Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1853-04-09
Railroad Iron.
The following specuators as to the advance in
the price of iron, are from the Boston Railroad


The following specnlatioGs as to the advance in
the price of iron, are from the Boston Railroad
Times: M
The sudden and great advance which has re-l
Gently taken the psice Of railroad iron
CIRCUMSTANCE of unusual importance TO yariousin-
terests of this country. InEless than year the
price of railroad iron in Great Britain-which is
tro ling market-has advanced from 95 or S25 To-
e10 or $50 perton There is every reason to be-
eve that it will continue to rise, and not stop short
of el2 ETA per ton. Six years ago iron went up
in much The same way, rising in brief period from
95 to e12 per ton. This advance then was p o.
duced as tits now, by the projecting and construct
ing Of great number of raloads, with the essen
tial difference that the mania of that period was
confined chiefly England, whereas now it is diff
fused overmany countries, raging most furiously
in our own, and embracing much vaster aggre-
gate of projects. The railroads in progress which
Produced the great advance in iron in 184, did not
exceed three thousand miles in aggregate length,
though much larger amount was projected, land
afterwards partly abandoned. The investment OF
capital in these British railroads caused the most
disastrous commercial revulsion experienced in
Great Britain. "a = .,--..s.--
1t ruined many hundreds OF her richest merch-
ants, and produced long Continued prostration Of
every industrial interest, from which it required
years of patient labor and economy TO recover r
From the bestinformation accessible to the pub
lie appears to be quite certain that there are
in progress, and actual of construction, in
Europe and America, at least twenty thousand
miles of iron railroad besides vast amount of pro-
jeced railroads notyet begun, which do not take
into account. 0ftthis amount OF railroad in pro-
gress, 5000 belongs to Europe and ID 600 at least
to this country, exclusive of more than 1000 miles
| now constructing in Canada. We have seen
list " ade out of the railroads now under way in
each State, which amounts in the aggregate to
more than g. 600 miles; and which list has under
stated rather than overstated the truth, for in this
State alone it omts 60 miles Of railroad in actual
fnn has do SIN
other States. However inc1edible the aggregate
may appear at first sight, it is impossible for the
most careful scrutiny 10 matte any deduction from
it. $500 -
Railroads require at least; one hundred tons of
iron for single trock apdof the roads in progress
in Europe 1000 will be double track road. Ii fol-
lows from this that the railroads in the course
of construction in Europe and America will require
for their completion no less than two millions and
four hundred thousand tons of iron. To make
this quantity will occupy all the rolling mills in
the world, which are engaged in the manufacture
OF railroad iron at least six years-those of Great
States, Frauce, and Belgium the remaining fourth
The best authorities do not estimate the largest
quantity of railroad iron in any one year even as
high 100000 tons, yet even at this rate it will
six years to furnish non for the roads already
| begun. 49,. ~,
The necessary consequence of this state ofthings
Isl that the price of railroad iron will not only keep
up, but further advance and be maintained at very
high prices for a very long time. This will make
the manufacture oil railroad iron the best manufac-
turing business that be IN this coun-
try for some years, for it is affirmed on the best au
thority, that the article which is selling at $40
with every prospect of advancing at least $50 per
ton. pays fair profit to theimaker at $50 per tom
The advance in iron will nearly double lie cost
of many of the railways at the west and south, for
the cost of grading upon of them less per
mile than the cost of the iron, before it advanced
The profit to few of the companies which have
secured their iroc low rates. will be very laige.
The English railroad companies are now compelled
TO pay $40 per ton more for their iron at home,
than the price at which railroad panes were
enabled 10 Obtain It about year ago, freight and
duties included. 90 -. ~