Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1855-10-03
For the Chronicle.
BUCKEYE FORGE.

Gent II wrote You few days ago,
from this place, but my sheet was full
before l was ready TO tell you where
Buckeye Forge is. 1t is forge built by
Mcconnell and Butler, of your County,
for the purpose of making Bloom and
Bar Iron, by blooming process. directly
from the ore, without being converted
into Pig Iron, as is done in your Coun-
ty. Lest your readers may not be prop.
erly informed, 1 would say further, that
the ore after being quarried, and hauled
to the works, is roasted in kiln, after
which it is stamped up fine, then taken
to the blooming fires and made ino loups
by being scattered alternately with char.
coal, on the fires subject to a constant
blast for three hours, when the loup is
taken to hammer and hammered into
blooms, weighing from one hundred to
one hundred and fifty pounds, or drawn
into bar iron. 1t is undoubtedly the most
simple mode of making iron ever diseov-
cred. These works, belonging to McCon-
nell & Co., are situated on Dead River,
about four miles from the Lake shore.
They have both Plank and Rail Road
to within two miles of their works. The
water power is a most excellent one. The
river is only or 5 rods wide, but af-
fords sufficient water at all times, to run
their blast wheel, hammerer wheel, saw
mill and stanlpers, night and day. 1t
takes two tons of ore, and two hundred
bushels of coal, to make onetOn of blooms.
One fire will average about 100 pounds
of iron per hour, of first rate quality.
1t now costs more to make iron, than it
will another year, on account of their ha-
wing to pay more for all kinds of labor,
and having so far to haul the ore, some
10 miles, But the plank road, with
rail road track on it, will be completed
to the Iron Mountain by the 1st of next
month, which will not only facilitate the
convenience of getting down ore, but will
cut loose a great many hands which were
employed in building the same.
There is one other forge in progress,
and partly going, about Il miles below
this. on the same stream, belonging to
the Collins Company. which is designed
to be very large establishment. They
have 4 fires in operation, and are con-
structing 4 more, but have not charcoal
sufficient to keep the fires they now have,
going more than a month; nor do think
they will ever be able to keep more than
4 fires constantly going. I understand
they Lave already expended 100000
in constructing their works. These
works, and the Collins works, are all the
iron works now going here; but under
stand some men are about starting up
the old jackson Works, on Camp River,
some miles from this. The Eureka
Iron Company bought property about two
miles from this, with iron ore on 1t, and
got some 1900 cords of wood, cut and
corded, with the intention of erecting a
blast furnace After doing this, they
finally determined to erect works on the
Detroit River, at place called Wyan-
dotte, 10 miles below Detroit; but their
ore is so lean that it certainly will not
pay to blow it, but it no doubt will an.
swer admirably to work in blast fur.
mace.
Some considerable attention is paid to
farming here this season, and from the
present appearance of the crops, this
company alone ought to have four or FIVE
hundred bushels of potatoes and turnips.
The common varieties of corn, as yet,
have not been raised to advantage. the
seasons being too short; but ! have no
doubt but the small eight rowed yankee
corn, could be raised here to perfection,
and the commoner kinds could sbe culG-
waited for fodder, so that on the whole, it
if a good country for farming. Now the
advantages of getting the timber chop
ped off, and coaIed for the iron works,
and the ever ready market at hand, at
high prices, ought to be an inducement
for farmers to come up to this country.
Then the pure water, the cool and invig
Grating air, makes it SO healthy, that l
have often wondered, why more of that
class of the community had not found
their way from the fever and ague sec
tions of Ohio and Indiana-for what is
life without health?
Health is she poor mans riches
The rieh mans bliss
Yours. &c, B. J. g.