I would, however,
draw attention to the remarkable success which has attended the use of
the Bicheroux gas puddling and heating furnaces at the works of
Ougree, near Liege. The works produce 20,000 tons of puddled bars per
annum, in fifteen double furnaces. The consumption of coal per ton of
ordinary puddled bar is under 11 cwt., and per ton of "fer a fin
grain" (puddled steel, etc.) 16 cwt. The gas is produced from slack,
and the waste heat raises as much steam as that from an ordinary
double furnace. The consumption of pig iron per ton of puddled bar was
rather less than 211/2 cwts. for the year 1882; and that of "mine" for
fettling was 33 lb. The repairs are said to be considerably less than
in the ordinary furnaces, and the puddlers earn from 25 to 30 per
cent. more at the same tonnage rate. I have already mentioned the
large consumption, reckoned in tons of pig iron, of the materials for
shipbuilding.
GROSS OF IRON AND STEEL SHIP BUILDING.
It may be useful to add that the gross tonnage of iron vessels classed
during 1882 by the three societies of Lloyd's, the Liverpool Registry,
and the Bureau Veritas was 1,142,000, and of steel 143,000 tons, and
that the proportion of steel to iron vessels is increasing from year
to year. I am informed by our colleague, Mr. Pearce, of Messrs.
Elder's firm, that the largest vessel built by them in 1869 was an
iron steamer, of 3,063 tons gross, with compound engines of 3,000
horse power, working at 60 lb.
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