Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1852-06-24
Gbe 9'plltg's Jrirnb.
Iron.
(Gnc5udad.}

stretching acroSS Rom one part OF
fhe rock to the other, on which the
4ihinf rs sgt, with great unconcern,
boring holes for the powder, against
ihe next days explosion Yet at
ouch heights were the men at work
that on any false balancing, they
Inu$t have fallen, and been dashed
10 pieces The fragments torn up
by the explosion which had taken
place just before his descent, lay
abe ut in wild confusion, which made
the scene the more appalling He
remained tire -quarters Of an hour
in these gloomy cayerns, trayersing
every part of them with his guides.
Thirteen hundred worknien are en-
ployed in therh. Ice and cola sur
rounded him Mere, although, above,
the weather WAS quite warm Ia
one Of these remote eayems we're
eight miserable wretches, warming
themselves at i charcoal lire, eating
their sea nty pittance, and re sting
awhile from their dreadful occupation.
We may add to this a quo ation from
Mr.. Coke, who travelled thither. 4
stepped into a bucket, and hung sus-
pended in the open air, in the same
manner as if a person we're placed
in basket at the top Of high
spire, and gradua lily let down to the
ground, by a rope and pulley
While 4 hung suspended in mid ar,
and SO giddy that I couli not ven
ture to look down, | observed three
girls standing on the edge Of the
bucket which was ascending, and
knitting, with as much unconce rn as
if they had been on the firm ground.
My curiosity was soon satisfied; !
was drawn up again in the same man
ner, and. to prevent giddlness, |
closed my eyes The iron mines Of
Sweden employ twenty-five thousa nd
persons; and ffty-seven thousand
pms Of met al are produced every
year. Iron is not often found in a
metallic state, but some commonly
III reddish own stony Jumps; some
times fbrous The first operati ion
is, by violent fire, to reduce the Sc
stones to a state Of fusion n. This
lis done in vast furnaces, where the
heat is excited, and kept up for
months together; fresh fuel and fresh
ore being laid on the top in alternate
layers. AS the metal melts, it drips
down through the bars Of the CRATE,
into a channel, which conveys itinto
hollows made in sand, where it Kisses,
boils, and eventually sinking, cools,
in the shape provided for it. The
larger masses Of iron thus obtained,
are called SOUS, and the smaller sort
are called pigs. This cast-iron is
harsh and anmanageable; being very
brittle, it flies and cracks under the
hammer. It's parts are globh lar
like so many iron peas, just adhere
ing together, and separating with a
blow. Cast iron must therefore be
wrought, with hammers Of great
weight, lifted by mill-work. This
immense power, while the iron is in a
melted state, forces these round glob-
ules into a longer shape, till they be-
come threads; and by being frequent
Iy wrought, these threads become
intertwisted, SO as to produce
great toughness, although there is
great pliablity also. Or, the iron is
made excellently malleable by pass
ing it, while in a state Of fusion, be-
tween immense rollers. Although
Swedish iron is reckoned the most
pliable, yet Eag!ish iron becomes
equal to it, when it is wrought with
sufficient labor. Spanish iron is apt
to crack; and German iron is too
coarse, except for ordinary purposes.
Steel is iron highly wrought, and re-
fined by a process in which, being
heated, but not fused, with charcoal,
bones, leather, and such matters, it
imbibes some sulphhreous principle,
which. renders its grain finer, the f.
bres more elastic, and the whole sur
face more sus ceptible of polish.
1t thus becomes admirable for all
finer wares, and all cutting tools
where the edge must be extremely
thin, and yet very strong; as knives,
razors, ancets, &c. There are two
places in Great Britain well " orthy of
mention, for the extent of their iron
works. One is Colebrook- Dale, in
Shropshire. The other is 10 Scot
and called, from the. river 0 p which
t stands, the 'Carron iron-wo rl ks just
hove wboro Tho river entprs the !