The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-09-10
OId RaIln nnd PIR Iron.

There are in this country about 5000
miles OirailrOad. At least 10000 miles
Of these rails are made out Of iron and
only 1900 out Of steel. Steel Il, however,
gaining ground very rapidly, and all the
great trunk lines, and most other roads
otimPortSnce, are being relGid with steel.
The life Of steel rail is about xix times
that Of an iron rail, and consequently 1t
ia nowadays, at prevailing prices, much
the cheaper rail Of the two.
The rapid abandonment Of iron is
throwing vast amoun! Of old iron rails
on the market, and they are senSibly af-
ieCting the demand for pig iron. There
are not less than six million tons Of these
rails to come on the market. This is
about one.third more Than all the pig
iron manufactured in the United States
in year. Il is almost the same as il the
production Of iron during these depress-
ed times had been doubled. These rails
can be bought as low as $40 per ton, and
they are being sold in large quantities at
that price. They are coming into
use in the lheet iron mills and
in various other departments Of the iron
business. Their use saves several dollars
per ton for pudding iron, inasnuch as
that process is avoided. Whethsy they
will come into more general use, as, for
instance, into the manufacture Of nails,
remains to be seen. They do not make q
good nail unless heavily mixed with the
best red short pig metal, and even then
are 80 much inferior to frst-class nails
as to command less price. Wherever
iirst.cIass iron is needed they cannot be
used, even a. a mixture, for the reason
that the top Of these rails, is made Of
cold short iron, and only the aange and
body Of the rail out Of red short iron.
Therefore rail will not mix reliably
with other irons, and hence cannot com.
pete wherever iron for machinery, for
good nails, or for other such uses, is
needed.
But rails can nevertheless be used 60
extensively in the iron business that
their overwhelming supply mus! be a
dead weight on the general market for
an indefinite time 20 come. As long as
the sheet iron Of the country can be
made out Of them they will be most
important element in the general manu-
facture Of iron. As TO where they will
eventually carry the price Of pig metal
remains TO be seen. AS we have men.
toned in another article, there has been
decline in the last few weeks Of
fully one dollar per ton established
in pig metal, and We notice also
that the iron ore market is reported very
weak and depressed. Cheaper ore will
Of course make cheaper metal, and cheap.
er metal will introduce and encourage
new and more extensive uses for iron,
and hence We are not unlikely to see iron
bodybuilding become great industry in
this country in the next few years. It is
also proposed to build iron barges ex.
tensivcly at St. Louis for use on the Mis-.
sippi river in connection with the com.
Pletion Of the Esd's jetties: and it is not
unlikely that in few years not only the
fronts Of business houses but much OF
their inner construction will be Of iron.
Iron fences alsO are coming into more
general use in the city and country. So
that the present era Of cheapness, depres-
sion and encouragement in the iron bust.
ness may very likely lead to such changes
and revolutions in its manufacture and
consumption as will be Of the most in.
cAlculabIe future benefit to the world.