Chambers. — New Zealand Ironsands. 227 



» 



necessary to keep the furnace hot over Sunday, was 3-21 tons, which works 

 out to 38-6 cwt. per ton of blooms. We feel quite safe in saying that with 

 continuous working the conversion of the ore can be effected at under 

 30 cwt. of coal per ton of iron, and that all the heat and firing required 

 by the whole process can be supplied by the waste heat from the furnace 

 and retorts in the use of that weight of coal. This is even with the direct 

 use of coal ; but with the most improved gas regenerative furnace not only 

 will the amount of coal be very largely reduced, but much inferior fuel 

 may be used. 



" Keeping in view all the above points, we have no hesitation in saying 

 that the process has been shown to be profitable, but to what extent we 

 are yet unable to say. We trust, however, that this interim report will be 

 of service to you." 



It was estimated the cost of manufacture would be as follows :— 



Cost of 3 tons of ironsand at works, at 6s. 8d. per 

 ton 



30 cwt. coal at works . . 



Carbon for retorts 



Puddling, per ton 



Shingling, rolling into puddle-bars, weighing, shear- 

 ing, piling, reheating, and rolling into 1 in. bars 10 



Engine-driver's time, millwright, bricklayers, &c, 



and incidental expenses . . . . . . 10 



£5 

 Add 25 per cent, for establishment charges, depre- 

 ciation on plant . . . . . . ..150 



Cost per ton . . . . ..£650 



When the furnace was working during April the works were visited by 

 Mr. Pearson, of Pearson, Knowles, and Co., of Warrington, who took a 

 great interest in the work, and said the process represented the greatest 

 advance of the present age. At the same time they had another distin- 

 guished visitor — Mr. Sydney Gilchrist Thomas, of London, inventor of the 

 basic process which did so much to cheapen the cost of manufacturing 

 steel. He declared that for the first time he had seen wrought iron made 

 direct from ore, and it was what all ironmasters had been trying to do for 

 a century. He was prepared and wished to enter into a contract for the 

 purchase of 5,000 tons of blooms per annum. 



As a result of the visits of these two men and the favourable reports 

 obtained from all quarters it was resolved to form a company with a capital 

 of £200,000, made up of 40,000 £5 shares : of these, 9,103 were subscribed 

 by the public, leaving a balance of 30,897 ; the paid-up capital being 

 £45,515. The total expenditure was about £58,000, the plant and build- 

 ings costing £34,329. 



The company proposed to order sufficient material and plant for the 

 erection of ten deoxidizers and furnaces. A rolling plant was ordered from 

 Messrs. Walker, Eaton, and Co., of Sheffield, who supplied an 18 in. forge- 

 train with squeezer, pendulum shears, and engines, a 14 in. and 10 in. 

 merchant mill, hot-saw, two shingling-hammers (each of 50 cwt.), and all 

 necessary gear for a complete works to turn out 30 cwt. of bar iron or rolls 

 per day. Four Lancashire boilers and four Wilson gas-producers were 



