, 1873-01-25

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] The first thing observed in this table is ne
| small amount Of ore and pig~iron produced the
| year before the War. The present rate of uro-
duction will BIO seen below. The table is further
instructive as showing that, in those States
where charcoal is employed in smelling there
was, in ten years, no increaso, and, in many in-
stances, falling of; but that the great in
crease was in those States thnt could resort to
the great coal-dolda for fuel. This is phase OF
the question which Chicago would do well to
contemplate. r, ',.'
Tho rapid disappearance Of the forests from
the neighborhoo1 Of the mi1aes renders it de-
airablo to find as soon "a possible some substi-
tute for charcoal, which will be as cheap aud
etffcacious. There, are numerous swamps in
proximity to the mining 1ande, which contain a
deposit called peat. Some OF the deposits nre
10 OF Is feet in thickness. The peat exists
in tho form of q black muck bound together
With vegetable fibre. It is removed with the
until it is merely Black mixture, uniform in
color, and OF the consistcnco, Of mueh, From
the machine used in the grinding process, it is
takon in cars to platforms; on which it is spread
to the thickness Of 3 OF inches, to dry.
After. beng exposed for a few days in
tho sun, the water evaporates, End tho
peat contracts, and seperates- into fragments OF
various sizos. The pieces are then turned, or
set up on cdge, until the drying process is COM
pleted. When it's treatment is finished. it has +
that it can bo tunbled round with impunity. 1t
contains about 80 Per cent OF carbon, and, when
burned, leaves q light ash, containing per-
centage OF soda. It takes twice the number Of
pounds OF peat as Of hituminons coal to do a
given amount OF work, aud . little more than
100 per cent more than Of anthracite coal. It
requires $50 pounds Of tho material to do what
can bo accomplished By 100 weight Of charcoal
It has been. used successfully for gcncrating
ateam, but only to limited extent.
as yet, for smelling purposes. Tho c1-
perinents lave thus fur been made with the peat
taken from = swamp OF scventy-fyo acres at
Islpennay. Persons familiar with iron manu-
facturo arc confident tlat it will enjoy the in
crcasing lack OF charcoal in moat. efficient
manner, although many are skeptical.
LAKE. suPEn1oR FURNACES. :
The most important branch Of industry on
Lake Superior, next to iron mining, is tho
manufacture Of pig-iron. There are now II or
Is furnaces in operation within Is miles ct
Negnunee. The first experiments in man'l-
fscture only succeeded in showing
the great excellence. OF iror. Tie
first forgo was built ON the
Carp River, miles east OF Negaunee, BY the
jackson Company. TIE frs. Is bloom" was r1,n
from it in 1643.. It was worked two years and ;,
abandoned The second forge was built By 4
Worcester, Mass., Company. in 1910, ut Mar
quette. L Was soon aftor burned, and neyer
rebuilt. Two other furnaces were subsequently
built at Torestyille, not far from Marquette
The first bloom wa hammered into q bar. and
taken in a small boat to- the sme1t, whence it
was sent to Jackson as specimen Of what the
region could produce. Tho following List COM
prisos all the furnaces in the region, except two
or three: