Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1859-10-26
The Falcon Furnace.

Yesterday, in company with Mr.. Ritezel, @
the Democrat. we paid a visit to the new fur
mace just erected by Messrs. Jas. Ward d Co
At Niles The building of it was pushe,
through with the usual energy of this firm, tn
first work being done on the first of last APRIL
and on the last day of September, the furnac
was in operation. 1t is built on the east sid
of Mosquito Greek, on the opposite side from tn
Rolling Mill, belonging to the same firm.
The Engine House is of wood, ~ by CO feet
and 90 feet in heighth. The Enginei is of abou
100 horse power. cylinder % inches in diane
ter, and Z feet stroke. 1t is one of the mos
perfect pieces of machinery We have ever seen
and the two immense walking beams play q
nois le'sly as the.ticking of a watch. The fly
wheel weighs 2a tons, and the whole working
machine, more than 100 tons. The two blow
ing cylinders are each Z feet in diameter, anC
Z feet stroke, and are considerably larger thar
any in Northern Ohio, probably larger thar
any in the State, and are of sufficient size to fur
nish blast for three such furnaces.
The air pumps do not work with the old fash.
Toned slide, but. by what is termed the parable
motion, the new invention of Bolton & Watts
The Casting House is of brick. 40 by GO feet
and 81 feet in hcighth. Stock House 40 by u
feet high, The stack is 46 feet in heighth, thu
first IA feet being of brick. and the upper part
being of wrought iron. This last is a novelty
--- +v-s.t- boa decided improvement,
over the brick and Stone stacks.
On a level with the top of the stack, is q
small hosting engine, which hoists up the ore
coal, and limestone, which are then dumped in.
to the gaping mouth of the fiery furnanc. when
all being melted and commingled together, flows
out at the bottom, (twice in "a hours,) in the
shape of molten iron and cinders.
There are ) boilers, each Sc inches in diane
ter, and % feet in length, weighing 21S tons
each.
The Hot Blast is q brick building about &c
BY IL or - feet. and is filed with iron tubing
through which the blast passes in its way from
the large receiver to the furnace. This tubing
is subjected to an intense heat, and the air
is heated sufficiently hot to melt lead when that
metal is exposed to its effsct.
A switch leads to the C Nm. Rail Road
some twelve or thirteen hundred feet distant,
and ore from Lake Superior, Lake Champlain
and Canada, lieside by side with the native ores
and limestone from Lowell, Mahoning Co.. and
the famous black band ore, from Mineral Ridge,
some two or three miles distant.
Huge piles of the black band ore were being
melted by the simple process of setting one end
of the pile of ore on fire, lit having sufficient
combustible matter combined with the iron to
burn slowly and before the fire had reached
the other cad, the first had burned out and
cooled, sothat workmen were busy carrying the
once melted ore into the furnace.
The furnace has been in operation about three
weeks and has been exceedingly successful.
making 90 tons in lie fist irurteen days or
sreraging 90 tons per day. The coal consumed
in the furnace alone. m liking this iron. Was only
IL tons 10 each ton of metal. and this whole
consumption Of coal about % tons TO each
Ton of iron, or about 50 tons Il+r day.
1t is the imitation oil Messrs. Wa i & Co. to
build an additi, nal stack u. xt eeason, winch
will double the production Of their furnace. and
also at some future ume. 10 build a Charcoal
bloomarg, to make wrought i-sn immediately
from the ore.
The un'i'iug Industry, the Business capacity
ami enterprise of Mes re- Eard & Co have MT
k-p without their reward. and they haze the
best wishes of the community Tor ihek future
sreeess.
Besides this furnr ce two others have been
built, Tor enc ia process of construction at
Youngstown. another at Girar.i. aud another is
proiscsed at Mineral Ridge. These four furna
reg will add to the business of the C & NJ. q.
E. in the transportation to and fro Of the ore,
coal and the iron. at last one hundred and
ffty thousand tons Of freight yearly. Thy
will AID in developing the gast resources of
the Mahon ing Valley. furnish employment to
. thousand men, and feed four Thousand
mouths. furnish a market for the agricultural
product, of the vicinity. and add to the wealth
and population of the State.