THE IRONSAND OF TARANARI

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7268, 5 March 1885, Page 6

THE IRONSAND OF TARANARI

Ix the year 1865, 100 tone of the ironsand wae sent over to England for experimenting purposes. Obarles Martin, civil engineer, who had taken oat a patent for treating the ironsand, had made arrangements with the New Zealand Steel and Iron Company's promoters to utilise and work up this article. After expending over £2000, it wsi found oat to be a failure. I at that time was introduced to the promoters, and I was asked to undertake the further experimenting, and also to take shares in the company. I consented to take this matter in hand, knowing from what I had heard and seen that the sand could be smelted and made into iron. I therefore took up my position on the first Board. I afterwards set to make the trials, and in a few days succeeded, and made the sand into pig iron. Then I sent them into the forge to be paddled up and made into bars, wire rods, sheet iron, and boiler plate*. These samples were exhibited at the Birmingham Exchange; afterwards they were worked up into chain cables, and tested. You will see by the following article, which appeared in the Birmingham Gazette of November, 1865 :—" This discovery, of which an exhaustive analysis was given some three weeks ago in the columns of the Daily Gazette, formed the subject of a severe test yesterday. The discovery of this ironsand in not exactly new (this was in 1865), although the conversion of it into metal with any prospect of a financial success is of recent date, and to that discovery we are indebted to the perseverance of Mr. David Hipkins, one of the members of the Board of Directors at the Victoria Ironworks, West Bromwiok, Staffordshire, who conducted the last experiments." The bars were worked up into chain cables. At that time many opinions were rife on the subject as to whether the iron would stand the amount of tensile strength which was required before it could be publicly acknowledged as a genuine commodity in the iron market. Four chains (I£> were made, and the test was applied at the chain cable works of Mr. H. P. Parkee, Chain and Anchor Works, of Tipton, Staffordshire. The Government test for 1£ chains is 18 tons 15cwt. No. 1 chain stood the test of 51 tons ; No. 2 broke ia the weld at 46 tons ; No. 3 stood the test of 52 tons ; No. 4 stood the test of 51 tons lOcwt. Thus you will see the great tensile strength of iron made from the ironsand. The test applied shows nearly three times Government test. Three samples of 1 inch square broke at 26 tons 10cwt., the Government test on these sizes are 23 tons lOcwt. These were only made up as common bars. Any information will be given by the writer, by applying to David Hipkint, Post Office, Auckland.

P.S.—The then New Zealand Steel andiron Company was dissolved by mataal consent, and by returning the amount of money received for shares applied for, and all debts paid in full because at that time the country around New Plymouth and Taranaki was very much affected by the then Maori wars. This matter was to be taken up again, and circulars were sent out a few years ago to the gentlemen who formed the first company, bnt some had left the country, others had died, and our pioneer, Mr. Henry Jordan, had taken up a position in Queensland, Australia, that occupied him fully, and as-1 had arranged under the first company to take up the management at Taranaki, I declined to do so on account of failing health. David Hipkins, Ironmaster, 45 years, Stafford* shire, England.