Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1857-02-28
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-(JTR IHoN AANUFACTuRES-A NEW FRo1ECI'-
Sometime ago we had occasion in general way,
to call attention to our manufacturing interests,
basiug the general views We expressed, upon the
peculiar advantages of our city in the elements
or raw materials of different kinds of mapufac-
turc. and especially in the matter of iron ST ice
that time our attention has been attracted by
r,,nors TO the effect that certain blast furnaces
were in contemplation. Within day or two
we have been induced to look somewhat care
fully into the projected movement, and examine
the data upon which the project is founded
We mentioned before that the Crescent Mills
Company owned a very large tract of land some
forty miles from the city, in Wetzel county,
and right upon the line Of the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad. That this tract of land, upon
thorough examination, had been found to con-
' tain superior quality of iron ore; that this ore
could be raised and transported at a compara-
lively small cost to that which is now paid pig
metal, and that this saving would enable the
same amount Of capital to realize largely increas-
ed dividends.
g 1t is an easy matter, by the statement of a
few simple facts, which we have cleaned from
the minute investigations of an experienced iron
master of this city, to enable every one of our
capitalists and business men to see that the
erection of blast furnaces, is the project for
the city. The iron business in those places to
which itlegitmately belongs, is one of the most
solid and desirable bases upon which to
calculate either the founding OF growth of
CITY It brings into city in its direct and incl
dental employments a large population of desi-
rable citizens, and circulates an immense amount
of 'capital we start ont by assuming, what we
suppose no one will deny that the iron business is
the peculiar or distinguishing business of this
city; because we have unusual resources in the
great elements of its manufacture.
2 The history of the iron business in the United
States for years back has been that the price of
metal or pig iron is constantly advancing, and
let the demand and price for the manufactured
article be what it may, the price ofmetal shows
about the same proportion This is the root of
the evil under which establishments labor, which
have to purchase their metal from great dis
lance Laboring under this disadvantage they
can not hope for the better in the future, for
their advantages or Disadvantages at the start
ing cut remain about the same But if the raw
material can be produced, so as to save the cost
Transportation and also the increase bya pur-
chase upon. prime cost, it is obvious the case is
reversed, and the greater the advance in the
manufactured article the greater the profits up
on the capital
Within 40 miles of the city, the Crescent
Company have some ten thousand acres of iron
ore land-ore, as we said before not only suita-
BILE but of the best kind for the manufacture of
railroad iron. Several of our most experienced
iron men, have visited aud explored this vnst
field of ore, aud have proved beyond doubt by
their experiments that the ore can be raised and
delivered onboard the cars at q cost not exceed
ing 1925 per ton. Tho veins which have been
rested average eighteen inches clean ore, and all
the strata above for about four feet are inters-
persed with what IS known as Kidney ores.
One of these veins was benched for three quar-
tiers of mile and several drifts or entries were
run in, and at every point it was uniformly
found that the ore was of the same quality and
in the same quantity. This orc by chemical
analysis was found to contain fifty per
cent of from To create an entire assurance,
several tons were sent to the furnace owned by
George Hardman, where with charcoal as fuelit
was found TO produce one ton of metal from two
and one-foprth tons of orc. 40
More recently an other party, ] to demonstrate
the yield and quality of metal to be obtained
from this ore by using coke as fuel, obtained
tiome twenty. five tons of ore, and together with
coke made from the coal of our city hills, sent
it oil to aStone coal furnace. Tic yield was
found to bciabout the same as in the experiment
@tthHcharcosI producing one ton Of metal with
something short oftwo and one fourth tons of
ore, aud with coke made from less than three
tons of our coal. twas also found that this orc
contains It's own Rux, having in it twelve per
cent oflime. 3 Is.
Tho metal made in this experiment was used
in the Crescent Mills and proved to be sufficient
" good; twothirds or thrce-fourths of the rails,
being of colds hear quality, exceedingly hard;
well adopted for the head of the rails OF
this description of metal, one establishment like
theCrescent Mills could consume about two hun
tired tons per week To bring this ore from
the beds to the coal in this city will cost two
cents per ton per mile; making a total of 81
cents per ton for transportation. From this and
other data We compile tho following table of the
cost per ton of iron, manufactured from this ore.
We take as the basis tho outside figure Of two
and one half tons ofore for one ton ofiron.
s ssRs 5Rs sss Sc ten M sens.
Transportation 70 Nheelng, at s. cents ton Of ore,
"'As s. , oa.sids Soss . ..s s. .. @ 400
Co.'S e 81 o aaa ss
Totai cost Of a too OF metal 1880
This includes the highest possible cost of the
production of the metal. It will be at once
seen by thees figures, by those who know any
thing of the iron business, that this is great re-
luction In the cost Such establishments as
the Crescent and Washington Mills would t
saNe moro than ,one-halfi as they are now pay