Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1862-02-01
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amendment TO the Charter Of the Chatham and
COdlfelds Railroad
Mr.: Battle agreed. With the delegate fEoms New
Hanover, that the Convention should with reuc-
lance engage in legislation, but certainly it should
not hesitate to adopt measures needed for fhenorc
vigorous prosecution of the war He advocated
this ordnance. because it will aid in preventing the
greatest of all disasters the scarcity of iron. With
prudence and energy exerted last summer, peo-
pie might have been spared the suffering and loss
which have sRsued sfFews dsficeasyEef salt An
iron famine is Impending more terrible than faln-
iue of salt, Let the Convention look the danges a
the face, and if possible avert it. MithoatsiEon
whence will come cannon and balls with eFhichste
drive back the enemy whence locomotives and cars
to carry food and clothing to our army whence
agricultural implements with which to till the seig
The evil il upon us now. Why. is steel selling
sixty cents per pound? Why have 6oiier iron and
Swede iron quadrupled in price? Not from the
lust OF gain OF some vile extOrtoner-6ut because
the demand Is greater than the supply; the demand
is probably increasing--the supply has diminished
i've fold. As iron wears away slowly, the diulnu-
ton has not been speedily felt but the evil is now
becoming alarmngly apparent. "a s.ss Y -.
In 1856, the United States Produced in round
numbers S5O,00otons of pig and wrought iron, and
imported Of those articles and Of iron and steerim-
pleufents, $50 900 tons. As not more than 100 900
tons were exported from the United States it is
PLAIN that the States now composing the Southern
Confederacy must have consumed about onethird
of the whole at least 400, 600 tons Missouri and
Kentucky being the theatre of active hostilitieS
but meagre production be expected from
them-and it appears from the census of 1850, that
the aggregate production of the other States Of the
Confederacy, was about so 0o0 TONS therefore there
must be deficit in the South of over 100000 tons
As North Carolina at least one tenth of the Con-
federacy her consumption of iron is at least 40 900
tons, or OnehaLf Of all the production in The Con-
in L. raHa .C,,f no. n
mands for iron will abate any astonshment at this
result 1t is said cast plough will last years,
and that OH an average, one plough may be estma-
ted for every slaves, and for every 10 whites.
According to these data, North Carolina requires
annually 40, 600 new ploughs and lG0 coo points.
Again: Robert Stephenson calculated the wear
and tear of iron on English railways, at half ID.
per yard. In 1858, the aggregate length of the
railways of the Conederacy, missouri and Ken
lucky not included was 5,612 miles and the
length is much greater now. So, that if Stephen
sons estimate be true of our railways as is priba-
bic in view Of the heavy transportation they annu-
ally require more than 90 900 tons Of iron What
may be the demands of war it is impossible 10 say
10000 muskets weigh more than 200, 900 lbs !;
the quantity in huge Dahlgreen guns, shot, shell,
artillery wagons, army wagons, war steamers, is
enormous. We cannot cope with the Yankee gov
eminent on the seas, but few gun-bOats might
save to us some important river-might aid in pre-
sumo Us w great value
to the Confederacy. Without iron in abundance
we cannot build them-without coal we cannot ef-
fectually work them.
Mr.. Battle contLnded that prompt connection of
the Deep River country with the railroad system Of
the State, will do much TO supply tins most impor
tant of metals-more precious than gold OR silver.
Already has the Confederate government advanced
large sums to companies as Inducements tc begin
the making of iron. These companies are to fur
nish at least 81, 600 TONS and as much more asthey
can at remunerative prices But transportation
will be expensive and tedious. The first question
is Are large quantities Of iron ore in the Deep
River country y There can be no question of this
fact, Besides the testimony of DR.. EmmOnS, our
State GeOlogiSt there Is the Report" of CorImo-
dore Wilkes, who though not much versed in in
ternational law, yet from his conduct Of the " eX
petition" entrusted to his charge a of abili-
ty and science. he was selected by Secretary T0i-
cey, under the authority Of the House of Represen-
tatITeS to investigate the mineral and metallic
sources Of the Deep River country, and was accom-
panied by two chief Engineers of the y. S. Navy,
Martin & Hunt He confirms the discovery, in
quantities not excelled in the mines of Scotland, OF
the famous black band" ore, WHICH, according to
highiauthority, (0verinan) "has enabled Scotland
to be master IN all iron markets" He teStifies too
to immense beds of the other principal ores-spec-
ular, hematite, and magnetic. One OF the depOS-
ties is described by him as Ion hill known as
surrounding country, and covers about $50 acres.
The ore is a red ore. 1t is visible every where
\ massive vein appears to biSect the hi and cOu-
tinue beyond to the Southwest, Some specimens
Of fibrous ore were observed Tho hill Is we'll SIT
uated for mining, and has been opened in several
places, and we informed WIS worked in the rev
dictionary war; Some castings are said TO have
been found which were made then, and proved on
examination be Of great strength and tOughuess.
A few miles oeow the Junction Of the Haw aud
Deep Rivers, is another Iron mountain" This
ore hill" says Wilkes, rises about three hundred
feet in height 1t passes in southeast direction
for nearly a mile and covers surface of over 800,
acres. 1t is somewhat done-Shaped, and appears
to be one mass of very Tich ore, having solid vein
of pure peroxide which is 6 feet in width--whie
ores containing manganese and Slcious matter e2-
tend beyond on each side This remarkable
was first discovered by Mr. VIM. Mcl.ane but a few
years since, and it probably has not its equal as
dcpoSite of iron in this country short of the Iron
Mountain of Missouri Professor Enlmons says it
is similar to that ore or to that found on Lake SUI
perior.n 1t is known that the iron masters are up-
able to say, from inspection Of ore, what will be
the quality of the extracted metal but by conOi-
nation of different the best quality nvara
bly, be obtained. Not only have thetestimony.
of Capt Wilkes as to the advantages of The Deep
River district i'll this respect but the Engineers
who accompanied him, say, . from9the great guam
titles of ore in; different localities together
with the various kinds and qualities, some exceed
ingly rich, have no hesitation in saying there Is
in the Deep River country almost iuexhaustible
quantities of ore from which by proper selection
and mixing, the very best quality of pig or wroushs
iron can be made -. .-z. -,.-.- % "a r.s.-slf
The second question is is there fuel sufficient to
extract the iron from the ore? There is ample and
of the best Kind Even if there were no mineral
coal in Chatham, yet iron could be proftably pro-
duced from charcoal, which exists in quantities in
exhaustbe in the vast forests which have not been
touched by the Woodlands axe. As engineers,
Hunt & Martin say in their report: "Ina country
where iron ore is so plentiful te otherwise useless
forests of timber might be proftably used IN thet
manufacturing Of iron, as charcoal pigs and blooms
lind much more ready saleand bear higher price
than iron made with mineral Goals. ---5
But there is mineral icoa, of the best quality aud