The Sun.
London, England, 1841-06-01 00:00:00

-rim-mountains.- -In-about-a couple of hours afterwards.
the. _firstjuidulatory trembling occurred, and was quiel(ll,
followed by others, so that terror, was universal both.
among men and animals. No one could .stand unsup
ported; the noise of the rumbling earth and falling house:
was Stunning; the cries of the people licart-rentling;
and dense. clouds of dust gave a miserable dismay to .tic
scene. The grand nucleus of the violence appears t(
have been at Concepcion, which, With ' Talcahuano, wa:
frittered to ruins. 'At one moment, it was remarked that
the sea had retired so much beyond its natural limits.
that every rock and shoal in the bay was visible. It f104,e0.
again, and again retired, leaving the ships that had been
at anchor in seven fathoms' water quite dry. In.thi
instant of terror, an enormous wave was seen rolling majes-
tically onwards, and forcing its way through the BocaChica,
carrying all before it, to a vertical rise, by accurate measure.
sure.
ment, of twenty-eight feet above high-water mark. Many of
the poor animals leaped off the cliffs in a panic and pe-
rished ; and a small schooner, nearly ready for launch-
ing, was washed over the ruined walls to' a distance of
two hundred yards from her stocks. The reflux of this
roller caused great devastation, and carried to sea every-
thing within its influence. Another and a larger wave
succeeded ; and after some minutes of awful suspence,
a third. enormous swell was seen rushing in between
Quiriguina and the mainland, apparently. larger than
either of the two former. This advanced, according to
Captain Fitznoy, " roaring as it dashed against every
obstacle, with irresistible force, destroying and over-
whelming, along the shore. Quickly retiring, as if spurned
by the foot of the hills, the retreating wave dragged
away such quantities of household effects, fences, furni-
ture, and other moveables, that after the tumultuous ruah
'was over, the sea appeared to be covered with wreck.
Earth and water trembled ; and exhaustion appeared to
follow these mighty efforts."
During thi'; awful convulsion, the shipping was'dashed
and whirled %bout like things of straw. Previous to the
rush of waters, two English merchantmen, the Pauline
And Orion, were lying a full cable's length apart, and
after it had- passed, they were side by side, with three
round turns in their cables ; thus bearing evidence to
the verticose action they had undergone. At Nuevo
Bilbao, two schooners anchored in the port snapped
their cables, and were found among the bushes, upwards
of three hundred feet from the beach. The earthquakes
were succeeded by violent squalls of wind, and deluges
of , rain. - We were also assured, on the authority of a
witness, that on heaving in the chain-cable of a vessel,
after this earthquake, it was found that the heat of the
ground had been such as to partly fuse the lower" links,

THE IRON TRADE.

IMPORTAN T TO IRON MASTERS.
(Abridged.from the Mining Journal of the 22d
and 29th May.)
LAN GUIN IRON AND COAL COMPANY.
• The operations of this Company (if prosecuted
with energy) tending to have . a considerable
influence on the imports into France of coal and
iron froin this country, and the Company.being
represented as having arrived at that point, by
the development of their coal-field, which juste-
: fies them in considering . the propriety .of imme-
diately erecting furnaces for the, manufacture of
iron, we have availed ourselves.of the informa-
tion rendered by parties interested in the under-
taking,at tliPe° qsjutia;itli. t-Yf
and more especially Mr. Nixon (the en-
rt4
..xt
made
eine a and :t :
tli
present
et or viewer. in making notes of the progress
,i'Volre observe,-by
fti
English coal:
imported into France in the past twelve.months
was 394,954 tons, the value of which may be
fairly assumed at upwards of 609,0001., and the
exports from Belgium to' France, h 1838, are
given at about 400,000,000 kilogrammes. The
quantity of iron made in France, we find, ranges
from 350,000 tons to 880,000 tons per annum, of
which not. more than One-seventh is made with
coke—the latest return made, we believe, giving
twenty-two coke furnaces in activity, which, with
.a weekly Make of fifty tons each, would dive but
50,000 tons annually—and the number of furnaces
for the manufacture of iron with charcoal being
443, yielding a produce of about 300,000 tons
.annually. With reference to the consumption
of coal,
we find, from official documents, that, in
' the year 1838, the quantity of coal raised in France
was• 3,113,252 tons, and that imported 1,227,030
tons—making an aggregate 0f4,340,282 tons. With
these data, and the statement embodied in the
paper on the Collieries. and Irons Manufactures
! of Belgium, inserted in anotheolumn, -it will
,hesat once seen the influence the development of
mineral resources of our continental neigh
bourS must necessarily have on this country—
and hence our directing attention to thiS Com-.
pany, more partidularly fronts the 'extent of its
resources, as represented to us.
The property possessed by the Company is
situate on the banks of the Erdre, about twenty
milesfrom Nante4, ese concession or grant being
seven miles in length, on ,the range of the coal
' veins, which here take a nearly vertical declina-
tion, being SO deg. The veins at present worked,
but only partially, :.re three in number, varying
in thickness of from twelve inches to sixty feet,
which is the aggrecrate at the point of junction,
the veins having been worked through as one
mass of coal in certain parts of the old •work-
ings. The three measures, known as the north,
central, and south veins, may he said to be com-
prehended
within a space of about seventy
• yards, but, as already observed, in some places
forming a junction. This coal is said •to be the
• only -coal known in the district •of the Loire
inferieure adapted for the manufacture of iron,
and yields 64 per cent. of coke of superior
quality. The north vein was formerly inter-
sected at a depth of 415 feet, by a pit sunk by
the old Proprietors, where the vein was found
to be 3 ft. to 3 ft. 6 in., of excellent quality; the
coal was, however, never worked at this point,
from want of mechanical power,- the coming
water having so increased as to impede their pro-
gress, from the circumstance of horses only
being used for unwatering the pithy barrels.
This pit is now, however, being cleared of water
by the introduction of pumps, which has been
effected to the depth of 200. feet, which are
worked by the application of flat-rods to a
powerful .engine, erected on another part of the
colliery, where a deep pit, fOr the " winning" of
the three veins, is being sunk. Another pit,
called ' the " Road Pit," was also pia down,
which took the three veins, forming a "bundle,"
and workings were prosecuted on the range to
the extent of 250 yards, but not to any depth of
consequence; the coal at this point, as, indeed,
may be said to be the case in other parts Of the
old workings having rather been partially proved
than worked, and therefore still standing as
whole ground, with such exceptions as may be
found in the present statement. At Pit Emma,
which is about twenty yards northwest of' the
latter, a depth was attained of 400 feet, where
the north vein was intersected—the thick-
ness of which was never astertained beyond
the size of time pit, 10ft., 3 in. by sft. 10in.,
which was entirely in the coal. In this cane, as
in the former referred to, on cutting; the coal a
feeder of water was -met with, which drowned
out the workings; and the impracticability, with
the power employed, of beating out the water,
led to the discontinuance of further operations,
at this point. These two latter pits communicate
with each other by levels or galleries, driVen at-
tlie respective depths of 270 and 330 feet. About
SOO yards to the north-west of Pit Emma another
• shaft is sunk to the depth of 320 feet, where the
coal was cut -by driving.a'short crOSs=cut, being
found there to be about six feet thick. Want of
power, or engineering ability, in like manner, in
this .case prevented. the pit being sunk to a fur-
ther depth, but which is now preposed to be
done. Indeed, with reference to the three last-
mentioned pits, active operations are being car-
ried on for draining the old-wOrkiness, and fur-
ther sinking the pits, . by communicating the one
with the other at the lower depths. At about
130 yards farther north-westanother pit has been
sunk 300 feet. This-pit intersected the three se-
veral measures, or veins, at a depth of 150 feet,
where the thickness of the seams was forty-five
feet, and has been worked -to about eighty feet
deeper than the point of intersection, but not to
any great extent in length.
Again, further north-west 300 yards, a pit has
been sunk by the present proprietors to the depth
of 200 feet, at which depth another feeder was
cut, which rendered it 'necessary to discontinue
the working for a time, until extra power was
obtained, by attaching flat-rods to the engine ;
the thickness of the vein was proved by a cross-
cut from the shaft, at 170 feet depth, to be twelve ,
feet in thickness, and whiCh remains unworked,,
until the pit-work is completed and the water
drained. We have thus been .minute in detailing
the principal workings, to show the extent to
which the colliery may be worked, provided it
was unwatered, and that energetic measures be
taken for extending the operations, -by sinking
the present pits to a greater depth, and opening.
,communications by galleries, with the object of
• affording facility in. drawing the water, as also
aiding the ventilation. It will be seen :that the
several veins vary in thickness, as do they in
their proximity to each other—at one time giving
an aggregate thickness of four or five feet, in
others twenty to thirty, and in some instances of
fifty to sixty feet.
The operations of the present company have
hitherto been principally directed to the sinking
of a Main engine pit, and to the reopening of the
old pits, and applying machinery for unwatering
them. The principal pit, on Which. the large en-
gine is erected, it is contemplated will afford all
the facilities necessary for unwatering thegreater
part of the concession, and is at present. sunk to

the depth of 160 feet, its size (ten feet) being di-
vided—the one part being employed for pump-
ing, and the other part as a winding pit. At the
depth of 100 feet from surface a cross-cut was
driven to intersect the south vein, which proved
to be of about three feet six inches, of very supe-
rior quality, and thus affording another point from
which to raise coal, which cross-cut will be c•uti-

nued to take the , central and north veins—the
coal being unworked at this part of the colliery
for several hundred yards in extent. - The engine
is described as being , equal to 350 to 400-horse
power, being the largest in France, and calcu-
!atecl to draw 300 fathoms, beingupwards of four
times the depth of the lowest present works--.
are also two other engines, of
it
nh
ce
hpe us
.mp from six to twelve
English Manufacture,. one 20-horse power and
the other 411-horse power.
Therese employed varying
-
We are given to understand that about 70,0001,
has been ,expended on the undertaking--..the ca.
vital of the company being 100,000/.—thus leav
mg 30,00014 to be called for, which it is intended
to apply` principally to the erection of the iron
works. The assay made of the ironstone which
lies at surface, and is said to extend over a tract
of four miles, gives 45 to 60 per cent., and an
analysis of the coal 84 per cent. of pure carbon.
The property 15 held in perpetuity, and not sub-
ject to any rent or royalty.

the prospects held out' from the reports made on
the district, as appear 'to us to be deserving. Of
attention.

The first which comes- under notice is that of
M. Henri.Fournel, Ingenieur des Mines, which
appears to have been drawn up with great care
and precision, and affords a striking contrast, we
regret to say, to the reports too generally pre-
sented by. English engineers or mine agents—that
of M. Fournel being clear and comprehensive in
its details, the several points for consideration
being treated upon separately, and the results.
readily arrived at, while each subject meets with,
attention. We wish we could say -as much of
" reports" at home. Take, for instance, Mr.
Holdsworth's Report on the far-famed Talacre
coal and iron district, which appeared in our
columns—a Report so general, and, indeed, so
confused, that it matters little whether it be
read backwards or forwards. We must, of
course, admit that there are exceptions, and
our Journal of the present week affOrds a pleas-
ing instance in the Report of Mr; Matthias
Dunn, on the property of the Durham County
Coal Company—that gentleman having fear-
lessly grappled with figures, and given his ho-
nest and unbiased opinion. Yet, it must be
admitted, that our continental neighbours take
the lead of us in the association of theoretical
science with practical acquirements, and that
in obtaining a Report on a mineral district the
parties employed combine within themselves a
perfect knowledge of geology, mineralogy, che-
mistry, underground operations, practical mining,
and the useful arts generally ; whereas, with our
practical viewers or mine agents, it is seldom
that we find them to be possessed of
other information than that acquired un-
derground, and in one locality. The Re-
port of M. Fournel, to which we have already
adverted, in founding his estimates on the pro-
bable cost of manufacture of pig-iron at Languin,
gives a brief outline ofthe operations ofa Company
en cominandite, formed in 1828, with a capital of
60,0001. for' working the iron ore which abounds
in this district, at La Jahotiere, in the commune
of Abbaretz, where iron of superior quality was
made; and upon the basis furnished by the ope-
rations at those works, M. Fournel assumes the
cost of iron manufactured at Languin. From the
observations of M. Fournel, it, however, appears
that the Company, like many others, was grossly
mismanaged, and hence its dissolution, and the
abandonment of the works—the data afforded is,
however, useful, in arriving at the cost of produc-
tion. The ore used, which was taken exclusively
from the forest of Larche, appears to have cost
ls. 7d. per ton for extraction, carriage, and ren-
dering fit for furnace use—that roasted being at-
tended with an additional cost of 21d. per
ton; and, as two-thirds of the crude ore was used
to one part of the roasted ore, the medium cost
was 'that of one shilling and eightpence-halfpenny
per ton, which affords a strong contrast to the
price at which that article is rendered in this
country, the ore of this district, it should 'be ob-
served, yielding in the furnace 43-75 per cent. It
may be well to follow this experiment, for, al-
though costly, it can only be considered as such,
the furnace having been in blast only six weeks.
The flux used cost about 2s. 4d. per ton, the
greater proportion of which was cost of carriage,
and the coke was made on the spot from coal o-
tained at Monzeil, the cost of which (including
ss. 7d. per ton carriage) was 13s. 7d. per ton; the
cost of a ton of coke at La Jahotiere was thus
found to he U. 17s. per ton, while at Languin it is
computed that it would not exceed 19s. 6d. It
appears, on reference to the books in which the
quantities of materials used were registered, that
at the expiration of three weeks from the furnace
being put in blast, the charges in eight hours
consisted of sixteen of coke, of 440 lbs., being
equal to 3+ tons ; sixteen of ore, of 880 lbs., or 61
tons ; and of flux, the like number, of 220 lbs.,
or 11 ton, the produce of pig-iron run being•_2.l
tons, or ont 81 tons in twenty-four hours. The
proportions of the quantities of the several mate-
rials, and their cost in the manufacture of one
ton of iron, would, therefore, stand thus—

s. d.
1 ton 2 cwt. 2 Sr. coke, at IL 17s. pr ton 2 1 74-
2 5 0 ore Is. 8(1. per ton 0 810
0 10 0 flux 2s. Bd. per ton 0 1 4

Cost of materials on make of one ton of iron 9 6 9i
To this should be added, labour, and sundry ex-
penses, 14s. to 0 16 0

Gross amount, exclusive of interest on capital 3 2 91
Such being the facts deduced from the work-
ing of the furnace at La Jahotiere, we will pro-
ceed to notice more particularly the property
possessed by the Languin Company, which em-
braces not only the iron ore thus easily attain-
able, but coal, which may be raised at a :consi-
derable less cost than that cited in the above cal-
culation, as hereafter shown. The iron deposits
of this district, which is pronounced as of great
richness-as will be seen in the proportions of
materials above named-produces 43.75 per cent.
and is found in great abundance at several points
-the nearest is situate about six miles north-
west of Languin, the ore being described as an
oxide hydrate. Several beds, in some instances
lying horizontal, . resting on schist strata, in
others, diffused in a clay, from which it is readily
liberated, have been proved,, and the cost of the
ore upon the spot, including payment to the pos-
sessors of the soil, does not exceed ls. Sd. per
ton. ' The ore of the forest of Larche, the most
distant (nine miles), it is calculated, would cost
4s. 9d. per ton delivered at Languin. •
Assuming, then, that the collieries of the
Company are sufficiently opened to justif'y the
erection of furnaces, and to construct iron works
on a commensurate scale, the first proposition is
the cost of the materials. It is already stated
that the ore is abundant, and can be delivered,
say at ss. per ton, that coke can be rendered
at less than 20s. per ton, and flux •at 4s. If a
calculation, founded on the preceding figures,
showing the, results at La Jahotiere, be made,
it will be seen that the cost of a ton of
pig-iron at Languin will not exceed 21. 10s. ;
to this again, must be added the cost of trans-
-port to Nantes, which, taken at 21s. 6d.
per ton, would make the price, delivered in
that market, 3/. lls. 6d. per ton-but, from
other authorities we learn, that from arrange-
ments made by the Company, the cost of trans-
port will not exceed 10s. per ton, thus making
the cost at Nantes about 3/. per ton, being even
less than the duty imposed (3/. 7s. Bd.) on
English iron. We may here observe, that the
price of iron in Nantes may be fairly assumed
at 8/. 15s. to 91. ss. per ton, if the following
figures-be accurate-say,- price of pig-iron put
on board, 4/. 55., freight and charges 18s.; duty
31. 7s. Bd. commission, landing, and other
charges ss. Gd., profit to merchant and interme-
diate expenses, 5 per cent., or Bs. per ton; this
would bring the English pig at Nantes to 9/. 4s.
2(1., while the estimate of Languin iron but little
exceeds 31. per ton.
M. Fournel advances, as a reason for recom-
mending the erection of furnaces, and the appli-
cation of the coal to the manufacture of iron, in
preference to sale of that article, that the coal
produced is entirely small coal-that a part (the
dull coal) has an appearance that would always
tend to depreciate its price in the trade=-and
that these two circumstances united may prove
to be a main obstacle to the sale of the ,coal,
when obtained in large quantities-while, on the
other hand, the nature of the coal peculiarly
adapts it for the manufacture of iron, andifrom ;
which increased profits would be realised. It
would certainly appear, from this evidence of
M. Fournel, that the main feature, and `most
important object of the Company, must ble the
manufacture of iron-therefore it is, that iime-
diate measures are in contemplation of erecting
the necessary works, with the view to the ! pro-
duction of a competing article, as coke-i Made
'iron with that of, English Make. L
Having thus considered the position of theLan-
gain Company, with reference to the quantity
.and qUality of coal ,at
.command, as als4 the
abundance and. properties of the iron ore,iwith I,
the cost of the respective materials employed in
the manufacture of iron, it becomes necessary
further to institute an inquiry into the prospec-
tive advantages held out to the capitalist in ac-
complishing this object. It is hardly necessary
to say, that this is taking a view of the subject dis-
tinct from that proposed in our preceding re-
marks, but it is an important one as affects the
raising of capital in this country for the benefit
of other nations. Mining operations, the work-
We.week directed 'no- of collieries or iron-works abroad, is, dOubt-
last attention to the opera-
i!.oglish company (that we are aware of)
tions of this gour observations,
fish capital as the investment in Spanish BOnds
however, principally to the collieries; as this is
company, C9llfinio ' .
of the information less, as legitimate a mode of employment of Bri-
or French Rentcs, and, therefore, we will for a
moment consider how far the erection of iron..
the purp,ose_
no carrying.on_the manu-
facture of is or w9rki g colliesies in France, we
it.ohlemoendl yiro r
works by.the proprietors of, the Languin. Coni-'
pany is calculated to advance their prospects, and
to remunerate them for the capital employed.
which has wine before us,, and, by the estimates, .
avail ourselvoA
are glad to
In the first place, it has been 1 s iown that the
to see how f,,r the extension of works of this
t cost of pig-iron delivered at Nantes. may .be
character in. T:l.a. nee 1
's calculated to affect our taken at little more than a per ton, while he
home intereits• There. can be'no • doubt but that
• , rkmo• of this
the sUccei'sittl Ili) ,
or other COM."' .duty E, (dish pig- is 3/. 7s. Bd,and
on .12, . S that on
castings or machinery considerably It •
manufacture of iron 'from ' more. is.
paiiies in the . coke, therefore, manifest that if the quality be equad.
protected as french
.production is by tho ,
or approximating to . that of Eng,lish iron, it
import duty on d English iron, ca •
with the stings,. and MR' will come into the market at a price so as to
chinery,combirie
f 1 cheapnessoftheniate- supersede, in a great measure, our products ; the
vials and low rate o
.la Ktr.; mus:,at sonic future price of English pigs being assumed, at the lite-
period have.:Vt.
cousitite.rabis. influence on. our ex- sent moment, at 8/. 15s. to 9/. 55., as already por LS., air, e main, qi..ites lop, lOwever, appears to be stated. The capital proposed to be expended, iii
tared, the quail 3'..ltt the iron so •manufaq- addition to 75,000/. - already outlaid in the pin,-
tared, and the (lant! y, • are likely to,supemede chase of, property,. and working the collierie6, is
the introductiOn AO. lAs.! of
.:English iinanufac- I
i estimated at from 20,000/. to 22,000/, We ledve
lure in T'rinee. 44.v.inkl1AlPiig.4 tht4nu
- eh, we j to those interested to make their calculations as
shall proceed .to make sac cp)ie'riationot. on the ►to the profits t 9 IN a
aline-
-1..p4. assuming the data
• "concession " obtained bY.All'e,Cottitiany, .Ana •