Miner alogical Journey. 289 



Art. XII. — Mineralogical Journey in the northern parts of JVeiw 

 England ; by Charles Upham Shepard, Assistant to the Pro- 

 fessor of Chemistry and Mineralogy, and Lecturer on Botany in 

 Yale College. 



(Concluded from p. 136.) 



Since the publication of my remarks upon the Franconia Iron 

 Works in the first number of the present volume, Mr. Richardson, 

 the proprietor of the Upper Works has very obligingly communica- 

 ted to me some additional information relating to his establishment, 

 which I consider worthy of insertion in the present memoir. 



And in the first place, I am happy in being able, from this source, to 

 correct a statement erroneously made in my former paper, concerning 

 the manner in which his forge is supplied with air : instead of leathern 

 bellows, two cylindric machines, five feet long and three feet in diam- 

 eter, are employed, — the pistons being worked by cranks and pit-men. 



The "iron chest," or crucible of the forge, used at these works, 

 (and which is of the class known in Europe under the name of the 

 Catalan forges) is built of thick cast iron plates, open at the top, and 

 provided with a bed of pulverized charcoal, in order to preserve the 

 melted metal from calcination. For the escape of the slags ; the 

 front, or cinder plate of the iron chest is perforated with five holes, 

 which are kept open or closed, according to the discretion of the 

 workmen. In ordinary work, the loup is allowed to acquire the 

 weight of one hundred pounds before it is withdrawn to be placed 

 under the hammer ; but a much larger mass may be accumulated, 

 when required by the nature of the work. Five hundred and fifty 

 bushels of charcoal, from hard wood, are at present consumed at 

 Mr. Richardson's works, in the manufacture of a ton of iron. His 

 forge is kept in operation by two men, fourteen or fifteen hours each 

 day ; and yields about two tons of iron per week.* 



Mr. Richardson has introduced into his manufactory, since our 

 visit, the valuable " Magnetic Separating machine," invented by Mr. 



^ M. Gueymand of Allevard in France, whose method of reduction is the same 

 with that practiced at these works, asserts, that four workmen who are relieved every 

 six hours, make eighty six Cwt. of iron per week; the expense of labor upon which, 

 is estimated at eighty cents per Cwt. Mindralogie appliquie aux Arts, par C. P. 

 Bkard. Tom. I. p. 390. 



Vol. XVIII.— No. 2. 37 



