Kanawha Valley star. [volume] (Charleston, Va. [W. Va.]) 1856-1861, 1859-07-12
C H., v IRG MA TUESDAY JULY 70, 1859 NO r.
NO. TO-

err. They are three principal. High
price for labor, dearness Of machinery,
and high rate ofinterest which allow cap
italists to exact greater benefits than those
they are obliged TO be eontented with in
England.
I say. iron industry canEbe launched
and worked I'M America but especially
lin West Virginia. in such way as to
yield great profits; profits far above
any expectation even the most sanguine.
But the organisation Of the whole con-
Germ must be understood 10. a point Of
view adapted 70 the conditions of the
country, in order to turn local circum-
stances into an elementIof profit, instead
Of being obstacles ID the way. b.
Generally iron makers content them
selves BY introducing here the English
methods, and also are dangling after the
general arrangements of. their teachers in
q country having not the advantages found
IN England. while in meantime they over
look those greater offered by America. q
In the. first times these iron factories
made some money, wood was under their
hands, but to-day all the trees are cut
down ard burnt for miles around the fur
mace and it costs / good deal 10 haul the
fuel. Some Of these smelling establish
ments tried to use coke but coke is gem
orally SO bad. SO light and soBsulphurous,
that not much good resulted from the Elk ]
pertinent, though nova days, most of the
european iron factories consume no other
kind Of fuel. NIX
70 put our American iron smelling
furnaces upon a benefitableI footing. the
problem to resolve is double! I" Getvke
fuel gratis and the ore verycheap.2' That
puzzle Of our iron makers.3I intend ex-
| plain satisfactorily; happy would | be il
/ can impress some energetic and intel
ligentmen with the light which inundate
my brain on the subject.
The rational conception of a metallur-
gical establishment built and managed ac-
cording local circumstances and amer
lean exigencies, needs conditions seldom
seen together !; perfect knowledge Of the
resources Of the country. Inetallurgical
and chemical science, with 4 practice OF
all the process of the craft either IN Eu-
rope or elsewhere, in order to benefit
these informations and, master the partic-
ularities fora single point, profit.
contend that the solution of the prob
lem is possible. and especially very easy
4 in West Virginia
The cheapness Of tke iron oreswould GER
tainly result ofthe proximity Of the mines,
situation Of the ores and others circum
stances hereafter more fully explained ;
Tie gratuitousness Of the fust, would re-
suit from making the coke and condens-
ing the volatiles products these pro-
ducts, as i is known, maybe collected
aad treated, either hydro-carbonateds or
hydro nitrogenateds, for the market. /;
| they are abundant enough. not only to
| pay the expenses Of mining and coking
the coal, but would leave 4 handsome
quantum to reduce the general expenses.
l am perfectly aware that serious OBJ
jec,ions have been made against the use
Of coke resulting pf the distillation OF
coal, like that which is made in the gas
works or oil factories. First camel
coke is of no account. it does not
afford sufficient heat, and bitumin-
GUS coke. though giving out more heat,
/ is yet too light. has not the requi-
site density, and what is worse is sui
| phurated. The presence Of sulphur in
coke is a radical objection to its use in
iron making on account of the affinity
of these two bodies Sulphur make the
iron brittle andimpairs its qualities. But
these inconveniences can be Femedied. -
The FIRST, the lack Of density, is removed
in using ovens constructed after the plan
of Pauwel. These ovens furnish now a
great quantity iof.coke TO the Railroads Of
France and Belgium that coke is per-
fectly compact and, for tho second OBJ
lection, the sulphur, it also can be re-
moved, in expelling that sulphur, by in.
ltroducing lin red hot coke > current OF
hydrogen sufficiently oxyge1ated for the
purpose. what can be done without any
cost of time orchemicals. h
/ An establishment, as understand it,
has not syet been constructed, nor per-
1 haps been schemed nowhere, neither in
America nor elsewhere. Id needed to
Econceiyeita concourse of circumstances
theorical and practical. which seldom
meet. Ii Europe nothing like here is to
be seen, and very lille Of these advanta.
Eges are found 10 other parts Of America.
The immense iron factories of England
are built in far different conditions il
there the labor is cheap, tho amount Of
1.-THE outlay IN cash, is very great. Coal
Hands are sometimes worth of- 200 dol
lars an acre andthe extraction Of coal OF
iron Is surrounded with difficulties and
larger expenses.
To Be continued.
GErTrNe MARRlED. AN anecdote is
related by MI. Hale. Of New Hampshire,
- u ~ slks. 7 n