Mechanics. 361 



city of the Scottish people, that when truly embarked in this 

 mode of operation, the greatest possible use would be made 

 of it : and he would not be surprised to see heat let out, like 

 mill-power, for burning bricks and other similar purposes. 

 He felt, however, anxious that the application should be 

 made under the superintendance of competent parties, as he 

 had known several instances where the plan had been aban- 

 doned from difficulties that might easily have been surmounted 

 under proper directions. He was quite aware that, by the 

 plan he had pursued, the utmost heat was not extracted from 

 the gases ; and that, by different means, a temperature 

 might be obtained capable of performing all the operations 

 of the forge ; and if it be true that the solid carbon of the 

 furnace in its escape, as carbonic oxide, would unite with 

 another dose of oxygen for saturation, there could be little 

 doubt that, with properly constituted gas furnaces, there was 

 enough at present passing off to convert the pig iron into bar 

 iron. He hoped some of the iron-masters of Scotland would 

 follow up this hint effectually with regard to the remaining 

 processes required for making malleable iron. He observed 

 that the saving at the Dundyvan Iron Works was stated to 

 be about \\ tons for each ton of iron produced. Supposing, 

 therefore, 600,000 tons of iron to be the produce of Scotland, 

 and supposing the value of the coal used to be 3s. a ton, the 

 saving that would thus be effected on the make of Scotland 

 would amount to £112,500 a year ; to which might be added 

 £20,000 a year of saving in wages and repairs, which would 

 make a total saving of £132,500, or about 4s. 5d. a ton on 

 the produce of Scotland, which, on the present price of 44s. 

 per ton, was about 10 per cent, on the value. If the gaseous 

 escape could be extended to the uses of the forge, a farther 

 saving of three tons of coal would be effected — ^thus making, 

 at least, a saving of 20s. a ton on all the iron manufactured 

 into bars, sheets, and rails. 



