Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1883-01-05
Interesting Facts About Iron.

Interesting Facts About Iron.
The manufacture of ion imple-
ments and tho extraction Of the metal
fromiron ore, says an exchange, reaches
back to the earliest record of the race.
The book of Genesis tells US that Tubal
Cain was an Constructor Of every arti-
ficer in brass and iron" Travellers
have found iron in positions indicating
its use in many Of the earlier struet-
ures of cities ancient of the East
There is hardly a country Of the pres
ent day, however uncivilized. but that
the people are skilled in the use of
primitive iron-smelting furnaces, and
they produce many articles for agri-
cultural and household purposes. 1t
is well known that during the Roman
occupation Of England many rich beds
of iron ore were worked on an i'm
mense scale, while the rich deposits Of
debris and cinders left by the waste
full habits of the invaders are being
worked over again with profit to the
present operators.
The chemical nature of iron and its
comLinations are aS HnibyeESally kn19MRl
largely into the coloring matter OF
/ human blood, and abounds in plants
and minerals. and the red color of some
earths and rocks is due to its presence;
in fact, common clay is composed OF
oxide of iron and part from which
ordinary alum is extracted. Iron and
platina are the only metals that are
capable Of being welded at red heat,
the union of iron and steel is seen IN
the manufacture of axes, where the
steel is Joined to the main portion of
the ak which is of iron. In the pro-
cess Of handling iron in the several
processes of hand forging, annealing
) and tempering we of this day can lay
claim to no superiority to the PhGni-
clans, Arabs and Persians of long ages
past. But when we look at the enor-
nous quantities now produced through
out the globe we see the many uses to
which it is Put, and the prominent
part it plays in all our commercial and
industrial enterprises. One chain of
mines alone, the Lake Superior iron
" mines at Marquette, are producing
. 100000 tons of ore yearly.
New Jersey, we believe, has the
credit Of being the first State where
:, bar-iron was made from the ore. In
1874 iron works were established in
:, Shrewsbury, Monmouth county; and
: from 1925 to l776 many forges were
=. built in Morris county, some of which
are still operated These served valu-
is able purposes tothe American cause in
81 the war for independence, in the cast
g ing Of cannon balls and other imple.
= ments of warfare In 1845 Peter
Cooper the almost centenarian, en-,
gagged in the iron business at Trenton
. nd erected the largest rolling mill al
that time in the United States for the
y manufacture of railroad iron. Now
III We have immense mines # iron ore ir
~ several Of the New England States
Us while New York is largely represented
Ie in the list, some Of the most extensive
p producing mines being found in the
y Empire State. Pennsylvania, Of course
II is prolific in this respect, and in most
M OF the Southern States iron is produced
ld nlarge quantities.
M The consideration of the multifarious
Ut uses to which iron is put points to the
ah TACT that the supply must needs be i'm
- mense to meet the demand. All ouI
lg ships of war and ocean steamers art
y now constructed of iron many large
" warehouses are almost entirely built
lu OF this material while the endless list
u ot mechanical agricultural and house
p mold articles only bewilder the mind il
N endeayoring to compute the quantity
= we need only add that in the bowels
ie OF the land in our own country lie i'm
= oedded enough Of the ore for ever,
= conceivable demand of the merchan
hs OF manufacturer.
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