New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1843-02-08


Tso long have sable veslinents wrapped thy form,
Too long howied round thy naked head the storm
In Freedoms Temple, rescued from disgrace,
The Lear of Nations yet shall find place.
w. II. c. HusMER
Aacien, Banner OF Ireland.
Ssnae Prison Labor IN the IRON Wines.
We have received copy of the Report OF
RANSOM Cock, Esq, appointed by the Legislature
Commissioners to inquire into the expediency OF
employing the convicis in the State Prison in The
mines, instead Of al, their present mechanical labor
OF which the products are found seriously to inter.
f.re with the prosperity of the honest mechanics
of the State. |, is plain and interesting docu
nent and embraces much information of genera
value concerning the process OF manufacturing iron
and statistics from which the policy of the pro
posed change may be judged.
/. The first portion comprises sketch Of the
process Of manufacturing wrought iron in the
Northern portion of tho State The ores which
are generally the magnetic oxide found in pIimi-
rive formations, are raised by drilling AMI blast
ing; when the veins are narrow and much deptl
is attained, the inconvenience and danger are yer,
considerable. The ere, when raised, is first roast
ed over moderate fire ; by this process the water
ia driven of, the gases dissipated, and the ore
made friable. II is then put into stamping
trough, and beaten by slampers into pieces about
the Size of a pea. Falling in this state into
stream Of water the fine dust is carried of, and the
ore is shoyeled into separating sleeves. by which
the pure ore is separated from the particles OF
stone mixed with it, through the difference in spe
ci6c gravity between the two When thus sepa
rated, the ore is worth at leas, FIVE dollars per
at the forge. The Catalan forge is used in nearly
sll the iron manufacturing operations this State
After the fire in these FORCES has been p1operl,
prepared, the ore is put upon it, deprived Of it.
oxygen, and melted into what is called q loape,
srge, oblong mass of some 900 pounds in weight;
Is structure is somewhat loose and porous. This
j. placed upon anvil beneath trp-hammer
and beaten into bar Of about three inches square
called bloom. Oae man can hammer the loupe,
into blooms for two or three fires. A oupe can Be
formed at the forges in the Northern part of thi,
State in about three hours, and ton Of iron can
be manufactured with about 275 bushels of coal
The blooms are then rolled and slted into bars fol
consumption. Mr.. Cock visited and examined
the Adirondack River furnishes great abundance
OF water power, and where the ore is so plentiful
snd accessible that he says the labor would b
rather qaowyiag than mining, since, as the work.
men progress into the side of the hill, they have
dry wall OF iron in front nearly 500 feet in hight;
the Arnold Vein, in Clinton County, which, with
al average width of about five feet, has been rent.
saccession and the Sally and Averill, and the
Skinner veins, in Beekman,own, seventeen miles
from Plsusburgh. The mines last named have
been offered by the proprieters, with 200 acres OF
ana, ana valuable water privilege, for aboul
E &o,ooo; aud Mr. Cook thinks the locality decd-
ediS the best, with the exception of the Adiron.
aaeK mines, for the purposes contemplated in tn,
ACT. he also examined a z,nc and lead .nire OF
The Saswangunk Mountain in Sullivan County
apos which the former proprietors have expended
$3.50, 900 in opening the mine and experimentin.
with the ores. hitherto with heavy loss, owing. il
Is believed, to inexperience in the miners.
.. Mr.. Cook next estimates the expense to re
move not more than 500 prisoners to these mines
aud build prison for their accommod alton
mere IS water communication from each of the
prisons 10 Piat,ssurgh, so tha, the expense of trans
possaslon would not belarge Sandstone for build.
lag Is abundant along the Saranac. The cos, Of
o"''''hg tho Auburn State Prison, which was
ABOVE nail million OF dollars Mr.. Cook thinks
unnecessarily large; sloo ooa. he ,hishs. wopld
be as'e sessc'en' 10 erect prison on the Saranac
Of the required capacity. Three or four wear.
woeld be required before sufcien, sccommoda
uoa, for 500 could be made. A prison Womb \,
required at the mouth of The mine and > ,,a,.
srouna it. The cost of a 6re-psoof forps 70,
twenty fires. with necessary apparatus. would be
sboa, $50 900; and that of separating bonse
with needed fixtures, about 81 500,
3. Mr. Cook closes with remarks on the expedi.
sncy of employing the ccnviess in the manner in.
dicated. lion, he says, though subiec, 10 partial
depression, never tsils Of a market nor does ii
ever greatly vary in price The profits Of It's
,,sac.are are thus Sc, forth the cost being a
follows:
Two xnd Ia if tens OF separated sis
Charcoal u
Wages OF SoI kuen. y
interest y
Total Of n toa OF lroa. o.
q. n