New-York daily tribune., 1863-11-21
Iron I'm Ncw.Yosk.

Tho remarkable chcapness and ample productioh
of British Iron are not secured only or manly
through tho superiority Of British skill and eApefi
ence. nor yet through the abundance and relatiVe
chcapncss Of British capital Common iron Is
made cheap in Great Britain, not 80 much ior any
Of these causes nor yet because Of the superiority
OF British Ores but because tho density OF popuia
ton and activity Of business in tho "tght h''ie
isle" have caused it to be so gridlroned anu
cheaucred with canals and railroads that each oie'
bed Is tho close neghbor Of every other, ana inc
mixture Of diverse ores-one of the bases OF success
full iron .makngis effected there far moro cheaply
and generally than elsewhere while Ore, Coal and
Limo are likewise concentrated at each furnace at
triAnS cost. Were our country cut up by railroads
into squares and oblongs no larger than those which
separate the iron tracks traycrsing Great Britain,
our production of Iron would soon be largely in
creased. while its cos. would be diminished. And,
on the other hand, tho concentration OF diverse
Ores and other materials largely required In Iron
making is destined largely to increase the buShcss
and tho profits Of our Railroads.
These truths arc illustrated by what is now oc-
curing at tho little hamlet Of Copake Station, on
the Harlem Railroad, lOS miles north OF our clty-a
point where that road closely skirts the mountain
ous elevations and valleys which form the Berk-
shire section Of Massachusetts. Superior ore has
hero been mined and, in small way, converted
into an excellent quality Of Charcoal Iron for
couple Of gcncrations but In the absence OF rail-
roads, II was impossible to extend tho production'
To bring mineral Coal to tho ore would cost 700
much; to increase considerably the production OF
Charcoal Iron would soon disforest the adjacen'
hills and rayines, thus increasing tho COST Oh 'ne
product TO point beyond the price when Gun oo
obtained for IL. Hence the production was, nnaot
the old state Of things, not only inconnoeraoe ou'
capricous, being governed not only ty the nuc'us
tions Of tho Iron market, but BY tho faculty OF
procuring Charcoal.
Rut the Railroad has changed al this. IL crosses
the orcbcd directly at tho station 90 that cars may
be loaded from Il by wheelbarows while standing
on tho .ide-swi,ch. Tho orc 10 brown hema-
,ite) is OF very superior quality, closely resembling
.hs, Of the famous Salisbury bed In Connecticut
from which il Is but six miles distant. The iron
made from It on the location Was for many years
supplied to tho Springfield Armoy fo' the manu-
fsc,urc Of gun-baTcls-a service 10 which only 'no
finest and toughest iron IS adequate.
A company has recently purchased this orc-bcd
or the greater par, ost and purposes to devote l"
cncrgics entirclyfor the present, e' ieast-to tho
supply Of ores by rail TO those who require them.
To this end, they have not only the Harlem Road
directly across heir bed bu, they reach tho Hudson
River o, Hudson-a pon. IS miles distant by car
riagc, but IS BY tho Harlem and tho Berkshire
Railroads. They arc now preparing to mine and
scnd Of 100 900 ,uns Of orc Per snnum. and they
calculate tha, their bcd-underlying q acres
not far below tho surface. and proved to DO IN
,ome parts IS fee, In dcp,h-vill supply that
Amoan, steadily foi lfiy years; ~hilo tho demand
for IL M q prioe which will yield q. least VI
per .un ne, Tor tho orc q. prcscnt very Tar cI-
coed, tho capacity 70 supply IL. To that demand al
the furnaces along tho Hudson would gladly con-
tribute Bat ,Ae arrangements now In progress
viii speedily secure very largo and constantly In
crcasns product, giving extensive employment TO
labor, anordng market for the agricultural pro-
duo. Of Ito vicnsgc, and largely Increasing the
transportation and the income OF railroads not
hitherto ovcrturlcnei with freight. IL IS probable
tha, Thirty thousand ,nns Of choice Iron, worth
at least Million OF dollars, may ere long be added
70 our coGn,y's annual product from tho new and
enlarged development given TO this single ore-bed.
This il but Q sampls OF what, under the novel
stimulus Of high prices and an eager demand for
Iron is proceeding all over tho loyal States. Is is
sald thu, coo, 900 ,uns Of Iron Orc have this year
been trough, down from the Lake Superior mines to
Marquette. as more would paye been had the ca
pscliy O! tho railroad permitted. Such is the de-
,,.,d sor ,hese ores 20 be smeltcl with others AZ
tho furnaces Of Pennsylvana and other States that
nov rnilroad tho Ear shorter route from the su-
pcror mines io Little Bay do Noquet Is now being
constructed and is expected TO be opened for traffic
neI, Spring. This country should DO Q largo ex-
porter u iron within the ncIt ten years.