Chapter 213: Besemmer process and Clock
Mathew Silva took immense pride in his blacksmithing skills and expertise in metallurgy. This knowledge had won him the hand of a noble’s daughter and earned him respect wherever he went. Despite being from a foreign land, he had been employed by Emperor Hemu and held great authority in his ironworks as the chief engineer for the empire’s cannon needs. Over time, he had come to believe he was the greatest metallurgist of his era.
However, a challenge to his beliefs arose a month ago when Aditya shared his rumored master’s designs on the Bessemer process. While Mathew was impressed by Aditya’s innovative ideas, he never truly believed that steel production through a Bessemer converter could be as effective as claimed. After all, producing steel from five tons of iron traditionally took an entire day, yielding less than half the amount of steel he expected.
To his astonishment, he managed to produce 4.5 tons of steel from the same quantity in less than an hour. Mathew wanted to ask Aditya many questions about this miraculous achievement, but the prince, perhaps cautious of the presence of Princess Meenakshi from the South, delayed their discussion. Since, Mathew’s respect for Aditya has already been soared tenfold as he witnessed the effectiveness of cannons and grenades, so he resolved never to doubt the young prince’s ingenuity again.
Weeks later, as he set up the factory in Delhi, the first thing Mathew established was the blast furnace chamber along with the convertor setup, which he was already familiar with. Now that it was finally complete, he received word that the prince had arrived in the village and was in talks with his chief assistant, Vinayak. Mathew decided to pay a visit and personally invite Aditya to the exhibition while also seeking a favor he had desired since childhood.
Aditya stood up and greeted him with a smile. "Glad to see you, elder. We were just about to visit you."
Vinayak quickly followed, standing up in a slight panic. His few prior encounters with Mathew had left him feeling too pressured to cooperate smoothly.
Mathew stepped closer, his eyes scanning the disassembled musket on the table. With a knowing smile, he asked, "Planning something new without me?"
Aditya replied politely, "It’s a misunderstanding, elder. We didn’t want to bother you, knowing you’ve had enough on your plate. But we’re happy to discuss if you’re free now."
Mathew patted Aditya’s shoulder in appreciation. "Life would be so easy if everyone were as considerate as you. Well, there’s good news; I’ve completed the Bessemer setup and the clock. It’d be best if we saw it now. Plus, there are a few things I need to sort out for the next steps."
A flash of excitement lit up in Aditya’s eyes. He gestured eagerly, "Great! Let’s not delay then. After you, elder."
As they exited the cement factory and headed toward the newly constructed cannon factory, they passed by the ongoing construction of the headquarters. Mathew pointed to the structure. "You can see the clockwork there. I thought it’d be fitting to display the time at the headquarters entrance."
It was indeed a sight to behold. The new structure resembled a small mansion, sprawling across five acres. Workers were bustling around the three-story building, constructing various parts. Above the main entrance stood a large clock, prominently displayed on the front wall.