A Radio Talk by Charles F. Kettering A young Englishman, Henry Bessemer, is a good example of the trouble one can get into when things go too well at the start. A little more than a hundred years ago, steel was very hard to get and its use was limited to making swords, needles, springs and so on. The need for guns in the Crimean War brought steel to Bessemer's attention - the countries at war wanted stronger cannons than could be made from cast iron. Bessemer was a practical metallurgist and inventor. His process for making bronze powder provided him with enough money to do experiments. He knew steel would make much better guns but there was no cheap method known for making it. After studying the subject thoroughly, he learned how steel was made by the old methods; ultimately he revolutionized the steel business and opened the way for many new industries. |