New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-03-26


abundance Of coal in the neighborhood, in some
places lying in seams ten feet thick Young Dudley
was special fayorte with the Earl his father, who
encouraged his speculations in regard TO the i'm.
provement Of the iron manufacture, and sent
for him while studying ct Oxford, in 1919.
10 take charge Of an iron furnace and two
ferges. lie was no sooner installed as man.
ager Of the works, than, suffering for the
want Of wood for fuel, he turned his attention TO
the employment Of pit-coal as q substitute lie
altered his furnace TO adapt il To tho new pro-
ccss, and was not little encouraged by the result
Of the first trial. His subsequent experiments con-
frmed the success Of the operation; he erected
other works; and the product, after its qualities
had been fairly tested, was pronounced "good mer-
charitable iron." He had thus appacsptly entered
the high road Of prosperity, when he was overtaken
by series of caamitous rcverses, which put stop
to the progress Of his enterprise. food swept
away his principal works. Tho whole town was 10
deep in water that the people were scarcely able to
save their hives in the pppermost rooms Of their
houses. Dudley himself received little sympathy
for his losses The iron smelters Of the district
joiced in the destruction Of his property. He had
been able 10 undersell them in turning out good
iron by his patent process, and this was an injury
which they could not forgive. They circulated all
sorts Of rumors about the quality of his iron. TWAS
not fit to be used. No iron could DO good
which was smelted with coal instead Of
wood. The new process was q dangerous inncya-
ton, and could only result in some great public
calamity. The ironmasters even appealed to the
King TO put stop 10 Dndleys manufacture, on the
ground that his iron was not merchantable. When
his woria were swept away by the food, their JOY
knew no Bounds and they hoped that the new
tangled process Was crushed forever.
But bud Dudley was not to be put down so easily
He at once went TO work aud repaired HIS furnaces
and FORCES, though at great cost; and in short
time the manufacture was again in full progress.
The ironmssters now raised fresh outcry against
him, and once more addressed strong memorial TO
the King. This seems 20 have had some effect.
bud was commanded to send up to the Tower Of
London, with all possible speed, quantities Of all
sorts of the bar iron made by him, in order TO be
tested on Q large scale. He accordingly furnishcd
ample specimens Of his manufacture, eft for the
making of muskets, carbines, and iron for great
bolts for shipping" They were subjected to the
most stringent tests, which they passed through
triumphantly. His enemies were thus silcnced for
the time, but they could not rect They next
eBdeavored TO get his patent included in the mo-
nopolies which were 20 be abolished by statute but
without success. After this time Dudley "went
on with his invention cheerfuly, and made annu-
ally great store of iron, good and merchantable,
a,,I u,id ~ p1s
tun." 81 also" said he, made all sorts Of cast
iron wares, as brewing-cistens, pots, mo-tars, and
so forth, better and cheaper than any yet made in
these nations with charcoal, some of which are yet
to be seen by any man let the authors house in the
city Of Woroeser that desires to be satisfied Of the
truth of tho invention"
In spite OF his success, Dudley met win no,s,-n
but trouble and misfortune. The iron-mastors CON-
bined 70 resist his invention. They voxed him with
lawsuits They instigated nobs 70 destroy his
works. They succeeded in embarrassing his affair
so that he became over head and ears in debt 10
was at length seized by his creditors and detained
as prisoner In London for several thousand pounds
The charcosliron men thus gained possession Of the
field.
Upon the breaking ont OF the civil war, bud
with his father took sides with Charles !. lie was
present in several important battles, and bore his
part like valiant soldier At the close Of his mill
tary career, he found himself without q penny His
estate had been sequestered and sold by Parliament
His house in Worcester had been seized, his invaid
wife turned out Of DOORS and his goods, stock, and
iron works destroyed. Upon the Restoration, he
applied TO tho King for the renewal Of his patent,
and for compensation on account OF the losses he
had sustained during the civil wars. But he failed
of success, gradually passed out Of sight, and died
In 1854, at the advanced age ofeghty-fve.
Dudleys invention Of smelling iron with pit-oo0l
was evidently born before its time. When its author
died his secret, whatever il might be, died With
him. He was never able TO make on an average
more than five tHns Q week. Nor was the iron 10
good as that made by charcoal. 1t was especially
liable to damage by the sulphureous fumes of the
coal in the process of manufacture. As the demand
for iron increased with the population Of the coun-
try, end the supply OF timber for fuel diminished
from year 10 year, England was compelled to rely
more and more on foreign countries for its manufac
.tured iron. The produce of English iron continued
steadily TO decline the number Of furnaces rapidly
dwindled; and by the middle OF tho eighteenth CEN
tury the home manufacture had 30 much fallen on
that the total production Of Great Britain was not
more than Is, 600 TINS year.
As the remaining iron masters became strait
ened for want of wood, they were compelled to re-
sort TO cinders and coke made from coal as subst-
tute. At length we arrive al period, compare
lively recent, when coal seems 10 have tome into
general use both in smelling the ore and manufac-