Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1875-11-25
THE IRON BUSINESS.
Ohio Coal Cheaply and Success
fully COked.
Revolution I'm the Manufacture
or Pig Iron.
Cost of Production Greatly Re-
duced.


Cost of Production Greatly Re
duced.
: Special Correspondence of the Cinein
natl Gazette.
MACARTHUR, O., Nov. Is.
4 Having noticed some time ago /:
long article about the new Etns
, furnace at Ironton,' l wish to draw
your attention to work that has
. been quietly going on in our yicinit,
for the last few months, pregnant
with as great benefits to the iron
makers of the Hanging Rock region
as that of the Etna furnace.
| Both parties have probably been
aiming at the same result, viz: The
successful use of our stone Goals in
the manufacture of iron, and the re-
suit in our case gives evidence of en-
tire success.
About June last Messrs. Bancroft
& RAIDER, of the Vinton furnace, con
ceived the idea of adapting what is
known as the Bradford Separator
to the washing and cleaning of their
coal previous to coking it. The firm
have for the last two years been ex-
perimenting with their hill Goals with
a view of coking for use in smelling
iron, but with no very fiattering re-
suits. This separator they found to
be in use at the Cambria Iron Works
at Johnstown, Pa, with good results,
and visit of one of the firm to
those works decided them upon
it's adoption. Previous to commit
ting themselves to it, however, they,
with the consent of the Hon. ID. j.
MorreIl, manager of the Cambria Iron
Works, sent about ten tons of their
coal to Johnstown, where it was sub
jected to the same process, and turned
out fair coke, Some necessary
changes were required in the machin
cry to suit the coal of this section,
however.
The firm, with their accustomed
energy at once commenced work upon
their own property for the further
ance of their designs. A contract
was made for a battery of Belgian
ovens and coke pushing engine,
and also one for the Bradford Sep
arator." All such enterprises re-
quire time, and,. after many delays
and disappointments, the machinery
was cot into operation last week, and
yesterday the first coke was dis
charged from the ovens, and the re-
suit proved satisfactory beyond a
doubt.
We happened to be present at the
first discharge, and. one and all ex
pressed themselves as entirely salts
fed that the problem is Ut r;ist sue
cessfully solved. The coke, to all
appearance. was equal to Connels
vile, and Mr. RAIDER says he feels no
doubt of his ability to make strict
ly No. l iron with this fuel. The iron
previously made by this firm ranks
high in the market, and they feel
confident of making, with their own
coke, as good iron as they made with
Connelsville. Furnacemen and land
owners in this vicinity have looked
with much interest upon this expert
ment, and the result is gratifying be-
yond expression, as it opens up a
new use at home for a coal, of which
immense bodies exist, but which
hitherto has been without a market
except upon the line of the NJ. IL G.
r. r.
! will endeavor to give your read
ers some idea of the process as / have
observed it when at the furnace. The
coal is the ordinary hifi coal of this
region, and found from eighteen 70
twenty feet below the limestone ore.
This is taken first to the crusher,
where it is broken up into small
pieces of size to permit them pass
ing through q screen of about five
eighths inch mesh. 1t is then ele
waited and passed through the screen.
from which it passes to the "Separa-
tor" This is simply a seive working
up and down in water, and by this |
process the whole of the slate and
sulphur in the coal (being of greater
specific gravity than the coal sinks
to the bottom of the sieve, and passes
out there, while the cleaned coal flows
out over the top and is carried to bins,
where it is left to drain Of it's water
and dry sufficiently to go into the
ovens. From these bins it is taken
in iron cars right out upon the top
Of the ovens and drops into them
through holes made for that purpose.
When coked for thirty-six to forty
eight hours it is pushed from the
ovens in solid mass or plug, and
extinguished by stream of water
poured upon it, and is then ready for
use. These ovens are of the Belgian
type, and twenty -four in number,
standing side by side in a row or bat
terry. Upon one side is the coke
floor, upon which the coke is dis
charged when coked sufficiently.
Upon the other side stands push
ing engine, which runs upon a track
the whole length of the ovens, and
from which, when the ovens are
opened, there issues large plunger,
which passes entirely through the
ovens and shoves the mass of coke
out upon the other side, thus dis
pensing with the use of men and
rakes to empty them, and discharging
and filling an oven in about three
minutes. The ovens themselves are
simply rectangular tubes of fire.
brick, twenty two feet long, three feet
wide, and six feet high, with cast-iron
doors at each end. Above, below,
and around each, however. runs a
system of fues through which are
carried the gases evolved in coking,
and which are thus utilized in crea
ting greater heat for this purpose.
Messrs. Bancroft ds RAIDER expect to
be able to put their furnace into blast