The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1885-08-20
CScientific Americana
NIL

looked upon as satisfactory. Ii cir
cumstantial evidence goes for any
thing, therecent amicable settlement
of labor difficulties in the Pittsburgh
district and the West indicates letter
feeling among manufacturers if not an
actual revival of long stagnant in
dustry. Owing to the almost deplor-
able condition of the market during
the past year, the manufacturers
found themselves paying rates for
labor unwarranted by the scales of
profits, and they determined, when the
scales Of wages should be adjusted on
the 1st of June for the present year,
to insist on reduction. The result
was a general strike of the men and
the shutting down of the mills.
Later on the demands of the men for
last years scales were acceded to with
some trifling changes, and the whole
district blossomed once more into life.
Considering the reiterated COM
plants of the manufacturers, based
upon facts and figures, that there was
no profit in iron making at the old
rates, there was something strange in
their sudden acquiescence, and for
time it looked as though only those
mills having large contracts untitled
would fire up. But it very soon be-
came apparent that this was not the
case.
The whole iron making community
Of Pittsburg and the West seemed, of
sudden, to see signs ahead that war;
ranted them in paying rates which,
but a short time before, they had
refused to consider seriously. It is
possible that besides the chance of a
good market in the autumn, they saw
a means of reducing the cost of man
ufacture by the use Of natural gas, a
fuel which is now used throughout
the Pittsburg district in lieu of coal.
However that may be, the iron mills
are now actively engaged in turning
out iron to meet the expected demand.
The present condition of the mar
ket, though this. of course, is not to
be taken as an index to what is to be
three months hence, may be looked
upon as unusual, If not extraordinary.
The quality of iron reaching the mar
ket is not up to the mark, and far in
excess of the demand, and yet there is
ready sale at good figures for the
best grades, and not enough of the
latter to go round.
The bugaboo concerning cheap
Southern iron, which for time crea-
ted not little CONSERVATION among
Western and Eastern ironmakers, has
at last disappeared, and those enthusi-
astic persons who have been writing
to the press about the cheapness of
iron manufactured in the South, and
naming ridiculously low figures at
which it could, with profit, be placed
on Northern markets, may now turn
their attention to other and more
promising themes.
The American Institute of Mining
Engineers performed a valuable ser
vice when, through their president,
Mr.. J. G. Bayles, they made a search
ing investigation into the facts con-
cerning iron manufacture in the
| South.
Before the meeting Of the society
at Chattanooga Mr.. Bayles said:
When the red fossil ores Of Alabama
were first in demand, they were taken
off the Red Mountain outcrop, and of
course gave strength and encouraged
The statement that vast quantities of
ore were in sight and required no
mining. They panned out 50 per
cent virgin iron, though giving no
trouble whatever in mining. In esti-
mating the cost of producing iron
from these ores, it was assumed that
two tons of ore to the ton of iron
| would be needed. and that the ore at
the furnace would not cost more than
sixty cents per ton. But Of this sur
face ore the quantity is comparatively
limited. To secure supply, mining
below the surface is necessary, and as
we go deeper we find that the ore
becomes harder and more difficult to
mine, as well as leaner in iron, averag-
ing only about forty percent. When
operations began, good miner could
easily mine eight to ten tons of the
soft surface ore day without explo-
sives, but it requires good hand to
mine four tons Of the hard ore in a
day, even with liberal use of forty
per cent dynamite. Consequently,
instead Of making ton Of iron with
two tons Of ore, costing one dollar and
twenty cents, it requires two and two
fifths tons of ore, costing about two
dollars and forty cents per ton of iron.
For furnaces so situated that rail-
road haul is necessary. twenty-five
cents per ton must be added. bringing
the cost of ore up to about three dol
lars per ton of iron, or one dollar and
eighty cents more than the original
estimates. There is plenty Of ore in
Red Mountain, but it is not all avail
able. It's quality varies as much as
its quantity. Much Of it is so silicious
as to have no present value. Accord
ing to the best information can gain,
the red fossil ores used at all the coke
furnaces in Alabama carry an average
of seventeen per cent SILICA, and the
percentage increases as greater depths
are reached. The surface ore contains
but little lime, while the hard ore
contains from fifteen to thirty per
cent. In this variation is found the
explanation of much of the difficulty
by furnace managers in
Alabama. The greatest care is neces-
sary to keep the surface ore and the
hard ore separate, and the burden
must be changed frequently. Hence
lime sets and scaffolds are very COM
mon, and the time lost by reason of
these almost unavoidable accidents
would turn a Nothern furnace man
ayers hair gray in a very brief period.
taking into consideration the
quality of the red fossil ores of Ala
bama, the most favorable Of this dis
trict, the quality of ore for coking,
the inconveniently placed location Of
and the troublesome labor
questions, I have the best and most
as well as the most con-
servative local authority for calcula-