New-York tribune., 1873-12-15
IRON SMELLING ABROAD.


CONDITION OF THE IRON INDUSTRY IN JAPAN BRIT
IsH INDIA. RUSSIA AND MIDDLE EURoPE-ihh
LEADING FEATURES OF EACH COUNThf'
COLLECTION - SUCCESSFUL CLASSIFICATION of
THE SPECIMENS.
Special Ror the Iron and Steel Department prtpdrsd Jo' i
Trtbums BY Prof Wm p. Blat. :,
VIENNA, Oct. 15.-A view of the iron anu
steel industry illustrated at Vienna means simply 10
view Of the iron and steel industry Of tho world Nea
every country ihas sent representative coilectiohs
many of these collections remarkably complete ~
well supplemented by drawings, photogr'pn'
and statistics leave little to be desired by the SUI
dent OF the subject Such on extensive and varied rep
resentation has been brought together Deiore'
far exceeds the display in the department at ra
in 1867. How TO describe II Ia q problem 10 DO '
only after repeated visits TO the many ana reino'o
points where the collections placed To begin III ~
far off Orient, where the industry has longest eAs
and to follow the industry in its westward
is suggested By the geographical arrangement Oh 'o
exhibition, and is no doubt the most interesting anu IA
structiye.
THE ORES AND STEEL OF JAPAN.
The Japanese, who have entered most inteihgen'iy
into the spirit OF the exhibition, have brought WIN
them the best collection OF their minerals yc. So
abroad. In this collection find their iron ores chen'
form OF sand from the beaches OF the voc"
shores OF Nippon and Yesso. Magnetic and monte ore
are not wanting but the disntegrated sandy ore Is mus
used, being better suited than the massive ores 10 o
primitive methods OF manufacture. Their 1uei ls eh"
COAL and is piled, together with the ORE In sma i
rangular furnaces not 90 feet high The p"s1
thrown in at the side from double bellows, worSeu W
hand and when sufficient has been reduced 10 'o"
bloom an opening made in the front Of the furnace
and the mass is pulled and forged by hand A.er
several reheatngs aud forgngs rough disks OF no o
obtained which cut up by chses into short strp vi
bars ready for SALE of such bars. ranging rom
one TO two feet in length are in the collection.
The steel is peculiar, and the precise method OF i's
manufacture is not 1t is IN irregular, spohey'
or cellular Masses looking like Stag meteorites'
Although sufficiently brittle to be broken up INTO hag
ments as desired by purchasers is maleabe and may
be wrought into bars The quality is excellent.
INDICATIONS OF PROGRESS IN CHINA.
The short and roughly forged blooms and bars OF iron
sent from the interior of China show that metnots Vi
production similar to those of Japan prevail there Inc
work developing the vast deposits both Of ore anu OF
coal which that country known to possess, has not
vet commenced q large scale under the direction oi
foreigners hut there ia largo Government estaosh
ment at the Fouchow Marine Arsenal, where the naVe
iron product of Fouken and the surrounding country Is
worked up into mercEantable bars and rods. IDese
works are superntended foreigners employed by the
Government under Commission from Pekin, assisted
by Committee of four Mandarins OF high rank Some
$500 Chinese employed and there are 1870 officers ana
. superintendents.
This establishment sends very interesting series OF
its products all OF which show high degree OF excel
lence The greater part OF the native iron Is delivered
TO the works in the shape Of small blooms weighing only
four or five pounds The ore, fine black sand Ike Old
fashioned desksand is obtained by washing the river
sand which sometimes does not yield over /. to per
cent of ORE Five hundred pounds OF YIELD In their
rude furnaces about $50 pounds OF impure iron, which
by reheatng and forging is finally reduced 10 only 81
pounds. When these rough blooms and bars are COM
bned and forged into commercial bars there Is further
loss but q very tough and h5rous iron is obtained
very considerable quantity Of old iron from condemned
vessels wrecks, and other sources is obtained at the
seaport and this also worked up at the arsenal This
establishment has been in successful operation since
October 1861 and appears to be giving not only import
ant commercial results but TO be educating great
number of the Chinese in Western industrial methods
THE IRON AND STEEL PRODUCTS OFsBRIrIsH INDIA.
In the Indian collection we find great variety OF iron
ores and OF Goals one variety OF the latter giving very
superior coke we'll adapted to the production Of iron
Large blocks OF magnetic, specuar and hematite
hear witness to the wealth OF india in the material
while the dimnutive bars and handmade blooms show
that the industry iron has not made progress beyond
tbe primltiye methods. Further evidence OF this Ia
given by very interesting model OF native iron fur-
mace and its surroundings showing the whole operation
of smelling forging, aud reheating The oro Is broken
nm by hand into small grams and is charged into low
box.like furnace The blast Ia supplied by wooden
bellows worked by two women and the bloom, when
pulled out the furnace, is chopped up by men with
heavy hatcheshaped hammers The pieces are rebeated
and forged out.
OF equal if not greater interest, s series OF spec
mems OF the famous "wOOz," or Indian steel IL Is
crucble Steel in small quantities, and from care
fulx-selected materials. The small clay cPucbles, or
pots not over four inches high, shown, together
with the "buttnn" 1t remains In the crucble after
cooling The contents after the fusion are not poured
ont into mold but remain undisturbed in the bottom
OF the vessel These buttons. shown, weigh only few
ounces andSare interesting from the peculiar crystal
lization which forms In the mass and shows distinctly
by fine raised radial lines the surface.