Bessemer

Sir Henry, an Eng: lish inventor, born in Charlton, Hert: ford shire, Jan. 19, 1813; began mod. eling and designing patterns when 1& years old; chose engineering as a profe ion, and, after long and costly experiments, announced, in 1856, his discovery of a means of rapidly and cheaply converting pig iron into steel. by blowing a blast of air through the iron when in a state of fusion. For this discovery the Institution of Civil Engineers awarded him the Gold Telford Medal, and several foreign governments honored him with valuable tokens. In the United States appre ciation of his great discovery took the form of creating industrial cities and towns under his name. He was elect: ed President of the Iron and Steel Institute of Great Britain in 1871; knighted by the Queen in 1879, anc received the freedom of the city of London in 1880. He died in London March 15, 1898.