Manyotherlargefirmsnowcompetefortheirshareofthetrade；andtheextenttowhichithasgrown，thenumberoffurnacesconstantlyatwork，andthequantityofsteelcastintoingots，tobetiltedorrolledforthevariouspurposestowhichitisapplied，haverenderedSheffieldthegreatestlaboratoryintheworldofthisvaluablematerial。Ofthetotalquantityofcast-steelmanufacturedinEngland，notlessthanfive-sixthsareproducedthere；andthefacilitiesforexperimentandadaptationonthespothaveenabledtheSheffieldsteel-makerstokeeptheleadinthemanufacture，andsurpassallothersintheperfectiontowhichtheyhavecarriedthisimportantbranchofournationalindustry。Itisindeedaremarkablefactthatthisverytown，whichwasformerlyindebtedtoStyriaforthesteelusedinitsmanufactures，nowexportsamaterialofitsownconversiontotheAustrianforgesandotherplacesontheContinentfromwhichitwasbeforeaccustomedtodrawitsownsupplies。
AmongtheimprovedprocessesinventedoflateyearsforthemanufactureofsteelarethoseofHeath，Mushet，andBessemer。Thelastpromisestoeffectbeforelonganentirerevolutionintheironandsteeltrade。Byitthecrudemetalisconvertedbyonesimpleprocess，directlyasitcomesfromtheblast-furnace。Thisiseffectedbydrivingthroughit，whilestillinamoltenstate，severalstreamsofatmosphericair，onwhichthecarbonofthecrudeironuniteswiththeoxygenoftheatmosphere，thetemperatureisgreatlyraised，andaviolentebullitiontakesplace，duringwhich，iftheprocessbecontinued，thatpartofthecarbonwhichappearstobemechanicallymixedanddiffusedthroughthecrudeironisentirelyconsumed。Themetalbecomesthoroughlycleansed，theslagisejectedandremoved，whilethesulphurandothervolatilemattersaredrivenoff；theresultbeinganingotofmalleableironofthequalityofcharcoaliron。Animportant。featureintheprocessis，thatbystoppingitataparticularstage，immediatelyfollowingtheboil，beforethewholeofthecarbonhasbeenabstractedbytheoxygen，thecrudeironwillbefoundtohavepassedintotheconditionofcast-steelofordinaryquality。Bycontinuingtheprocess，themetallosingitscarbon，itpassesfromhardtosoftsteel，thencetosteelyiron，andlastofalltoverysoftiron；sothatbyinterruptingtheprocessatanystage，orcontinuingittotheend，almostanyqualityofironandsteelmaybeobtained。OneofthemostvaluableformsofthemetalisdescribedbyMr。Bessemeras”semi-steel，”beinginhardnessaboutmidwaybetweenordinarycast-steelandsoftmalleableiron。TheBessemerprocessesarenowinfulloperationinEnglandaswellasabroad，bothforconvertingcrudeintomalleableiron，andforproducingsteel；andtheresultsareexpectedtoproveofthegreatestpracticalutilityinallcaseswhereironandsteelareextensivelyemployed。
Yet，likeeveryotherinvention，thisofMr。Bessemerhadlongbeendreamtof，ifnotreallymade。WeareinformedinWarner’sTourthroughtheNorthern。CountiesofEngland，publishedatBathinl80L，thataMr。ReedofWhitehavenhadsucceededatthatearlyperiodinmakingsteeldirectfromtheore；andMr。Mushetclearlyalludestotheprocessinhis”PapersonIronandSteel。”Nevertheless，Mr。
Bessemerisentitledtothemeritofworkingouttheidea，andbringingtheprocesstoperfection，byhisgreatskillandindomitableperseverance。IntheHeathprocess，carburetofmanganeseisemployedtoaidtheconversionofironintosteel，whileitalsoconfersonthemetalthepropertyofweldingandworkingmoresoundlyunderthehammer——afactdiscoveredbyMr。HeathwhileresidinginIndia。Mr。Mushet’sprocessisofasimilarcharacter。Anotherinventor，MajorUchatius，anAustrianengineer，granulatescrudeironwhileinamoltenstatebypouringitintowater，andthensubjectingittotheprocessofconversion。Someofthemanufacturersstillaffectsecrecyintheiroperations；butasoneoftheSandersonfirm——famousfortheexcellenceoftheirsteel——remarkedtoavisitorwhenshowinghimovertheirworks，”thegreatsecretistohavethecouragetobehonest——aspirittopurchasethebestmaterial，andthemeansanddispositiontodojusticetoitinthemanufacture。”
Itremainstobeadded，thatmuchofthesuccessoftheSheffieldmanufacturesisattributabletothepracticalskilloftheworkmen，whohaveprofitedbytheaccumulatedexperiencetreasuredupbytheirclassthroughmanygenerations。Theresultsoftheinnumerableexperimentsconductedbeforetheireyeshaveissuedinamostvaluablethoughunwrittencodeofpractice，thedetailsofwhichareknownonlytothemselves。Theyarealsoamostlaboriousclass；andLePlaysaysofthem，whenalludingtothefactofasingleworkmansuperintendingtheoperationsofthreesteel-castingfurnaces——”I