B L A 



B L A 



Thi feconJ adventurer ia this unexplored path we find 

 to have been John R;ivetilon, tlq. who, like Sturtevant, 

 was fucceliful in oblaiiiiii'^ a paitnt for the new inanufaSure, 

 hut, like hiui alfo, was inadequate to the completion of it 

 upon a pvolitable feale. Ravcnion was alfo enjoined to pub- 

 liih his difcDveries under the title of his " Metalhca," which 

 was printed for Tliosnns Thorp, anno 1613. Several other 

 adventurers (Icpped forth, all of whom had tlie mortification 

 <>t refi'^niusr then- patents, without having contribv.ted to the 

 luccefs of t)ir-ir ardu mis undcrtaliinp. 



In irtii;, l)i'di;y obtained his pate-it, anvi declared, that 

 allhiunrli he made only at tiie rate of three to:u p::r week, 

 lie made it with prudt. 



This difcovery was perfefted at his father's works at IVn- 

 feiit, in Worcellerfliire. This gentleman's fuccefi in tiie va- 

 rious nianufadlurcs of iron with pit-co;,!, had united not only 

 all the proprietors in the charcoal iron trade, but many new 

 adventurers, who wiflied to fliare in the emoluments, or to ac- 

 quire part of the fame of the new difcovery. Their interell 

 was fuilicient to limit t!ie duration of Dudley's patent from 

 31 to 14 years. During the greatcit pirt of this period, accord- 

 ing to his own llatcment, he continued to make pig and bar 

 iron, and vari.'iis callings ; all of which he fold nmcli lower 

 than the charcoal manufadurers. In t!ie article of callings 

 he mnil have had greatly the ilart of the charcoal foun- 

 dcries, as t!ie quality of melting colce pie iron is farfuperior 

 to that of charcoal, particularly that made in this country 

 for the general purpoles of catling. Nor was the luperior 

 genius of Dudley always an objetl of paffive indifference in 

 tlie narrow ellimation of the new adventurers and the clla- 

 blilhed manufailurers. The envy occahoned by his uncom- 

 mon fucccfs, produced at laft a fpirit of combination, which 

 terminated in a hollile attack upon his devoted works. His 

 improved bellows, furnace, forge, S;c. all fell a prey to a 

 lawlefs banditti, betwixt whom and its furioufs leaders no 

 fhades of diftinction were vifible, but thofe of avarice, ig- 

 norance, and the moll contemptible prejudice. 



To evade the mode of operation difcovered by Dudley, 

 or to introduce the making of coke pig iron with greater ad- 

 vantages, a new plan was adopted by captain Buck, major 

 Wildman, and others, in the foreft of Dean, where they 

 credted large air-furiiaccs, into which they introduced clay 

 pots refembling thofe ufed at glufs-houfes, tilled with the 

 neceffary preparations of ore and charcoal. The furnaces 

 were heated with the flame of pit-coal ; and it is pro- 

 bable, that by tapping the pots below, it was expected that 

 the feparated metal would flow out. This rude procefs of 

 alTaying on a large fcale, was in the end found utterly im- 

 practicable ; the heat was inadequate to perftdl fepara- 

 tion ; the pots cracked ; and, in a fhort lime, the procefa 

 was abandoned altogether. 



The misfortunes which befel the fanguine, hut unfortu- 

 nate Dudley, were an irreparable lofs to the perfeftion of the 

 coke pig procefs. The hoilile rivalfliips he had to encoun- 

 ter, in conlequcnce of the new ground lie had occupied as a 

 raanufadiirer, together with a zealous attachment to the 

 royal saufe during the civil war which followed his dif- 

 covery, completely prevented his improvements from attain- 

 ing a pitch of permanency and general utdity. The re- 

 fufal of a new patent after the reftoration, prevented him 

 from again ent;ring the laborious paths of difcovery and 

 improvement, although it appears, that his former appli- 

 eation to the perfecting of this branch of manufaifture had 

 not been unfuccefsful, for in place of three tons of coke pig 

 weekly, in his. petition praying for .1. renewal of his ancient 

 rights, he ilates th;:t he could now manufiAure feven tons 

 by means of a large furnace, and an improved bellows. 

 I 



No greater pitch of improvement took place for nearly 

 one hundred years after this period. The pradicabllity 

 of the manufa£ture wa; difcovered ; but the mode of obtain- 

 ing quantity, to enfnre in general a profitable return, de- 

 pended upon other circuml!ances than the proportioning of 

 the raw materials together. Had machinery received the lame 

 improvements in the tim.e of Dudley, it is more than proba- 

 ble that the rapid progrcls of the coke pig trade would have 

 dated its origin from that period. But this gre;;t ara in the 

 hiilory of our manufactures was referved for a much later 

 date : and in the improvements of the ileani engine, we fee 

 new life and exiftence conferred upon every fpecies of art 

 that can be made fubjcc^ to motion or mechanical con- 

 trol. 



1j[..\st Furnace JForh, are large and expenlive buildings 

 for the m^iuifacturing of pig iron. An erection upon the 

 fmallell icile mull confill of a furnace, calling-houfe, bridge- 

 houfe, and blowing engine. The latter is fometimes, thougli 

 feldom, worked by means of a water-wheel. The moll uni- 

 verfal mode of blowing is by means of a fleam engine. See 

 Blowing Miic/:i;u: 



There is no general plan laid down foi- building a blafl 

 fjrnace work. The lingular fituation which (liould be oc- 

 cupied, to itifure every conveniency, renders this dependent 

 upon the nature of the ground. 



It is always reckoned a great advantage to place the 

 blowing machine at as ihort a dillance as poffible from the 

 furnace or furnaces, that the air may have the leall poffible 

 travel in the conducting pipes. V/hen this cannot be con- 

 veniently effedted, the diameter of the pipes ought to be 

 made fufficiently large to admit of the blall palfing without 

 any material frietion. 



The ufual appendages to blaft furnaces are mines of coal, 

 iron-ftone, and lime-llone. And thefe foim no incon- 

 fiderable portion of the whole expence. 



In fituations where blaft furnace building materials are 

 at a moderate price, and where no uncommon difKcuIty 

 occurs in the progrefs of the general operations, 15000!. 

 of funk capital may be deemed requifite for one furnace ; 

 and for every furnace after this, io,oool. may be added. 



This great capital for many years kept the trade in the 

 hands of a few ; but of late, lince capitalills have become 

 more common, the number and extent of the blall furnace 

 erections have become truly allonilbing. 



The following defcriptions of plates illuftrative of the 

 plan and arrangement of blall furnace works will co!i»ey a 

 tolerable idea of the nature of thefe buildings. 



P/i!te XL jj.A,'/? Fiiniiiie IVorL', reprefents the ground plan 

 of an entire fabric, confilling of 



A ileam-engine for blowing two furnacef. 



2 Blaft furnaces. 



2 Bridge-houfes. . 



1 Catting-houfe. 

 ■I Boiler-houfe. 



2 Boilers. 



I Chimney for boiler flues. 



A, Engine-houfe, 40 feet long, iS feet wide. 



B, Pedeftal for fleam cylinder ; 7 feet fquare at bafe, and 

 4 feet at top. 



C, Pedeftal for blowing, or air cylinder. Bafe 10 feet 

 fquare, top 7 feet fquare. Thefe are generally built of folid 

 hewn ftone, and bedded with the greateft accuracy. From 

 centre to centre of the two pedcftals is 24 feet,' which is 

 alfo the diftance betwixt centre and centre of the fleam and 

 air cylinders. 



D, Door or opening through the lever wall. This wall 

 at bottom is built 5 ! feet thick, but is occafionally reduced 



in 



