State journal & flag., 1846-12-04
A National. Foundry at Tus'
RnEnnSn

CalOOsa.
The proceedings of public meeting held
in this city on. Saturday last, published in
another part of this piper, introduce TO the
public, The subject of national folndery 10
be located at Tuscaloosa, Ala. Ii is un-
dersiood 10 be the purpose of the govern.
ment to establish such foundry some
where in the south west and the action
OF the legislature of Alabama, in adopting
the joint nemorial,apptnded to the proceed
ings above referred to-was understood 10
have reference TO that fact. Memphis, we
believe, has been looked TO, with some ia.
vor, by the authorities at Washington, but
this must have been owing more to the fact,
that dock yard has been esiablshe d here
by the government than to its local advan.
tages for NATIONAL foundery. So far as
we are informed, there is no iron ore in the
vicinity of Memphis-nor could it be pro-
cured, in the quantities. ald of the quality,
desired-any where on The Mississippi river.
On the head waters of the Ohio, and on its
tributaries below Pitsburg, there may be
found, great abundance of iron ore-but
II is well known that, for a portion OF the
year, the Ohio is not navigable below Lou
isvlle. But if the ore for foundery could
be obtained at Memphis, there are other
materials necessary for its USE, some of (which
cannot be obtained in that vicinity :---.stone
coal, charcoal, and limestone are all used in
the casting Of ordinance. The former OF
these could not be obtained at Memphis
without lengthy and tedious transportation.
The position of Memphis, for expectation, is
not so favorable as Tuscaloosa can be made.
Her natural outlet would be New Orleans
and she would possess but this, one, certain,
outlei,--available at all seasons of the year
by which the gulf, or the Atlantic coast
can be reached. Pi;tsburg is the only 9th :
er point in the west, where a loundery would
be likely to be established. But whilst
Pltfsburg possesses, in great abundance, all
the elements necessary TO the casting of or.
dlnance. and the manufacture of arms, her
position is too near Harper's Jerry, 10 satis>
fly the south west with the location. The
government will not. we infer, in conside-
ration Of the increasing importance OF our
southern and southwestern frontier fix all
the public works in The middle or eastern
States, Pittsburg, too, like Memphis, has
but one certain, and available outlet-and
even this is closed by ice, during a portion of
the year--we allude to her line of commu.
ncalion by rail road, and canal, 10 Phiadel.
pha. Viewed in all its bearings, Tuscaloo.
sa is decidedly the most eligible point for a
foundery in the United States. There are,
lying contiguous TO The city. immense beds
OF iron ore, equal in quality, to the best ore
in the United States. Coal abounds in
abundance in the same locality Limestone
can be had, on the surface Of the earth, in
immense quantities; and pine forests, for
charcoal, extend over large portions of the
county. All the materials for casting or.
dinance to supply The whole of the south
ern coast, can be had within circle Of
halla dozen miles around the city OF Tusca.
loosa. Tho position of Tuscaloosa is equal.
ly advantageous. The city is situated a,
the head Of navigation on the Black Warrior
and within three days travel, by steam.
boat, of Mobile. The river is navigabe for
all classes of boats, usually for six months
in the year. and for light draught boats, fol
three, and frequently for four months long.
err. The extension of the Georgia raj
road 10 Kingston, has brought Tuscaloosa
midway between Charleston, S. C.. and
Mobile; and the location of national
foundry a, Tuscaloosa, would insure, be-
yond question, a communication by raj
road from Tuscaloosa TO Gadsden-on the
Coosa, distance in direct line of Il2
miles over country well adapted 10 a
rail road. From Gadsden, the Coosa is
navigable for light draught boats, at all sea i.
sons, to Rome, and thence to Charleston
there would be direct rail road commune
cation. Tuscaloosa, therefore, may be re-
garded, as lying at point equidistan. be-
tween Charleston, on the Atlantic coast,
and Mobile on the Gull coast. For na.