Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-08-09
From the Philadelphia North american.
The Iron Prepared for us Abroad.

Bya concurrence offavoring circumstances,
we are able to place blfore the public prompt
exposure of the character of the iron which
our government has undertaken to pu' chase
abroad and to prefer before that made at
home. The secret of foreign purchases under
speculative contracts, is cleared up, and we
can see that the margin of profits on such
purchases must be more than ordinarily tempt
ing. From a number of notices of the quail
itv of iron now i'll course of preparation in
England and Scotland for the American mar
ket. we take the following. The first IL from
a correspondent OF the London Engineer, the
letter being dated at Wolverhampton, Eng
land, July 8:
..The period for the American fall trade has
closed without its being characterized 10y much
inquiry. 1t is thought, however, that if the
necessities of makers on this side of the At
Iantic should force them TO accept consdera-
bly lower rates for good iron than are now
being taken, Americans may be tempted to
make some rather large purchases for the
spring trade. 1t is not probable that the ma
kers of iron that stand high in the United
States market will give way to the extent de-
sired. At the same time there can be doubt that
krr0e quantities Of an inferior description Of
iron are being made at UeIy loo figures for both
american and rome buyers.
There are one or Two works in South Stat
fordshIre that are known TO take orders for
prices which would not for moment be en-
tertained by others, and the machinery OF
these former is in active motion full time. In
North Statlordshire the instances of constant
activity from the same cause are not at all
rare. OF course in such cases the quality of
the poor cannot be otherwise than very poor
AT some of these works to which we have
had our attention drawn, we regret To find
that boiler plates are being turned out in
rather large quantities. We trcmble at the
consequences that may ensue when these plates
are submitted to the work to which many
boilers, both IN our own country aud IN
America, arr now not Untrequeutly subjected.
Boiler makers ought 10 be aware that il is
impossible TO get good plate at the prices at
which some are now being supplied to them.
The rage for low-priced iron occasions The
gravest apprehensiOns in our minds and we
would desire TO raise u loud note of warning
against it. The safety or peril OF hundreds OF
lives often depends upon the eXcellency or in
frriority of foot OF iron. There WAS time
when high price did not secure good quail
", but competition is now 30 great thaI-as II
should be-the quality is mostly Indicated by
the price"
Such is the manner in which the trade Is
kept alive in the present period of deprersioh
III England, and such the stun with which the
contractors will ill any orders We may send
for supplies OF any sort that We require The
thrown into this new work n we are informed;
the Stag and cinders, in which The proportion
of silica renders the iron wholly unit for pur-
poses requiring strength and solidty. are re-
worked with share Of new iron To dill Amer
lean contracts at low prices. 1t costs but n
trifie to break us down with such supplies, aud
the effort to extinglish our manufactures has
been entered upon with 80 much Of vigorous
reckiessness, as % bring out rernonsirances
from British iron-masters themselves.
In this way our railroads have often been
supplied. A company which could command
certain measure OF credit abroad, and but
little ux01~S. could issue bonds for such rails
al ha y Just caAsed the disaster on the New
YorksA and Erie road. They were always easy
10 Efocure, hut now fhe eonditionsa are emf
nelly favorable. Itjz not length Of service
axae which is securShasy good rails Il Is thu
skfety Of the lives Spasengers, and security
ssainst disasters F to property and