The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1875-04-08
Correspondence.

To the Editor of the Standard:
l find in the Bucks County Intelligen-
Ger, (the principal journal of my native
county, in Pennsylvania the following
account Of Durham Furnace This fur
mace is situate in the same geological
horizon Of the old Dickerson furnace in
New Jersey, on the magnetic ore belt,
and is on Durham Creek, Bucks county,
a few miles south of Easton, on the Della
ware river. 1t is one of the oldest blast
furnace sites-if not the very oldest in
the United States, pig iron having been
made there eighty years ago For that
reason, and also to show to what degree
of expense eastern iron-masters will go,
in order to obtain ore, (Which is procured
so readily in our Ohio mining districts. }
l should like to see the article in the
STANDARD. Yours respectfully,
S. w. ELY.
IMPROVEMENTS AT THE DURHAM IRON FURNACE.
During the past season extensive chan
ges have been made at these works A
new furnace has been erected, new en-
gines put into position, pneumatic lift
partially completed, and the foundry is
being enlarged and renewed. A great
chimney, 100 feet high, has been put mp,
and the hot-blast ovens multiplied and
made more capacious. The Office of the
furnaces is being repaired, and chemical
fia6oEatory added. In fact, the whole
collectioa. of buildings is being renewed,
and on a scale that will represent an ex-
penditure of over a quarter OF million
of dollars. The furnace IS TOW thought
to be the largest in the Delaware valley.
During the operation OF building, and
notwithstanding the dull times in bust
ness, not an employe has been discharg-
ed, and much work actually unnecessary
has been given out with the mere object
of keeping the men occupied. Such ac-
ton on the part of the company is highly
benevolent and commendabIe; for were
they discharged, or their wages cut down.
great suffering would inevitably ensue
The object and aim of iron men to day is
to produce quality of pig iron that is
adapted to the manufacture OF Bessemer
steel. To be suited to this purpose the
product must contain little or no phos-
phorus-the less the better, as fraction
OF one per cent. is an Objectionable
amount. In order to present an idea of
the recent Improvements at the Durham
works, we will give few figures relative
to the old and new furnaces, etc. For
merly there were two furnaces respec-
lively 4S feet high and 134 feet in the
bosh, and 50 feet high and l5 feet in the
bosh. These were blown by two 70-horse
power horizontal engines, which gave
blast pressure of four pounds to the inch
The accompanying hot-blast furnaces
were two in number, one having 40 and
the other so pipes. The weekly product
n naiUh horhood IF TONS
The furnace Just completed is 76 feet
high, 19 feet bosh feet hearth, and has
a 16-feet closed top. The hot air gains
admittance through 5 tweers, situated
about 3 feet from the base There are
vertical blowing engines, counterparts
of each other, having each steam cylin-
der Al inches in diameter and 48-inch
stroke, and blowing cylinder "a inches
in diameter and 4S-Inch stroke Each
cylinder has 2 enormous and heavy fly
wheels, which are calculated to make
40 revolutions per minute, giving blast
pressure of s pounds to the square inch.
The steam for these engines is furnished
by II boilers, 90 feet long and feet in
diameter; and there is a mud boiler 40
feet long and 80 inches in diameter
There are hot-blast ovens, of Sc pipes
each. These pipes are IA feet long and
inches in diameter so that it will be
readily seen that the aggregate length of
the pipe is iderable-through which
the air must pass between the blowing
cylinder and the furnace. Let US follow
its course, beginning where it enters the
furnace through the tweers. Passing up
through h the masses of ore, limestone and
coal, it loses its oxygen and becomes ex-
cessively heated From the top of the
furnace pipe OF or 4 feet in diameter
conveys it to the level of its entrance.
Another great pipe conveys it to the
boiler house, l4U ieet distant, where it
generates the steam that drives the en-
gines, A part of it, however, is turned
into the hot-blast ovens, and by its ex-
cessive temperature heats the p pes be-
lore mentioned almost to redress, through
which the air Is passing to the furnace
After thus doing duty both here and un-
der the boilers, 1T escapes up the chin
ney, the draft being thus worked at both
ends. The pneumatic lift alluded to is
tor raising ore, limestone and fuel to the
top OF the furnace, T6 feet from the
ground. When the new arrangements
are in operation the yield OF pig iron is
expected to be 400 tons per week. A
furnace ought to run without interrup
ton for years at least, if the "blowing
in has been successful Occasionally
they are kept going Tor or years with
out interruption. The mines owned or
controlled by the company are extensive.
A piece OF land at Ringwood, N. j., con-
tanning ore and leased by the company,
contains $4,000 acres Much ore is
bought from the neghborhood. Some
is imported A recent invoice from AL.
gera contained 10000 tons; the price,
Sl5 per ton, delivered. The property in
Durham contains about 1000 acres. The
principal mines are known as the RAT
tlesnake' and the New Tunnel The
former is 600 feet deep; and the latter
. 8ion of 2,NAJ feat Eas-~sEa rock was en-