The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-10-25
a Great Discovery.

There is now living near Catasauq,la,
Penn, in hearty old age, the man who
discovered how 10 use anthracite coal in the
manufacture of iron. His name is David
Thomas, and the story Of his discovery he
thus narratcs: cone winter night, in the
old country, l sat with Mr. Crane, q brother
superintendent of Il blast furnace, over a
CRATE fire of hard COAL We had talked of
the recent invention of the hot blast, Just
patented by Mr.. Nelson, aSc0tchn.an, and
our conversation had carried us pretty far
along into tho evening. The fire had burn
cd low, and we were about to separate,
when picked up the bellows and began to
blow 1t. '4ou will put ont the fire. said
Mr.. Crane. AS he spoke il flashed over me
that If my bellows gave a hot blast ii would
bring the grateful of coal to u bright glow,
and with the thought there came like an
inspiration upon me that the hot-bast was
all that was needed to utilize the rich beds
of anthracite under our feet for making
iron: l dropped the bellows and gave ut
tcrance to my thoughts. Mr.. Crane smll-
ca, then grew attentive, and as went on
thinking out my theory as spoke he be-
came Interested. When l concluded we
graspcd hands over the dead Goals of our
anthracite fire and separated. Little sleep
we got that night. TO me it was one of
restless anxiety. When read an account
OF the night before the execution Of con-
demned man | always think of my night
with my new idea. The next day posted
up to Scotland, and on my return brought
with me the plans of hot-blast furnace,
which we at once proceeded to build for
the purpose of making iron with anthracite
coal. 1t was great success, and attracted
capital to tho development of the anthra-
cite coal beds of Wales and the attention of
tho scientific world. Before that for our
furnaces we had brought coke from the dis
tant bituminous coal fields, thereby incrcas-
Ing the cost of our product over establish
meLts moro favorably situated. The very
hills underneath our feet were filled with
rich deposits of anthracite, and the dis
covcry Of means to utilize 1t was like mino
OF gold to the country around. Our expert
mcnt was success. OF course the scientific
discussion carried on In the papers in that
country provoked attention in America,
and the few scientific journals published
here took up the matter, and thereby the
iron-workcrs of this region came to know of
It's great value. They were then using
charcoal aud coke. At once they set to
work on my plan. 1t resulted in great
losses to tho capital invested and many
cases Of financial failure and bankruptcy.
"The Lehigh Coal and Navigation Com
pany watched these experiments with ardent
hope of success, for they saw what a great
advantage to them must result in carrying
to perfection in this country what we had
perfected In Wales. They waited and hop
ed in vain and finally concluded to send for
Mr. Crane or me. Their representative
visited me, in the person Of Erskinc Hazard
of Philadelphia. had often thought Of
coming to America, and my wife was
strongly In favor of 1t, 80 VI o received Mr.
Hazard's propositions with favor. Terms
were flxed upon; " was arranged that my
expenses out were to be paid and that If I