The Fete of the Casting

           Duringtheeightmonthswhichwereemployedintheworkofexcavationthepreparatoryworksofthecastinghadbeencarriedonsimultaneouslywithextremerapidity.AstrangerarrivingatStonesHillwouldhavebeensurprisedatthespectacleofferedtohisview.

           At600yardsfromthewell,andcircularlyarrangedarounditasacentralpoint,rose1,200reverberatingovens,eachsixfeetindiameter,andseparatedfromeachotherbyanintervalofthreefeet.Thecircumferenceoccupiedbythese1,200ovenspresentedalengthoftwomiles.Beingallconstructedonthesameplan,eachwithitshighquadrangularchimney,theyproducedamostsingulareffect.

           ItwillberememberedthatontheirthirdmeetingthecommitteehaddecidedtousecastironfortheColumbiad,andinparticularthewhitedescription.Thismetal,infact,isthemosttenacious,themostductile,andthemostmalleable,andconsequentlysuitableforallmouldingoperations;andwhensmeltedwithpitcoal,isofsuperiorqualityforallengineeringworksrequiringgreatresistingpower,suchascannon,steamboilers,hydraulicpresses,andthelike.

           Castiron,however,ifsubjectedtoonlyonesinglefusion,israrelysufficientlyhomogeneous;anditrequiresasecondfusioncompletelytorefineitbydispossessingitofitslastearthlydeposits.SolongbeforebeingforwardedtoTampaTown,theironore,molteninthegreatfurnacesofColdspring,andbroughtintocontactwithcoalandsiliciumheatedtoahightemperature,wascarburizedandtransformedintocastiron.