296 



THE IRON ORE DISTRICT OF EAST TEXAS. 



ANALYSES OF LIMESTONE. 

 (Used as flux) from Coryell County. Chemists: Regis Chauvenet & Bro., St. Louis. 



Sample 

 No. 1. 



Silica | 0.12 



Oxide of iron t I Trace. 



Carbonate of lime 99.75 



99.87 



Sample 

 No. 2. 







10 







28 



99 



60 



99.98 



ANALYSES OF FURNACE SLAG. 

 From "The Old Alcalde Furnace/ 1 Chemists: Regis Chauvenet & Bro., St. Louis. 





Bf 

 Sept. 5, 1888. 



A* 

 Sept. 22, 1890. 



c* 



Oct. 12, 1886. 



Silica. 



Alumina 



Lime 



Magnesia 



39.87 

 22.90 

 36.33 



42 46 

 25 94 

 30.64 



0.87 



41.90 



27.02 



30.37 



0.70 



Metallic iron 



1 .14 







100.24 



99.91 



99.99 



f'The greater part of the iron is in the form of metallic granules, caught in the slag, and is therefore returned 

 as iron rather than sesquioxide. " 

 *"The absence of iron is a remarkable feature in the above, and shows good work." 



COST OF MATERIALS. 



Iron Ore. — The cost of mining with convict labor and transporting the 

 raw ore to the furnace on tramway cars, including the crushing necessary to 

 make it ready for the furnace, is estimated at fifty cents per ton. The ore 

 was at one time roasted. The water having been evaporated, and some of the 

 sulphur volatilized, there was some improvement in the working of the fur- 

 nace and in the quality of the pig iron, but this has not been enough to justify 

 the extra expense of roasting. Some of the ore would be improved by wash- 

 ing, and this would have been tried but for the scarcity of water. 



Limestone. — The limestone is obtained near Leon Junction, formerly 

 Pecan Grove Postoffice, in Coryell County, and is transported some two hun- 

 dred miles by railway to the furnace. The average cost of rough stone, de- 

 livered at the furnace, is $2.70 per ton, to which is added the cost of crush- 

 ing, ten cents per ton. 



Charcoal. — As the distance to the coaling ground is increased by the 

 cutting of timber on the lands nearer to the furnace, the cost of transportion 

 becomes greater. The estimated average cost of charcoal delivered at the 

 furnace during the year 1890 is seven cents per bushel. 



