The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-10-27
nlanufacture OF steel.

Manufacture OF Steel
ApIRoNpAc STEEL WORKS Steel is all
article that enters into the composition of
the implements, or of the materials, or
both, Of almost every useful occupation.
Its instrumentality is every where con-
splcuous. Yet, there is scarcely an essen
tial of national supply in which the Amer
ican people are more deficient. To sup
ply our wants, we must needs resort to
the markets of the English, and they to
the ore beds of Sweden or Russia From
native iron, they manufacture compare
lively little steel. With the exception Of
the Ulverstone charcoal-iron, no bars are
manufactured In Great Britain capable OF
conversion into steel, at all approaching in
quality that from the Madras, Swedish,
and Russian irons, so largely imported for
the purpose Yet we, with great variety
of magnetic ores embosomed within our
own cliffs, some of them fully equal to the
best Swedish, have, until very recently,
failed to compete successfully in our own
market with the imported article. Vari-
Gus attempts had been made, but without
success, until the establishment of the
Adirondac Steel Works in Jersey city.
Although these works are comparatively
in their infancy, having been in operation
only since last January, the article pro-
duced is preferred, at the same price, for
many purposes, to the best English cast
steel. Following up suggestion received
while examining some specimens from
these works, exhibiting at the present fair
of the American Institute, we have re-
Gently visited them, and are, consequent
ly, enabled to speak Of them from personal
observation.
The ore used is procured from Essex
county, in this State, at the sources Of
the Hudson, at an altitude of 5000 feet,
among the Adirondac mountains, and
about fifty miles west from Lake Cham
plain. Large expenditures have been
made by the proprietors, Archibald Mcln-
tyre, of Albany, Archibald Robertson, of
Philadelphia, and the late David Hender-
son, Of Jersey city, for the purpose of de-
veloping the immense mineral resources
of that region. The quantity exposed is
greater than can be consumed for centu
res, and is worked like an ordinary gran
tie quarry A valuable water-power was
obtained by damming up the embrochures
of one or two of the small lakes with which
that section of country abounds, and blast
and pudding furnaces erected, and heavy
trip hammers. A new furnace is at this
time in process of erection, to meet the
increasing demand for accommodation.
The ore is here converted into bar iron
and transported to the company's works in
no inf 81 nj aal
Its adaptedness to this purpose was ascer-
tanned by Joseph Dixon, esq, of Jersey
city, after a protracted series OF expert
ments made with reference to that object.
He also succeeded in the use of anthra-
cite-supposed by experienced English
manufacturers impossible-and then APP
piled himself 10 the manufacture OF black
lead crucble> possessing sufficiently pow
erful refractory qualities to withstand the
heat of anthracite furnaces. In this, too,
he was successful, and his pots are now in
use in England and elsewhere by the first
artisans As tue result OF all this, the
Adirondac Company set about building
furnaces, SC, IN Jersey city, under his
direction, at an outlay Of not far from
$50, 900. In these, the steel Is broken
INTO small pieces, and put into sixteen cru
cibles of capacity OF forty to sixty
pounds, which are placed IN as many
small furnaces whose tops are even with
the surface Of the floor. After the lapse
of two hours, their molten contents are
poured into ingot moulds of various
sizes. The steel is then readily drawn
out, upon being reheated, under heavy
hammers, into bars of any desired shape
OF size Ordinarily, four heats are OBJ
tanned from these furnaces daily. The
English procure three per day, with diff
Guilty The steel thus manufactured is
now largely in demand, and It's superior
qualities are abundantly testified to by the
proprietors of the Novelty Works, by I.
F Secor & CO., and many others.-Jour.
Of Com.