, 1859-06-08

faA
~, ts..,4. N"''soN'
=, - eoppa'
Mr. EnIToh: WISH TO aud some explana'
ttons to the above, which do not properly be.
long to report:
II is not certainly known through what chem
1cai process iron undergoes from Its crude state
that OF lnailcabe iron, but the generally received
theory is, that the ore is charged with carbon
with charcoal, coke or coal, in the blast fur.
mace, and the Impurities hoat on the surface and
nre discharged in what is called cindcr or slag,
the result Of the process being pig metal; this
mctul, being exposed to the flame Of another
furnace till 1t absorbs oxygen, becomes MALE
able. In the first process it is chrstnlized, in
the Inter 1ibrous; the whole operation requir-
Ing two separate distinct furnaces.
Tho st. Louis ore furnace is but one. but with
two parts; the lower furnace being like any Or
dinary boiling furnace, some three feet longer,
and being supplied with a dsaft Of ur from q
i:sn- Immediately over this lover furnace and
about seven feet above, is the upper furnace
This is connected to u lower furnace (where
the heat leares it} By II fiue, uud discharges it
through 4 stack directly over tue grutc bazs.
The upper furnace is square, and contalns for
ty-eight tubes sixteen by six inches, in pairs,
opened slides at the bottom. Tllcsetubcs are
eight feet deep and are constructed of friedrich
tongued and grooyed to keep out the fame Of
the lower fire, and the waste heat from the
each on its way to the stuck.
These bricks become heated and transmit
their heat to the ore and coal poured into them
the ore and coal being pu'verized, the heat
sets free the carbon which cutters the ore and
dis.arboni-ts it. While the impurities pass off
US gases, the top Of the tubes being open, being
in such small purtc1es, and in such close co.-
tact with the ore, also in small particles, and
given the time, forty eight hours) the work
must nerds be thoroughly done without waste
Of material.
On being dropped into the lower furnace it is
therefore pig iron IN small PARTICLES. Watching
1t closely rs 1t fell could sec that the carbon
was entirely consumed and became coke, which
helps TO heat the metal till it is csn .umed. The
metal is then shosed up ncarrr the bridge or
greatest heat oi tue tlrc, when It il operated the
same Us any other iron: and when every parti-
clc has absorbed oxygen it il then ulalleable
ann Is rolled INTO balls tor the sqneexer.
Ine "'ole improvement consists in not only
making l'e metal VIII tue "osfe heat OF the fur
naee, out avoiding that anomaly Ill the maI,u
1ac1nre OF p's IRON VI carboniz'ng with char
coal and oxydlzing with an air blast, at the
same time causing waste Of material and large
amounts Of fuel to overcome IT, Iu hot blast
furnaces part Of this waste is overcome, as part
o. tue oxygen Is consumed bclore entering tho
blast furnace:
Ihc time s'sen 1t AS hours) seems to hare the
eeet ~ e,ap"i'NS ati 'tle suipHuE, {Whlch mas
eyer oeen Tue but. bear OF all attempts heretofore
to make good iron with sulphurous coal, for
which IRON has great affinity, ritAont sea<te Of
mdfe'tdt, MS tue product OF 81 per cent is nearly
as much Us Pig metal can be produced out Of
the same ore Is at tue mountain works.
An examination Of the muck bars shows that
it is asl tibrous; not crystal in it, which are
abundant iu all cold short irons, and il attribu-
ted 10 the sulphur in the coal with which it is
worked.
The muck bar has also another property
which will make it cSpecialfy valuable fnr ra}s