Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1849-12-25
THE NEW PROCESS OF MAKING
WROUGHT IRON.

An interesting letter written by Mr.
Ward, of Newark, n. j., to the late IRON
Convention. appears in the Pittsburg Com
rrerc;aI Journal of the Sd instant. The
Journal regards the invention referred TO
in the letter, as destined to WORK a 'o'a,
revolution in the business Of making lroh'
adding that, if bar iron made b. 'hlS pro-
cess can be sold in New York at tive.
five dollars per ton, "the iron interest OF
Pennsylvania may need no other protec'
ton for the present, against the influx OF
British Iron, than the operation Of the pa
tent for the new invention
The Journal also mentions that Ken
lucky manufacturer, on reading Mr.. VS.
letter and examining the specimens, pro
ceeded to New Jersey to avail himself OF
the new process, and apply it to his Iron
Works. The specimens OF the Iron Sent
to the Convention, it is ADDED, consist OF
two sizes of hoop, and Il inch; square
9.l6 of an inch; rod 3 inch thick, and
horse shoe nail. Each of these pieces
has been BENT re-bent and twisted, without
the slightest sign of fracture, exhibiting
the Loneliness of the old-fashiOned, highly
hammered, small bar of Junata IRON
which we were accustomed to meet with
twenty-five years ago
The letter of Mr.. W ard, says :
Having understood that Convention
Of gentleman engagedin the manufacturing
Of IRON was 70 be holden at Pittsburg;
have determined-partly because OF the
deem intereet | feel i'll the subject, anu
partly to serve my friend, the ingenious
inventor-to call your attention to Mr.. NJ.
s. Salter's new process of making wrought
iron direct from the ore, by single pro-
cess, with anthracite or bltumnous coal
Mr.. Salter is fully satisfied, from expert
ments made at Newark, and Boonton' n
JERSEY, and several intelligent iron mas
tiers, also, who have seen the furnace IN
Generation, are of opinion, that wrought
iron NAV be made by his process at two
thirds less cost than by any other process
whatever. Mr.. Salter feels warranted IN
saving. that iron of the first quality can be
made here or at Boonton, New Jersey,
and delivered in New York at cost OF
SD per ton. His furnace is adapted to
ores. Welding forty per cent. and upwards
| Of ron. 1t consists of triple chambered
furnace. one above the other, the ore beng
nulyerized and mixed with hard coal and
Ground fine is placed in the upper cham
! her. where the gasses and impurities, such
as sulphate, &C., are carried OFT at 10"
,om,,erature. From thence 1t is drawn
throuoh openings in the bottom, into the
second or middle chamber, where the ttuX-
inn materials are added thence 1t IS
drawn down opening the lower or Pudd-
limo chamber-the whole process occupy
inc less than an hour and a half.
Five men are required each turn to
work the furnace, and the yield is about
four hundred pounds per hour and hall;
Two and a half tons of coal are consumed
in twentv-four hours. The cost OF the
iron will vary according to the facilities
for getting the ore and coal the cost OF
IIabor, sc. Former experiments have
proved as far as they have been made
that anthracite coal does better as the de-
oxidizing material than bitumlnous coal
and ouite as well as charcoal, but the Ol'
luminous coal is quite as good (though nc Il,
So,,o y as either for fuel to hea'he ores