The evening times., 1900-01-29

NEW ORLEANS, Jan 29-The iron pro-
duction OF the United States will be in
creased very materially this year by the
debris OF war exported from Cuba to the
/ United States. Several hundred thousand
tons of Cuban iron have already been ship
! ped here, most of it the wrec!eage Of the
! war. The junk market is likely to be pro-
! vided with the stuff most OF which was
intended to be used against Americans.
! 1t is one Of the anomalies and surprises
Of war that the immense store of shot
and shell which the Spaniard accumulat-
ed in Cuba for the subjugation of the ma
tives and the annihilation of the Ameri-
! cans should at last find it's way to this
country to be made into plows and other
agricultural implements. Ii Is but an
other version of the Roman adage OF
I turning the sword into reaping hook.
/ number of American dealers in iron.
! convinced from what they saw in the
newspapers that there must be a large
| amount of old iron in Cuba. as the result
/ of, the destructive war there, sent agents
| there to buy up such iron as they could
| find. The result exceeded expectations
Su1o hdS LiltIdlIy Iull OF JUNK ana with
enough old iron 10 keep dozen foundries
at work
single purchaser from Chic. A. o. Say
Ter, found no difficulty IN buying up and
shipping away over g., 900 tons OF old iron
and steel I ne bulk of this was debris of
the war. or rather of the old military sy5-
TEN in Cuba. In Moro and Cabanas for
tresses for instance, MIR. - yler purchased
no less than 1000 tons ol cannon balls.
They were obsolete pTojectiles the old
fashioned round solid shot intended for
the antique muzzle loading guns. Many of
them had been in ne fortresses for dec
AIDES, probably for a century or more piled
up in the old fashioned pyramidal form ]
They were really junk of no value in
modern warfare, and the authorities were
glad to get rid of them at bargain counter
prices. They were shipped to American
foundries and will be made into stoves
and pots and pans.
Next in Importance to the fortresses as
iron mines were the sugar plantations.
There is always a great deal OF Junk on
them as improvements in sugar machinery
induced the planters to get rid of their Old
presses and buy new ones. The war in
creased this junk. for the Cubans aId
Spaniards burnt hundreds CT sugar houses
leaving behind Ony the iron.
Mr. Sayler says that each sugar house
9Iclutu several thousand tons OF IRON.
Much Of this was conveyed to Havana ard
exported TO the United States, but no, one
quarter OF what could have been obtained,
the chief difficulty being the lack of trans /,
portstion and the difficulty OF getting the /
iron to the railroad By which il could be /
taken 10 market. The iron brings little /
and in many cases the owners OF planta- /
tCns were willing 10 it give away to any /
one who would remove IT, Even when en-
the railroad the iron can be purchased al I
fEGm s. 50 to 20 ton
Next In Importance to the plantations as
d source of old iron are the three military
rochas built across the island by General |
Weyler. They are now dismantled and
are yielding a large quantity OF railroad
iron. most OF which is being shipped TO
the United States. The blockhouse5 erect
ed along the line of the trochas and the
railroads also contain a good deal CT o.
iron. several Of them being entirely plated
ard made ironclad with old railroad iron,
which protected the Spanish soldiers with !
in from bullets.
The purchase of iron in Cuba and its
shipment &c the United States has tenn
porarily ceased. because the marketing Of
the sugar crop is keeping the railroads aud
the teamsters and leaders generally busy;
but ii vii! begin again in the spring as
soon as all the crops are marketed and
in spite OF the large amount OF iron ex-
ported from Cuba. the supply there is said
TO be scarcely touched. The island has
been accommodating old iron for a couple
Of centuries. and. being without foundries. |
it has no market or sale for Ii.