56 GEOLOGICAL REPORT. 



" The old log furnace was simple in its construction, and 

 easily built. After the smelting of one charge, about 5,000 

 pounds of ore, the furnace was cooled, and after the removal of 

 the ashes, which were rich in lead, it was again charged. 



" When, after repeated smeltings with the log furnace, a suffi- 

 cient quantity of ashes had been accumulated, these were wash- 

 ed to separate the wood from the mineral ashes, when these 

 last were smelted in an ash furnace. 



" The slag, from both the reverberatory furnace and Scotch 

 hearth is washed and cleaned, and re-smelted in a slag furnace. 



"At present there are but three lead furnaces in operation in 

 Franklin county. 



"Gallaher's Furnace, T. 41 N., R. 1 W., Sec. 19. It is the 

 Scotch hearth, and the blast is produced by water-power. 

 This furnace has been in operation but two years. All the 

 mineral and slag smelted here came from Franklin county, ex- 

 cepting a lot of 1,900 pounds. Most of the slag came from 

 the Virginia Mine, and Hebbler and Chapman's Furnace. 



" Amount of lead made at this furnace, according to the state- 

 ment furnished me by Mr. Gallaher, was, for 



1853 700 pigs, average of 72 Ibs. each 50,400 



1854 600 " " " " 36,000 



" At the Virginia Mines are two furnaces ; only one, however, 

 has, I believe, been in operation since the Meramec Company 

 ceased operations, and this has been under the control of 

 I. Nash Inge. 



" Inge's Furnace. According to the statement furnished me 

 by Messrs. Patridgc & Co., the agents of Mr. Inge, the follow- 

 ing amounts of lead were made at this furnace, from 1849 to 

 1854: 



PIGS. POUNDS. 



1849, from 20th June 202, weighed 13,574 



1850, " " 3,237, " 196,744 



1851, " " 1,229, " 80,606 



1852, " " 277, " 18,630 



1853, " " 613, " 39,989 



1854, " " 85, " 5,557 



" Voile and Skewes' Furnace, at Cove Mine. At this fur- 

 nace has been smelted only the ore obtained from the mines of 



