2«(5 IRISH INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION. [1853 



going on. This process, therefore, docs not materially differ from winds through a course of 247 miles, through fiells whose fertility 



close distillation, a saving of fuel being the chief recommendation, cannot be excelled. Here and there it expands into lakes, or 



The principal products that result from this distillation consislusf more pro];erly into inland seas. Lough Allen, in the centre of 



sulphate of ammonia, acetate of lime, naphtha, fixed and volatile the iron-fields, covei's an area of 9000 acres, and is still very in- 



oil, and a substance called para.ffine, which resembles bees'-wax ferior in size to Lough Derg or Lough Ree. Here every op- 



in its outward appearance. It is more brittle, and has a very ]iortuniiy is offered for inland navigation, and the che:ip cari'iage 



singular smell ; but it is applicable to nearly the same uses. of goods. This splendid river rises among the coal-fields of 



in T-. 1 -1 •.■ • J. 1 /■ 1 .■/. • 1 /• 1 Connaucrht, and cuts throuQ-h the centi'e of the Munster coal 



The Exhibition possesses specimens of turf and artificial fue , fo,„,,.i °,. g^t ,ti,l r^, ^jvantacres exist. It frequently 



and a collec ion of the principal chemical products of turf, wnich ^ ^j^^^ ^j^^ i,.^,^ ^ j,^^ limestone used in smelting it, and 



will not fail to mterest he visitor, and perhaps cause him to ^j,^ '^^^.,, .,,^^, ,f ^^^^ t„rf ,,■„,. t,,^ „,,nnfoet„re of charcoal), 



reflect, as he passes over the extensive wastes of bog in the Sister ^n ^^.^^ j„ ^.j^^ ^^^^ ^^-^^ -^ ^^^ ^^^^^^ , . ^ ^ ,.^.^^, ^^^^ 



Isle, upor. the possible future that may yet be m store tor Ireland ; ^g.^,.^^^ ^^ ^,,^^ ^ ^j^^ ,,.^,,^jj ^^^^ ^^._^^^^. _ 



when science will transioira these solitary morasses into mmes ^ ^ 



of wealth — dift'using industry and happiness, where not long iir. — iron. 



since famine and misery held undisputed sway ! t n ^ iji-i- • ^ ^t i j 



■' i • Iron was formerly worlced extensively in various parts of Ireland. 



jj_ pQ^^j^ ^j^-jj ANTHKiciTE. ^^ ^''''''' *""^ *^^^ couutry was covered with timber, principally 



oak, and as there were few roads and no other market for the 



Coal in Great Britain, fills the important position we ha\e ac- timber, it was sold for a trifling sum at the mouths of the iron 

 corded to turf m Ireland. It possesses little beauty to attract, mine5. The abundance of timber, and its cheapness led to tlie 

 and derives all its value from its utility alone. It is to coal that establishment of a number of smelting furnaces, and a o-i-eat 

 England is principally indebted, for her commercial gi-eatness. amount of prosperity succeeded, but unfortunately, with that im- 

 Without it the mightj' steam-engine would be an inert mass of providence that appeared (we hope it no longer exists) to mar 

 iron — our railroads would not exist — our steamers would not every enterprise connected with Ireland, each one felled and con- 

 plough the deep. The jirineipal coal-mines of England are sumed the timber, but none planted. No one reflected that 

 generally well known, and specimens cf their produce are to be the su]>ply of full-grown oak-trees covering the mountain could 

 found in most geological collection?. ever fail. All of a sudden the mamifactureis discovered that the 



^, . . , , j7 , , • X 1 1 , • fuel was all gone: a consternation appeared to dull their faculties 



There are seven principal coal fields in Ireland, lying nearly a^^, ^ paralyze their energies. A feeble eflbrt was made to 



equally to the north and south of the metropolis. They diflbr s„ ],. the place of timber by coal, turt; or charcoal ; but in a short 



matenallyiii their geological circumstances— those to the north ^ime ruin succeeded the shortlived prosperity. It is now upwards 



of the capital, yielding bituminous, or flaming coal ; and those to ^f ^ <,entury since the last diarcoal furnac'e was extinguished in 



the south, stone coal, or anthracite which burns wilhont flame. Kerry. Since then, the iron mines of Ireland have never filled an 



Notwithstanding the abundance of turf, coal was worked in important position as a source of national wealth. 

 Ireland at a very early period ; and pits have been discovered 



that bear evidence, from the rude stone and wooden tools found ^ "'''' ^^ interesting to glance at the enormous additions we 



in them, of having been worked by a race far anterior to histori- receive annually to our wealth from the two minerals to which 



cal records. But. from the ignorance displayed formerly, and ■*^'° ^^^''^ ^^^^ alluded— iron and coal. 



from present want of capital o7 enterprise, or something else, the The quantity of iron produced in En-land is as follows :— 



produce of her mmes IS tar less than they could yield with ease; i - i o 



and Ireland, that possesses sufficient resources to supply her own ■' ^"'"^ ■''^^ 0,000 tons. 



wants, and to become, moreover, an exporting country, imports a 1845 1,512,000 



large quantity of coals every year, said to exceed in value a 1849 2,000,000 " 



million sterling. The principal coal-mines are seven: one in 1850 2,250,000 " 



Leinster, occupying large portions of Kilkenny and the Queen's The quantity raised this year will, probably, exceed two millioD 



County, with a small part of Carlow; two in Munster — one of and a half tons 

 them in Tijiperary, bordering on that in Kilkenii}- — and the 



other spread over large poitions of Clare, Limerick, Cork, and I" ^§50, tlie quantity of coal raised amounted to 34,T50,000 



Kerry, being the most extensive coal-field in the empire. All *°"5! ^"'^ ^'^^ average price of coals at the mouth of the pit in 



these beds yield anthracite. Of the northern coal-fields three are England being estimated at 5s. Td., and that of pig iron at 48s., 



in Ulster: one at Coal Island, near Dungannon; the second in '^^ ^^''" fo^o'*^ tl^a' ^^e aquire an annual addition to our wealth 



the nortliern extremity of Antrim ; and the third in Monaghan. f''°™ tl^^^^e sources alone, amounting to the enormous sum of up- 



These last are small, -ivitli narrow scams; and are, consequently, "^^"•'"''^'s of fifteen millions sterling a year, viz.: — 



of little value. The Connaugbt coal-field extends over a space 34,750,000 tons coal at 5s. 7d. per ton £9.710,050 



of sixteen miles in its greatest length, and lies in the counties of 2,250,000 tons pin- iron st 48s. " 5,400,000 



Leitrini, Roscommon, Sligo, and Cavan. The total area of these , , ■/. if ,• , , ^ , 



coal-fields is estimated at' 1 40,000 acres. ^"^1 '^ '^e were to add to this the enormous enhancement of value 



the iron receives by the addition of labour, the sum would almost 



It is impossible to cast the eye over some interesting maps appear fabulous. The following tables we extract from the 



showing the geological formation of Ireland, and exhibited by "Industrial Resources:" — 



the Chairman of the Board of Works without feeling surprise at The quantity of cast-iron worth £l becomes worth the follow- 



the mineral trea.sures that he neglected, scarcely below the surface ;„„ ^ums when converted into 

 of the sou on which the unemjiloved laborer dra^s his weary 



steps. ' '^ ' Ordin.ary machinery. £4 



Larger ornamental woik. .. 45 



But it is not only in the quantity of her ores that Ireland is Buckles — Berlin-work 660 



rich, their position is even more fortunate. No river in the Neck-chains .1386 



empire can compare with the Shannon. Its Majestic stream Shirt-buttons 5896 



