TARANAKI'S GREAT IRONSAND DEPOSITS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 238, 6 April 1912, Page 1 (Supplement)

TARANAKI'S GREAT IRONSAND DEPOSITS

L'NTOU) WKALTI! OX TIIK FORK SHiIKI'X I'A ST HISTORY AND FI'TURE PROSPI'X'TS.

(New Zealand Times)

It is probable among the things not generally known to Xew Zea landers themselves, irrespective of outsiders, that Xew Zealand, which is in many other i-i spocts a replica of the Mother Country, is like (ireat Britain also in this—that it contains all the elements necessary for a highly successful industrial career. The Handbook of Xew Zealand," by >Mr James Hector, states: "That almost every variety of iron ore exists in the country." In some respects, moreover, the iron ore resources of New Zealand are unique. Xowhcre else in the world is there, found such remarkable deposits as the black ironsands of Taranaki, which occur plentifully on the seashore of the west coast of botli islands.the best known being that of Taranaki. As this ore requires no mining in the ordinary sense, and is extremely pure as well as abundant, many attempts have been made to adapt it to commercial use. Though the earliest attempts and experiments failed through the faultiness of the methods employed, the later works owed their non-success eventually almost entirely to want of funds to carry on. That the best of pig-iron, wrought iron, and eventually stel of the very finest quality could be successfully manufactured from ironsand, was unquestionably proved by the late Mr. E. M. Smith, who for' many years represented Taranaki in Parliament, and practically devoted his life to the furthering of this great potential industry. But anything that might have been lacking to simplify his process is, it is confidently believed by those who are closely following the lates't fiittempts locally, about to be provided by a new local patent to be given a practical test at works at the present moment being completed close to the New Plymouth harbor.

THE FIRST ATTEMPT. As long ago as 1848, an attempt was made to smelt Taranaki ironsand by a very early settler, Mr. John Perry, who erected a small furnace at New Plymouth. Although small quantities of iron were actually produced and forced into articles by the smith of the settlement, Mr. Wood, the experiments were not a success. The right method of treating the sand had not been discovered. and the tests failed, as did many following for the reason that it was attempted to employ the ironsand in such comminuted quantities that it gobbed the furnaces and was largely blown away. Almost all these early attempts, to utilise the ironsand were founded on the idea of employing the sand only as an ore, both because it required 110 mining and because its exceedingly great purity. But a skilled metallurgist could have predicted the difficulty of treating the sand in its natural form, and it eventually became clearly mcessary that the ironsand should, if possible, be used in the furnace in a different form to that in which it was found.

AS IRONSAND LEASE. But to hark back. In ISSS, the Taranaki Provincial Government granted a lease of the ironsand to Captain Morshead, who went to England with a view of forming a. company to work tho deposits. Tn his mission he was unsuccessful. The next serious attempt was made by a Wellington firm in ISfiO, when Honochsburg and Co. erected a furnace near the harbor. A pleasure of success attended their operations, and the Pioneer Steel Company was formed. Manufacturing difficulties ensued, however, and a Mr. Chilman was sent to England to interest English capital in the value of the industry, and to gain information necessary for 'the better working of the progress in vogue. He was apparently successful, selling the company's interests to Mr. Walduck, Who, however, failed to go on with his purchase. About this time the late Mr. E. M. Smith devised an ingenious plan of manufacturing an artificial ore which could be applied in the furnace in the form of bricks without any difficulty, and in that form was easily reducible. Chiefly owing to Mr. Smith's efforts another company was then formed, and was known as the Titanic Steel and Iron Company, Limiited, of £50,(>00 capital. Of this amount £20.000 was' called up, and expended oil works at Te Henui, now in the borough of New Plymouth. "Wells' History of Taranaki" states that after the works had been completed and everything was in readiness for commencing operations, the company shut up the place, and refused to charge t'he furnaces. At the earnest solicitation of the shareholders of Taranaki. and on their guaranteeing to protect the company from loss or damage, permission was given for the experimental reduction of ore, which was chiefly hematite from the Parapara mine at Nelson. The next experiment was conducted under the supervision of Messrs E. M. Smith and D. Atkinson, by which ironsand alone was reduced. On Saturday, September 23, 187-6, the furnace was tapped, and three tons fifteen cwt. of metal in pigs was produced. This was afterwards tested in England, and reported to be iron of the beat possible quality. After these experiments the furnace was blown out, and remained idle for years.

A FURTHER ATTEMPT. The next attempt to utilise the works was made by Mr. Hughes, from New South Wales, in 1884, with an improved process, but through want of funds, mainly, this also ended in failure. Mr. Smith was throughout optimistic, and in 1887 he was successful in getting the townspeople to back him up in another trial. In conjunction with a Mr. Hipkins, who took charge of the works, operations were commenced, but Mr. Hipkins' process was no more successful than the previous ones. At this stage Mr. Smith, who had left the works some time before, was sent for on a Sunday. He succeeded where others had failed, and in the presence of .some thousands of residents on that Sunday afternoon, he ran oif the full furnace of pig-iron. Altogether, on that occasion Mr. Smith produced upwards of 70 tons of splendid quality pig-iron. But the capital was exhausted, and operations could not be resumed. That the highest quality iron could be produced from the ironsand by this process was, however, no longer in doubt.

In 1880 another attempt was made by Mr. E. M. Smith to realise bis umbition, and in conjunction with Mr. Thomas Oldfield, work on a small scale was resumed. Dissension arose, however, and Mr. Oldfield gave up after meeting with only partial success. Mr. Smith then assumed control, and as in 1887, was successful in producing a considerable quantity of pig-iron, but lack of funds prevented operations being continued.

AN AUCKLAND COMPANY.

In 1884 a company to smelt ironsand was constituted at' Auckland by Mr. John Chambers, one of the managing directors of T. and S. Morrin, Ltd., Auckland, in «onjunatioi) with Mr. Gardner,

of New York, wlio erected at Oiic.hunga works on a more extensive and up-to-date scale than the comparatively small plant at New Plymouth. l<"or various reasons (hi' enterprise did not succeed. The plant was not what it should have; liccn. hut, what was more important, the process was the wrong one. following largely the lines of tilt: earlier attempts at .Yew Plymouth. In 181)2 it was decided to give .Mr. E. M. Smith's pun-ess a trial; the process consisting of an ingenious and effective plan of binding the ironsand into bricks of a composition of KiO parts ironsand. 2.5 parts blue clay and 25 parts yellow clay. The innovation proved a complete success, and in that year .Mr. Smith returned from Onohunga with no less than 4o tons of samples tif iron and steel manufactured from Taranaki sand. All kinds of articles were manufactured from the wrought iron and steel, both in New Zealand and at Sheffield, and at various times have been exhibited at Shepherd's Bush, at European and Australasian exhibitions, and are to-day material evidence of the splendid wealth lying at our doors awaiting exploitation. In the same year Mr. Smith exhibited his samples and addressed the Philosophical Society in Wellington, receiving a great reception. For lack of funds, mainly, work at Onehunga eventually ceased, but, as at New Plymouth, the practicability of producing iron and steel commercially from Taranaki ironsand was confirmed.

ENGLISH CAPITALISTS.

In 1896 Mr. W. D. Webster, Mr. Sam Hill, and other New Plymouth citizens interested themselves in Mr. Smith's scheme, and were successful in raising sufficient money .to send Mr. Smith to London to place his propositions before English capitalists. While in London he lectured before the Iron and Steel Institute, ami his process was endorsed. The busines of floating the company was placed in the hands of a broker who had shortly before made a fortune in speculation on the South African diamond field, and who spent £BOOO in the preliminary expenses of the. Iron Company. Altogether, £IBO,OOO worth of shares werc» applied for. However, through some financial difficulties, the project fell through. In the meantime. Mr. Smith had returned to New Zealand, and on his reentry into the House of Representatives in 1899 the Hon. A. J. Cadman, who had retired from active politics, associated himself with Mr. Smith in the project These gentlemen made strong efforts to induce the Government of the day to interest themselves in the establishment of this important industry, and while succeeding to some extent in extracting promises of encouragement, no practical advance was made.

PARAPARA PROPERTIES.

In 1901, the Hon. A. J. Cadman (who was afterwards knighted) and Mr. Smith again journeyed to England. Mr. Cadman had in the meantime secured options over the well-known Parapara properties in Nelson, and the coal and lime deposits on the Mokau, which were added to Mr. Smith's Taranaki ironsand propositions. They were well received in London financial (and also scientific) circles, but again the plans miscarried, owing to flaws in the leases, and they were compelled to return to New Zealand without concluding their mission. Sir A. J. Cadman again visited England in 1902, and after staying some time returned with the project well advanced but owing to failing health he was unable to continue devoting the necessary time to the furthering of the enterprise On his death in 1905, owing to complications in the estate, which was vested in the Public Trustee for administration, unavoidable delays occurred, and eventually the rights and options were disposed of to another New Zealand syndicate. From time to time the New' Plymouth Harbor Board granted extensions of the leases, and the Parapara Iron Company, which had acquired the options and leases, sent two representatives to England to float a company if possible. Again unforeseen circumstances and a depressed money market defeated the object. The more recent attempts to establish the industry are more or less well known.

THE' PRESENT PROPOSITION. About twelve months ago the syndicate deposited £2OOO with the New Plymouth Harbor Board as a guarantee of their earnest to spend that amount ot money on work before March 1912 Plant-and buildings to that value are now on the site of the works close to the New Plymouth harbor, and work is bcing pushed ahead with all speed at the present moment. The plant, though not extensive, is of the most modern type, and is in a singularly convenient locality. As before mentioned, a recent-ly-patented process, which may revolutionise ironsand treatment throughout the world, is to be put to practical use, I lie process is a simple one, utilising new fluxes which have also been located in the district, and electricity. Not the least interesting feature of the new patent is that it segregates from the ironsand metals that it was not previously known existed in the sand in any appreciable (juantities, the reason for this being apparently that by the previous methods employed these metalswere probably driven off by the heat and other processes through which the sand passed. However, it is claimed for the new process that one of its most important peculiarities is that it not only separates the iron from the sand, but also isolates other valuable metals in considerable quantities. The principal by-product (if so it might be called) is a white metal that has not yet been named by any analyst in the Dominion. All that is known of it is that it answers all the properties of platinum, and has actually been in continuous use in New Plymouth as a substitute for that valuable metal for over a year. It is believed to be almost identical with the metal discovered in Canada and known as Canadium. w

PAYABLE METALS. reliable assays made in New ZeaJiind by Professor Jarman and others iurther shows that included in this white metal by-product are payable gold and silver, the assays giving 49 ounces of gold and 147 ounces of silver to the ton of manufactured metal. Whatever may be, the result of the practical test to which the patent will be put within another two months, it is assured that once again the ironsand deposits of Taranaki are to be exploited with a view to the. establishment of an industry the value of which can scarcely be estimated in oui country at the present moment. Assuming that the process is the correct one, it is doubtful whether in any part of t'he world the natural facilities tor cheap production are equalled. Ironsaiul covers the seashore; and oil and natural gas in abundance exist all round and will supply the fuel in the near future, practically dispensing with the necessity of utilising coal, coke or charcoal fuels. Practical metallurgists will, readily grasp the. immense importance of these natural fuel facilities for the manufacture of steel from the pig iron. Electrical smelting of steel is already recognised in. iron and steel manufacturing countries as the. process of the future, ttiough still in its infancy; and nowhere, surely, could electricity be more cheaply

generated than from the natural fuels available on the Taranaki oilfields.

The possibilities of the near future are that not only will pig-iron (and the valuable residue) be successfully produced in .New Plymouth very shortly, but that, taking advantage of the natural facilities for production at hand, the manufacture of steel will .prickly follow the introduction o-f the necessary capital by the Parapara Iron Company. ..Everything depends on the results of the new process, bin given sums,, to what industrial position amongst the nations of the Southern Hemisphere may not New Zealand speedily aspire V The prospect Ts a bright one. but no more so than should be the reward of tho.-e whose patience, industry and self-sacriliee during the past half-century have paved the way for the utilisation of Nature's bountv.'