Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1854-08-31

/ VALUABLE DIsC0TERY N OHI0.-
The Buffalo Democracy contains the
first notice we have seen of a very i'm
portant discovery. 1t is that of an Iron
ore of the identical sort of which the
famous seOtd Pig is composed We
copy a description of the article:
If CoTToS is King in Washington,
and Manchester, and Satrap in New
York and Boston, 'ScoTcH Pre- is King
wherever cheap, soft, foundry Iron is
melted into castings. The Iron Princes
of Scotland exist, and rule the Market,
by virtue of the famous Black-land Ore.
This invaluable mineral deposit, has
lately been found in Ohio. 1t exists in
great quantities in Mahoning county,
underlying deposit of coal in at least
two townships, and probably many
more. The identity of what was hith-
erto deemed a worthless bituminous
slate, with the famous Black-band. has
been but recently ascertained. Very
intelligent Iron Masters, and expert
enced English, Cornish, Welsh, and
American mines, have walked, worked,
and bored, over and through this ore
for years past, unconscious of the wealth
that lay beneath their feet. A Scotch
miner, temporarily attached to a blast
furnace, recognized his old friend, as
flung out from an ore heap by filler as
worthless slate, and speedily had it ele-
waited to the consequence that belongs
to this distinguished ore. We con-
graduate the State of Ohio, and our
friends of Mahoning county, upon the
discovery of this source of wealth. 1t
is richer deposit than the gold in the
bosom of California.
The same paper speaks in terms of
the highest praise of new discovery
recently made by Mr.. Charles Howard
of Ohio, an Iron manufacturer. This
consists in the shape of the furnace, by
virtue of which much larger amount
of metal may be obtained, and of a
more uniform excellent quality. This
is, at least, worth the attention of Iron
men. In the absence of other matters
of special interest, we append descrip-
ton of this new discovery:
In his experience as founder, he had
in common with other Iron-masters, OBJ
served that at certain periods in blast,
or otherwise, in the life of furnace, it
produced more metal than at others.-
Wah sound, philosophic method, he
once blew out furnace that he was
working. at this period, and examined
the inside of it to see what was its con-
dition at the moment of its best per-
formance. He discovered what hun
d-Ods Of ether Iron-naasters had wit
messed before him, that the action of
the blast and the power of the heat.
had worn and enlarged the furnace at
the top and at its bottom. But unlike
them, he connected this change of shape
with the fact of the increased yield of
the furnace, and determined that that
was the true form in which furnace
should be originally built.
1t was precisely four months and ten
days from the dumping of the first load
of stone for Mr.. Howard's furnace, to
the putting of the blast onto it. There |
was no preliminary heating up of the
stack, as is always done by the regular
founders. The masons quit work, the
furnace was charged, and the blast
clapped onto her, and out came the iron.
The initiated will appreciate the great
changes thus far noticed. The Stack
is Al feet high. The base is 25 feet
square. The first 18 feet are of sand
stone, and also built square-and bat
tened on the outside 1 inches to the
foot. 1t has four arches. The inside
of the furnace is carried up perpendicu-
larly-the stone being neatly cut and
fitted to 12 foot circle, to receive the
hearth. The 90 feet above the squarl
bottom, are circular-and built of fire.
brick. The outside wall is II inches
thick. the inside lining of brick, '13
inches long and IL inches thick, with IL
inches of backing sand between. The
entire thickness of the circular portion
Of the Stack is 33 inches. 1t is hooped
around with iron. This Furnace thus
dispenses with the old fashioned Hearth
and Bosh. The inside, instead of being
drawn in small, at the top, is carried up
straight, and gives the Tunnel head the
same diameter as the top of the Bosh.
The first visible effect of this great in
novation is, that the furnace is cool
around the bottom, and about the
Tuyeres. The blast is not kept down,
by the conical shape customary to all
other furnace interiors. The wind
enters easily, and passes up easily
the stock. Next the stock will
not lodge in this furnace as in others,
nor will it fall irregularly and at inter
walls. If the charging is steady, and
the engine steady, the stock must come
down steadily. The influence of this,
10 giving uniformity to the character of
the Iron, will be appreciated by found
ers. The increase in the capacity of
the Furnace to carry burthen, viii also
be noted by them.
The hearth in Howard's furnace, is
cut circling, and battens fast from the
point above the Tuyeres, and intersects
the lining Is feet from the bottom stone.
Such is this new erection. 1t will
make revolution in the production of
Zig Metal. 1t is very great i'm prove
ment, and entities the able man who