1632: Essen Steel by Eric Flint

Author:Eric Flint [Flint, Eric]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Science Fiction, Alternate History, Germany, Canada, 1632, Grantville, Eric Flint, alt history, 30 years war, Ring of Fire
Publisher: Ring of Fire Press
Published: 2013-06-17T14:00:00+00:00

Chapter Two

April, 1632

Louis arrived in Grantville the first week of April. A firm believer in family business ties, he brought his son, Laurens, his brother-in-law, Steven Gerard, and his nephews, Hendrick and Louys Trip. A protégé of Hugo Grotius, Dirck Graswinckel, also accompanied them to provide legal advice.

The twenty soldiers who had provided security on the trip from Amsterdam camped out by Josh Modi's crucible steel plant and the rest of the party had rooms at the Modi inn. After several days of talks and sightseeing they found themselves at Bart Kubiak's foundry and cupola furnace.

"So how did you get the kind of cast iron you needed?" Louis de Geer asked. Josh Modi translated.

"We had to do a three-way deal," Bart said. "We had cast iron from the suppliers outside Grantville, but it wasn't of the quality needed to build steam engine cylinders. The local blast furnaces already had contracts to supply pig iron to their customers. So we offered to sell our pig iron to their customers at a slight discount if the blast furnace owners provided us with cast iron using coke for fuel, which we brought to them. Even then they were leery until we sweetened the deal by offering to build some metal pistons to provide air blast for the furnace instead of leather bellows. Once they saw how efficient the new pistons were, even with their water wheels, they were eager to sell."

"So how much cast iron did you get?" De Geer asked.

"About one hundred twenty tons," Bart said. "Financing took awhile. Once we get the kinks in the cupola furnace worked out, we should be able to start pouring a good cast iron. It helps us that the quality of the cast iron actually improves with remelting in a cupola furnace. We'll do a lot of experimentation and proof of principle work this summer. When the blast furnace season starts up again in October we'll be ready. We already have contracts for over a thousand tons of cast iron. The coke we'll transport to each blast furnace and each will be fitted with metal pistons for the air blast. As the cast iron comes in, we'll start the actual work of casting the cylinders and other cast iron parts we need for the steam engines we're building for the electrical plant. Those should be done by early spring of next year and everyone can breathe a sigh of relief."

Bart looked around at the foundry he had put so much work into over the previous seven months. "If we have excess over our needs we can provide cast iron for consumer goods like stoves and pots and skillets. Even cannon for the army. And there's already a couple of companies making inquiries.

"The hardest part … " Bart patted the side of the cupola furnace affectionately. "Was scaling this baby up. Not quite the same as my old ten inch furnace, not one bit. But it's coming along and we should be in great shape soon."

"So it is the silicon that is important?" De Geer asked.

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