Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1872-12-14
PIG IRON MANUFACTURE.
Can it be Protitably Carried
on in Wilmington
MR.G.R. SELLERS ANSWERS YES.
So Says Mr.. Geo. G.. Lobdell

A special meeting Of the Board of Trade
was held last evening to hear MIR. Sellers
answer in full, to the question, SIS VIII
mington good location for the manutac-
ture of pig rom There was quite a fair
attendance, our iron working establish
meuts being especially well represented.
Vice President, Preston Lea, occupied
the chair.
Mr.. Sellers, on being introduced by the
Vice President, said
Being neither speaker or writer | regret
you did not call upon some one who could
have done justice to the subject of iron
manufacturing, in the establishment of
which AN an interested worker.
In answer it will be necessary to revert
to the commencement of manufacturing
this metal in Eastern PENNSYLVANIA, thr
present blast furnace centre, and view the
progressive steps tOtle present time.
Before the age vi steam power, when
water was the only available motive for
furnishing the required blast to smc
with, the forge or furnace was located hy
some stream and contiguous to favorab
ore deposit Of either magnetic or hem
tife ores, while the surrounding hills, GOV
cred with the primitive forests, furnisheJ
the fuel.
Many Of these charcoal furnaces were
brought into existence during revolution
arg times, to supply war demands. The
consumption OF stock was very small, a.
they used only the best selected lump ores
of the mine.
As the hills We're shorn Of their crop of
timber, these charcoal furnaces had, with
| the Introduction Of steam power and an
thrnci,e fuel. 10 be changed or abandoned,
With the change, the WAGNER and his
team were 10 longer able to furnish the
needed supply Of ore or fuel, but had to
succumb TO the canal and railroad. which
stretched out their net work of easy COM
munication to the more distant ore deposits
which became tributary TO the furnace.
As the change from charcoal to anthra-
cite was elected, the iron master labOred
through season of great trials and disap
ponuneuts; with the increase of power
aui more abundant fuel the yield, though
enlarged, deterlOrited IN quality. This,
with the increased amount OF ore which
was rejected at the mines as being too fine
or too intimately mixed with clay and earth
to be used in the furnace, demanded Il
remedy or the abandonment of the anthra-
cite furnace.
It was at this time some inventive
genius introduced the washing machine,
which utilized the whole yield of the
hemaite mines, and has in many Instances
for a long tune maintained the profitable
situation Of furnaces by reworking the
old banks and large deposits Of fine ores
which had to be rejected in the earlier
mining.
4 marked improvement in the quality of
the yield Was attained in the use of clean
-tuck, and with this Improvement two
others of equal Importance were intro
duccd; the utilization Of the waste gases
at the tunnel head Cor top of the furnace)
for generating steam and heating the
blast by hot blast stoves.
With these changes, the size and height
of the furnaces were increased and the re-
fractory ores which had to be discarded in
earlier times, were made to yield their
quota Of iron to the Unsuitable NAV of the
never ceasing blast furnace.
With these engagements, greater sup
plies were demanded, and the original ore
bed which had determined the location OF
some Of the largest furnaces was exhausted,
and the advantages of their locations were
the artificial ones which they had deyel-
oped around them.
Experience coon taught the Importance
of mixtures OF stock which caused III,
manufacturers to draw their supplies from
distant mines. As the expenses attending
this were direct charge on the tons car
ried, they sought those ores cOntannu
the greatest amount of iron, and from
supplying the furnace with hemalitr-
and red short magnetic ores most abun
ant around them the quality and vi, Id
were much improved by using the e, Id
short and neutral magnetic ores from tt
distant New Jersey and Lake Champlul