Connecticut western news., 1885-10-28
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2S, 1885.
CHARCOAL IRON WORKERS.

Their Sixth Annual Meeting-A Bc-
 IightfuI Excursion to the $ Salisbury
 Iron" Region.
 The sixth annual meeting of the United States association of charcoal iron workers was held at the Park Ave nue hotel, New York city, Tuesday and Wednesday, October 20 and 21. A large delegation was present from Penn sylvania, New York and Connecticut; Delaware, Maryland Alabama, Tennessee Ohio and Michigan were well represent ed. Many members from the ex- treme southern and western states who attended the annual meeting held at Chattanooga, Tenn. three years ago, were unable to be present. Their ab- sence was greatly regretted, both from scientific and social standpoint.
 The proceedings on Tuesday were as follows: At 5P.M., meeting of the board of managers in the secretary's room. At 8.30P.M. opening session; Jas c. Bayles, honorary member of the association and president of the American institute of mining engineers, delivered an address of welcome. A very interesting paper, "Data of furnace work and manufacture of iron, was read by George D. Colby. By enquiries, reports, discussion, etc., about the various methods of making iron much valuable information was gained.
 At Wednesdays session John A. Wei mer of Pennsylvania read @ scientific paper, ttHot blast stoves" The paper was illustrated by drawings, clearly showing the construction and operation. Mir Fernow read very valuable paper on Preservation of forests. MT - read paper giving valuable informa- tion about 'Blast tuyers for blast fur naces." Discussion and routine busi- ness occupied the balance of the ses- sions during the day. The evening was devoted to entertainment, and the occa- sion was very pleasant and social one, quite number of the members being accompanied by their wives and daugh- ters.
 THE EXCURSION
 At 8 o'clock on Thursday morning the party left the Grand Central depot on an excursion to the Salisbury iron" region. At Bridgeport the special train which President Barnum of the Housa- tonic road had kindly placed at the disposal of the excursionists, was in waiting. Leaving Bridgeport at 10 o'clock rapid run was made to New Milford, where halt was made to take on board Q party of friends from Lake vile, Salisbury, Canaan, Falls Village and Lime Rock, who had just arrived by the train from the north and who came down the road to meet the excur- sionists and accompany them on their tour of the Salisbury iron region. At Kent Furnace the train stopped half an hour. The furnace was inspected and the visitors were given their first lesson Tn ''How the Yankees make iron."
 At Amesville a short halt was made, giving the excursionists an opportunity to view the grand and beautiful Housa- tonic falls, which are a rival of Niagara falls. The visitors wondered why this almost unlimited water power is not utilized; all strangers wonder at it. It really is great pity that such mighty force is permitted to run to waste, es- pecially when so much capital was ex- pended years ago in constructing the Immense acQueducts, which, had they been used, Falls Village to-day would have eclipsed Holyoke or even Lowell, Mass
 Arriving at Canaan about l o'clock the entire party proceeded to the War ner house and did justice to Landlord Warmers splendid lunch In the mean time the train was transferred to the H. c. w. railroad. After lunch the par ty, re-enforced by a delegation from Canaan and East Canaan, re-entered the cars and were conveyed to Barnum, Richardson company's furnaces at East Canaan. Here the second and third lessons in iron making were studied. These furnaces are substantially built, well equipped, and everything conven- lently arranged to save labor in hand ling the stock and product. Although differing materially in construction, one being 32-feet stack with open top, the other 40-feet stack with closed top, vet they produce about the same amount and grade of iron. Each furnace is capable of making 120 or more tons per week, yet they are not driven 10 their full capacity, the desire being to make uniform grade of iron, as will be seen by the record of the closed top furnace for the week ending October IF, the output beiny 1O2 tons, 98 of which was No or car wheel iron.
 The ''Old Hill'' mine at Ore Hill in the town of Salisbury was next visited, the train arriving there at 3.3O P. M. This world-renowned mine has been worked,we were about to say from time 1mmemorial, for nearly if not quite century and a half, but the quality of the ore increases as greater depths are reached. Until within a few years the mine has been worked in primitive way and often from 70 to 100 feet depth of earth was removed in order to follow the veins of ore. This was slow and expensive process, as all the earth as well as ore was drawn out of the mine by horses and carts, and often after working many months to remove an immense bank of earth enough ore was not discovered to compensate for re- moving the soil. About four years ago it was decided to sink shaft and pros- r,act for ore. Vast sums were exuended