New-York daily tribune., 1856-06-04

that IT, 1t bad quadruped in the preceding forty
eight years. AT this time. Watt invented the
steamengine, which emaucipsted the Iron business
from its dependence on water.power, and per-
mitted the erection of furnaces wherever the raw
material could most adyantageously BE- concen.
trated. The Iron product of Great Britain vas
now doubled in eight years, reaching les 900 tuns
in 1896 In ten years more it had doubled again.
reaching 25S 900 tuns in 1876; the furnaces aver
aging l,5l6 tuns per annuD, while the bes. pro-
duced $500 tuns per annum, or nine times that Of
sixty wears back. At this time (barcly so years
ago. Mr.. Hewitt estimates the total product of the
world at only Half Million tuns per annum, or
no more than half the present product Of the United
States alone.
But in 1854 new era had been inaugurated
by Henry Corts invention Of the process OF pudding
that is, converting cast into wrought iron Ia re-
verberatory furnaces, and Of rendering the rough
mass thus obtained into perfect bars BY passing II
between groOved rollers. This advance, without
which Railroads, Iron ships land we may add iroa
beams for FIRE. proof buildiDgs] could not have
been practicable, was effected by Cort at the sac
rfce of his ample paternal fortune and Of the hap.
piness of his life. When he had just perfected
and proved his invention, at a cost of $3.50 000 his
partner became public defaulter for Sl25, 900;
whereupon his patents were seized BY the Govern
ment and so tied up toprecludc for the ine their
utility and of course their productiveness. Cort
died broken hearted on a pension of 81 900 per
annum; but the Iron trade subscribed $4,000 for
the support of his widow. Such was the fortune
Of man who has done more for mankind than all
the victorious warriors from Nimrod to Pelissier.
Ii is not too much to say that of the Three aud
Half Millions of tuns of Iron made last year By
Great Britain, one.hslf would have remained 10
tbe ore. beds but for the genius and resolution Of
Henry Cort An English writer estimates the
clear profit already realized by British mine owners
in consequence of his inventions at no less than
Sixty Millions Of Dollars, aud that the country has
been enriched by him to the extent Of not less
than Fifteen Hundred Millions of Dollars.
The next great advance was the introduction in
1929 of the Hot Blast, whereby the quantity Of
coal required in Scotland to produce tun of pig
was reduced from eight tuns to two and Two thirds.
The inventor, Nelson, was compelled to defend
his rights in most expensive and protracted law
suit, which was carried up on appeal to the House
OF Lords, where his claims were conclusively
affirmed The Messrs. Bairds, proprietors Of the
Gartsherrie wOiks--whO have from being day.labor.
ers become the wealthest manufacturers in tho
world, making 100000 tuns of pig per annum--
thereupOn settled his claim of damages for infringe
ment by check on the Bank Of England for
S75O,000.
The next and last important improvement In
Iron.mskiDg was the use in 1897 of Anthracite
coal in smelling the ores, just about century after
Dudley had successfully applied BtuminOus to tho
.ame use. Mr.. Hewitt gives the credit OF this
advance to Welsh irOn-master named Crane,
though he admits that +. W. Geisenheimer of this
city had patented the process four years earlier,
but had not yet induced any one to put it into &C.
tual operation. He gives credit also to the lsto
Nicholas Biddle for having literally aided, by money
and in nluence, the success of this process, while
to Edwin Post of city is accorded the credit Of
having first successfully smel.ed the rich mag
netic ores of New.Jersey, and ultimately tho
Franklinite, with anthracite. We have hitherto
been under the impression that Peter Ritner,
brother of the Ex-Governor of Pennsylvania had
first made iron with anthracite, but Mr.. Hewitt r
should know best. At all events, Mr.. Geisen-
heimer's patent has undoubted priority over Mr..
Cranes discovery; and this priority appears to be
maintained in practice; since, while Great Britain
produced but TAO, 900 tuDs of anthracite iron in
1855, the United States produced no less than
$50, 600 tuns-twice and half as much. There
can be little doubt that the direct use Of anthra-
cite in iron making while it ayors the general de-
velopment of Iron Industry is calculated espe-
cslly to advance that Of this country-anthracife
being more abundant on this side Of the Ale
ehenies than in almost any other iron region; while
it's great density and purity fit it peculiarly to our
rich ores" The essence of this new adaptation Is
the forcing in Of hot instead Of cold air spon tho
burning anhracite-the hot air being found to sup
port and intensity combustion where cold air wouM
deaden and extinguish it, The average prices oil
Bar Iron 10 Liverpool for each OF the
Ia.t fifty years are given by Mr.. Hewitt in table,
which we have transmitted from British into Amer
lean currency, as follows:
Iear. Pyee ef bon. Year ,Ir,. py,ss o. , Les.
Highest. Lowest. highest Lo~ss-
sO6.......seG 90 1881. 32 e9
sO7 IS IS lS32.......... 81 %