107 



annually. The Barrow works are now producing over 300,000 

 tons ; the North Lonsdale Smelting Company, at Ulverston, about 

 80,000 tons ; the Askham Furnaces, from 60,000 to 80,000 tons ; 

 and Carnforth Furnaces, from 80,000 to 100,000 tons : making 

 the total production of the district at the present time somewhat 

 over 550,000 tons. 



The great drawback to the Furness District is, that it is entirely 

 without coal ; and the problem to be solved was, whether it was 

 cheaper to take ore to coal, or to bring coke, made out of coal, to 

 the ore. The result has proved that it is cheaper to bring the 

 coke to ore, and hence the successful erection of iron works in the 

 Furness District. 



As soon as the railway was in progress, it became evident that 

 more scientific means of raising the ore must be used. Engines 

 were erected, shafts were sunk deeper, and the water pumped in 

 large quantities. And here we may observe that the difference in 

 the quantity of water in various districts is very great. The 

 Lindale Moor mines have comparatively little water ; but to the 

 south end of Whitriggs, passing into the royalty worked by the 

 Lindale Cote Company, the quantity is comparativ.ely large, rising 

 up to 1200 gallons per minute. At Mousell the quantity of water 

 is very small, and engines of a very small power only are necessary 

 to keep the mine clear. At Park, also, the quantity of water is 

 small, and during the bulk of the year does not exceed two hundred 

 and fifty gallons per minute, and the largest quantity of water ever 

 known has not exceeded five hundred gallons per minute ; while 

 at the extreme south end of the district, in the Stank mines and 

 the adjoining royalty of Yarlside, the quantity of water amounts to 

 4,000 gallons per minute, and after a wet season has exceeded 

 5,000 gallons per minute. 



The future of these Low Furness mines is problematic. Fresh 



discoveries are occasionally made, and ore is continually being 



found laterally ; and hitherto, except in a few cases, the mines 



have increased in depth, and ore still is found. But it seems 



_^ pretty evident that in all cases, after a certain depth, which is at 



H> present unknown, but which probably will not exceed one himdred 



1 



