The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-06-11
BALTIMORE.
TUESDAY, JUNE II, 1861


tions that the day has arrived when the necessity
of using n superior quality Of iron is more fully
appreciated, and when the value of and demand
for Maryland Pig Iron must, consequently, be in
creased. SO numerous have been the accidents
during the past few years, resulting from the
ployment Of cheap metal, that both in England
and America, the community is beginning 10 I'M
derstand thoroughly that true economy is best
accomplished by the use of a better raw mate
rial. We do not dispute that the quality of in
feriOr iron may, to some extent, be improved by
manipulation; but there is point beyond which
all iron actually deteriorates by working, and
though common pig iron may, to some ex-
tent, be used for mixing, still it is impossible to
produce a really first class article without the
of a large pr. portion of good material. In Eng
land there has latery been much inquiry into
the subject of iron ship building. Thus far the
attempt has proved total failure. So unsafe and
unseaworthy have iron vessels proved to be, that
they cannot now be insured except at very high
rates. 1t is asserted that success can only be at
tanned by the employment of iron of much bet
ter quality than that heretofore used; and it is
even urged that scrap iron, which is usually better
than any inferior pig metal which can be had at
an equivalent rae, should be excluded from the
manufacture of armor plates as being often Of too
poor quality to ensure the required strength.
The railway accidents of last year, caused by
the breaking of axles have also called the atten-
ton Of the public to the necessity Of the employ
ment of a superior article; and the subject of cast
iron ordnance has, since the Crmean war, at
tracted considerable inquiry. 1t stated by
American puuipnnr ,vh Of
that one great cause of the length of the siege
arose from the ineriority of the English gun
metal that at least three times the number Of
rounds that the English cannon stood could have
been fired from American guns, and that if these
had been used in the siege, not only would an
immense expense have been saved, but the delay
of obtaining cannon to replace the worn out
ones would have been avoided, and the reduction
of the fortress have been much sooner accomplish
ed. In addition to this, the English have them
selves made experiments some of the guns
captured in the Crimea, and found that they
of extraordinary toughness, owing TO the supe-
riority of the metal used in their manufacture.
Upon examining the causes of the inferority of
the English article it found that while the
manufacture of common iron from hot blast had
increased to an extraordinary extent the pro-
duction Of the best quality Of cold blast iron had
actually diminished. In 1910 the production of
cold TO hot blast pig iron was as III 600 to
625, 900 tons, or about 81 to %. In 1860 it was
$50 600 10 4, 160, 900 less than ! TO 30. A COM
mission has lately been appointed in England by
government TO inquire into the merits of the
different qualities of iron and we have no doubt
the result of this investigation fail to be of
decided benefit to the manufacturers of the better
class of raw material and especially to the iron
masters of America. Similar experience has
forced ship masters to recognize the necessity of
the use of the best iron in the manufacture of
chain cables These were formerly made in Boston
and Baltim9re but were supplanted by cheaper
attention Of ship owners and underwriters has
been called to the subject and it is now urged by
many Of them that vessel should be rated as
hrst-class, unless supplied with cables of approved
standard; an Boston merchants in the Calcutta
trade have deemed it safest to import the Admit
rally proof cable from England, at higher cost
than that formerly paid here. The works have
been again resumed in Boston and will no doubt
after the experience of the past be sustained es-
pecally as the American article is not only
cheaper but will stand a proof from 3 to per |
cent. higher than the best English. The same |
fact is acknowledged in the manufacture of boiler |
iron and indeed of every other description of this
metal where strength is required, whether wrought
or cast and the necessity of first-cass iron is be-
coming more firmly established. This is made
particularly manifest by the thriving and profit |
able trade done by our very enterprisng towns
man, Mr.. H. ABBOTT, during the past few years.
n cnta of tba pOf+b o g
which although by no means low one in our
estimate, lower than any tariff for many
years previous, and was considered by the iron
masters much too low for their interests, he has
established in this city mill for the production of
large boiler plate, which has for some time been in
successful operation. He has demonstrated that
the facilities afforded here, such as the excellent
quality of the raw material, which enables it to be
worked in very large mass, and the superior |
quality and cheapness of fuel, give the city of |
Baltimore decided advantages over other localities
for the manufacture of this article. By the intro
ducton OF very large rolls, about ten feet in
width more than twice as large as any others in
America, and indeed we believe larger than any
in England, he has succeeded in producing plate
OF extraordinary size, using weight of metal so
enormous that it has to be handled, if we NAV
use the expression, by steam power. For this the
very best material is required 1t would be i'm
possible to work so large a mass of inferior metal
with any certainty of success or profit so liable is
it to flaws and defects which render the plates
useless. These plates not merely valuable
on account of their size, by which vast
amount of tedious and expensive rivetting is
saved but also by reason of their superior quality
Tba i |
ment is universally recognized The engineer of
the Water Works at Washington insists that all
boilers and tanks made for him shall be made of
this iron. 1t is used in the construction of iron
ships from Maine TO California, and has already
driven all English iron, which is at all suitable in
quality for similar purposes, from the market. "
There is also an increasing demand for it. for large
oil pans, which formerly had to be rivetted in the
middle, but which now be made from ono =
sheet. So great has the demand for the nrodnco
of this mill increased, since its establishment that
Mr.. ABBOTT has found it necessary to double the
size of his works, and but few weeks since was
busily engaged, Notwithstanding the great depres-
sion of every kind OF trade in extending his build
ings and adding new pudding and heating fur g
naces, which will require supply of pig metal
'NiA WV "uullohdI DdlliuiUlt luEndceS. ABOUT | :.
e'haf of the whole make of our pig iron would
IN TACT, be consumed at home; and there is every
reason 10 believe that at no distant period, should
prosperity return, still more would be required
Win the fact then acknowledged bv tho iron ID
ol oreat Britain, that the better Qualities p
OF pig metal such as are necessary for the nrodrc HI
ton of first-class finished article r OD"' Mt
ftably produced at the prices before onotos. Pr pr
with the knowledge that superior mic, 49,; N-iu SC
produced here at lower price, it cannot be ,,n A
that the iron furnaces Of Maryland require ersr of
moderately protective tariff. 1t might be de- ell
manded with more reason for the purpose of sus- u
tanning the rolling mills where the raw material is al
consumed; but when consider the great facili- 81
ties afforded by Maryland, as fully demonstrated,
Tor the manufacture of an iron of superior quality
and great size, and reflect upon the advantages
possessed by home establishments, where plates
,an not only be made and delivered promptly to
my point by rail or steamer, but be cut to any il
iesred shape or pattern, most important consid-
ration, saving not only great loss of time and Il
waste of material, but also rendering a large out
ay of capital in stock unnecessary we are salts 81
led that this manufacture needs but a mod w
&c .,,, ~ ~ Oh