TARANAKI IRON SAND.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 31, 26 August 1871, Page 15

TARANAKI IRON SAND.

The long-looked for experiment of smelting the Taranaki steel sand was concluded on Friday last about half-past 5 o’clock. The whole proceedings were conducted in a scientific and workmanlike manner. The result is so far satisfactory that from four to five cwt. of pure steel was run from the furnace, of which the greater part is now in the shop adjoining the furnace ready to be converted into articles of use or ornament, whichever may be most required. The experiment has fully answered the purpose which was intended, namely, that those practical points, hitherto impossible to overcome by experiments made in Taranaki or elsewhere, have in this case been effectually mastered. The furnace •worked easy from the commencement of the work to the close. The metal was tapped from the furnace with ease, no gobbing up of the furnace took place, no choking of the blast pipes, for they were kept perfectly free and clear of slag, causing no trouble to the keepers of the furnace. There is a perfect separation of

the slag from the metal. The slag resembles bottle glass, being quite clear and transparent, so hard that it will cut glass like a diamond, and perfectly free from metallic substances, thus showing that the object of the experiment, in every respect, has been achieved ; the separating of the metal from the slag, hitherto being thought impossible. The practical smelters engaged in the work have expressed tl emselves convinced that the New Zealand steel sand can, without a doubt, be easily smelted in a modern blast furnace, properly constructed, and of sufficient stability and capacity, as easy as any Staffordshire, Sweden, or any other iron ores. All that now remains to be done is to have a large furnace, so that it can be smelted in quantities to ensure its been made a commercial article. In the course of a week or two the steel produced by the late experiment will be made into model railway bars, ingots of steel, axes, &c., &e., so that the public will see the utility of the New Zealand iron and steel fields being properly developed. Another interesting experiment took place on Monday afternoon in presence of several members of the Legislative Council and House of Representatives, and other gentlemen. Mr Smith put some of the ore as it came out of the furnace into a crucible, and the metal was soon a boiling liquid. Taking the crucible up, he poured the metal into two moulds lying ready beside him, and in a minute or two took out therefrom, to the surprise of the visitors, a bar of steel and a hatchet head. The steel was close in texture, and, with a little manipulation, was shown to be susceptible of a high polish. When struck it gave a clear melodious sound. Among the visitors were several well acquainted with blast furnaces, and, after a careful inspection of Mr Smith’s, they pronounced unhesitatingly that he had established beyond a doubt that the metal could be tapped out of a common blast furnace. The separation of the metal is, by his process, most completely effected the slag being almost free of any metallic substance. We understand that he is going to make hammers, chisels, drills, large ingots, &c., to illustrate the various properties of the steel made from the sand. With the small sum placed at his disposal, he has, in seven weeks (with many interruptions) achieved better results than the continuous experiments for two whole years of a firm at Taranaki, with an expenditure of £SOOO. The assistance voluntarily rendered him by five enthusiastic collaborateurs is deserving of some tangible recognition, while Mr Smith’s perseverance and ingenuity are beyond all praise. We presume Parliament —which is doing so much for flax —will not neglect a source of wealth still more important. It is likely that the matter will be referred to a select committee, and some immediate action taken. We may, before closing our remarks on this very important subject, say that there would have been more ore submitted to the furnace, and more metal produced, only that the furnace was built on such an economical and small scale, and too slight to stand any further operations, the parties at work considering it was useless and dangerous to carry on the work any further.