The Bessemer Converter Hit 3,000°F — And the Men Who Fed It Stood 6 Feet Away скачать в хорошем качестве

The Bessemer Converter Hit 3,000°F — And the Men Who Fed It Stood 6 Feet Away

In 1856, Henry Bessemer aimed an air blast into molten iron and watched it erupt like a volcano. The temperature hit 3,000°F. The carbon burned out in minutes instead of days. And for the first time in history, steel could be made cheap enough to build everything — railroads, bridges, skyscrapers, warships. Andrew Carnegie turned the process into a fortune of $480 million. His workers turned twelve-hour shifts, seven days a week, for $10. Fatal accidents in his Pittsburgh mills accounted for 20% of all male deaths in the city. The converter produced more steel in 20 minutes than a puddling furnace made in a day. The men who operated it stood 6 feet from 3,000°F fire and judged the chemistry by staring directly into the flame.