Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1858-01-27
New Furnace.

In company with O friend, we visited the Fur
mace lately erected by WV. PoRrEn. ESQ., of
Austintown. It is about eight miles south of
this place, half a mile southwest from the VIII
lsse of 0hltoa. Il Isl remarkable establishment
in many respects, combining as it does many
new and neutrality-suspicious.; and especially
90 from the fact that the coal and iron ore which
supply it, lie directly under the furnace itself,
and abundant q~uarries of lime stone are within
Q half mile.
The Casting House is IS by 60 feet. and is
feet in height, the Stock House Is by so feet. the
Engine House Is by 25 feet; the Chimney CD
feet in height. Stack 4s feet. to Tunnel Head 60
feet, and the Hosting House 60 feet high. The
Engine is 100 horse power. moves like clock
work, and the immense Walking Beams play as
uoiselessly as a watch ticks There are 4 boilers,
each 80 feet in length. Two smaller engines
will he added in the course of a month, one for
pumping water from the cosl mine. The Blow
ing Tubs weigh each 3 tons. In the c~onstruc-
ton Of. the Hot Blast, so tons of castings were
used, and in the whole Furnace $50 tons. There
are some IL or Is dwelli. gs on the ground, and
a store in process of building. The cost of the
Furnace was S37 coo. Mr.. PORTER commenced
building on the lst of May last. and on the LIST
of December the Furnace was in blast.
The thickness of the coal vein is 4 feet 8 in
ehes, that-of the Black Band Ore of the best
quality. which lies directly under, or over the
coal, is from - TO Is inches. Below this is ore
to the thickness of 8 inches, which lie of an infe-
rior quality, containing only about 20 per cent.
of iron, which is not used, there being abundance
Of the better grade
The mouth Of the coal mine is about 40 feet
from the Stock House. and the coal and ore are
drawn directly from the mine up an inclined
plane, and unloaded in the Stock House without
change of cars. The quality both n of the coal
and black band ore is of the best The peculi-
arity of the black band ore. is, that no fuel is
used in burning it, there being SO much Goa!
mixed with the ore itself. that it not only readily
burns itself into readiness for the furnace, but
also burns about an equal amount of the native
ore when mixed with it.
Within the space of a few miles around, there
are seven different varieties of native iron ore, SO
that any quality of iron which may be desired,
can be manufactured, from the softest and most
flexible to the very hardest, by mixing one or
the other Of these varieties with the black band.
The Furnace is built on the edge of a hill. and
when in blast, as the melted iron runs into the
moulds, the melted einder taking another chan
mel. passes out, and lows down the hill like
molten lava. About 100 men are employed in
the furnace, the coal Hine, quarries and as team
s.ers The quantity of pig metal made, whenin
full operation, is Is tons per day. The Furnace
is decidedly better arranged, and more convent
emily located than any We have ever seen.
We are always glad when a mai possessing
the wealth, and business capacity which Mr..
PonTkE has. uses those powers in developing the
resources Of the country, furnishing employment
to a hundred men, and bread for probably four
hundred mouths. We sincerely hope this invest
meDt may prove as profitable to himself, as it is
beneficial TO others.