Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-02-02

n OutEosPuuuout vi tne NeW L IOrk OOWme1Otut
Advertiser, writing from Marquette, Lake Su-
pcsicF, says: ,s- asa
The past season has been one of great actlv.
ity in the iron ore trade and In the manufacture
OF iron, which are the leading interests of this
place, The receiptsof iron ore at this port by
the Bay de NoqueE and Marquette Railroad
during the season Of navigation were l53, ,957
tonsi against 1898 tons in 1859, and 32,37e
tons in 1858. The most sanguine expectations
of the projectors Of this trade are realized in it's
vigor and rapid progressive increase. -l..s
The transportation of the ron-ore of Lake
Superior in large Quantities, to the coal fields
of Ohio and Western Pennsylvania, may hence.l
forth be deemed one of the principal features of
the commerce of the Western lakes. Its COM
mercial practicability adds another of no incon-
siderable Importance to the great resources Of
the West. Wherever coal Of .suitable quality
for smelling can be obtainee In the country ad.
iaoent to Lake Erie, and Lake Michigan, Lake
Superior ore of 10 per cent. purity can be de-
livered at cost OF five TO six dollars ton; and
iron OF the best quality can be manufactured
at lower price than the cost of importing it
from any point East of tho Alleghanies. 3,
| Although the principal business of this place
has hitherto been the shipment Of ore, yet some
progress has been made also in the manufac.
ture OF iron from charcoal, for which we have
an abundance of timber. There are four blast
furnaces in operation in the immediate vicini-
ty, the total product OF which is forty or fifty
tons Of pig iron per day. This branch of bus-
ness is susceptible Of large increrse, and will
undoubtedly be prosecuted in time to come till
| the forests are cleared. f
] In round numbers, about Eve thousand tons
| Sf the shipments of ore hence this season we're
taken to Buffalo, about five thousand tons to
| Detroit, and the remainder In about equal guam
| titles to Cleveland, Ohio, and Erie, Pa. There
are two charcoal furnaces near Detroit, which
| use Lake Superior ore exclusively; their pro.
| duct of pig metal goes into manufacture at that
place The present season is the first in which
shipments have been made to Buffalo; two
furnaces are in process Of building in that city,
to make iron from mineral coal; their supply Of
ore will be in part from Lake Superior. OF the
ore shipped to Cleveland and Eriea small por.
tion finds its way to Pittsburgh, the remainder
is distributed among the furnaces along the line
Of the Erie and Beaver canal, and in the valley
|, Of the Mahoning; which, with the exception O
few new furnaces, were originally built fol
4 smelling the iron ore of the region with its bi
luminous coal. Lake Superior ore is now usel
instead, either whole or in part, and the manu-
! facture, which was formerly Improbable, il
! highly remnnerative. A considerable portion
of the iron made in this quarter finds its marke
A in Pittsburgh. s.L .tla
i The enormous pig.metal consumption of that
i great iron.manufacturiDg city is supplied from
| the country eastward and westward of it, where
there is more favorable conjunction Of coal
and ore. IL is an interesting fact that the first
blast furnace in Pittsburg has been in operation
but little more than year, and is stocked with
ore from Lake Superior and Missouri, thou
sand miles away. III. o,
The price Of ore throughout the season has
been equivalent to three dollass gross ton, de
liyered on board vessel at this port; lake freight
ranged from two to three dollars per ton during
the period in which shipments were made, which
was virtually from the opening of navigation
to the Ist OF September only. After that time
the large movement of grain from the lower
lake ports occasioned such high rates of freight
as to prohibit the shipment ore. Nearly one
hundred vessels were employed in the trade du
ring its continuance.
The ore companies have much increased the
facilities for loading vessels, by spouting the
ore into them directly from the railroad cars
which are run out for the purpose upon tressls
work tracks about twenty feet above the piers
Vessels Of Eve hundred tons are loaded In day
and the different piers gave ample accommods
tions for loading eight or ten vessels at time
i Uutil the recent disturbance of business, Incl
dent to the political troubles of the times, there
was reasonable probability that next season
would show as large ratio Of increasein in our iron
ore trade as has obtained hitherto; but as It Is
i the lapse of time.only can determine how fai
| the iron-manufacturing interest at the West
| ION which Of course this trade depends) may be
temporarily affected. Hitherto the demand hal
fully kept pace with the increase Of supply;
next season two hundred and fifty thousandltons
could be furnished, and the demand would have
equaled that amount had business continued I'M
interuptedly according to its promise previous
! to the election. ~ VA +.