1870.J The Metallurgical Industry of Cleveland. 187 



times, at home or abroad. It has been extraordinary, in every sense 

 of that term. It is true that in the minds of many persons who 

 have no practical acquaintance with Cleveland, there is always asso- 

 ciated with that name the idea of iron-making ; but to the million, 

 and even to many well-educated people, it conveys practically no idea 

 whatever, unless it be of the crudest description. It is not highly 

 improbable that some of the examiners for the Civil Service would 

 themselves fail to pass an examination in the physical and political 

 geography of Cleveland ; certain it is, however, that some of their 

 best examinees would be "plucked" if examined on the subject. 

 And yet, while such a great amount of ignorance prevails regarding 

 Cleveland, it is already the greatest iron-making district in this 

 country or in the whole world ; and while being the greatest, it is 

 practically the youngest seat of the iron-smelter's art in Britain, 

 that is, if it be compared with South Staffordshire, South Wales, 

 and Scotland. 



As there must be some special circumstances to which that 

 remarkable pre-eminence is due, it will be the object of this paper 

 to attempt to trace them out and enlarge upon them. It may be pre- 

 mised that an unusual amount of attention was directed to Cleveland 

 in the autumn of last year, both by the iron and steel trades of the 

 country and by the public at large, owing to the fact that the first 

 provincial meeting of a new 7 scientific association, bearing the name 

 of the Iron and Steel Institute, was then held at Middlesbrough, 

 the capital of Cleveland. That organization had only been formally 

 ushered into existence at the preceding midsummer, by the delivery 

 of the inaugural address of the President, the Duke of Devonshire, 

 the great ironmaster of Barrow-in-Furness ; and yet at the time of 

 the meeting referred to it included nearly 300 members, many of 

 them being the most extensive and the most scientific ironmasters 

 and steel-makers in the kingdom. Its success was so great, that 

 there was no room for doubting the wisdom of the suggestion which 

 first gave birth to the Iron and Steel Institute. The originator of 

 the idea was Mr. John Jones, F.Gr.S., the secretary for the North 

 of England Iron Trade, and now likewise the secretary for the new 

 association, the objects of which were, first, to afford a means of 

 communication between members of the iron and steel trades upon 

 all such matters as bear upon the respective manufactures, and are 

 not connected with trade regulations and wages; and, second, to 

 hold periodical meetings for the purpose of discussing practical and 

 scientific subjects relating to the manufacture and working of iron 

 and steel. Owing to the vast amount of interest, both industrial 

 and scientific, associated with Cleveland, it was highly proper that 

 the first provincial meeting of the Institute should be held at 

 Middlesbrough. It brought together many persons to whom Cleve- 

 land was practically a terra incognita, and every facility was freely 



