The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1859-04-12
A ReyoIutton'tn IrOn Ssi eItiMr.

turer, of Cincinnati, has addressed the fol-
lowing communication to Hamilton Smith,
! Esq, of Cannelton, upon the important
change that is about to be adopted in smelt-
ing iron, and which is likely to have an i'm
portant influence upon the prosperity of all
localities upon the Ohio r1ver contiguous TO
good coal mines.
The quality of iron is vastly improved by
| the admixture of ores from different loeali-
ties. This cannot be done in furnaces built
and dependent upon single ore bed In
der the new plan of bringing the ore 10 the
| COAL all the various ores from the beds in
Missouri, Tennessee, the upper Ohio, and
Green river and Wabash Valleys could be
brought to this point to be smelted, and an
iron produced by their combined ores supe-
rior, perhaps, to any iron produced in the
country.
| If the coal of our immediate vicinity was
not so filled with pyrites, we might indulge
the faltering prospect of seeing our city sur
rounded with glowing smelling furnaces,
and our town one of the greatest seats of
! iron manufacture in the country.
There are Goals, however on the line of
the Canal, peculiarly adapted for smelling of
| iron, that can be delivered here almost as
cheap as coal can be raised from our own
Mines that may be the means-should the
Canal be kept up-of making Evansville Il
second Manchester. With good coal, we
have local advantages for the business supe-
rior to Cannelton or any other place on the
| river.
| The iron manufacture OF the whole Ohio
Valley from Pittsburg to Paducah, is ON the
eve OF 4 great revolution, partly commenced
and inevitable in its results. The essen
tial features of this grea: change, is to
move those rich ores on Lake Superior and
in Missouri, to the coal beds of Eastern
Ohio and Western Pennsylvania. This
seems, at the first glance, to be wild I'M
dertaking, but has been now thoroughly
tested and found to be profitable, yielding
@ much higher profit than the use of the
low per cent. iron ores of Ohio and Penn
sylvania. At youngstown, Ohio, they have
been making iron in this, way for sometime,
and have made, with their dry coal, used
raw in the furnace, superior quality of pig
iron and esteemed by some equal, and
by others preference is given to it over
the best quality of charcoal IRON made from
the native ores of these States. The Pitts
burg iron interest is going into the enter
prise of building blast furnaces at Pitts
burg, and conveying the Lake Superior and
Missouri ores to be reduced with Pittsburg
coal. This is projected upon a large scale
there with heavy capital. There is a fur
mace being erected here tor the purpose of
using the Missouri ores aud the Pittsburg
stone coal. 1t is being erected.by rolling
mill man on the Kentucky side of the river,
opposite Cincinnati. Other owners of coal
property along the Ohio river are contem-
plating building furnaces and transporting
the Missouri ores. Ever since my visit to
Cannelton, and an inspection of your coal,
have been satisfied that it was the most
eligible and economical position for this
business, on the waters of the Mississippi
Valley
As TO TIE COST AND PROFITS.
When in Pittsburg, about six weeks ago,
the Pittsburg iron manufacturers expressed
this opinion, that with this plan fully organ
lied there, they would need no tariff against
English or Scotch iron.
LIE &hlSSOuEl ORG COUlU Ue delivered al.
Cannelton for about 81 for the whole
cost and expense, which think is a
very large estimate for towing and
barges &C., and allowing IL tons,
which g over the quantity by actual
experiment, and the cost to make
ton ofpig iron is........................ST 0O
Cannelton coal, with the per centage
of carbon stated in your pamphlet,
and allowing for waste in practical
use, say so bushels of coal, will
: make one ton of pig (6c.). ............. 3 90
Limestone for fux necessary, say....... l OO
And for labor and manufacturing, in
Guiding all expense, per ton. ...,..... 0C
Making the cost OF one ton ofpig iron Sl5 0C
, These estimates of quantity and prices are
all, You will perceive, set down at very high
figures, and AMI satisfied with your coal, a
very superior article of iron could be pro
duced.
One great advantage which your town
, will have in this business always, is the ia.
E cility Of obtaining the ore at all times when
the parties here and at Pittsburg will be
frequently cut off by low water, the falls Of
r the Ohio, the increased additional risk on