Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1857-06-26
VOL. 5---NO. $50.
DAILY VIRGlNIAN.



Scarcely n week goes by. without the discove-
" oi some new Object to which iron may be ap
Pile d, aud with advantage. Iron indeed, IL be-
ginning io enter into thousand articles of man
fncure. for which few years ngo it WAS never
employed. We recently alluded to some exper-
imcnis by distinguished merchant of Liverpool.
in which he pointed out the extraordinary ad-
vnntnges of iron in ship building, advantages
which had been fully realized in his own expert
ence lie made 1t appear that an iron vessel of
II thousand tons. would carry $50 tons moro
dend weight than n wooden one, and that on
voyage to the East Indies, aud home. at five
pounds ton, en Iron vessel would have
freight value of fl250 over its wooden rival.
and would as u general rule, last much longer
At tho recent session Of Congress, Senator
Wright, of New Jersey, submitted nm elaborate
Report ON the employ ment of iron us u building
material In this, preference Is given To iron
over nll other materials with tho exception. per-
hupa. of marble which Is exceedingly COSTLY
Among the advantages of iron the following are
specified
l. The fnoity of transportation.
= The ability to cast fronts, beams and grid
ers Of every variety.
3. Uniformity Of the cost.
/ The power to ascertain the exact expense
Of n building before It's erection.
8 Tho readiness with which building can be
joined together.
u. Tho exemption uI ny Hre
The Committee state that they feel satisfied
TINT iron may be cmployed with advantage for
buildine purposes by the Government. whether
il he wholly substituted for brick and stone, or
partially used in the form of osts,girders frames
rafters, floors or straps. They further contend
TINT "lhe example Of the General Government
in employing iron, will be followed by the State
and municipal Governments and operate as q
consistent legitimate and permanent protection
Al, hos huain N I'm n hpeu heretofore SUBJ
icct To numerous fluctuations, accustomed by fire.
ouent changes of our revenue avs, and constant
co,npetition from n rival whose skill was perfect
and who enjoyed besides. tho advantage of cheap
labor and cheap capital But the Increased
consumption for iron, owing to the new uses 10
which il has been applied, aud especially to its
use as n building material has, i'll connection
with other causes, neutrnlized to some extent
the advantages heretofore possessed by the Brit
i,h over American muuafaoturers. The employ
mcn of iron for the purposes referred TO, ain inc
consequent increase in its consumption, affords
n kind of protection 10 the iron interest, to which
no one can object, aud which promises to become
more etfeoiual and more permanent than the
legislative protection which has been SO often
sought in win The large increase in the pro-
duc,ion of iron. during the last few years. is a
subject of congratulniiun. Next to her vast
commerce. il was 10 her manufactures aud trade
IN iron that the marvellous prosperity of Great
Britain is owing. For the last twenty five years
tho world has looked almost wholly tn her for
u supply of this Indispensable product OF her in-
du-lry. But, in the time to come, there is no
reason in The nature of things why We should not
free ourselves from our dependence upon foreign
countries. and England in particular. for so largo
II purt of the iron which we consume. Not only
mny we shnke off this degrading dependence.
but ~ adicions legislation and practical encour-
npemeni Of this branch of oui industry, become
or, long the competitor Of England in the mar
kcts of other countries"
Iron, too, Is now one of the great powers Of
war This WIS forcbly shown in the course of
lecture TINT was recently delivered before the &c
oprnphcnl aud Statistical 5, cinty of New York
by Mr.. A. s. Hewitt. Iron. he contended, was
IL l,ading agent aud element in all struggles be-
tween nm ions. Guns of the largest oalibre were
necessary. aud mammoth steamships to trans
port them In connection with part OF his subject
he gave u description of the leviathan British
steamship Great Eastern, 600 feet long, and 81
feet wide The Astor House, st. Nicholas, Met
ropolitan Lnlaree. Everett House. and Union
and Clarendon Hotels, might be dropped confor-
tabv into her Her paddle wheels were 80 feet
in diameter. He alluded to the vessel because
he wished 10 convince the meeting that modern
warfare res'.1 ON the possession OF al quate re-.
sources for the manufacture OF iron and tho
means Of applying it.
II will ihus be seen that iron has become one
of the great elements and instruments of power
among men. II is employed not only IN the arts
of peace but it j. essential in the terrible work
If war Only few years have gone by. since
iron buildings constituted quite novelty IN
the city of Philadop pha; and now they may be
counted by hundreds and among them are some
of the most beautiful structures of our hourlshing
metropolis.