Year: 1867

w e nave received the following nfgnly
interesting communication from promi-
nent citizen Of Virginia. The operations
for converting iron ore into steel are car
ried on in the rich county of Rockbridge,
which, from its vast mineral resources, is
to become the theatre of grand enter
prises. If the anticipations of the gentle
men who have made the discovery alluded


to are realized, results Of character so
important must follow that we cannot well
imagine limit to their magnitude:


"a VERY IMPORTANT DISCOVERY.


ga very short time ago Messrs. Sibcrt
& Brady perfected their experiments at


Buffalo Forge in manufacturing cast steel,
and Immediately procured patent for
their process of eflecting this very import
ant result. Learning, on a recent visit
to the Rockbridge Alum Springs that
these gentlemen were preparing California
Furnace near that place to manufacture


steel rails Of the ordinary size and weight
Of railroad bars, visited the furnace to
see for myself. | found it arranged for
this work by important alterations in its
| structure, and hands were busy hauling in
iron ore, manganese, and limestone from
abundant mines and quarries within few
hundred yards, and collers were at work


preparing coal for early operations. | will


not undertake to describe the scientific


process by which this wonderful result is


obtained. They have undoubtedly sue
ceeded in making steel Of the best quality,


for miner on the ground told me he was


working with tools made from this new
steel, and it was equal in quality to any


he had ever used. A drill eight feet long,
which he was using in the limestone quar-
ry, was made from an ingot of steel pro-
duced at the Buffalo Forge Works, and he
pronounced it to be of the finest temper
imaginable.


Mr.. Brady informs me that about the
18th instant he expects to put the furnace
in blast, and to run out fullsized, perfect
railroad bars of molten steel into the pre-
pared moulds, just as they now run out pig
metal at ordinary furnaces, and at very
little more cost than ordinary cast iron.
He intends as soon as they are fully at
work to invite iron men from all quarters
Of the country TO visit California Furnace
and witness the operation.


"Who can estimate the Importance Of
this discovery to Virginia and to the whole
country? In the neighborhood of Califor-
MIA Furnace in several counties the noun
tains are almost literally made Of iron ore,


manganese, and limestone, the three i'm
portant mineral elements in this new ma


nufacture. With these and the vast forests


for supplying the carbon all around, why


may not Virginia furnish all the railroads
of the country with steel rails, at even a
less cost than wrought iron is now pro-
| duced, and that will last from twenty-five
to twepty-six times as long as iron rails !?
"The substitution Of steel for iron in
the track and rolling stock of railroads
must effect saving in repairs that will
reduce the cost Of transportation and ira


vel nearly one-half. No man can now fore
tell the consequences Of such result upon
the general business Of the country. The
affairs Of nations in war and peace, on
land and sea, must be largely affected by


such revolution as successful applica-
tion of this discovery will produce in agri-
culture, manufactures, and commerce.
GAS / left the furnace musing over the
subject on my solitary walk to the springs,
and pictured to my mind the mountains


and valleys around yielding up their hid
den treasures to the busy thousands who
will. perhaps, in twenty years, convert that
favored region into the Wales of America,
and Richmond into the Birmingham of the
western world, l could but exclaim,


"s There is life in the old land yeti
"OLD VIRGINIA"