The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1840-06-13
ROARING CREEK ANTHRACITE
n.r,rA ~ ID
FURNACE.

all interested. II is turning out about 90 |
tons weekly, of pig iron Of the best quality. |
The success of this experiment opens e
new era in the prosperity and business Of
Columbia county, as well as the whole
state Of Pennsylvania. Having Iron Ore,
Anthracite Coal, and Limestone in abund-
ance, with WATER POWER sufficient
to drive thousands OF Furnaces, the time
must be short, when Pennsylvania alone
will be able TO supply the market of the
country, and thus stop the expectation Of
millions yearly to foreign countries, for this
necessary article. At the time the Furnace
started, we gave brief description Of it;
but having met with the following letter
from MIR. Farquhar, the Pottsville EN-
porium, we republish it with pleasure, as
giving more full and interesting account of
the completion and success of this Furnace.
From the Pottsvillo Emporium.
ROARING CREEK IRON Works,
May 20, lS4O.
JOHN s. INGRAM, Esq.
Dear ir:-Our Anthracite Furnace,
the first for smelling iron with anthracite
in Columbia county went into blast on
Monday, the 18th inst. and thus far, every
thing has worked to our entire satisfaction.
No charcoal whatever has been used, ex-
cept few bushels 10 start the fire, and no
scrap iron has been put into the furnace, so
that all the iron made is exclusively from
the ore. The furnace was put in blast at
half past four, on the morning of The 18th.
On the 18th, at 6 A. NJ. the first casting
was made, and produced very fair IRON
Up 10 this time. we have made ii castings
of upwards Of one ton each, (averaging the
number of castings.) This, considering
that the furnace is new, and the hearth
cold and damp,is doing very well for the
first week. This Improvement was made
by your enierprising and indefatigable fel-
low citizen, Burd Patterson. Esq. who has
been the /" great head and 'front.' of all the
iron operations in Columbia county.
The coal used here is from Wilkesbarre.
and the ore from the Patterson Mines"
at BIoomsburg. will give you sketch Of
the size Of our Stack, &c -
Stack, 80 feet base; height, 81 feet
width across the bosches,9 feet; size OF
hearth % feet by feet in the square, Z
feet long in the bottom, and feet high
The casting house is 60 by so feet. Here
the coal and ore are always kept dry, there
by saving much fuel, and producing a more
uniform working Of the furnace. The
stock house is attached to the bridge house
by large sheds, so that the filters of the
furnace are always protected from bad
weather. The water wheel is 90 feet high
and 8 feet in the clear; it il a pilchback
wheel, with feet head. The blowing
cylinders are 46 by ~ inches,and are capa
ble Of blowing into the furnace, with the
power here used, 1900 feet Of the bias
per mlnute-nearly double the amount re
qured for our furnace.
The hot blast arrangement is perhaps
one ofthe best in use, /. consists Of foul
chambers, each containing twelve pipes
and the blast passes from chamber 10 cham
ber, I'LL ii passes through forty-eight pipes
and out into the furnace. The heated al
, will melt lead, and The furnaces are capa
BILE of heating the blast to 800 degrees
nearly two hundred more than is used b,
! Mr., CIane, in Wales his blast being heat
, ed only 10 6l2 degrees. We have had, a
, yet, none Of the vexations of bad machine
!, ry that attended your experience at Potts
vile, as the power used here is exceeding
: ly simple In arrangement; yet Of grea
G strength. Our wheel has not been stoppe
g since we went into blast. The water pow
er here is one Of the best in III
state. The stream-Roaring Gre ek--is
o never failing one, and has fall on III
d property attached to the works of NOR
l. than fifty feet. have now completed m
~ part Of the interchangeable erection
the works-and have given up the chare
. of them to DR.. A. Senberger, who h;
e leased them for term Of years. Mr.. Pc
y ry has been engaged by him to blow Il
ID furnace for one year. Thus you see
Il have, according TO your request, given "
~ all the mlnute of our operations. I
+ Burd Patterson, Esq. must we give Il
r. credit Of putting the ball in motion in Il
- valley Of the SusquehanAa, and | assn
f. you it will be hard to stop that ball."
hope now, that The experiment has been
az fairly tested, that you will soon make b
an ginning in the iron region of Shuylkill c
m / know Of no location where money cou
he be more prOftably invested in the anthl
:, cite iron business, than in the coal and ir