The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-02-12
THE IRON INDUSTRY.
How 1t Can be Made to Pay in
Utah.
FACTS AND FIGURES SHOWN.
The Cost OF Manufacture, and the
Profits in the Business From
a Practical Standpoint

~N VIZ PNODlC VI Oldn l'O'
neglecting their great opportunity, by
DELAYING the establishment of the iron
industry? see by a notice IN late
issue of your enterprising paper that
the citizens of Provo are making an eff
fort in this direction, and having some
what investigated the subject, 1 beg
leave to submit few of my observa-
tons for the benefit of all concerned.
in an early day our pioneers discovered
the largest and richest deposits of iron
ore there is in this world, so far as
known, with vast fields of coal and
lime stone in close proximity, all with
in radius of twelve miles of Cedar
City, Iron County. A few practical men
went to work, built rude blast furnace
ard succeeded in making iron. A COM
pany was then formed with a Pres
ldent, Board of Directors Superlntend
ent, Manager, Secretary, Treasurer and
clerks of numerous grades, all of whom
knew nothing about the smelling pro-
cess of iron. After spending a large
amount, they built a blast furnace in
| shape and dimensions contrary to the
suggestions OF the furnace man, but IT,
sisted that he should make iron from it,
which he could not do, and the result
was failure.
| Next a number of men located forty
to fifty iron claims, and spent tens of
| thousands of dollars in doing assessment
work aud prospecting for coal near Iron
City, organized a company in which
they embodied so large a number of
paid officials that they could never sell
stock enough to pay their salaries; they
utilized small furnace two and half
feet IN the bosh, built for smelling
silver, from which they succeeded IN
running out several hundred tons of
charcoal iron of excellent quality, but
could only run out from one to two
tons in twenty-four hours; the capacity
OF the furnace was so limited that had
the iron sold at fabulous prices il would
have been impossible TO have paid the
expenses the company incurred, so this
establishment failed.
Next an eastern company was formed
which commenced by bringing rolling
mill at great expense, and building a
blast furnace at a cost of upward of
$40, 600 at Ogden; there is iron ore there
but no suitable fuel. A few years ago
Mr.. Jones succeeded in making few
tons of very good iron, similar in every
respect to the iron made in Iron County.
Mr.. Jones told the writer after invest
igating the subject, that Iron County
was the place to make the pig iron, and
Ogden the place for rolling mills, which
would become 4 great centre for distri-
buting.
Here let me say that coal or cheap fuel
is the chief factor in making iron and
steel; for every ton of iron or steel
manufactured into castings. merchant
iron, rails. or machinery, it requires
from two to five tons of coal. The Goals
of Utah are 4 Ignite or semi-lgnite,
and the best there is in Utah is located
in Iron County, cont 1ining only one r.
belliouS element, ana that is sulphur. |
By experiment in making coke with |
such ovens as we have now built, and |
other appliances, We have eliminated |
the sulphur and have succeeded in max !
ing coke suitable for the manufacture |
Of iron. We have several veins of coal, |
one of which by analysis We have ascer- |
tanned only contains tive-tenths of per |
cent. sulphur. In Europe and Eng |
land, by a simple process of eliminating |
the sulphur, q much worse coal IS made |
into coke than any we are obliged to |
use; yet coal, and cheap coal, is all |.
Utah should make her own iron, and |
her resources are such that she could |
make 1t so cheap that she could supply !
all the surrounding States and Terri !
tories; and, in talking with iron masters /
OF experience. all express themselves
with the belief that we should soon find
q market for all one blast furnace could
produce and have TO add to the num-
Der forthwith. The manufacture
OF iron is the industry OF
all other industries, and from the
production OF cheap iron, other indus
tries would follow. Statistics tell us that
between five and six million dollars are
paid out every year in this Territory
for iron and steel and materials made
from them and imported here, which
could lust as well be made in Utah.
Cedar CITY, Iron County, is the best
place for the manufacture OF pig-iron
and heavy castings, because iron ore
IS near, millions of tons already mined,
limestone on the ground, the coal within
six miles. All iron companies build
heir plants as near the coal as possible.
Other branches OF the business might
De located where there are better water
ABILITIES; Provo might have Its rolllng
mill and stove mandatory, being a
distributing center; Salt Lake City
also. and the business of its foundries
would be increased by being able to get
cheaper iron and steel. Ogden might
,ut up its rolling mill that has lain
die so many years, and these could be
established, with manufactures of ma
,hinery, nails, etc. We could make iron
much cheaper than it could be brought
lere. Let Us put few figures together:
Blast furnaces are built to-day with ca
,acity to make from % 10 200 tons OF
ron in tweniy-fonr hours; We build one
ay with Il capacity OF 90 tons.
90 tons OF iron delivered 81 the
furnace By railroad at - " per ,,oo y,
50 tons Of coal Ioe dei ~ s5 ton sOooO
20 tons of lime stone at 81 90, ~ 19 ~
10 laboIinS men to attend furnace 49,
superintendent and clerk 4VV'
TotoI ..... se5OOO
90 tons of pig iron at $500 Per tor $3.50 90
Surprising the capacity of our furnace
vas only twenty-five tons in twenty
our hours:
so tons of ore at 8 90 per ton, S ie5o
Is tons of coal at % 90 per TON 12 % W
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