IRON AND STEEL, PART I Part 3
Description
The original catalog description provided by the Ford Motor Company reads as follows: “This is the Age of Steel. Our comfort and happiness depend upon a multitude of steel tools and machines. Steel is the blood and life of a nation.” “Steel is obtained from iron ore which is widely distributed in earth’s crust. The largest deposits are in the U.S.A.” “Lake Superior iron mines and ore shipping ports.” Map of Lake Superior region showing iron ore distribution and ports. “Here are three important iron ores.” “Limonite or ‘Yellow Ore.’” “Soft Hematite or ‘Red Dirt Ore.’” “Hard Hematite or ‘Red Ore.’” “Ore goes to great steel centers in 600-foot steel boats. Loads of 10,000 tons are placed in boats in 60 minutes at Lake Superior docks.” “It is 1,000 miles to Lake Erie ports. Ore is carried this distance for $1.00 per ton.” Ore freighter under way. “Canals and deepened channels form aids to water transportation. ‘Soo’ locks and canals in the rapids of St. Mary’s river.” Several views of canal lock and ships. “Ore boats pass Detroit at the rate of one every six minutes. This is the greatest freight highway in the world.” Detroit waterfront from moving boat - freighter under way, man in small rowboat catching line, man climbing down into rowboat, back up to deck of freighter, rowboat being cast free. “The great ore cargo is unloaded by gigantic machinery. Millions of tons are piled on docks or into waiting cars. Ashtabula, Cleveland, Erie, Conneaut and Buffalo are ore ports.” Different views of huge cranes unloading ship. “Iron ore is smelted by the intense heat of burning coke in a blast furnace. Limestone removes the impurities in the form of slag. Note the high furnace, the tipple, the tuyers or air blast pipes.” View of blast furnace - animated diagram showing crane unloading ship into railroad cars; horizontal crane over piles of limestone, iron ore, coke; blast furnace with parts labeled; charging of furnace. “Vast piles of ore, coke and limestone are stored near the blast furnace.” Huge piles. “Charging the furnace. Follow the bucket as it empties its ore into the furnace.” Bucket on conveyor at top of furnace. “The slag containing impurities floats as a scum on the liquid iron. It is drawn off into a pit.” Man walking to edge of slag pit, watching slag flowing in - flowing slag from furnace into ladle car - ladle car dumping slag. “Tapping the furnace. Suddenly the fiery stream of liquid iron appears. The great ladles are filled.” Workers pulling on cable - molten iron flowing from furnace. “Furnace opening is plugged by balls of clay. The ‘Mudgun’ pushes the clay into the opening.” Workers operating Mudgun. “The molten iron is poured into small molds of the pig iron machine. Each mold is protected by a crust of lime. The iron hardens into a bar of pig iron.” Molten iron pouring into molds - row of smoking molds. [1920]
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