Mining for Souls
Page 50a =75
Standish Furnace page 5
........trough made in the shape of the old sand runner and dam.
Just in front of the dam are slots cast in the side of the trough to receive
the skimmer. A depression in one side of the trough in front of the skimmer
allows for the overflow of the skimmed slag. An outlet in the side of the
trough, between the skimmer and the dam is provided for draining the iron
after the cast. The trough is deep and wide and is able to care for sudden
rushes of iron and slag. The slag was handled in slags ladles. These were
a cast steel moulded ladle mounted to a railroad car truclt similar to the
one used for the iron ladle. It may be tipped to either side by means
of an air cylinder coupled to the train air line. There was also a ladle
that would dump off the end for extending the dump. When the slag was being
dumped, it could be seen for miles. From 1886 until 1903 the method of closing
the tapping hole was by means of balls of clay which were thrown into the
hole and then rammed back with a stopping hook. For this operation, the blast
had to be taken completely off, for several minutes and even then the clay
plug extended only a short distance into the furnace and breakout at the
furnace was common. In 1903 a clay gun was installed. This device consisted
of two steam cylinders in tandem, whose pistons are joined by a single piston
rod. The rear cylinder is a double acting steam cylinder, and the front
has an opening in the back for loading the clay and the forward end is attached
to a nozzle which extends into the tapping hole and through which the clay
iq forced. The gun was hung off a bracket attached to the furnace column,
and was swung in by hand. While this method of closing the hole was an improvement
over the old way, and eliminated the possibility of breakout, still it necessitated
taking off the blast before the men could engage the gun. Also there was
always some danger of the wet clay coming in contact with a pool of molten
iron causing a small explosion and sometimes burning the men. When the iron
flows from the furnace evenly and it is usual to allow the blast to coninue.
If the iron comes more rapidly, then it can be handled but the blast must
be slackened to lessen the pressure on the molten materials. When the
flow is nearly completed, the blast is put on again in order that the additional
pressure on the surface of the fluids in the hearth will compel more of it
to flow from the furnace. When the furnace is drained as much as is
practicable, the tapping hole is closed. When the closing of the tapping
hole is completed, the blast is put on full and the smelting proceeds. Iron
and cinder accumulate in the hearth. After about two hours the cinder
rises again to the tuyeres and must be flushed. This is accomplished by simply
drawing the plug from the cinder notch and allowing the cinder to run until
it is drained to the level of the notch. When the furnace has been filled
and starts on its career of reduction and melting, it tends to empty itself
rapidly as the stock sinks. Constant vigilance must be exerted to keep a
full column of materials. Proper filling and distributing of the stock are
of vital importance. Since the furnace charges must be determined before
hand and used in the proportions thus predetermined, it is necessary that
the different kinds of stock should be carefully weighed. The bases of the
furnace charge is the weight of fuel in each ~~round". A round consisted
of six skips. Three skips of coke and two of ore and one of stone. The proportions
of ore and stone,a~cuf 55'
Sources:
Adirondack Museum photos, Blue Mountain Lake, NY;
History of Clinton County, New York;
from History of Mining of Chateaugay
Ore and Iron Company.
Go to Page 1 of The History of Lyon
Mountain.
Go to Page 3 of The History of Lyon
Mountain.
Go to Mining History for
The History of Mining in the North Country.
Go to Page 5 of The History of Lyon
Mountain.(for article on Lyon Mt. and Mineville)
Go to Page 51 of Mining for Souls.
Back to Page 49 of Mining for
Souls.
Go to Page 1 of Mining for Souls.(cover
page)
Rod Bigelow
Box 13 Chazy Lake
Dannemora, N.Y. 12929
rodbigelow@netzero.net 
BACK TO
THE HISTORY PAGE
BACK TO
BIGELOW HOME PAGE
