Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1867-03-28
THE IRON OF PENNSYLVANIA, SCOT
LAND AND WALES.

LAnU AMI HAIh6'
From the Pottsville Standard, Jan
uary 10, we condense the following !:
In Wales and Scotland there is a
kind of ore called black band. 1t is
but few inches thick, and consists
in the union of coal and iron. 1t is
consequently easily smelted-the con-
tents of coal being almost sufficient
alone to reduce the iron. This ore
had for many years been thrown away
as earthly states, and large piles of it
had accumulated around the mine
pits. Its ferruginous qualities were
finally detected, and almost immedi-
ately furnaces sprung up in long
lines for miles and, miles through the
coal field where the black band exis-
ted. There is one little narrow basin
in South Wales which produces be-
tween twenty-five thousand and thir-
ty thousand tons of pig metal per
week, and consumed more coal tnan
all the iron works in the United
States combined. In that small patch
it is no unusual thing to see fifteen
and twenty furnaces side by side,
and the whole scene for over twenty
miles includes nothing but furnaces,
roasting kilns, rolling mills, coal and
iron mines. and the usual clamor of
machinery and of bituminous fires
from thousands Of tall chimneys.
In Pennsylvania, until very re-
Gently, no such ore as black band had
been found !; nor has iron, Goa, and
limestone been mined in the same
measure, (although the two formerly
lay together except to moderate
extent in certain districts in the west
ern slope of the Allegheny noun
tains. In addition to the several
veins and kinds of black band al
ready proved, there are many beds of
workable and rich hematite, besides
enormous deposits of concretionary
ore and limestone, Immediately out
side the coal measures-veins ten,
fifteen, and twenty feet thick. Be-
sides this there are several veins of
rich boulder ore, generally lying over
veins of coal Most if not all of
these could be worked to advantage.
Besides all this there are not less
than forty millions of tons of pulver-
lied coal lying in vast artificial hills
around our coal breakers, all of which
will prove available for roasting ores,
improving their quality, and increas-
ing their richness Since, therefore,
it is physical fact that veins of
black band, much richer in iron and
three times the thickness of those of
Wales, occur here side by side with
great veins of anthracite coal and
that enormous deposits of hematite
and limestone occur in near proximi.
ty, with rich and beautiful valleys of
shale and calcareous soil creeping
around the rugged slopes of the me-
talliferous mountains, and inviting
the sluggish pace OF the farmer-why
should not Schuylkill county blaze
with long lines of furnaces and roll
ing mills and workshops of every
description? Why should it not ri
val the population, the industry, and
the wealth of the same geological
belts in England, Scotland, and Wales?
Why should we allow John Bull to
outstrip us in the production of iron
in our own market when we have the
means to prevent it To form an
idea of the real value of this black |
band discovery we will conclude with
simple G. innate. The vein of Nc
ginnes is over three feet thick. A
cubic yard we will estimate to weigh |
three tons-or say about 4, 500 square
yards to the acre, which, multiplied |
by three, will give 1850 tons to
each acre of ground. The deviation
from perpendicularity Of all our mea-
sures would increase the number of |
tons to al least fifteen thousand per
acre. Estimating the accruing value |
of each ton, for a period of twenty |
years--leaving out interest on origi- |
nal cost of land, which the surface |
value would offset-at an average of |
thirty cents, we find that this single |
vein of Mr.. McGinnes would yield |
80, $50 per acre Add to this the |
value of the coal, not less than $3, 900 |
per acre, and we find the whole to be |
worth not less than $4,000 per acre. |
And this is exclusive of the surface, |
which is often worth from $500 to |
81 900 per acre for building lots.
Now, while such lands are really |
worth that amount of money, they |
are trifed with in such manner that
they often yield little or nothing-for
the reason that the coal only is work |
ed. To obtain the coal expensive
outside machinery has to be erected;
immense wastage occurs in its pre-
paration, while the process of pre-
pairing it is itself very expensive
But, were the iron brought up with
the coal, and both poured into the
furnace, no breakers would be re-
quired-no loss of coal would ensue
no cost of breaking it up, and no
cost of hauling the debris away. 1t
would be difficult to say what amount
could not be saved by the introduc-
tion of furnaces at our mines, in
stead of coal breakers. Many of the
coal breakers cost quite as much as
an ordinary furnace and while the
one would save twenty. five per cent.
Of the aggregate amount annually
mined in this region, it is a most
scandalous fact tina. the other des-
troys twenty-five per cent. of the ag-
gregate.
TEA BRANDs.-"Hyson" means "be-
fore the rains, "or "hourishing spring."