The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-10-28
Making Wrought Iron Direct From
Ore.

The last Iron Age contains an article
upon what Is known as the WILSON pro-
cess Of making wrought iron direct from
the ore. Some such process as this Is one
Of the demands Of the age and no doubt
there are plenty people now living who
will see iron made, either by the
WILSON process or some other one, in a
way that will supersede the use of Blast
furnaces.
The Iron Ago is satisfied that the in
ventor OF the socalled Wilson presses "has
q substantial basis for his claims" and
that his invention "merits the attention Of
tho iron trade" It's special advantage
consists in the fact that the apparatus need
ed for deoxidizing the ore and preparing
it for the pudding furnace can be set up
in any rolling mill fora fractionof the
cost OF even small blast furnace, and that
any rolling mill proprietor having access
TO supplies Of ore can thus make his own
iron at minimum Of cost, and in such
quantities as he may need TO supply his
mill.
with regard to the economy and ad.
vantage Of the process as compared with
the reduction OF ore in the blast furnace,
we cannot speak from personal knowl-
edge, not having had opportunity Of ma
king the calculation necessary TO the for
nation Of opinions TO which we should be
willing to commit Tho Iron Ago. We will
state, however, that we see no reason to
doubt tho correctness OF the inventors
claim, that the consumption OF coal In the
entire process 10 somewhat less than two
tons 10 the ton OF finished iron. On this
basis he claims saving Of about so per
cent In fuel, as compared with pudding
pig iron, beside the difference between
The cost ofiuel and fuxes used in making
the pig in the first place over that Of the
coal mixed with the ore IN the retorts, q
portion Of which Is returned TO the pud-
ding furnace unconsumed. 1t Is further
claimed that the iron made by this pro.
cess Is superior TO that made from the
same ores In Q blast furnace; also, that the
PERCENTAGE Of iron obtained In muck bar Is
as great as the PERCENTAGE OF pig obtained
from the same ore in smelling. A
number of experiments were lately made
with Mr.. Wilson's process, under the SUI
pervision Of Mr.. Bierworth, OF Dover, N.
j., and Mr.. e. N. Grant, oil Macon, Ga,
by which II was found that hematite ore,
assayipg 1885, per cent, yielded 40 per cent,
and magnetic ore, assaying 57f per cent,
yielded 80 per cent Of muck bar. A still
larger percentage was obtained In some
instances, but It was found that q greater
yield could only be obtained at the ex.
pense Of the quality Of the finished iron.
The experiments were very thorough,
with view TO determining the proper
ton OF coal needed 10 effect perfect de.
oxidation in the retorts, the number oil
hours needed 10 prepare the ore Tor pud-
ding, the proper temperature oil the re.
toIts, the consumption Of coal In the fur
naces In proportion TO muck bar produced,
cost oil labor, interest, wear and tear, Sc,
and from the memoranda OF the gentle
men making the tests, TO which we have
had saccess, we take thepcrcentage above
given.
The one important advantage claimed
for this method Of making IRON is the
small outlay OF capital required. A blast
furnace capable Of producing 80 tons oil
pig iron in "a hours, with all the modern
improvements, will cost not less than
100000. To convert this quantity Of pig
iron into muck bar will require 10 pud-
ding furnaces, costing at least $4,000,
making q total outlay Of $21s000 to pro.
duce 80 tons Of rolled iron per day. It Is
claimed, on the other hand, that 4 deoxi-
differs, with 70 pudding furnaces, can be
constructed Of cost not exceeding $780,
900, while the machinery for grinding the
ore and coal can DO built for about 5000.
making an outlay Of $4,000 for q plant
capable Of turning out80 tons Of muck bar
ia hours-a saving Of $ls5,000 which
10 further increased by the greater econo-
my ii working expenses.