The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-06-20 00:00:00

THE IRON TRADE

The prostrate state of the iron trade has furnished occa-
sion for the Mining Journal to give insertion in its columns
to some interesting statistics on the subject of the article.
It appears that, in the year 1842, the make of pig iron
amounted to 1,210,550 tons. The number of furnaces in
blast was 339, of those out of blast 190, the total being 529.
The produce of the different districts was :
Forest of Dean.. tons 8,000 Derbyshire tons 25,750
South Wales 457,350 Staffordshire North.. 21,750
North Wales
Yorkshire....
Northumberland._ 20,750 Scotland 238,750
In 1839, according to the returns made by Mr. Mushet,
the number of furnaces in blast was 377, there being an
excess over those in the past year of 38, and the make was
1,247,981 tons, the excess over that of 1842 being 37,431
tons. The latter was thus divided :

Forest of Dean.. tons 18,200 Derbyshire...... tons 34,372
South Wales 453.880 Staffordshire North.. 18,200
North Wales
Yorkshire.
Northumberland.... 13,300 I Scotland 196,960
Going back to the year 1830, it is found that the make
was then only 678,417 tons, or little more than half that of
the last year ; " and here," says the authority from which
we quote, " we arrive at a point of interest, as developing
most materially the causes to which may be ascribed the
present position of the trade." Reference is made to Scot-
land :

In 1830 the make in Scotland was
In 1839 it had increased to

tons 37,500
.... 196,960
.. 238,750

In 1842 there was a further increase to.

While. at the present time, with a depressed trade,
. .

it is taken at

260,000

In the case of Scotland, there is an increase, in twelve
years, of no less than 700 per cent., while, at the present
moment, pig iron may be bought in the Clyde at less than
40s. per ton. The increased make in Scotland nod reduc-
tion price is attributed to the discovery of the " black band,"
and the application of the " hot blast;" and these two advan-
tages are considered to have been the cause of the present
state of trade, the existing depression affecting not only the
iron master but the collier and the furnace-man, without, it
is contended, a correspondent advantage being derived by
the consumer. The great augmentation in the make of iron
from 1830 to 1839 is ascribed to the demand which has arisen
in consequence of its application to a variety of purposes of
a novel character, particularly in the form of castings, and to
the demand also for the manufactured article for railways.
The increased make in 1840, and decreased demand, owing
to the completion of most of the great railways, apart from
the general depression in the trade towards the close of 1841,
induced the iron ntssters to submit, with few exceptions, to
a reduction in price of 25 per cent. calculated on the make of
the six months ending June 30, 1841, which arrangement
was carried into execution during the first six months of
1842, and which had the effect of again bringing down the
quantity to oven less than it was in 1839. The demand for
iron for railroad purposes having now become trifline, it is a
question of vast importance to the trade how the consump-
tion may be accelerated. A change in the tariff of the
United States will, it is hoped, do good, but this is a pros-
pective affair upon which no dependence can be placed, and
the Mining Journal, quoting from the Globe, notices, as a
startling fact, the announcement that the Americans are
sending iron ore to this country in the face of the !Ow rates
at which the native product is selling. The reduction of
" make" is an expedient that involves a discharge of labour-
ers, not to be resorted to without great danger of local dis-
turbances, and the very contemplation of such an alternative
is painful. But there can be no doubt that the iron masters
are losing a great deal of money at the rates now current.

MEDICAL CHANGES.—Dr. Bright has resigned his office
as senior physician at Guy's Hospital, and has been succeeded
by Dr. Addison, Dr. Barlow and Dr. Rees have been ap-
pointed physicians, and Dr. Golding Bird assistant physician
to the same hospital. At St. Thomas's, Mr. M'Murdo has
succeeded the late Mr. Tyrrell ; and Mr. Guthrie has re-
signed the surgeoncy at the Westminster Hospital, his re-
signation having been followed by that of Mr. H. Thompson,
the assistant surgeon, who has declared himself a candi-
date for the surgeoncy. Mr. C. Guthrie, Mr. B. Phillips,
Mr. Alcoct, and Mr. Lucas, are candidates for the assistant
surgeoncy. Mr. Guthrie has been appointed consulting sur-
geon to the hospital.
DREADFUL SUICIDE OF CAPTAIN WILLIAM SIMPSON
BLOUNT, R.N.—On Friday morning, an alarm was given
that the unfortunate gentleman above-mentioned, who resided
at Greenwich, bad couimittzd suicide by shooting himself.
' The tragical occurrence was first made known by one of the
female servants, who heard the report of a pistol in flie house.
She went fn the water-closet, and there saw the deceased in
a sitting posture, completely doubled up, two pistols lying on
the floor, and a pool of blood streaming under the door.
junnediately on the alarm being given, the police went in
and assisted in removing the unfortunate man, but it was
instantly perceived that he was beyond all mortal aid, his
head being SO completely shattered that his features could
not be recognised. The deceased appeared previously to
have been quite collected in his mind ; and the only supposi-
tion as to the cause of his committing the awful and dreadful
eed is, that he had tailed in obtaining an appointment.