The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-04-03

tnSn 90 Ieet below the surface, that the
upper coal is often absent and when present
is seldom found with any roof more than
gravel and sand of the drift, which makes it
costly and difficult to mine. The middle and
lower seams are often present and worked on
the same property from single shaft The
three seams are respectively from 20 to 10
fest apart, and each averages from feet 6
inches to feet inches. The lower seam is
considered the best furnace coal, but
even this is at some localities unfit
Tor such use on account of the
sulphur 1t contains, while at others it is as
free from sulphur as wood charcoal. 1t con-
tains 90 to 60 per cent. of fixed carbon and
only one to two and a half per cent. OF white
ashes
This coal burns freely without cakinc. and
IN CRATES or furnaces never leaves any Gin
/ ders. Charred in ovens it makes a steel.
Z grained, hard coke, resembling in shape the
/ raw block of coal from which it was made.
: desire to say here that many writers who
/ have compared the block coal of Indiana
/ with coal of other districts have either
! selected specimens from the CRATE and steam
coal or have extracted from my reports the
analysis OF Goals that are not used or fitted
/ for smelling iron. Indeed in some instances.
men eminent as biologists and chemists
have selected from my tables of analyses as
, typical specimen, with which to compare
! the Goals they are writing up, Goals that Gre
/ the body of my report. do not pretend to
/ deny that we have in Clay county caking
| Goals and block Goals, that are totally un-
suited for smelling iron, and want it par
4 ticularly understood that l am now writing
/ OF none but the best, and of these we can
! lind plenty in the state and district OF which
/ | am speaking.
Since the blast furnaces were built in CLAW
+ county there has been something learned in
regard TO the best form OF furnace to run
/ with raw coal, and especially with regard to
/ the necessary amount OF blast and the best
mode of heating it, so that it will be safe to
say that furnace may now be built that
will materially lessen the consumption of
! fuel and increase its monthly product.
We propose then TO build modern blast
furnace in Clay county, Ind, which shall be
moderate in dimensions and supplied with
Whitwell's hot air ovens, and to give from
this the cost of making the very best grade
of pig iron, such as will be suited for Besse-
mer steel. Before commencing its construc-
ton we will have to consider the place where
1T is possible to have: /. Suitable coal close
at hand; .. Abundant supply of water; 3.
Railroad facilities to reach the ores and iron
markets.
We Will now suppose the furnace to be
built say 60 feet high, Is feet wide at the
boshes, and supplied with three benches of
Nhltwell's hot air ovens. The cost will be
. about 100000. With regard to the property
upon which to place the furnace, will take
coal lease which have in my mind where
good block coal may be had by paying a
royalty of ten cents per long ton e. $40 h.
of screened coal. The nut coal does not
have to be paid for and is clear gain The
mine is to be opened by shaft 20 feet deep,
/ and supplied with every convenience for
hosting and preparing the coal for market
This property will cost with lease to run
more than 90 years, $4,000.
turnace........-. $4,000
Coal property 500
ton OF coklnS 1900
,OOO
In order to convey a better idea of the
cost Of running the furnace it will be neces
sary TO quote from the accounts of the Brazil
furnace, which went out of blast last winter.
In this furnace it required To make ton of
Bessemer pig:
IL tons best Lake Superior ore which cost
at Eseanaba 8 per ton. 80
Freight via Michigan City TO Brazil....-.... 500
% 10. raw coai....
LOO 10. limestone
At the new furnace built on the coal seam
we will get the coal at cost not TO exceed
ninety cents per ton, including royalty, de-
lvered at the furnace. The account will
then stand at this furnace:
IL tons best specular ore, at so
ere ght to furnace via Michigan City 300
1850 10. coal at SOc per TOM I9l
go To- coke at II per lSO
l2O0 10. limestone, at sOc gross ton........... %
RaDSfirs nd i
Cost per ton of Bessemer pig...... ........Sl5.65
The run will be about1 ], 900 tons per month
and the pig will be worth about $40 per ton,
at the furnace, for consumption in BeSSemer
of fuel is based upon the amount required
in the Brazil furnace, but with the Whltwell
hot air ovens it is reasonable TO suppose that
the consumption of fuel may be reduced as
well as the cost of labor, which is just as
much per day or month whether the furnace
makes - or so tons of pigs per diem, and it
must be admitted at the present low price OF
labor that in our new furnace the cost per
ton of iron should not exceed 81. % per ton
of make, and ought to fall below this figure.
With the advantage which Clay county
unquestionably possesses for the manufacture
of Bessemer pig, the ironmaster can not
doubt for a moment that the BessemeF plant
should be placed here, and by the side OF the
blast furnace, ana the melted iron run direct
from the furnace in the converteTs. This
will secure an enormous saving on the cost
of making steel rails
There are already furnaces enough IN the
United States if AL were in blast, and q ma
to supply, not only the wants of this country,
but leave a large surplus for expectation.
Europe is also 0veTst0cked with idle fur
naces read. to rush into blast with the first
symptoms of an improved market for iron.
Such blowing in, 1t is easy to foresee, would
soon cause the market to tumble. COnSe-
quently the day is close at hand when blast
furnaces and Bessemer plants must be
brought together and located on the coal.
Coal can be mined as cheaply in Indiana
as in any other coal field. The shafts are
shallow and inexpensive, the roof is good
and cheaply secured against danger from
falling, and the mines are free from noxious
gases. The coal itself is as free as possible
from deleterious impurities, rich In carbon,
and from physical structure and the peculiar
arrangement Of its proximate constituents
is peculiarly adapted for fuel and metallur'
gical purposes. Fhe field is accessible from
all points by railroads. and lies in the very
l'center OF western commercial prosperity and
progress. With such advantages can any one
doubt for moment that Bessemer pig and
Bessemer steel can be made here at a less
cost than in plants located where neither the