Sheffield　have　been　fulfilled；　sanguine　though　they　might　appear　to
  be　when　uttered　some　seventy…six　years　ago。*
  ＇footnote。。。
  Although　the　iron　manufacture　had　gradually　been　increasing　since　the
  middle　of　the　century；　it　was　as　yet　comparatively　insignificant　in
  amount。　　Thus　we　find；　from　a　statement　by　W。　　Wilkinson；　dated　Dec。
  25；　1791；　contained　in　the　memorandum…book　of　Wm。　　Reynolds　of
  Coalbrookdale；　that　the　produce　in　England　and　Scotland　was　then
  estimated　to　be
  Coke　Furnaces。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Charcoal　Furnaces。
  In　England　。。。。。。73　producing　67；548　tons　　　　　　20　producing　8500　tons
  In　Scotland。。。。。。12　　　　　〃　　　　　12；480　　　〃　　　　　　　　2　　　　　〃　　　　　1000　　　〃
  85　　　　　〃　　　　　80；028　　　〃　　　　　　　22　　　　　〃　　　　　9500　　　〃
  At　the　same　time　the　annual　import　of　Oregrounds　iron　from　Sweden
  amounted　to　about　20；000　tons；　and　of　bars　and　slabs　from　Russia
  about　50；000　tons；　at　an　average　cost　of　35L。　a　ton！
  。。。＇
  We　will　endeavour　as　briefly　as　possible　to　point　out　the　important
  character　of　Mr。　Cort's　improvements；　as　embodied　in　his　two　patents
  of　1783　and　1784。　　In　the　first　he　states　that；　after　〃great　study；
  labour；　and　expense；　in　trying　a　variety　of　experiments；　and　making
  many　discoveries；　he　had　invented　and　brought　to　perfection　a
  peculiar　method　and　process　of　preparing；　welding；　and　working
  various　sorts　of　iron；　and　of　reducing　the　same　into　uses　by
  machinery：　　a　furnace；　and　other　apparatus；　adapted　and　applied　to　the
  said　process。〃　　He　first　describes　his　method　of　making　iron　for
  〃large　uses；〃　such　as　shanks；　arms；　rings；　and　palms　of　anchors；　by
  the　method　of　piling　and　faggoting；　since　become　generally　practised；
  by　laying　bars　of　iron　of　suitable　lengths；　forged　on　purpose；　and
  tapering　so　as　to　be　thinner　at　one　end　than　the　other；　laid　over　one
  another　in　the　manner　of　bricks　in　buildings；　so　that　the　ends　should
  everywhere　overlay　each　other。　　The　faggots　so　prepared；　to　the　amount
  of　half　a　ton　more　or　less；　were　then　to　be　put　into　a　common　air　or
  balling　furnace；　and　brought　to　a　welding　heat；　which　was
  accomplished　by　his　method　in　a　much　shorter　time　than　in　any　hollow
  fire；　and　when　the　heat　was　perfect；　the　faggots　were　then　brought
  under　a　forge…hammer　of　great　size　and　weight；　and　welded　into　a
  solid　mass。　　Mr。　Cort　alleges　in　the　specification　that　iron　for
  〃larger　uses〃　thus　finished；　is　in　all　respect's　possessed　of　the
  highest　degree　of　perfection；　and　that　the　fire　in　the　balling
  furnace　is　better　suited；　from　its　regularity　and　penetrating
  quality；　to　give　the　iron　a　perfect　welding　heat　throughout　its　whole
  mass；　without　fusing　in　any　part；　than　any　fire　blown　by　a　blast。
  Another　process　employed　by　Mr。　Cort　for　the　purpose　of　cleansing　the
  iron　and　producing　a　metal　of　purer　grain；　was　that　of　working　the
  faggots　by　passing　them　through　rollers。　　〃By　this　simple　process；〃
  said　he；　〃all　the　earthy　particles　are　pressed　out　and　the　iron
  becomes　at　once　free　from　dross；　and　what　is　usually　called　cinder；
  and　is　compressed　into　a　fibrous　and　tough　state。〃　　The　objection　has
  indeed　been　taken　to　the　process　of　passing　the　iron　through　rollers；
  that　the　cinder　is　not　so　effectually　got　rid　of　as　by　passing　it
  under　a　tilt　hammer；　and　that　much　of　it　is　squeezed　into　the　bar　and
  remains　there；　interrupting　its　fibre　and　impairing　its　strength。
  It　does　not　appear　that　there　was　any　novelty　in　the　use　of　rollers
  by　Cort；　for　in　his　first　specification　he　speaks　of　them　as　already
  well　known。*
  ＇footnote。。。
  〃It　is　material　to　observe〃；　says　Mr。　Webster；　〃that　Cort；　in　this
  specification；　speaks　of　the　rollers；　furnaces；　and　separate
  processes；　as　well　known。　　There　is　no　claim　to　any　of　them
  separately；　the　claim　is　to　the　reducing　of　the　faggots　of　piled　iron
  into　bars；　and　the　welding　of　such　bars　by　rollers　instead　of　by
  forge…hammers。〃Memoir　of　Henry　Cort；　in　Mechanic's　Magazine；　15
  July；　1859；　by　Thomas　Webster；　M。A。；　F。R。S。
  。。。＇
  His　great　merit　consisted　in　apprehending　the　value　of　certain
  processes；　as　tested　by　his　own　and　others'　experience；　and　combining
  and　applying　them　in　a　more　effective　practical　form　than　had　ever
  been　done　before。　　This　power　of　apprehending　the　best　methods；　and
  embodying　the　details　in　one　complete　whole；　marks　the　practical；
  clear…sighted　man；　and　in　certain　cases　amounts　almost　to　a　genius。
  The　merit　of　combining　the　inventions　of　others　in　such　forms　as　that
  they　shall　work　to　advantage；　is　as　great　in　its　way　as　that　of　the
  man　who　strikes　out　the　inventions　themselves；　but　who；　for　want　of
  tact　and　experience；　cannot　carry　them　into　practical　effect。
  It　was　the　same　with　Cort's　second　patent；　in　which　he　described　his
  method　of　manufacturing　bar…iron　from　the　ore　or　from　cast…iron。　　All
  the　several　processes　therein　described　had　been　practised　before　his
  time；　his　merit　chiefly　consisting　in　the　skilful　manner　in　which　he
  combined　and　applied　them。　　Thus；　like　the　Craneges；　he　employed　the
  reverberatory　or　air　furnace；　without　blast；　and；　like　Onions；　he
  worked　the　fused　metal　with　iron　bars　until　it　was　brought　into
  lumps；　when　it　was　removed　and　forged　into　malleable　iron。　　Cort；
  however；　carried　the　process　further；　and　made　it　more　effectual　in
  all　respects。　　His　method　may　be　thus　briefly　described：　　the　bottom　of
  the　reverberatory　furnace　was　hollow；　so　as　to　contain　the　fluid
  metal；　introduced　into　it　by　ladles；　the　heat　being　kept　up　by
  pit…coal　or　other　fuel。　　When　the　furnace　was　charged；　the　doors　were
  closed　until　the　metal　was　sufficiently　fused；　when　the　workman
  opened　an　aperture　and　worked　or　stirred　about　the　metal　with　iron
  bars；　when　an　ebullition　took　place；　during　the　continuance　of　which
  a　bluish　flame　was　emitted；　the　carbon　of　the　cast…iron　was　burned
  off；　the　metal　separated　from　the　slag；　and　the　iron；　becoming
  reduced　to　nature；　was　then　collected　into　lumps　or　loops　of　sizes
  suited　to　their　intended　uses；　when　they　were　drawn　out　of　the　doors
  of　the　furnace。　　They　were　then　stamped　into　plates；　and　piled　or
  worked　in　an　air　furnace；　heated　to　a　white　or　welding　heat；　shingled
  under　a　forge　hammer；　and　passed　through　the　grooved　rollers　after
  the　method　described　in　the　first　patent。
  The　processes　described　by　Cort　in　his　two　patents　have　been　followed
  by　iron　manufacturers；　with　various　modifications；　the　results　of
  enlarged　experience；　down　to　the　present　time。　　After　the　lapse　of
  seventy…eight　years；　the　language　employed　by　Cort　continues　on　the
  whole　a　faithful　description　of　the　processes　still　practised：　　the
  same　methods　of　manufacturing　bar　from　cast…iron；　and　of　puddling；
  piling；　welding；　and　working　the　bar…iron　through　grooved
  rollersall　are　nearly　identical　with　the　methods　of　manufacture
  perfected　by　Henry　Cort　in　1784。　　It　may　be　mentioned　that　the
  development　of　the　powers　of　the　steam…engine　by　Watt　had　an
  extraordinary　effect　upon　the　production　of　iron。　　It　created　a
  largely　increased　demand　for　the　article　for　the　purposes　of　the
  shafting　and　machinery　which　it　was　employed　to　drive；　while　at　the
  same　time　it　cleared　pits　of　water　which　before　were　unworkable；　and
  by　being　extensively　applied　to　the　blowing　of　iron…furnaces　and　the
  working　of　the　rolling…mills；　it　thus　gave　a　still　further　impetus　to
  the　manufacture　of　the　metal。　　It　would　be　beside　our　purpose　to　enter
  into　any　statistical　detail　on　the　subject；　but　it　will　be　sufficient
  to　state　that　the　production　of　iron；　which　in　the　early　part　of　last
  century　amounted　to　little　more　than　12；000　tons；　about　the　middle　of
  the　century　to　about　18；000　tons；　and　at　the　time　of　Cort's
  inventions　to　about　90；000　tons；　was　found；　in　1820；　to　have
  increased　to　400；000　tons；　and　now　the　total　quantity　produced　is
  upwards　of　four　millions　of　tons　of　pig…iron　every　year；　or　more　than
  the　entire　production　of　all　other　European　countries。　　There　is
  little　reason　to　doubt　that　this　extraordinary　development　of　the
  iron　manufacture　has　been　in　a　great　measure　due　to　the　inventions　of
  Henry　Cort。　　It　is　said　that　at　the　present　time　there　are　not　fewer
  than　8200　of　Cort's　furnaces　in　operation　in　Great　Britain　alone。*
  ＇footnote。。。
  Letter　by　Mr。　Truran　in　Mechanic's　Magazine。
  。。。＇
  Practical　men　have　regarded　Cort's　improvement　of　the　process　of
  rolling　the　iron　as　the　most　valuable　of　his　inventions。　　A　competent
  authority　has　spoken　of　Cort's　grooved　rollers　as　of　〃high
  philosophical　interest；　being　scarcely　less　than　the　discovery　of　a
  new　mechanical　Power；　in　reversing　the　action　of　the　wedge；　by　the
  application　of　force　to　four　surfaces；　so　as　to　elongate　a　mass；
  instead　of　applying　force　to　a　mass　to　divide　the　four　surfaces。〃　　One
  of　the　best　authorities　in　the　iron　trade　of　last　century；　Mr。
  Alexander　Raby　of　Llanelly；　like　many　others；　was　at　first　entirel