Krupp’s Steel Works

On account of the wide-spread reputation which the steel produced in the great works of Krupp at E en, in Rhenish Pru ia, has obtained, it is nece ary that these works should receive a brief notice. They were founded by Fried rich Krupp in 1810, and were continued by his sons after his death in 1826. For the last fifty years they have been increasing annually from one-sixth to one-third in size, until now they cover about 500 acres, and give employment to about 20,000 persons, including those engaged in building, and in the mines and smelting-houses. For large metallurgical works E en is favorably situated, being in the centre of a coal-bearing area, where coal of the best quality can be procured cheaply, and near mines of manganiferous iron ore, which has been found excellently adapted for the manufacture of steel; but it is believed that the admirable organization of every part of his manufactory has conduced as much as anything to the great succe of Krupp. The articles manufactured consist principally of rails, tires, crank-axles, shafts, mining pump-rods, gun-carriages and guns, the proportion of ordnance being about two-fifths of the whole. Guns have been made at E en for the Pru ians, Austrians, Belgians, Dutch, Italians, Turks, Japanese, and also for the English, although not directly ordered by the government. Since 1872 a field-gun invented by Krupp has been adopted by the Pru ian government, and supplied to the whole army. The establishment po e es 286 steam-engines from 2 to 1000 horse-power, 1100 furnaces of various kinds, 71 steam-hammers, 264 smith’s forges, 275 coke-ovens, and 1056 planing, cutting, and boring machines. It burns over 1000 tons of coal daily, and has over 11,000 gas-burners, consuming in twenty-four hours 400,000 cubic feet of gas. It has, besides, a complete telegraph system, 800 cars, 15 locomotives, 33 miles of railway, over 3000 dwelling-houses, hospitals, chemical laboratory, a photographic and lithographic establishment, over 400 mines, 11 blast-furnaces and several smelting-houses which produce annually about 20,000 tons of pig-iron. These works have already produced over 18,000 heavy guns.