b96-13-34924230

xt7qv97zm452 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7qv97zm452/data/mets.xml Caldwell, William B. 1880 books b96-13-34924230 English Stereotyped for the Survey by Major, Johnston & Barrett, Yeoman Press, : Frankfort, Ky. : Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Iron ores Kentucky. Report on the limonite ores of Trigg, Lyon and Caldwell counties, known as the "Cumberland River ores" / by Wm.B. Caldwell, Jr. text Report on the limonite ores of Trigg, Lyon and Caldwell counties, known as the "Cumberland River ores" / by Wm.B. Caldwell, Jr. 1880 2002 true xt7qv97zm452 section xt7qv97zm452

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF KENTUCKY.

N. S. SHALER, DIRECTOR.

REPORT ON

THE LIMONITE ORES

TRIGG, LYON AND CALDWELL COUNTIES,
KNOWN AS THE

"CUMBERLAND RIVER ORES."

BY WM. B. CALDWELL, JR.

PART VIII. VOL. V. SECOND SERIES.
-TEIIXTYEDro T... -URVE- -Y -AR, ]-I-N I... -BAReTT VlX P , - -A R2, .22
251 a 25S2

This page in the original text is blank.

INTRODUCTORY LETTER.

Professor N. S. SHALER, Director Kentucky Geological Survey:
DEAR SIR: The following report is a continuation of the
former paper on Western Kentucky, and will close, for the
present, work in that region. The next report will be on
the Eastern Kentucky district-the coals and iron ores. In
making the following report, I have dwelt upon the question
of steel, because ores suitable for the manufacture of even
common grades of steel are so rare in the United States,
and especially south of the Ohio river. This renders an ore,
which can be used, far more valuable than its percentage of
metallic iron would indicate.
WM. B. CALDWELL, JR.
253 A 254

This page in the original text is blank.

THE LIMONITE ORES OF TRIGG, LYON, AND
CALDWELL COUNTIES, KNOWN AS THE
",CUMBERLAND RIVER ORES."

These ores were mentioned in my general report on "Ores
and Coals of Western Kentucky," a paper submitted in Feb-
ruary, 1878. Since then, my time has been devoted to the
chemistry and metallurgy of steel-making; and, with the op-
portunity of thoroughly investigating the use of brown ores
for the purpose, I have been more than ever impressed with
the importance to the State, and more especially to Western
Kentucky and- Louisville, of the ores of which this paper will
treat. The region has already gained a reputation for excel-
lent iron, particularly for boiler plate, and ' Cumberland River
Iron Works" and " Hillman's Boiler Iron" are well known;
but the advantages of the district are not known. If so
favored a region lay in Ohio, Pennsylvania, or any State north
or east, great developments would have been made long ago,
and many thousand tons of iron would be. annually brought
over the Elizabethtown and Paducah Road to Louisville.
This report is intended, as all the Survey reports are, to
bring to public notice the undeveloped wealth of the State;
but in this paper it is intended, especially, to call attention to
the fact that, only one hundred and seventy-five miles from
Louisville, are extensive deposits of an ore suitable for making
steel, a fact which is undeniable, and that the iron made from
it could be put down at Louisville at a less cost than such
iron sells at Pittsburgh or elsewhere.
In order the more efficiently to show the character of the
ore, quality of iron produced, etc., Trigg and Centre Fur-
naces will be discussed at some length; for here we have prac-
tical proof of the working of the ore, and of the excellent
quality of pig and wrought iron made; but first, a general
description of the district: The Tennessee and Cumberland
25s

6 LIMONITE ORES OF TRIGG,

rivers enter Kentucky only a few miles apart, and cross the
State side by side to the Ohio. Between the rivers, and on
the eastern bank of the Cumnberland, from Tennessee down to
Livingston county, just beyond the crossing of the Elizabeth-
town and Paducah Road, about thirty miles in length, lies the
iron ore deposit.
The coal measures extend southward into Caldwell county,
about five miles from Princeton, where there is a deposit of
the ore; and on Caney creek, about fifteen miles from Prince-
ton, several five-foot veins of excellent coal have been opened.
It would be useless here to do more than mention the fact
that the coals of Western Kentucky are suitable for iron-
making, and can be mined very cheaply; for they were fully
discussed in the former paper, with numerous analyses of coal
and coke, and figures showing cost of mining.
The ores are in great abundance on the river banks and on
the railroad. At and near Kuttawa, the crossing of the Cum-
berland, on the property of Governor Charles Anderson, are
several extensive beds or pockets of ore, which were once
mined largely for a charcoal furnace run there by Mr. Kelly,
now of Louisville.
The railroad cuts through a heavy deposit, and there are
mines at distances varying from one half to three miles.
These deposits are a fair average of the occurrence in the
whole region. The ore seems to have been deposited in the
form of " pot ore " and " kidney," and at some points as "1 pipe
ore," in a clay and chert formation, but subsequently subjected
to disturbances which have mixed the broken pots, etc., more
or less intimately with the clay and chert. Whether this was
the manner of formation or not, and what the nature of the
disturbances was, whether simply upheavals or the natural
disintegration from washing down of the strata, is of no mo-
ment here. The appearance of the beds indicates such a
process, and this describes sufficiently well, to any one who
has not seen them, the nature of the deposits; but, I must
add, that the masses of ore, uncontaminated with clay or chert,
are often very large, weighing sometimes tons, and that the
256

LYON, AND CALDWELL COUNTIES.

smaller lumps may be easily taken out free. The only draw-
back is, that a certain quantity of dead work must be done in
removing the clay and chert. This, however, is not at all
expensive.
As to the amount of ore in a bed or pocket, it would be
impossible to calculate, as none of them have ever been ex-
hausted; the part above ground being apparently all ore and
clay, and the ore seeming to run down the surface to a con-
siderable depth.
The extent to which this commingling of ore and chert has
been carried on varies considerably in different deposits, and
also in the same deposit; but the ore, when carefully mined,
as it is for use, varies very little in composition, as several
analyses in my previous paper, and further analyses below,
will prove. Ascending the river, deposits of ore are found
here and there along the river and railroad. Above Eddy-
ville, a station on the river and railroad, there have been
several charcoal furnaces-Monmouth, Fulton, etc., and lately
Centre and Trigg.
The old furnaces made iron when there was but little com-
munication with distant points, and ten tons a day was a very
large yield, but it was cold-blast charcoal iron. It was com-
mon then to make large sugar-kettles, iron pots, and common
castings by running the iron from the furnace directly into the
moulds, and it was a profitable business.
In these days of hot-blast coke furnaces, making sixty tons,
and even much more, a day, the iron business on a small scale
scarcely pays; and the combination of practical with theoret-
ical knowledge of furnaces and the working of metals has
brought the industry so far forward that production exceeds
consumption, although many new uses are found for iron every
day. On account of this over-production the industry has
suffered severely during the past five years, and only highly
favored localities can succeed-localities combining the follow-
ing advantages: Abundant supply of good cheap coal near
cheap ore, limestone, and water, and with transportation facil-
ities to a near and good market, Or for charcoal iron, which
VOLT V.-17 257

LIMONITE ORES OF TRIGG,

always brings a higher price for certain purposes, good cheap
ore must lie in a well timbered country, with plenty of lime-
stone and water, with the same requisite transportation facil-
ities. Such localities exist in Western Kentucky for coke
iron and for charcoal iron.

CHARCOAL IRON.
The furnaces referred to above-Centre and Trigg-will
afford evidence of the adaptability for charcoal iron, excepting
that transportation is not as cheap as it might be.
About ten miles above Eddyville are the boiler-plate works
of D. Hillman & Sons, for which the furnaces in question were
run, and which I will describe briefly after speaking of the fur-
naces.

TRIGG FURNACE.
This furnance is on the eastern bank of the Cumberland,
about three miles inland, and five miles above the rolling mill
just mentioned. It has been out of blast for some time, but
is well kept, and in good condition.
The stack is large and well shaped, has closed top and
down-take pipes for the gases, which are utilized for heating
the blast. The hot-blast ovens are arranged so that they can
be fired with fuel or with waste gases, or both. There is a
good steam hoist for raising ore and fuel to the tunnel-head.
Three horizontal blowing engines furnish blast, and these are
well preserved. Altogether, the plant is in good condition,
and would require but little work and repairing to start up
again. The ore banks about the furnace are very extensive,
and are only about one mile distant, the ore being brought by
cars down grade on a narrow gauge tramway, and empty cars
hauled back by mules. This ore is of the same general char-
acter as that in the other parts of the region, occurring in
great beds, and more or less mixed with chert and clay. It
requires very little mining, only being at all expensive on
account of the dead work in removing clay and chert. Im-
mense pits have been dug, leaving a bottom of ore. which
258

LYON, AND CALDWELL COUNTIES.

extends to a considerable depth below the general level, and
these pits continued into the hill. The drawback to this
method of mining is the water which accumulates, and for
that reason it would, in the end, probably be economical to
tunnel or drift into the hill, and then work passages off to the
sides, and also to work down.
Mining it, however, as it was done, was very cheap, not
costing over i io to put the ore down at the furnace, and to
keep it very clean and free from chert. This was the easier
from the fact that the lumps of ore are individually quite free
from impurity, and are often of great weight, so that when
gotten out and broken up they need no further cleaning. As
to quality, the ore is very similar to that already mentioned.
On page 8 of the former report are several analyses of limon-
ite ores from the district, and the following show the similarity,
as also the excellent character of the ore.
v. Ore taken from bank worked for Trigg Furnace.
2. Ore taken from bank near by, which had also been
worked.

I. 2.

Iron oide .70.31 69.93
Alumina.... .. ... . .. .. .. . 2.54 3.12
Lime. .... .. .. .. .. .. .. . 1.89 1-53
Magnesia .1.48 1.62
Water.. .. . . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... 10.70 10.21
Silica...... ..................... 12.91 13-45
Total......... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . . 99.83 99.86

Metallic iron.49.210 48.950
Phosphoru.. .. ..0 ..... . o91 go.o87

Limestone is abundant and good; and, being at hand, could
not cost more than seventy-five cents per ton.
Good charcoal timber surrounds the furnace and ore banks,
and, although the furnace has been worked for some years,
the timber is not thinned out. I was told in the country there
that contracts could readily be made to furnish charcoal at four
259

LIMONITE ORES OF TRIGG,

and a half cents per bushel; but, putting it at five and a half
cents a bushel, the fuel for a ton of iron would not cost over
seven dollars. Labor is abundant and cheap, the native pop-
ulation being glad to get work; and then there are many
negroes, already trained to the work, who make excellent fur-
nace hands. XVater is plentiful and constant from a large
spring arnd creek.
With the raw material at the furnace for the figures above
stated, the cost of making iron would be about 14 25 per
ton, and should not be more, as the estimates are full.

Charcoal, per ton of iron.5......... .. .. .. . .. .. .. . 7 00
Ore, two and one fourth tons......... . , 250
Limestone, two thirds ton.5.0....... .. .. .. .. . .. .. . so
Labor and incidentals......... .. .. . . . 3 00
13 00
Add ten per cent. for any loss...30
14 30
Add two dollars, freight to Louisville........ .. . . 2 00
Total.. ,..... .6 30

And we have a warm-blast charcoal iron of the best qual.
ity-equal in all respects to irons selling at Louisville now
for twenty-three dollars, No. I, alId eighteen dollars - Mill"
grades. Supposing the furnace to make half of No. I and
half " Mill," the average would be twenty dollars and a half,
which would leave a handsome profit.
The iron would have about the following composition, this
being an analysis of Trigg iron:
Iron............................ 94.71 percent.
Carbon... .. .. . .. .. . .. .. .. . .. .. .. . .. . 2.87
Silicon..... .. . .. .. .. . .. .. .. . .. .. . .. . 1.93
Phosphorusr, .8
Sulphur trace.
CENTRE FURNACE.
Returning to the rolling mill, and crossing the Cumberland,
we find Centre Furnace, two miles off to the west, in Lyon
county. The site of the old Fulton Furnace is near by.
Centre is also a large charcoal furnace, with modern im-
provements-a large stack, in good condition, good out-
;P60

LYON, AND CALDWELL COUNTIES.

buildings, steam hoist, horizontal blowing engines, etc. The
surrounding hills are full of ore, and several mines have been
worked quite close to the furnace.
The ore is of the same general character as that in Trigg
and Caldwell counties, is mined in the same way, just as
cheaply, and yields as well in the furnace. Analysis shows it
to be as pure, the following being an average sample taken
from one of the mines:

Iron oxide...... .... .... 7113
Alumina.. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2.29
Lime.. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2.6x
Magnesia.... .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1.48
W ater...... .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. lo.89
Silia........ .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .... ............................ ii26
Total.... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. 99.66

Metallic iron......... . . 49.80
Phosphorus..... .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . o.o a

This furnace is also surrounded by good charcoal timber;
water is abundant, and limestone of good quality quite near.
The cost of making iron would then be about the same as at
Trigg Furnace.
The iron from these furnaces has been used to make the
boiler-plate so well known on the steamboats in our Western
rivers, and which has gained so general a reputation for excel-
lent quality and uniformity. The process, however, is the
most expensive used in iron working, and hence the mill has
not kept in full blast during the past year or so. The pig iron
is treated in small charcoal knobbling fires-that is, it is made
into wrought iron by puddling in charcoal. The charcoal
blooms or balls are shingled, rough rolled, cut and piled, then
heated and rolled. The bars are cut and piled for plates, heated
and rolled to plates of different sizes and thickness. The rolling
mill is quite extensive, consisting of large rolling mill building,
out-houses, machine shops, etc., knobbling furnaces or fires,
refinery, hammers, shears, etc.
261

I I

LIMONITE ORES OF TRIGG,

The plate trains are, for large plate 26-inch, and for small
plate i8-inch, well arranged and adapted for the work. By
the process of -knobbling or sinking" the o.i8 per cent. of
phosphorus is reduced to 0.03 per cent., which, to a great
extent, accounts for the excellence of the plate, and its great
strength. Having shown what the ore is capable of in making
charcoal iron and wrought iron from it, I will refer to the ques-
tion of making a cheap iron suitable for steel, using coke as
fuel in the blast furnace.
COKE IRON.
The fact has already been mentioned that the coal field of
Western Kentucky extends to within a very few miles of these
ores, and that the coal, which is of excellent quality for iron
smelting, occurs in veins five feet in thickness.
The E. & P. Road cuts through this coal field, and already
the line of the road is dotted with numerous coal mines, which
furnish coal to Louisville at a price lower than Pittsburgh can
send it. Coke ovens have already been erected, and the coke
has a good reputation with iron men.
Along this road are many points which would be excellent
furnace sites. There is Rockport, where the road crosses the
Green, a river navigable at all seasons, and Nortonville, the
crossing of the E. & P. and St. Louis and S. E., and many
other places in the coal field; or, if one preferred taking coal
to the ore, there are favorable locations in the ore region.
Either way the distance need not exceed thirty or forty miles,
and could be put at much less.
Coal can be mined very cheaply, and two tons coke should
not cost over 2 75 at the mines; if freight for thirty miles
were added, it would not be over 3 50. The ore can be
mined for one dollar-say 2 50 for two and one fourth tons-
freight on two and one fourth tons thirty miles would make it,
with the loading and unloading, about 3 50. Then the cost
per ton of iron would be-
262

1 2

LYON, AND CALDWELL COUNTIES.

At the coal. At the ore

Coke, twotons. .. . .. . .. . . ................... 2 75 3 50
Ore, two and one fourth tons............... 3 5 I 2 50
Limestone, three fourths ton . .6.0......... . .. 6o
Labor and incidentals.3.0.0............ . .. 3 00
Total cost... .. . .. . . .. . . .. . .. . . .. 985 9 6o
Freight to Louisville.................. . 1 50 1 75
it 35 1l 35
Add ten per cent. on total cost .9..... . . .6 . . .98
Cost at Louisville............... .... . 12 31 12 33

These estimates are for a grade of iron from which steel
for rails or merchant bar or -,shapes" could be made at a low
figure. Any concern which could buy such iron at Louisville
for sixteen dollars would not need to fear failure in steel-
making.
263 A 264

b96-13-34924230
Electronic reproduction. 2002. (Beyond the shelf, serving historic Kentuckiana through virtual access (IMLS LG-03-02-0012-02) ; These pages may be freely searched and displayed. Permission must be received for subsequent distribution in print or electronically.

Report on the limonite ores of Trigg, Lyon and Caldwell counties, known as the "Cumberland River ores" / by Wm.B. Caldwell, Jr.
Caldwell, William B.

Stereotyped for the Survey by Major, Johnston & Barrett, Yeoman Press,
Frankfort, Ky. :
[1880]

13 p. ; 28 cm.
Coleman
Pages also numbered 251-263.
Microfilm. Atlanta, Ga. : SOLINET, 1996. 1 microfilm reel ; 35 mm. (SOLINET/ASERL Cooperative Microfilming Project (NEH PS-21089) ; SOL MN06012.20 KUK)
Printing Master B96-13.

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Iron ores Kentucky.

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF KENTUCKY.

N. S. SHALER, DIRECTOR.

REPORT ON

THE LIMONITE ORES

TRIGG, LYON AND CALDWELL COUNTIES,
KNOWN AS THE

"CUMBERLAND RIVER ORES."

BY WM. B. CALDWELL, JR.

PART VIII. VOL. V. SECOND SERIES.
-TEIIXTYEDro T... -URVE- -Y -AR, ]-I-N I... -BAReTT VlX P , - -A R2, .22
251 a 25S2

This page in the original text is blank.

INTRODUCTORY LETTER.

This page in the original text is blank.

THE LIMONITE ORES OF TRIGG, LYON, AND
CALDWELL COUNTIES, KNOWN AS THE
",CUMBERLAND RIVER ORES."

6 LIMONITE ORES OF TRIGG,

LYON, AND CALDWELL COUNTIES.

LIMONITE ORES OF TRIGG,

LYON, AND CALDWELL COUNTIES.