Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1885-05-06
Low Moor Furnace.


by Maj. Jed Hotchkiss, we copy the follow
ing interesting article in reference to Low
Moor furnace in Allegheny county, from
which it will be seen that iron can be made
as cheaply in this as any other State:-
eve give below a statement of the work
of this furnace from Thursday, January 1
to Saturday, April %. 1885, the record of
lis days of this it's third blast, which be-
gan Nov. II, 1894. The quantities given
are about the actual figures. The tons of
ore, limestone and coke are of 2,240 lbs.
those of pig iron are the usual 2, 268 lbs, of
blast-furnaces.
Quantity of limonite ore used 1854 tons
Quantity of New River coke used H,795 +"
Quantity of No. vi limestone used l6,63S -
Quantity of raw material used 6s.O7 "
Tons of No. l pig iron made 5.a42 ''
Tons of No. pig iron made 5,l95
Tons of "milI' pig iron made 2.3H "
Tons OF "Sflvery" pig iron made az
Tons of mottied' pig iron made 279
Tons of pig iron made 1852
This output is an average for the lis
days of 1875 tons day, the stopages for one
thing and another amounted to about day
and a quarter; allowing for the beginning
of the blast and for this loss the quantity
given represents the actual output of about
112 days, or an average of about 131 tons
day.
THIS record is rather remarkable for the
showing it makes of the character of the
+. iron made at Low Moor during this period.
1t will be seen that about Al per cent of
the entire output was No. pig, the high
est grade; SO per cent No. 2 pig, the Sec
ond highest grade; and IL per cent ''mill''
iron, or the third highest grade. In other
words SO per cent on the entire output of
the furnace was of the three highest grades
of pig iron aud N per cent of it was of
the two higher grades; record that can
safely challenge a comparison with the
vely best furnace results of the country.
The record of the week ending April %
which 654 was No 1, and 266 No. 2, leav-
ing but 10 which was ''mill;'' the average
per day was 1873 tons.
| The iron ore used at Low Moor is most
| ly from the mines in No. VII, the Oriska-
ny; about half of it from the mines of the
company near the furnace and the other
half from the 'Stack" mine and the mine
of the Allegheny Iron Mining and Manu-
| featuring Co., which are few miles west
from the furnace ON the Chesapeake and
| Ohio Ry.
| The coke used is made in the company s
ovens, at the furnace, from New River
semi bituminous coal from the Caperton,
w. Va. mines of Beury, Cooper & Co., on
the c. q o. Ry.; a sample of this coke, by
| analysis of Britton, contains 96. II per cent
of carbon, and but 1856 of ash. The high
quality of this coke "a quality. so far as we
know, unsurpassed in this country doubt
less has much to do with the fine results
obtained at this furnace; the management
claims, and with good reasons, that some
of it's good results come from making the
coke at the furnace and using it fresh and
warm.
Low Moor furnace is re ported in Swank's
Iron and Steel Works of the U. s. as one
stack "a by IS, built in 1880, with four
Whitwell hot-blast stoves; annual capacity,
40, 600 net tons.
Mr.. James Shedding, the efficient furnace
manager at Low Moor, has increased the
economy of production there by his treat
ment OF The "stoye''; after blow he lets
each stove remain closed for an hour, dur
ing which time its inner surface becomes
warm from the heat in its walls, before
turning in the gas again. Before this was
done considerable extra fuel had to be used
for he boilers, now none is required.
After careful enquiry we are perfectly
satisfied that iron is now made al heaply
at Low Moor as at any point in the South
or in any portion of this country. Its
operations have settled the question that
Contra! Virginia can produce more aud
better iron for the same money than any
other gion in the Union, and then when
such iron is made it can cheaply reach sew
eral good markets.