The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1882-08-17
The Basic Process.

tain belt running through Virginia, North
Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama is
heavily ladened with iron ores. Upon care
full analysis of these ores, however, it was
found that the largest deposits from which
cheap metal could be made were so highly
| phosphoritic as to be unfit for use in the pro-
duction OF steel by the Bassemer or Open
Hearth processes, as these processes, per sc, are
not competent to eliminate particle of phos-
phorus from the metal Consequently what
metal has been made from these immense de-
posts has been of a cold short nature and has
ia nged in prices from SIS to 81 per ton below
the value of non phosphoritic metal suitable
for the manufacture of Bessemer steel.
The Basic Process invented by Jacob Reese,
of Pittsburgh, may be used in the practice of
the Bessemer or the Open Hearth, and by its
use the phosphoritic ores of the south may be
used for the production of iron or steel to
much greater advantage than the non phos-
phoritic ores of the North and West have
bcen or can be utilized. Nearly four million
tons Of non phosphoritic ores were mined in
the United States last year and smelted into
two million tons of bessemcr metal, and this
converted into one million six hundred thous-
and tons of steel, at an average value of $50
per ton would be 100000 900.
These non phosphoritic ores, owing to the
great cost OF mining and freight cost in Pitts
burgh an average of $40 per ton, and taking
them at 80 per cent ores, two tons to ton of
metal, it will be seen that the ore in a ton of
bcssemer metal will cost $50, and allowing
twenty per cent of waste from metal to steel
it makes the cost of ore for ton of steel from
non phosphoritic ores TO foot up $24
Along the Blue Ridge skirting the Sheran-
doah Valley in Virginia, at different points
may be seen the great phosphoritIc back bone
of the continent, which is from 10 to so feet in
thickness and projecting upwards for 1000
feet or more above the water level An aver
age analysis of this ore shows 81 per cent me-
talc iron, and 1.5 of Phosphorus it can be
mined and put on the cars of the Shenandoah
Valley Railroad, the Valley branch of the
Baltimore and Ohio, or the Chesapeake and
Ohio railroad at $3.50 per ton. Now taking
two tons for ton of metal, So, and 90 per cent
waste, we haye the cost OF this class of ore to
a ton of steel at $3.50 or 5000 per ton less
than if made from $40 non phosphoritlc ores
Bessemer utilized sill con as calorlic pow
er, but i'll the basic process Mr.. Reese substi-
tutes phosphorus for silicon as caloritic
power. Hence he prefers to nave from to
per cent of phosphorus in the metal, as he can
eliminate per cent of phosphorus more rea-
Oily than 0netenth of that amount. For this
reason the phOsphoritic ore referred to is a
prime ore for the manufacture OF ingot iron
or steel by the Reese Basic Process.
The Bassemer Steel Co., Limited, whose
phia, owned and controlled the Bessemer pro-
cess patents in this country, and in the past
, they limited the production and profits of Bes-
semer steel in the United States but now the
Bessemer patents have expired. and IN order
: to monopolize this branch of the steel bust
ness for the next II years, they claim the ex-
elusive use of the Basic process under Reese's
patents and inventions.
The Basic Process pure and simple is cover
ed by four inventions, all of which were per-
fected by Mr.. Reese prior to November, 1867
t There are about forty other patents and inven-
| tons relating to improvements on the Basic
process pure and simple. Mr. Reese sold nine
| of these improvements to the Bessemer Steel
Company, limited, in 1879, and further agreed
to give them certain new inventions which he
, might thereafter invent. The Bessemer Steel
Company, Limited, now demand from Mr.
; Re csc all his Inventions, including these COW
ering the Basic process pure and simple, al
though they were made prior to the contract
of 1879. and were not referred to in said con-
tract in any way whatever. This great mo-
nopoly, as we are informed, refuses to pay Mr.
Reese any more money. and thus would i'm
poverish him by litigation until he shall be
compelled to place the control of this great
invention IN their hands,
The right to the Basic process will now be
n referred to the courts for adjudication, Mr.
Reese claiming the right to rescind his con-
tracts with the Bessemer Steel Company, linn
tied, on the ground of non-payment and q
! counter suit by the Bessemer Steel Company
to compel Mr.. Reese to assign the Basic pat
ents to them. We deem this to be an mpor-
=, tant crisis in the Industrial interest of the
!, South, for if the Bassemer Steel. Company
= limited, succeed in controlling the Basic pro-
cess, this giant monopoly will not deem it ad
visable to license Basic plant that will i'm.
peril the profits of their existing works. While
on the other hand. if Mr. Reese succeeds in re
tanning the CONTROL we shall soon see the great
deposits of ore, coal and limestone OF Virginia
mined and smelted into Basic metal and this
converted into Basic ingot iron and steel along
the Shenandoah, New River and Cripple
Creek, and the whole State vitalized and re-
constructed on progressive and profitable
basis. So
Mr.. Reese, the inventor of the Basic process
e is now sOjourning at the Grand Hotel Poin,
/ Chantanqua, N. Y. He confidently ex pects to
: retain control of the process, and has already
t licensed the Harrison Steel Company, of Hi
e nois, a corporation having capital of $3,O00,-
900, and has also interested some of the most
: wealthy railroad capitalists of the country, SO
!; that the contest promises to be battle OF the
, Giants.