Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-11-07

made by the chemist of one of the largest
steel works in Pennsylv ania, through the
courtesy of one of the proprietors, with
whom discussed this subject recently and
who was 10th to credit the existence of any
such mineral in our state until l forwarded
him the sample in ques ton, and who in his
letter conveying the certificate of analysis
speaks of it in the highest terms.
To proper underst anding of the value
and importance of this rare mineral to our
state it is necessary to take into considera-
ton its nature and the amount of it availa-
Bile for commercial purposes. Apart from
its high percentage of metallic iron lover
two-thirds) is possesses the valuable prop
erty of being practically free from phos-
phorus, which admits of its being con-
verted into steel by the Bessemer process,
which is, briefly, the forcing of draught
of atmospheric air through the converter
containing the molten metal, and the addi-
ton of a slight dose of manganese, and
which costs but little more than making
pig-iron from common, low-grade ore. The
main source of supply of this class OF ore
for the United States is the Lake Superior
region of Northern Michigan, whence it is
shipped all over the country, in many in
stances over a thousand miles, Pittsburg
alone consuming large quantities annually.
An examination of the following figures
taken from the last census bulletin No. 113
will be instructive in this connection:
Iron ore produced Qong tons) in 1889, A.
1901; in 1879, 7,120, 1862.
The four leading states out of twenty-six
states and territories producing ore were:
Long tons.
Michigan 1856, 1863
LhiAoiiiia. =. 800 40.
pennsylvania. 80. ...........-... l,ooO,Sot
New York. l,z4',55'
Total, 1919 per cent, or. IL, 234. 259
Which shows Michigan as producing over
one-third of the entire output of the coun-
try, and which also shows the estimation
in which her ores are held and the demand
for them. notwithstanding their high cost
at the mines, which is set down at an
average of S2.66 per ton, while the ores
from Alabama, Tennessee, Virginia and
West Virginia are given at an average of
Sl.2 per ton.
Coming down to the present year "En-
gineering News" high authority on such
subjects, says: 'sIhe Lake Superior re-
giOns shipped 7,500,0 900 tons of ore last year,
as compared with 4, zoe, 900 tons in 1887, and
the returns for this year will be S,5OO,0O0
tons,' all of which goes to show the rapid
increase of this industry anu the especially
rapid increase in the output and demand
for the Michigan ores.
Taking the output of Michigan for this
year at s, 600 tons, of the average value
of 8. &c per ton, as given by the census bull
letin above quoted, we have the handsome
sum of So, 60 900 which Michigan receives
for this one product alone.
That we have high-grade Bessemer ores
in Texas, equal to anything produced in
Michigan or anywhere else, is, believe,
now conceded by those who have examined
and are familiar with the subject. The
next question is how to utilize them.
In this connection we have very i'm
portant advantage inasmuch as Texas can
furnish the coke to Smelt her own ores.
The coal measures of the Southwest extend
ing down through the Indian Territory pass
within seveuty-tive miles to the Northwest
ofssthis city. Late tests and developments so
to show beyond question the value and i'm
portance of this coal 1 have personally
tested it for collng and have samples of
the coke and coal now at my Office, the coke
being bright and hard, aud evidently
capable of carrying a heavy load suita BILE
for smelling purposes.
From a study of the conditions as above
outlined there is no apparent reason why
Texas should not become Stcel-producing
state on large scale, and it would seem to
me that Fort Worth is exceptionally well
located to handle her share of it for several
reasons, to-wit.
l. A short extension of the Fort Worth
and Rio Grande railway would put her
within less than two hundred miles by rail
of the Llano ore.
q She has coking coal within seventy
five miles of her.
3. She has eleven lines of railway radiat.
ing from here TO deliver the manufactured
product, and if it pays to haul the Lake
Superior ore all over the country to Pitts
burg and other places over a thousand
miles distant, l see no reason why it is not
feasible to haul the Llano ore 200 miles and
the coke to smelt it seventy-five miles.
Very respectfully, M. L. LYNCH,
Civil Engineer