory furnaces, in which the molten metal simmers under the action of the flame, are arranged in two rows, having between them cranes of medium ca- pacity ; under these are the casting pits. Here, as at the Bessemer plant, there is no sign that open-hearth steel - 59 - is used for gun-metal ; no deep pits, no gigantic cranes. Not a particle of this steel goes into the crucibles, we assert this without fear of denial, for we have at hand convincing evidence. Open-hearth steel is used at Essen for the fabrication of all kinds of plate, tires, axles, and other structural parts; also for all castings, such as car- wheels, cross- heads, hydraulic cylinders, and in general for all machine members which do not need that absolute homogeneity and exceptional strength demanded by gun-metal, and which so especially characterize crucible steel. As we entered the foundry, the work was in full swing ; the furnaces flamed with dull crackling, and the crane moved along the great bay holding suspended the pouring ladle : at intervals, when above a mould, a stream of molten metal gushed out, momentarily as with a lightning flash making darkness visible, and disappeared in the glowing receptacle. In front of the Works, numerous castings, just from the moulds, were slowly cooling under slag ; they were truck wheels. These castings are not to be trusted, inoffensive as they look ; they remain hot for a long time, and those who walk about carelessly, are apt to carry away ardent and lasting reminders. XI. — Kkupp Gun Metal. The Puddled Steel Plant. It is easily understood that the portion of the estab- lishment devoted to crucible steel making, the metal of which all Krupp guns are constructed, possessed the greatest attraction for us. Besides, with or without reason, all sorts of myths attached themselves to this mysterious metal, and the probabilities are that had the famous gun maker lived in the dark ages, his unlucky competitors would have accused him of witchcraft, and the stake would have effectually disposed of an incon- venient rival. — 60 — We were anxious, as was natural, to clear up the mystery ; and we had been promised help. Further, we had resolved to keep as ' ' wide awake ' ' as possible. As the result of this somewhat underhanded investigation, we are convinced that it is impossible to find a method of making gun-metal upon a more scientific basis, or one more exactly carried out ; everything is designed and regulated for the purpose of producing a steel which chemically and physically is able to cope with the most powerful powder efforts. The iron ores used by Krupp in the fabrication of his gun-metal, are of the very highest grade and of remark- able purity. As a rule hematite and spathic ores are used, the same ores from which that excellent cast-irpn, called by Germans spiegeleisen and by the French fonte miroitante, is made. They come either from the Siegen region, or from the firm' s mines near Bilboa in Spain. The iron is delivered at the Works in pigs, and makes up the charge of the puddling furnace. The puddling is under control of experienced and tried workmen; indeed a regular puddling school exists at Essen ; no one can be- come a boss until, after numerous and difficult trials, he has proved himself thoroughly up in all the details of the art. Of course, puddled steel is made at Essen upon the same scientific principles as in England, France, or Belgium. While science is the same everywhere, each mill has its own special "knack" which characterizes its output. We will go a step beyond, and affirm that were Krupp to establish Works in some foreign country, without taking with him his mechanics, his ordnance experts, and his foremen, many of them men born with- in sight of his establishment, most of whom have grown gray in his service, the steel he would there make, would be different from that produced to- day at Essen. The determining conditions are indigenous to the soil, and — 61 — dependent upon the generations of workmen evolved un- der their influence, just as the tree clings by its roots to its mother earth. Let us however return to the iron about to be partially decarburized in the furnace. It is vigorously assailed by the fire, and thoroughly rabbled by the puddler; the ex- cess of carbon is driven off, and the iron becomes steel. . The skill of the puddler lies in stopping the operation at the exact moment when the iron comes to nature; if this passes, the work is lost. The loop, or ball, as the spongy steel mass is called, is carried on a trolley to the steam hammer; the metal is squeezed under its blows, and slag and other impurities are expelled, the molecules are condensed, arranged, and rammed together, and the ball becomes a billet. This hammered billet is then taken to the rolls, and leaves them as a long square rod, which is at once hardened in a pool occupying the centre of the mill. Each rod, after critical inspection as to quality, is broken into pieces about 20 centimetres long, which are sorted accordingly. The toughest and most homo- geneous are reserved for gun-metal charges ; the others are classed for special work, such as crank-shafts, axles, high grade tires, &c. The advantage of this procedure is self-evident; the expert can, so to speak, after the crucible charge has been fixed, determine beforehand the strength which the melt will possess, and as it is worked in small masses, there is the greatest possible chance of securing almost perfect compactness. The puddling Works always present a busy appear- ance ; the steel bubbling in the furnaces is energetically stirred and worked by the rabbles of the puddlers ; these are fine fellows, all nerve and muscle, whose perspiring faces, occasionally lighted up by a sudden flash of flame, bear testimony to the hardships of their trade. Here the steam hammers angrily pound the unwilling — 62 — billets, further along, the glowing bars writhe in audible agony through the roil grooves. Add to this the whirr- ing of the pulleys, the clanking of the chains which hold the roll tongs, that guide the heavy masses of steel, the calls of the bosses, the chant of the hundred ovens in which iron and coal crackle, the heavy puffing of the steam motors, and you have a picture in ever varying colors of one of the most magnificent phases of modern industry. Puddled steel, which by the very principle and method of its fabrication, is assured great uniformity, is the base of the crucibie charge ; the rest of the alloy is puddled iron. This is made of special pigs and worked in the manner just described ; it gives tenacity to the compound. It is rather refractory, but then the puddled steel, the greatest part of the charge, has a comparative- ly low melting point, and a certain flux, one of Krupp's "secrets," is added. We came to the conclusion that charcoal was its main ingredient. The crucible, whose contents weigh exactly 40 kilograms, is carefully luted, heated in the warming oven, and is then exposed to the high temperature of the melting furnace. XII. — Crucible Manufacture. This is the proper time to speak of the melting pot, the crucible. It is made of a special composition, peculiar to the Krupp Works. We witnessed the manufacture, and came to the con- clusion that the mixture consisted mainly of fire-clay with a less proportion of graphite. The material of which the crucible is made exercises a great influence upon the final constitution of the melted contents. Krupp has made this a subject of exhaustive investigation, for the Works consame an enormous - 63 — number of crucibles, as each can be used but once. No further evidence of this is needed than the piles of charred and broken pots stacked in the shop yards. A part of this waste material however is utilized ; it is ground into powder under huge vertical stones, and is thus rendered fit for use in making new crucibles. New composition and old dust are ground fine, mixed in great vats, and thoroughly worked up with the utmost care into a thick pasty slip. The crucible is now to be moulded. Imagine a hollow cast-iron truncated cone, the mould, and a solid metal core of suitable size and similar shape, which fit to just the dimensions of the prescribed cruci- ble. Now fill the mould with the proper quantity of slip and slowly enter the core ; the compressed plastic material flows between mold and core and shapes itself ; the excess seeks to escape, but is held in by a collar and forms the rim. The pot is then taken out of the mould and dried. The Works as already stated, consume daily a very large number of crucibles, for as a rule, four crucible casts are made every twenty-four hours. The drying and storing rooms are in immense four-story edifices with spaced flooring on which the crucibles stand in long rows. The Superintendent of this important branch told us that there were always one hundred thousand cruci- bles in store, which are used in succession. We could not verify this statement, but we are sure that it would have taken us hours, possibly a whole day, to count them. XIII. — The Crucible Steel Plant. Casting. We come now to crucible casting, which in every way is the most singular, the most interesting, and the most picturesque work we saw during our whole visit. The - 64 — foundry stretches out almost interminably, and is fur- nished with all the apparatus necessary for the success- ful carrying out of this delicate and difficult work. Upon the extended sides, along the walls, are installed the gas heating-ovens ; parallel to them in two lines are built the melting-ovens flush with the ground, and con- nected by subterranean galleries for the service of the attendants. The Krupp establishment uses in its crucible steel plant about 130 coke and 30 gas ovens. Each oven has a capacity of 12 crucibles. Some however can hold 18, so that casts of from 1,600 to 1,800 crucibles, even more if necessary, may be easily undertaken. The largest steel blocks cast at Essen up to the present time weigh 70,000 kilograms, required in the construction of the 120-ton guns. About 1,700 crucible charges were needed in cast- ing them. Along the center line of the structure the casting pits are dug, and the movable cranes are located. The pro- cess of casting is in itself of absorbing interest ; it is a striking illustration of the precision and coolness of the master founder, of the discipline and skili of the work- men. When the steel in the crucibles has reached he desired melting temperature, after being from four to five hours in the furnace, the master founder places the mould, as near as may be, equidistant from the active ovens. He then sets up the casting runners, heavy sheet iron channels lined with fire-brick. These runners lead the liquid metal in corruscating streams to the gate which surmounts the mould in which they are engulfed. The f oundrymen are dressed in two long lines, facing to the centre and divided into threes and twos. One of each three, carries a tongs, the others a rod very much like a brewer's mash ladle. As soon as the master- founder has completed his preparations, and, upon in- - 65 — spection ascertains that the proper melting point ha s been reached, he gives the signal, the oven covers slide back, and the casting begins. The melter with the tongs clasps the crucible and resting the curved tong handle upon the rod, held by the other men as a fulcrum, he lifts it out of the oven. Keeping it vertical, the three place it on the ground some distance from the furnace. Then the other two take it, and pour its contents into the run- ner. The empty pots are thrown in a heap out of the way of the workmen. Group silently follows group ; the crucibles shimmer through the foundry in a meteoric shower ; the silence is broken only by the clatter of the sliding oven covers and the crackling of the molten streams as they glide in the runners toward the flask into whose fiery mouth they plunge in a glittering cas- cade. The incessant sheen which intoxicates the eye, the intense heat coming in blasts from the underground fires, the silent traffic of the workmen, all bring to mind some witches' Sabbath of the Reign of Terror. In a word, it is a magnificent drama of intense coloring and unapproach- able grandeur, worthy the brush of a Callot. To those who feel it incumbent upon themselves to suggest that we are drawing upon our imagination, rather than our memory, that enthusiasm induces us to throw a halo about the description, we can only reply, ask others, who like ourselves, have seen. We may say that it is mathematically certain that the casting, even if an 80, 000 kilogram ingot be in quest- ion, cannot fail. Krupp' s workmen are thoroughly trained in that iron discipline, well taught in that characteristic Prussian school of steadiness, which affords undoubted assurance of success. Cast-steel chills quickly ; the ingot is drawn from the pit by one of the powerful foundry cranes, and — 66 — carried to an adjoining shop, where a fire-brick wall is built about it, to prevent chilling to the very core, which would retard forging. But before the block is shaped, it is reheated in one of the furnaces convenient to the hammer, and at the right temperature, it is taken out, swung by a triple chain-sling to a crane, which by deft movement, lands it on the anvil. XIV. — The 50-ton Hammek. A word about the 50-ton hammer, so long the boast of the Krupp Works. Imagine a square steel head, 3.70 metres long, 1.50 metres wide, and 1.25 metres deep, amass of seven cubic metres, hung at a height of 12 feet in an arch five metres high, whose supports are 1.50 metres in diameter. !N~ow a steel anvil, resting upon successive foundations of masonry, oak, a whole forest was required, and cast-iron, finally, in your mind' s eye, put the glowing ingot under the hammer head. The hammer boss, a veteran artist in blue glasses, for it is impossible to watch the incandes- cent mass with the naked eye, is in direct charge. At his right and left are the men who grasp the chains en- circling the monster, and who, at a hand wave, without a word or order, oscillate the block until the desired position is attained. The hammer slowly descends, the head hardly touches the ingot, then, after a rapid inspection, it is quickly raised, and comes down with all its might upon the metal which quivers and gives under its terrible blows. About the hammer the ground trembles as with an earthquake wave. Stop ! the ham- mer rests, the block is turned on its side, the machine takes breath again like a Colossus raising his club to brain the enemy, and pounds again upon the bruised mass, which finally gives way under this storm of blows ; the block is forged. — 67 — The 50-ton hammer was built about twenty years ago and cost the small sum of 500,000 dollars, but it nms'c foe admitted in excuse that it earns its living honestly, and pays good interest on its cost. At that time Creusot had only a 12-ton hammer ; now however there are 80 and even 100-ton hammers. " Why," it is asked, " does Krupp suffer himself to be outdone by his rivals ? " We must first note that the Essen hammer has really an effective weight of 60 tons, and the heaviest blocks forged weigh, as already mentioned, 70,000 kilograms. These blocks are bored ; the forging can therefore be altogether effective, for the hammer blows need not penetrate to the heart of the block. Further the mons- ter guns now constructed date back only a few years. Although up to the present, more powerful mechanic- al contrivances were not required, yet for some time past, Krupp has contemplated erecting a hammer of much greater weight, and the matter is so far advanced that within a few months Essen will again surpass its rivals in its ability to forge the very heaviest steel masses. It would hardly be proper for us to say more on this sub- ject. After forging, the shapes are subjected to a peculiar annealing jjrocess, and are then transferred to the gun shops for finishing and assembling. We will not dwell upon the other products of the Works, steel- cast wheels, coil and elliptical springs, tires, &c, all abounding in interest, and which in themselves justify Krupp 1 s great reputation. We examined the entire plant with sustained interest, but we cannot within the scope of this paper, undertake to impart our impressions. XV. — The Model Collection. Before leaving, let us glance at the collection of models, or rather the museum of the Krupp Establish- ment. — 68 — It contains specimens of every gun and military con- struction designed or improved by Krupp ; it tells the eloquent story of his researches and his labors. Here are steel and iron plates which have been used as targets in the various experiments that have lengthened out the struggle between armor and gun ; here are samples of ores, test pieces of gun metal, fragments of experimental guns fired to destruction, mute witnesses to the enduring patience and multifarious knowledge which character- ize the continued researches of the tireless German Con- structor. Here can be seen all the stages of his fermature, before it reached its present degree of perfection. Here are guns of all systems, the breech mechanisms of Wahrendorf, Kreiner, and others, in a word, everything to interest; Artillery and Ordnance officers of every country. In the centre of the museum stands, bright and attractive, a Prussian battery, as it leaves the Works. Every ex- pert in the fabrication of war materials must admit that the Krupp output is treated, even to the smallest details, with the utmost care. A great General has said ' ' that the Prussian army is the most perfect military machine in the world," surely then its present war material deserves a large share of. this meed of praise. We must not overlook the collection of the different projectiles made at the Works, from the shell for the 7.8 cent, gun, to the 1,050 kilogram hammered and hardened steel armor-piercing shell for the 120-ton gun, culminat- ing in one still more phenomenal, 1.80 metres long, (4 calibres), weighing 1,500 kilograms, to be fired from the projected 45 cent, gun of from 140 to 150 tons weight. XVI. — Krupp' s Proving Grounds. Krupp has facilities in connection with the Works for proving finished guns. The piece is placed in a vault — 69 — whose walls are thick enough to retain the fragments in > case it should burst during endurance trials. The gun is brought to the shaft by rail, and lowered upon the carriage by a crane. At the word "ready", everybody leaves, and the piece is fired by electricity. The projec tiles lodge in a butt, 100 metres in front. This test, we repeat, is for the purpose of noting the general behavior of the piece, but also gives the initial velocity and the gas pressure. Complete ballistic experiments, the determination of ranges, accuracy and similar data, are conducted at the Meppen Proving Ground, owned by Krupp, where, thanks to a range of 16,800 metres and the latest appara- tus, they can be pursued on the most extended scale. XVII. — Aisr Epitome of the Kuupp Plant. — Krupp. We conclude our task with some data which will give a better idea than any words of ours of the magnitude of the Krupp plant, and its steady progress since 1810, the date of inception. In 1883 the plant comprised : 1.— The Essen Steel Works, 2. — The Essen and Bochum Coal fields, 3. — 547 Iron Mines in Germany, 4. — Several ore beds near Bilboa, 5. — Four Smelting Works near Duisburg, Neuwied and Sayn, 6. — The Meppen Proving Ground, 7. — Four Steamships, 8. — Various stone quarries, clay banks, and sand pits. There are in operation : 11 Blast furnaces, 1,542 Furnaces of various kinds, 439 Boilers, 82 Steam hammers from 100 to 50,000 kilograms, 21 Roll trains, 451 Steam engines, of 18, 500. horse power total capacity, of which many, we are glad to say, were made by Vanden Kerchove, the well-known Ghent builder, and finally, 1,622 machine tools. The total output of the Essen Steel Works amounted in 1881 to 260,000 tons, including Crucible, Open-hearth, Bessemer steel, and Homogeneous Wrought iron. It is generally supposed that Krupp manufactures only guns, di which he has made to date, 21,000 ; carri- ages, ammunition wagons, projectiles and fuzes, in a word, ordnance material only. He also supplies, as we have se,en, rails, switches, axles, tires, locomotive and car wheels, everything re- quired for road beds or rolling stock ; he rolls boiler and ship plates, constructs bridges of all kinds, forges crank- shafts, anchors, and structural parts for the merchant and naval service. He serves the wants of commerce and trade as satis- factorily as he meets the demand of warfare. We will add some figures, gleaned at hap-hazard ; The Works consume : Coal and CoTce ; 3,100 tons per work-day, about 1,400 tons of which are chargeable to the blast furnaces and steamers. Water : From 5,000,000 to 7,000,000 gallons per work- day. Gas for lighting : From 475,000 to 1,500,000 feet per work-day. The blast furnaces are charged daily with 1,400 tons of ore from the Krupp mines. The shafts and drifts deliver daily an average of 3,000 tons of coal. For internal traffic there are 27 miles of railroad standard gauge, with 14 locomotives and 539 cars, and 71 — 15*4 miles of narrow gauge road, with 14 locomotives and 344 gondolas. There are besides 71 horses with 191 carts, 40 miles of telegraph lines with 35 stations, and since 1884, 100 telephones. The plant has exclusively for its own needs, a chem- ical laboratory, a photograph gallery, a printing office, and a book bindery. There is a fire brigade of 70 men and 32 fire alarms. The Commissary Department, whose transactions in 1882, reached nearly a million dollars, includes ; a hotel, nine beer gardens, a mineral- water factory, a steam grinding mill, a bakery, an abattoir, one clothing and two shoemaking establishments, forty- six grocery, haberdashery, dry goods, hardware and other shops. At the last general census taken in September, 1881, the total of employees footed up 19,605, of whom 11,211 belonged to the Steel Works, and 8,394 to the Smelting Works, mines, &c. The other members of the families numbered 45,776, of whom 13,083 were school attendants, so that the entire population dependent upon the plant amounted to 65, 381 souls. 18,698 of these occupied dwellings belonging to the establishment. We will not speak of the various institutions for the public comfort, the dormitories for unmarried men, the baths, hospitals, manual training schools. According to the old saying that ' ' the left ear rings when good is spoken of us," Krupp must be unable to hear his own words, for no one else does the good he does. A word concerning Krupp, tlje very soul of what we attempt to describe. The present owner is an octogenarian, whose rugged health and ceaseless activity defy age and sickness.* * Since these lines were written, the world has been called upon to mourn the death of Alfred Krupp, crowned with years and honours, July 14th, 1887. — 72 — He is still the prime mover in all the great enterprises, undertaken by the Works. As Commodore Vanderbilt was called "The Railroad King," so has he been named " The Cannon King." This regal title — hardly intrinsically applicable to the great American financier, who restricted himself to the purchase of blocks of stock in sound and paying roads, and never built a mile of line in his life — is a just tribute to Krupp, for he himself, made not only the guns bat also the necessary metal. E. MONTHAYE. Brussels, January, 1887. MULTIPLIERS FOR Converting French into British Measures. Metres Metres — w ■ w ■ * Millimetres Kilograms Tonneaux into into into into into Feet. Yards. Inches. Pounds. Tons. 1- - 3.2809 1.0936 0.03937 2.2046 0.9342 2- - 6.5617 2.1872 .07874 4.4092 1.9684 3- - 9.8426 3.2809 .11811 6.6139 2.9526 4- -13.1235 4.3745 .15748 8.8185 3.9368 5- -16.4043 5.4681 .19685 11.0231 4.9210 6- -19.6852 6.5617 .23622 13.2277 5.9052 7- -22.9661 7.6554 .27559 15.4323 6.8894 8- -26.2470 8.7490 .31496 17.6370 7.8736 9- -29.5278 9.8426 .35433 19.8416. 8.8579 10- -32.8087 1*0.9362 .39370 22.0462 9.8421 1 Centimetre=10 Miliimetres=0. 3937 in.= T 4 u- of an in. nearty, 1 Tonneaux =1000 Kilogr's=0.9842 tou=l gross ton " 1 Kilogram =2.2046 lbs. =2\ lbs. 1 Metre =3.2809 feet =1.0936 yds. = j 3£ feet j3i tV y ards t-Steel Works of Fried. Ktudd ESSEN, GERMANY. SHAFTS FOR STEAM VESSELS, Etc. CRiVNK PINS. PISTON RODS. CONNECTING RODS. LOCOMOTIVE TIRES AND AXLES. STEEL-TIRED RAILWAY WHEELS. RAILS AND BAR STEEL OF ALL KINDS. STEEL BOILER PLATES. STEEL FORGINGS of every description, up to SEVENTY TONS WEIGHT. REPRESENTED BY THOS. PROSSER & SON 15 GOLD STREET, NEW YORK. LAP-WELDED STEEL BOILER TUBES AND IRON BOILER TUBES, Of Either Foreign or Domestic Manufacture. PATENT WELDLESS COLD-DRAWN STEEL BOILER TUBES. These Tubes are made from SOLID BLOCKS of specially prepared and tested Steel, PUNCHED AND DRAWN COLD, without weld or seam and perfectly smooth inside and outside. UNIFORM, LIGHT, STRONG, DURABLE. Superior to all other Tubes for generating steam. SAMPLES OF ALL THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF STEEL BOILER TUBES, can be seen at this Office. Also samples of the same welded together, showing tbat Steel Tubes can have new ends welded on them, as perfectly as on Iron Tubes. THOS. PROSSER & SON, IB Gold Street, New York. BOILER MAKERS' TOOLS. TUBE EXPANDERS. TUBE CUTTERS. TUBE BRUSHES. TUBE FERRULES. SCREW PUNCHES. THOS. PROSSER & SON 15 GOLD STREET, NEW Y ORK. DATE DUE 1 UNIVERSITY PRODUCTS, INC. #859-5503 BOSTON COLLEGE 3 9031 021 77963 2 W- ■•■'• in 1 mm $m emm ':■ ' 1