, 1882-08-25
Irondale Matters.


Tbs correspondent Of The Seattle Post
iHtc'l'acnccr, Mr.. Hawlcy, writes an fol-
lows to that paper, under date Of August
18th, concerning the iron works at the
head Of Port Townsend Bay:
lrOnuule. situated about five miles
south of Port townsend. is the seat Of
the operations of the Puget Sound Iron
Company, and ls one of the most inter.
eStlng places | have visited during NV
stay IN Washington Territory, being. az
1t Is, the initial point, So To- speak, OF the
development of what must eventually
prove one OF the most important indus
tries of the future state Of WASHINGTON.
The company is a California CORPORATION
with the parent office in San Francisco.
John a. Paxton is president. aud A.
Halsey Secretary. The site of Irondule
embraces about 300 acres Quite vii
lage is springing up with the reduction
works as a nucleus. The mining region
proper embraces about StU acres of land
lying some two and one-half miles south
east of the town site, where bog ore of
the best quality is found in practically
eXhaustless quantities. \ royalty of
twenty-five cents pee ton is paid to the
owners OF these lands for the ore. ey-
tracted and used at the iron works. This
bog ore Is mixed with the magnetic iron
ore brought from Texada Island, 20
miles north Of Port Townsend while the
limestone from San juan Island is used
ms tlux. The Jefferson county bog orc.
assays from 45 to 63 per cent; the Iexa-
da ores from is to Y. The experiments
hitherto made with these ores have been
highly satisfactory; the gross yield with
the first and imperfect blast furnace used
having been about 300 tons OF bog iron,
which has pOven excellent for foundry,
car wheels and railroad iron The eN-
perimental period may now be considered
past The old furnace has been demol-
lshed, and new reduction works are well
along in the process OF construction.
The new furnace will be fifty feet in
height eighteen feet square with base
OF twenty feet with iron castings The
hot blast will be l3x23 feet I inches, with
massive granite foundations five feet
deep. The boiler and engine bed will be
33Xl3 feet, with foundation 3 feet deep.
The furnace is expected to turn out forty
tons Of pig iron per day, will cost be-
tween S2O0,000 and S25000O, and will
have all the modern improvements. The
company have on hand l00O tons of ore,
l25,OOO bushels of charcoal, and 200 tons.
limestone. The rock used in the fOunda-
ton works and furnace IL brought from
the Chnckanut quauies, Bellingham
Bay. At present about thirty mechanics
are employed in the construction OF the
works, the monthly pay roll aggregating
about $1,000. When in full operation
the works will employ from 10 to 40
men at the furnace, and from 800 to 400
at the mines and in the woods burning
charcoal, etc, and the pay roll will foot
up $4,000 and $l5,0O0 monthly. To sum
up, the present management will make
the Puget Sound Iron Company per-
manent industry. Everything one sees
about the site OF the furnace, machinery,
rock foundations and superstructures, is
massive, and suggests business from the
word go" Mr.. White, the local super
intepdent, is II gentleman OF large expe-
rience, and may be relied upon to push
things.
RoI.LING MILISI.
Mr.. A. Chabot, OF Oakland, California,
is one ok the largest stockholders in the
p ). |. Co. He is one OF tac most far
sighted and successful business men Of
that state, and the fact that he has al-
ready invested capital to the extent OF
$1,OOO,OOO in the construction Of rolling
mills in Oakland, which will look to the
p :. |. Co., for their supply of pig iron,
is a suggestive one in this connection.