The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-03-24
Pig IRON.

Great hIitatn-AdJustment Of Wnges
anu the Prescnt Rates.
Philadelphia Prs. III.
About tho beginning Of tho same cen.
fury in which that adventurous man, Go.
lumbus, sailed westward, another adven.
lurous and iar.sighted man built the frat
blast furnace in England. Spain has re-
tanned but the merest remnant OF the vast
empire then acquired. England sill holds,
though in the past few years with weak.
eniDg tenure, the supremacy in iron man.
ufac!ure which this first iurnacemsn and
his successors have won for her. Prior to
his adventure British iron-and Britain
had produced iron from the time Of the Ro.
man occupation, ii not beiore-wss wrought
ifun uaur, as had been the continental
iron, in small quantities from the ore in
some form OF the forge or bloomery by
laborious and wasleful process. The
hloomery grew into the blast furnace un.
der the manipulatious Of tho Continental
Iron workers. England was slow to ADOPT
the Improvement, but WIS eventually
forced 10 do 30 to retain liz own markets
These furnaces were at first smaller than
many modern foundry cupolas, producing
~, eight to ten tons OF pig iron week.
This was entirely for castings, wrought
n.A b.lns sull produced by the bloomyry.
The new industry grew but slowly. In
tho reign Of Elizabeth, however, 1t had be.
como 30 extensive as not only TO supply the
wants OF England, but TO furnish large
amounts OF cast iron, chiefly in the form Of
ordnance, for export. The fuel used was
charcoal. Lis consumption was enormous
As the industry grew the forests disappear.
ed 30 mpidly that tho nation was forced 10
protect itselt, not only against possible
iuel famine, but against scarcity OF timber
Tor is ships Of war. AS early gs the first
year Of the reign OF Elizabeth, an act was
passed iofbidding the cutting OF wood in
certain parts Of the country for use in iron
making. More stringent acts, embracing
wider territory, became necessary and were
passed, and under their restrictive in tluepce
the iron industry was leaving England.
Repeated tnotls were made to f1d II sub.
stilute lor the vegetable fuel, bu. for $50
years they were unsuccessful. The iron
WORKS IN various paris Of the kingdom "laid
oown;" IRON waa imported in large quaint.
ties from "Sweadllnd, Flande, 4 and Spain. :"
and in 17I0 but filty.nine furnaces we're
lett in all England and Wales and their
total production IVES but 1850 tons.
AZ COKE suprLAN1s CHARCOAL.
By this time the substitute has been
louad, and Abraham Darby's use OF coke
IN iron smelling restored to England its
iron trade. This @ laker became possessed
OF the ambition to supply his countrymep
with the cast-iron pots and kettles which
were the chief kitchen utensils OF the
working classes. These were all imported
from, Holland, and the gecret Of casting
them in dry sand was known only there
This secret Darby learned by q visit TO that
country. On his return he purchased a
century old charcoatfu.nacea at Co!ebrook.
dale enc. establihsed hid Kettle works there,
using charcoal in his furnaces until he had
cleaned the forests Of the Wrekin, when
The happy thong ht suggested itself Of treat.
ing the mineral coal as wood was deal.
with, and using the charred coal in the fur.
mace. The experiment was success. Coke
became the substitute for charcoal as a
furnace fuel. and England not only regain.
ed her lost position, but soon became the
chief iron producing country Of the world,
Smeatons invention OF the cast.iron cylin.
drical bellows in l760, Watts OF the
steam engine in l767, and Nelson's Of the
hot blast in 1928. were important step, in
the development OF the blast furnaces in.
dusiry. In 1882, the last year for which
complete sta.!s!ics have bsen published.
the blast furnace OF that adventurous man
OF the fifteenth century had grown into
96S, OF which 565 were in blast at the close
Of the year; the little stack Is feet BY 6 feet
perhaps, is displaced by furnaces O5 feet by
IS feet, some more than 100 ieet hish. and
others 80 feet in The b1shet; the I to 10 tons
week output has. grown 10 more than a
1000 toni; the 294 tons each year, Of the 50
furnaces OF lao, is increased to an average
Of It. 032 tons Tor all tbs furnaces OF Great
Britain in 1882, and 22.503 for the furnaces
Of the North Of England, while the total
output OF 1852 was S,4o3. PSI tons.
3 GROWING PRODUCTION.