losing　its　carbon；　it　passes　from　hard　to　soft　steel；　thence　to
  steely　iron；　and　last　of　all　to　very　soft　iron；　so　that　by
  interrupting　the　process　at　any　stage；　or　continuing　it　to　the　end；
  almost　any　quality　of　iron　and　steel　may　be　obtained。　　One　of　the　most
  valuable　forms　of　the　metal　is　described　by　Mr。　Bessemer　as
  〃semi…steel；〃　being　in　hardness　about　midway　between　ordinary
  cast…steel　and　soft　malleable　iron。　　The　Bessemer　processes　are　now　in
  full　operation　in　England　as　well　as　abroad；　both　for　converting
  crude　into　malleable　iron；　and　for　producing　steel；　and　the　results
  are　expected　to　prove　of　the　greatest　practical　utility　in　all　cases
  where　iron　and　steel　are　extensively　employed。
  Yet；　like　every　other　invention；　this　of　Mr。　Bessemer　had　long　been
  dreamt　of；　if　not　really　made。　　We　are　informed　in　Warner's　Tour
  through　the　Northern。　　Counties　of　England；　published　at　Bath　in　l80L；
  that　a　Mr。　Reed　of　Whitehaven　had　succeeded　at　that　early　period　in
  making　steel　direct　from　the　ore；　and　Mr。　Mushet　clearly　alludes　to
  the　process　in　his　〃Papers　on　Iron　and　Steel。〃　　Nevertheless；　Mr。
  Bessemer　is　entitled　to　the　merit　of　working　out　the　idea；　and
  bringing　the　process　to　perfection；　by　his　great　skill　and
  indomitable　perseverance。　　In　the　Heath　process；　carburet　of　manganese
  is　employed　to　aid　the　conversion　of　iron　into　steel；　while　it　also
  confers　on　the　metal　the　property　of　welding　and　working　more　soundly
  under　the　hammera　fact　discovered　by　Mr。　Heath　while　residing　in
  India。　　Mr。　Mushet's　process　is　of　a　similar　character。　　Another
  inventor；　Major　Uchatius；　an　Austrian　engineer；　granulates　crude　iron
  while　in　a　molten　state　by　pouring　it　into　water；　and　then　subjecting
  it　to　the　process　of　conversion。　　Some　of　the　manufacturers　still
  affect　secrecy　in　their　operations；　but　as　one　of　the　Sanderson
  firmfamous　for　the　excellence　of　their　steelremarked　to　a　visitor
  when　showing　him　over　their　works；　〃the　great　secret　is　to　have　the
  courage　to　be　honesta　spirit　to　purchase　the　best　material；　and　the
  means　and　disposition　to　do　justice　to　it　in　the　manufacture。〃
  It　remains　to　be　added；　that　much　of　the　success　of　the　Sheffield
  manufactures　is　attributable　to　the　practical　skill　of　the　workmen；
  who　have　profited　by　the　accumulated　experience　treasured　up　by　their
  class　through　many　generations。　　The　results　of　the　innumerable
  experiments　conducted　before　their　eyes　have　issued　in　a　most
  valuable　though　unwritten　code　of　practice；　the　details　of　which　are
  known　only　to　themselves。　　They　are　also　a　most　laborious　class；　and
  Le　Play　says　of　them；　when　alluding　to　the　fact　of　a　single　workman
  superintending　the　operations　of　three　steel…casting　furnaces〃I
  have　found　nowhere　in　Europe；　except　in　England；　workmen　able　for　an
  entire　day；　without　any　interval　of　rest；　to　undergo　such　toilsome
  and　exhausting　labour　as　that　performed　by　these　Sheffield　workmen。〃
  CHAPTER　VII。
  THE　INVENTIONS　OF　HENRY　CORT。
  〃I　have　always　found　it　in　mine　own　experience　an　easier　matter　to
  devise　manie　and　profitable　inventions；　than　to　dispose　of　one　of
  them　to　the　good　of　the　author　himself。〃Sir　Hugh　Platt；　1589。
  Henry　Cort　was　born　in　1740　at　Lancaster；　where　his　father　carried　on
  the　trade　of　a　builder　and　brickmaker。　　Nothing　is　known　as　to　Henry's
  early　history；　but　he　seems　to　have　raised　himself　by　his　own　efforts
  to　a　respectable　position。　　In　1765　we　find　him　established　in　Surrey
  Street；　Strand；　carrying　on　the　business　of　a　navy　agent；　in　which　he
  is　said　to　have　realized　considerable　profits。　　It　was　while
  conducting　this　business　that　he　became　aware　of　the　inferiority　of
  British　iron　compared　with　that　obtained　from　foreign　countries。　　The
  English　wrought　iron　was　considered　so　bad　that　it　was　prohibited
  from　all　government　supplies；　while　the　cast　iron　was　considered　of
  too　brittle　a　nature　to　be　suited　for　general　use。*
  ＇footnote。。。
  Life　of　Brunel；　p。　60。
  。。。＇
  Indeed　the　Russian　government　became　so
  persuaded　that　the　English　nation　could　not　carry　on　their
  manufactures　without　Russian　iron；　that　in　1770　they　ordered　the
  price　to　be　raised　from　70　and　80　copecs　per　pood　to　200　and　220
  copecs　per　pood。*
  ＇footnote。。。
  SCRIVENOR；　History　of　the　Iron　Trade；　169。
  。。。＇
  Such　being　the　case；　Cort's　attention　became　directed　to　the　subject
  in　connection　with　the　supply　of　iron　to　the　Navy；　and　he　entered　on
  a　series　of　experiments　with　the　object　of　improving　the　manufacture
  of　English　iron。　　What　the　particular　experiments　were；　and　by　what
  steps　he　arrived　at　results　of　so　much　importance　to　the　British　iron
  trade；　no　one　can　now　tell。　　All　that　is　known　is；　that　about　the　year
  1775　he　relinquished　his　business　as　a　navy　agent；　and　took　a　lease
  of　certain　premises　at　Fontley；　near　Fareham；　at　the　north…western
  corner　of　Portsmouth　Harbour；　where　he　erected　a　forge　and　an　iron
  mill。　　He　was　afterwards　joined　in　partnership　by　Samuel　Jellicoe　（son
  of　Adam　Jellicoe；　then　Deputy…Paymaster　of　Seamen's　Wages）；　which
  turned　out；　as　will　shortly　appear；　a　most　unfortunate　connection　for
  Cort。
  As　in　the　case　of　other　inventions；　Cort　took　up　the　manufacture　of
  iron　at　the　point　to　which　his　predecessors　had　brought　it；　carrying
  it　still　further；　and　improving　upon　their　processes。　　We　may　here
  briefly　recite　the　steps　by　which　the　manufacture　of　bar…iron　by
  means　of　pit…coal　had　up　to　this　time　been　advanced。　　In　1747；　Mr。
  Ford　succeeded　at　Coalbrookdale　in　smelting　iron　ore　with　pit…coal；
  after　which　it　was　refined　in　the　usual　way　by　means　of　coke　and
  charcoal。　　In　1762；　Dr。　Roebuck　（hereafter　to　be　referred　to）　took　out
  a　patent　for　melting　the　cast　or　pig　iron　in　a　hearth　heated　with
  pit…coal　by　the　blast　of　bellows；　and　then　working　the　iron　until　it
  was　reduced　to　nature；　or　metallized；　as　it　was　termed；　after　which
  it　was　exposed　to　the　action　of　a　hollow　pit…coal　fire　urged　by　a
  blast；　until　it　was　reduced　to　a　loop　and　drawn　out　into　bar…iron
  under　a　common　forge…hammer。　　Then　the　brothers　Cranege；　in　1766；
  adopted　the　reverberatory　or　air　furnace；　in　which　they　placed　the
  pig　or　cast　iron；　and　without　blast　or　the　addition　of　anything　more
  than　common　raw　pit…coal；　converted　the　same　into　good　malleable
  iron；　which　being　taken　red　hot　from　the　reverberatory　furnace　to　the
  forge　hammer；　was　drawn　into　bars　according　to　the　will　of　the
  workman。　　Peter　Onions　of　Merthyr　Tydvil；　in　1783；　carried　the
  manufacture　a　stage　further；　as　described　by　him　in　his　patent　of
  that　year。　　Having　charged　his　furnace　（〃bound　with　iron　work　and　well
  annealed〃）　with　pig　or　fused　cast　iron　from　the　smelting　furnace；　it
  was　closed　up　and　the　doors　were　luted　with　sand。　　The　fire　was　urged
  by　a　blast　admitted　underneath；　apparently　for　the　purpose　of　keeping
  up　the　combustion　of　the　fuel　on　the　grate。　　Thus　Onions'　furnace　was
  of　the　nature　of　a　puddling　furnace；　the　fire　of　which　was　urged　by　a
  blast。　　The　fire　was　to　be　kept　up　until　the　metal　became　less　fluid；
  and　〃thickened　into　a　kind　of　froth；　which　the　workman；　by　opening
  the　door；　must　turn　and　stir　with　a　bar　or　other　iron　instrument；　and
  then　close　the　aperture　again；　applying　the　blast　and　fire　until
  there　was　a　ferment　in　the　metal。〃　　The　patent　further　describes　that
  〃as　the　workman　stirs　the　metal；〃　the　scoriae　will　separate；　〃and　the
  particles　of　iron　will　adhere；　which　particles　the　workman　must
  collect　or　gather　into　a　mass　or　lump。〃　　This　mass　or　lump　was　then　to
  be　raised　to　a　white　heat；　and　forged　into　malleable　iron　at　the
  forge…hammer。
  Such　was　the　stage　of　advance　reached　in　the　manufacture　of　bar…iron；
  when　Henry　Cort　published　his　patents　in　1783　and　1784。　　In　dispensing
  with　a　blast；　he　had　been　anticipated　by　the　Craneges；　and　in　the
  process　of　puddling　by　Onions；　but　he　introduced　so　many　improvements
  of　an　original　character；　with　which　he　combined　the　inventions　of
  his　predecessors；　as　to　establish　quite　a　new　era　in　the　history　of
  the　iron　manufacture；　and；　in　the　course　of　a　few　years；　to　raise　it
  to　the　highest　state　of　prosperity。　　As　early　as　1786；　Lord　Sheffield
  recognised　the　great　national　importance　of　Cort's　improvements　in
  the　following　words：　　…　If　Mr。　Cort's　very　ingenious　and　meritorious
  improvements　in　the　art　of　making　and　working　iron；　the　steam…engine
  of　Boulton　and　Watt；　and　Lord　Dundonald's　discovery　of　making　coke　at
  half　the　present　price；　should　all　succeed；　it　is　not　asserting　too
  much　to　say　that　the　result　will　be　more　advantageous　to　Great
  Britain　than　the　possession　of　the　thirteen　colonies　（of　America）；
  for　it　will　give　the　complete　command　of　the　iron　trade　to　this
  country；　with　its　vast　advantages　to　navigation。〃　　It　is　scarcely
  necessary　here　to　point　out　how　completely　the　anticipations　of　Lord
  Sheffield　have　been　fulfilled；　sanguine　though　they　might　appear　to
  be　when　uttered　some　seventy…six　yea