New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-24
IRON SMELLING IN DULUTH.
THE POSSIBILITY OF A PROFITABLE NEW
INDUSTRY.
FIGURES THAT SHOW THE ADVANTAGE OF IT'LL

IZING MINNESOTA ORES AT HOME
Duluth Mimi. Nov. Is i.;peciaD.-The POSSIBLE
itv of successfully operating large smelling plants
i'm Duluth IL OF intense interest not only 10 resi-
dents OF this city. but to all who are interes'eu
in iron manufacturing In the East. all who ho'd
mining properties on the Minnesota ranges ana
| To the great market west OF here. Such d s'ep
would result In no decrease OF shipments east
ward from Two Harbors or Duluth. Mesabi and
vermilion arc perfectly capable of producing
fully double their present output Of ore and with
experts prophesying a consumption In l'oo oi
90 900 900 tons of iron and steel there need be no
donression of the Eastern market by manufact-
I Dire mere Regarding Two Harbors. Duluth ana
/ SUPERIOR as practically a single port, the con-
/ tinued shipment East OF at least three million
/ tons of ore may be counted on. This years snip
ment has been nearer fou million-3,69S,l50 tons
to November /. To learn what amount or ore
could best be smeted here and with what econ
omv Il is necessary to consider the materials re-
oujred their proportion and the cost of assem-
bling as compared with that al Cleveland.
On liberal allowance of material, the furnace
charge for Mesabi ores, according to improved
methods requires roughly. of coke one ton, lime
stone half ton or slightly less, Of ore 1.6 tons
or little less to produce ton of iron. To take
a ton of ore from here to Cleveland costs 81, re-
this alter for any cause other than temporary
disturbance like moving of grain, the return
freghts would alter proportionately, and any
conclusions reached on this basis would not be
changed with the exception that, broadly
speaking the ra ito between west and east bound
freights will gradually increase as years go by
owing to increase of grain production. probable
development of cattle shipm ents by lake ana
other causes of slow change. These would tend To
Increase eastward freghts as compared with
westward making conditions increasingly favor
able to smelling here. Development or deep
waterways to the Atlantic would operate more
strongly but I'm the same direction.
Take then. 81 on ore from Duluth to Cleveland
as the basis Of consideration, and the question
becomes: What will ii cost to bring to Duluth
tho limestone and coke necessary TO smelt this
ton of ore-that is 624 tons coke and .9lS tons
llmcstone?' The difficulty Of high rail- freight
in bringing coke from Pennsyva la Immediately
presents itself and were this unavoidable 1t
would be fatal to the project. Practical attempts
have shown that water transportation Of coke In
large quantity is extremely wasteful, especially
with such soft coke as is produced in this country.
But the coal may be brought to Duluth and
cooked here Just as well as at the coal field. The
abrasion will then do no harm, as the coal dust
can be entirely used. and the process of coking
will serve to cement 1t. Boats returning empty
are glad 10 obtain coal cargoes at slight profit
and would willingly accept return freight OF 40
cents to 30 cents ton. The charges of trimming
and handling both here and in Cleveland being
about equal for ore and coal cancel each other
The coking will cost no more here than at
Connelsville, and the excess of gases driven or.
the part employed as fuel in the process,
could be utilized at the furnace for generating
power. The by-products-ammonla, etc.-would
find an excellent market here, and with the
added profit Of manufacture nearer the point
Of consumption. ton of coke requires nearly
10 tons Of coal. so that the ton Of ore would
require the transportation OF 1888 tons Of coal.
AS to limestone. suppose the nearest supply
available to be at Kelly Island. Lake Erie. For
the cost of quarrying. 40 cents. handling. 10
cents. and lake freight . cents would be liberal
allowances or these expenses. the first two are
equally necessary to obtain the material at
Cleveland. Fifty cents a ton them expresses
the disadvantage OF Duluth SC far as limestone
is concerned. We have, therefore. freight on
coal and limestone each, 30 cents a ton or, for
"a coal. AZ cents; for .3l4 tons limestone,
15.7 cents; total cost for smelling material of
not So cents for each ton Of iron ore. The econo-
my IL apparent.
Now. as to the amount Of that could be
smelted under these conditions This depends
upon the shipment of ore down the lakes and
the returning "empties" provided Remember
ing that owing to difference in bulk of the
same weight ore vessel can carry but about
three-fourths It's net tonnage in coal. and, con-
&c tons (coaD and .l57 tons QimestOne). or l25
tons TO transport for each ton OF ore used here.
This would require a net return tonnage OF about
1856 for each ton smelted On the basis OF 3,0OO,-
900 tons sent east. making an allowance OF about
500 O00 tons OF coal returned for other purposes.
100000 tons could prohtably be smelted at or
near Duluth. The saving to consumers in
Duluth and States west OF this city would not
only be the difference Of production cost but
also the lake freight on the finished product
large factor. about 50 ton.
Other facts tend additionally to recommend
the partial utilizing Of ore here. These furnaces
would be less affected by such temporary dis
turbances as are created by heavy eastward
movement OF grain in the fall. 1t would be to
the interest OF the railroad companies. with
s. 100000 Of capital otherwise lying idle during
the winter, to offer these furnaces specially low
freight rates rs inducement to stock up their ore
during that time. when lake shipment is prevent
ed. II would be to the interest Of the mines
To- dispose OF their cheapy during
the winter, not merely for a like reason. but
also 10 save the cost Of making and reloading
stock piles. Under these conditions. the open
cut mines would be on more equal winter foot
ing with those underground. and the employ
ment Of labor. both railroad and mining, be
more assured and active throughout the year.
BY stocking up a reserve Of coke or coal and
limestone during the times of heavy eastward
lake shipments the Duluth furnaces would be
enabled To handle the continued output OF the
mines. when lack of beats OF conditions Of navi-
cation prevented the delivery OF ore at Ceve-
land. This would make Mesabi mining much
more economical as one great cause OF eX-
pense is the irregularity Of shipment.
Objection has been made to winter blasting
here. on the ground of exceedingly low tenn
peiature and loss OF heat from furnace. As a
matter Of fact these very conditions most
favorable, low temperature reduces the water
content Of the enormous quantities Of air re-
CURED for the hot blasts. cold weather renders
that air more easily heated, and actual practice,
for that reason, demonstrates the economy OF
cOd-weather blasting. the specific heat Of water
being much higher than that OF air.
That attempts already made 10 operate fur !
naces and steel plants I'm Duluth have failed |
to obtain coke by rail and thus avoid the extra
expense Of installing coke plant. Apparently !
the opportunities for enterpris'ng investment OF |
large capital in Minnesota still far from |
exhausted but to be successful in this particu- |
lar case there must DE hesitation over ex-
pense OF installation. That false economy has |