Old Blast Furnace used to smelt Iron Ore into pigs

This furnace was built in 1833 and was used to smelt ore into pig iron. It was fired with charcoal and operated for a couple of years...it was put back into operation during the civil war and served both sides. This was how it was done in the old days. Selling China our scrap metals is a stratigic mistake. Mining and refining raw ore into usable metals is too expensive a process for us to ever be competitive manufacturers again. We must stop exporting cheap recyclable metals to china.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• economic stupidity
• collapse

[asbestosicould]

Whoa! That's about ten times bigger than what I thought you were talking about- which would be called a hearth, I think.

Thanks for the upload, and YOU have a great day!

[centervilletn]

@asbestosicould ...its pretty cool...we played all over it when we were kids...dangerous as a cocked pistol..hahah

[tza420]

This is great! I'm a huge industrial history fan! There are about 50 slope, vertical shaft and surface ore mines on about a 25 mile stretch along red mountain in Birmingham Al. I've followed the history on them for about 2 years now but I've been exploring them for the past 20!

[madjimms]

Wow, looks like the furnace in Lake Oswego....

[mcgrawtim123]

Very cool. This answers my Civil War question...thanks!

[asbestosicould]

@centervilletn LOL! Betcha didn't wear knee pads and helmets either, did ya'? If this had been LA (lower alabama), where I grew up, we wouldn'ta had even shoes on in the summertime.

[skyding8962]

Where do they pour things? From the top?

[lizadfuel]

I like these history videos! Have a good one!

[opzoutenAUBnugraag]

great piece of history.

[MrWobbleHead]

Thats pretty neat.