| From the Raleigh Standard |
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| February 5, 1862 |
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| Remarks of Mr. Battle, of Wake |
| On the motion of Mr. Strange to postpone
indefinitely "the ordinance authorizing an exchange of bonds and
for other purposes" being an amendment to the Charter of the
Chatham & Coalfields Railroad |
| Mr. Battle agreed with the delegate from
New Hanover, that the Convention should with reluctance engage in
legislation, but certainly it should not hesitate to adopt measures
needed for the more vigorous prosecution of the war. He advocated this
ordinance, because it will aid in preventing the greatest of all
disasters, the scarcity of iron. With prudence and energy exerted last
summer, our people might have been spared the suffering and loss which
have ensued from a deficiency of salt. An iron famine is impending
more terrible than a famine of salt. Let the Convention look the
danger in the face, and if possible avert it. Without iron, whence
will come cannon and balls with which to drive back the enemy; whence
locomotives and cars to carry food and clothing to our army; whence
agricultural implements with which to till the soil? The evil is upon
us now. Why is steel selling at sixty cents per pound? Why have boiler
iron and Swede iron quadrupled in price? Not from the lust of gain of
some vile extortioner -- but because the demand is greater than the
supply; the demand is probably increasing -- the supply has diminished
five fold. As iron wears away slowly, the diminution has not been
speedily felt, but the evil is now becoming alarmingly apparent. |
| In 1856, the United States produced in
round numbers 850,000 tons of pig and wrought iron, and imported of
these articles, and of iron and steel implements, 450,000 tons. As not
more than 100,000 tons were exported from the United States, it is
plain that the States now composing the Southern Confederacy must have
consumed about one-third of the whole, at least 400,000 tons. Missouri
and Kentucky being the theatre of active hostilities, but a meagre
production can be expected from them -- and it appears from the census
of 1850, that the aggregate production of the other States of the
Confederacy, was about 80,000 tons; therefore there must be a deficit
in the South of over 300,000 tons. As North Carolina is at least
one-tenth of the Confederacy, her consumption of iron is at least
40,000 tons, or one-half of all the production in the Confederacy,
in 1850. A little reflection on the demands for iron will abate any
astonishment at this result. It is said a cast plough will last 3
years, and that on an average, one plough may be estimated for every 5
slaves, and one for every 10 whites. According to these data, North
Carolina requires annually 40,000 new ploughs and 100,000 points. |
| Again: Robert Stephenson calculated the
wear and tear of iron on English railways, at half a lb. per yard. In
1858, the aggregate length of the railways of the Confederacy,
(Missouri and Kentucky not included,) was 5,612 miles, and the length
is much greater now. So, that if Stephenson's estimate be true of our
railways, as is probable in view of the heavy transportation, they
annually require more than 22,000 tons of iron. What may be the
demands of war it is impossible to say; 300,000 muskets weigh more
than 3,000,000 lbs.; the quantity of huge Dahlgren guns, shot, shell,
artillery wagons, army wagons, war steamers, is enormous. We cannot
cope with the Yankee government on the seas, but a few gunboats might
save us some important river -- might aid in preserving some seaport,
as Wilmington, of great value to the Confederacy. Without iron in
abundance, we cannot build them -- without coal, we cannot effectively
work them. |
| Mr. Battle contended that a prompt
connection of the Deep River country with the railroad system of the
State, will do much to supply this most important of metals -- more
precious than gold or silver. Already has the Confederate government
advanced large sums to companies as inducements to begin the making of
iron. These companies are to furnish at least 30,000 tons, and as much
more as they can at remunerative prices. But transportation will be
expensive and tedious. The first question is "Are large
quantities of iron ore in the Deep River country? There can be no
question of this fact. Besides the testimony of Dr. Emmons, our State
Geologist, there is the "Report" of Commodore Wilkes, who,
though not much versed in international law, yet, from his conduct of
the "expedition" entrusted to his charge, is a man of
ability and science. He was selected by Secretary Toucey, under the
authority of the House of Representatives, to investigate the mineral
and metallic resources of the Deep River country, and was accompanied
by two chief Engineers of the U. S. Navy, Martin & Hunt. He
confirms the discovery, in quantities not excelled in the mines of
Scotland, of the famous "black band" ore, which according to
high authority, (Overman) " has enabled Scotland to be master of
all iron markets." He testifies, too, to immense beds of the
other principal ores -- specular, hamatite, and magnetic. One of the
deposits is described by him as "on a hill known as Ore Knob. It
is elevated about 300 feet above the surrounding country, and covers
about 350 acres. The ore is a red ore. It is visible every where. A
massive vein appears to bisect the hill and continue beyond to the
South-west. Some specimens of fibrous ore were observed. The hill is
well situated for mining, and has been opened in several places and we
are informed was worked in the revolutionary war. Some castings are
said to have been found which were made then, and proved on
examination to be of great strength and toughness." A few miles
below the junction of the Haw and Deep Rivers, is another "iron
mountain." "This ore hill," says Wilkes, "rises
about three hundred feed in height. It passes in a south-east
direction for nearly a mile, and covers a surface of over 300 acres.
It is somewhat dome-shaped, and appears to be one mass of very rich
ore, having a solid vein of pure peroxide, which is 8 feet in
width -- while ores containing manganese and silicious matter extend
beyond on each side. This remarkable ore was first discovered by Mr.
Wm. McLane but a few years since, and it probably has not its equal as
a deposit of iron in this country, short of the Iron Mountain of
Missouri. Professor Emmons says it is similar to that ore, or to that
found on Lake Superior." It is known that the iron-masters are
unable to say from inspection of an ore, what will be the quality
of the extracted metal, but by a combination of different ores the
best quality can invariably be obtained. Not only have we the
testimony of Capt. Wilkes as to the advantages of the Deep River
district, in this respect, but the Engineers who accompanied him, say,
"from the great quantities of ore we saw in different localities,
together with the various kinds and qualities, some exceedingly rich,
we have no hesitation in saying there is in the Deep River country
almost inexhaustible quantities of ore from which by a proper
selection and mixing, the very best quality of pig or wrought iron can
be made." |
| The second question is, is there fuel
sufficient to extract the iron from the ore? There is ample and of the
best kind. Even if there were no mineral coal in Chatham, yet iron
could be profitably produced from charcoal, which exists in quantities
inexhaustible in the vast forests which have not been touched by the
woodman's axe. As engineers, Hunt & Martin say in their report:
"In a country where iron ore is so plentiful the otherwise
useless forests of timber might be profitably used in the manufacture
of iron, as charcoal pigs and blooms find a much more ready sale and
bear a higher price than iron made with mineral coals." |
| But there is mineral coal, of the best
quality and in large quantities. It is not necessary to go into the
controversy which filled the columns of our papers years ago. Many
eminent scientific men contend that the coal deposits is in the shape
of a trough or basin, that after descending to some distance into the
earth the coal ascends again and comes near the surface. But assume
the most unfavorable supposition that the deposit is not in the shape
of a trough, and the "dip" does not diminish, yet the
outcrop has been traced for thirty miles -- the dip being 19 deg. It
has been found profitable in England to sink shafts 686 yards in
search of good coal, and if we assume that the dip continues the same,
we find the width of accessible coal is 2 1/3 miles. The workable
seams are at least six feet thick -- so that we have 34 square miles
of coal area -- equal to over 200,000,000 tons or cubic yards of coal.
As two tons of coal will make one ton of iron, there is sufficient to
make 100,000,000 tons of iron; which, at the present rate of
consumption will last North Carolina 2,500 years. If we provide for
the future as far as 2,500 years, we will not be considered as lacking
foresight by leaving our posterity at the end of that period to take
care of themselves. |
| The next inquiry as to the quality of the
coal can be certainly answered by the light of experience. It has been
tested in the Washington navy yard and say engineers Hunt &
Martin, "compares well with the Cumberland coal used there."
The same is the experience in the smith shops of the Raleigh &
Gaston Railroad Company, in which the Deep River and Cumberland coal
have been largely used. It is a shame that we should send to the
mountains of Maryland, 189 miles from Baltimore for an article of so
great utility found in 30 miles of the capital of the State. |
| The climate of Deep River country is
healthy, the lands well adapted for farming; there are large
resources, a "concentration of material" such as will make
this region a centre of manufacturing industry. Coal and iron are the
chief aids to national greatness. Coal supplies the power, iron
the machinery with which that power may be applied for the fabrication
of the numberless articles needed by civilized society. The present
condition of England is a notable example. We all remember the sublime
spectacle, when she was opposed to the colossal power of Napoleon.
Conquering armies had swept over all Europe. Ancient thrones had
tumbled at his touch, and sovereigns of new and uncouth names,
connected with him by blood or marriage, by his aid had usurped the
power of men descended from a line of a thousand kings. The
confederation of the Rhine, the hassan Alliance, the Austrian
marriage, the occupation of Spain and Italy, seemed to prove his power
to be irresistible. But at the head of the British ministry was a man
of a genius as lordly as his, of a will as imperious, of a courage as
unswerving. Contending in the resources of England, he opposed her
navies and her wealth to the gigantic power of his antagonist. Long
was the contest and the victory doubtful. England triumphed. But the
victory left her with a national debt of $4,000,000,000, and annual
revenue of over $250,000,000, to be raised by a nation not so populous
as the United States twelve months ago. Political economists might
predict national bankruptcy, repudiation, dishonor. But she had allies
at home by whose aid she has borne her burden as if it were a feather.
These allies were coal and iron. Coal dug out of the bowels of the
earth, the dusky ore, and extracting the ore caused it to be made into
a thousand shapes, into locomotives, into pen knives, into spinning
jonies, implements of husbandry, Armstrong cannon, ships of war. Coal
reached over to America and gathering the new cotton weave it into
beautiful fabrics for the comfort and luxury of men. Coal and iron
keep in busy activity the trip hammers of Birmingham, the furnaces of
Swansea, the forges of Sheffield, the spindles of Manchester and
woolen factories of Leeds. And then old king coal, a mightier
potentate than king cotton, sending the productions of England to
distant lands, and bringing back the products of other ??mes, built
great navies, and drew from all the world, from hostile France
herself, the gold which pays the interest on her debt and makes it
regarded as a blessing rather than a curse. Let us exercise a wise
interest and energy, and developing the great resources Providence has
given us, place North Carolina in the high position among her sister
States, justly her due, but which has been forfeited by the inertia of
her sons. When the country is on the verge of privation and suffering,
perhaps ruin, let not delegates coolly and cruelly close their eyes to
the impending disasters, and indefinitely postpone the whole subject. |
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