The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-04-05
THE IRON OF WASHINGTON.

all the good iron in the United States Is
that recently purchased la the Lake SUI
perior country By parties who are reput-
ed TO be In the interest of the Standard
OIL Company. IL is a demonstrated fact
that the deposits of high grade oge in
, that country are so large as TO be almost
incomprehensibie, and it has also been
demonstrated that Il can be mined and
marketed al figures so low as to be
almost beyond belief. The greater por-
ton OF the Lake Superior iron ores come
within the Bessemer limit-that is, high
In metallic iron. low In sulphur. phos-
phorus and siliea-and Ia well adapted
TO the manufacture of the highest grade
steel. now being used so extensively In
the great structural works of the country.
entering into the manufacture OF ship
plates. ordnance. bridges and the i'm
mense modern business and Office build
ings that are to be found In all the cities
of the Union OF any pretens!on- Water
transportation Is great factor In the
handling OF these iron ores. and the ca
pacious freight steamers. constructed al
most exclusively with the view to trans
porting the iron from the bunkers on
Lake Superior TO those on the shores Of
these Bessemer ores down in Pittsburg
at an expense not exceeding SIS to 50
per ton. This Is where the high grade
iron meets the cheaper coke for Its re-
ductIon and manufacture into merchant
able material. and 1t has made II possi-
BILE for the iron furnaces of Pittsburg
aud vicinity to hold their own with the
competing furnaces OF Alabama. where
low grade non Bessemer Is produced.
While I; Is candidiy admitted that Lake
superiors high grade ores have reyo-
iutlonized the iron business In the East,
by reason of their abundance. superiority
and cheapness. 1t should be remembered
that they cut no figure on the western
coast OF America. for they are not in IL
here. Neither does the question OF tariff
control Railroad tariff. however. does
control. and 10 the advantage OF the
Pacific coas. when this country is In posi-
ton To use the raw material that now
awaits IL TO convert IL into merchandise
material.
Michigan. Wisconsin and Minnesota are
not the only states In the Union possessed
OF inexhaustible deposits OF Bessemer
ores. Washington also lays claim 10 ma
teriai equally as good. with bodies quite
as extensive and equally accessible. with
the further advantage OF having the fuel
In touch with the material 10 be reduced.
These deposits. while they are not in
headed or blanket veins. where steam
scoops are said TO have supplanted pick,
shovel and hand labor entirely. are stu
ated at such convenient angle IN the
mountains as TO make mining quite as
cheap. IL Is estimated that these Wash
ingtoa BesSemer ores can he laid down
at tide water at about s2.5o per ton. or
less than the Lake Superior ores are
transported from the mines by way OF
the Great Lakes 20 the furnaces at Pitts
burg.
The conditions are all favorable for the
production OF iron and steel in Wash
ington: the raw material Is here I'm the
| greatest abundance. the coke and coal
for the reduction are here In equal ahund-
! ance, while the fuxcs can be had for the
| qnarrying Skilled and unskIlied labor
| can be had herein fact, there are thou
sands OF willing hands that would gladly
work at fair living prices. Iron AMI
steel can be made as cheaply on Puget
| Sound as In any other portion OF the
United States; this Il the testimony OF
men who have spen. years In iron max
| ing and the building and managing Of
large iron aud steel plants; II IS the opin-
! ION OF men who have made iron their
/ ufe's study. and who have personally ex-
arnincd the field and made careful and
| honest examination.
In limited and primitive way iron
has been made on thts coast. near Port
| land and IN the vicinity OF Port Town
/ send. Both plants were charcoal furn-
aces che Portland furnace obtaining low
/ grade iron at oswego. on the Willamette.
/ while the Port Townsend furnace OBJ
/ tainea its supply from Texaaa and the
/ skarft. The outpu; Of these establish
/ rnenss formed domestlc market az good
I prlces. hut the ccSt ~ production with
/ The methods employed was rot satlsfac-
I tory
! with modern methods and modern furn-
/ aces the result would prove entirely Gf-
/ ferent ard perfectly satisfactory. To es-
| .aalssh works Of this description requires
/ orxa nsxea capital. backed ny experience.
| THE question naturally arises. Where
| could a market Re found for tire outpat
| or a furnace - such msgnitudsr" TIE
| question IS sassGy answered by consult
ins a map and Studying the tributary
s,,untrv. 1t - true That TIRE immediate
country Is sparsely settled ana thai the
/ governments estimate 81 the consamp-
/ ton cf 30 pounds 90 iron % every In
/ haes,ant. would hardly hold coed or Ap-
.lv here. a. the same tinie thc circle can
1 Re wliezsed and = greater area irehaaed.
I u Is no, coaansa so che tide Hires 81 The
/ PAcsae On the Washington shores. tt can
I reach oft and beyond
waite examining the map u nav hs
ven 20 name the countries mat would
/ sHer,f an excellent market Tor ire iroa
/ saf Steel produced BY the nlosscrn f0rE-
/ aces ~ Washington. .nciudiaE this fair
| state. g, Is weal-so toclu5s Il nesxhbors.
/ making sas Rocky mountains the divi3-
1 saz fne. SD concsilng all east % thai
/ to Esstsga manufactures. Returning
west. the coast e followed. and IL en-
! hrAees callfeeuss. AexIcS. csntrAl Amer