New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-02-05
BRITISH IRON ORES FAILING.
INDIANA THE SEAT OF STEEL MANUFAC-
TIRE.


THE POVERTY AND PAUCITY OF BRITISH ORES
AS COMPARED WITH THOSE OF THE WEST
TO fhe Editor Of The tribune.
SIR: Every geological observer who lnvesti-
gates the OF the Goals and iron ores Oh our
country facilities which exist Tor bringing ,
together, must think arrive at the conciusoh tndt We
fore the lapse of another generation the United states
will be the great iron and steelpr0ducng country Vi ho
world
Great Britain is now at the head or the iron interest,"
having some 600 furnaces which annually consume up
ward of uns OF ore, and bring out product III
pig metal OF $4,000 tuns, valued at over 1lS'ooV""
sterling This production Is only about q hat OF the
United States; and in going back single decade We
find that Great Britain the rate of increase has peeh
only about a. per cent, while in the United States the
rate has been per cent There are causes III
operation which will prevent any rapid expansion Vi o
iron industry In the country while in the oher the
great sources of that industry are comparatively uh
touched. Among these causes may be mentioned inc
limited supply of good in Great Britain the neces
sty which arises each year of sinking deeper for the fuel
10 smelt them and consequently the increased expense
OF raising II to-day. II 10 the former consideration
shall direct attention.
The great body OF British derived from the coal
measures and the las These formations occur in the
the districts Of Yorkshire Derbyshre North and South
Stafordshre Warwickshire, and Shropshire They are
argaceous In character and yield about 20 per cent in
the furnace Now IL we turn Percy's great work on
the "MetalluYgy Of Brsh) ron, where the assays OF
100 specimens OF these gwen shall find that
In every instance he detected the presence OF phos
phorus and while the average amount reached 90 per
cent In some instances it went up to LA No metal
lurgio skill thus far been able TO eliminate TINS
deeterous ingredient the prevent 1t from
passing into irOn is it wholly extrpated from
the manufactured bar In the Bessemer process II all
heres the iron in every stage and In undimnished
quantity. With per cent OF phosphorus, IRON De-
Ia aIa0 ont
in these Ores which is extent expelled by cal
cnation and the subsequent process OF pudding but
sufficient remains render the iron unfit for conversion
into the higher qualities of steel These nouous IN
gradients appertan to the coal measure ores the world
over though the organic matter which formed the
coal being charged with these substances communicated
| them TO the iron
In the districts OF Darm0Or and DevOnshre there are
limited deposits OF magnettes, but they contain about
two per OF phosphorus, which renders them nearly
worthless In the carbonferous limestone of Cleator
Moor Cumberland compact pulverulent, unctuons ore
is obtained yielding &C cent and free from deeterous
compounds; at Lndae Moor and Ulverstone, Lahca-
shire hard compact hematite obtained yielding 90
per cent, and of an excellent quality. These are the
most hi priced OF British and so great Is the
demand for them 20 be employed IN the Bes'ener pro
cess within years their price has advanced 90
per cent, and the product OF tho mines mas
been contracted for the year 1873 So inadequate
is the supply that British rOnmasers have organized
company import high grade of ores from the distant
region OF Spain ApNher significant fact. showing the
deficiency of sl&-. in ores suitable for the higher
qualities steel, is ths that, Notwithstanding she Is
the ksest exporter of iron different forms, she is at
the Same time very considerable importer from sweden
and Russia of pig metal made from speeuar ana mag
netic ores similar in composition TO those derived from
Lake Superior and Missouri and daily used by the IRON
masters OF Indiana ordinary purposes. Sheffield
steel manufacturer will pay $50 tun for this iron when
ordinary British pig be had at price five or six
times These mportatons reach 10000 tuns year
Here considerations which ought TO arrest the at
tenton statesmen and political economists
in reference to the future growth and grandeur or MS
country have endeavOred to show, in my former let
tiers TO THE TRIBUNE that in Indiana there Is vast BODY
fossil fuel which has all the merits Of charcoal as re-
ducing agent; that in Missouri and on the borders 81
Like Superior are vast deposits OF iron ore free from
nOxious Ingredients and eminenty adapted to the pro
ducton of the highest grades OF iron and Bcssemer steel
and that the natural and artificial cOmnuhc'ohs are
such the union between the coal and IRON can DC Ell
| fected as cheaply as in any region OF the earth
| Indianapolis, Jan. u, 1872 D. W fosIEk