Charcoal

Charcoal. . , The production of charcoal began in the forests surrounding the furnace. The first step occurred when woodcutters felled the trees that would be used to make charcoal. Because each ton of iron produced required six cords of wood, the forests surrounding many iron furnaces were soon depleted.

After the wood was cut and stacked, colliers cleared and leveled an area thirty-five to forty feet in diameter. Lengths of wood were stacked in the clearing around a centrally located stake, The entire pile of wood was then covered with a layer of soil and leaves (Illustration 1), the mound ignited, and allowed to burn for about twelve days. During the burning, a collier constantly attended the fire, opening or closing vents in the earthen cover to control the process. When the smoke turned blue, it was a signal that the process was complete (Illustration 2). Then, the vents were sealed, and the charcoal was allowed to cool.

After the charcoal had cooled and the soil covering was removed, the charcoal was loaded on wagons and carried to the furnace (Illustration 3). There, it was piled in the stockyard for a period of time until it was certain that no live embers were in the pile. It was then moved into a building, similar to the stock shed, to protect it from weather until it was needed.

Unlike iron ore and limestone that were weighed in pounds on the company scales, charcoal was measured by volume. In this case, in bushels. All wagons hauling charcoal were made with the same dimensions. All had the same capacity. They stopped at the company store to be inspected for the amount of charcoal they carried. The distance, from the top of the wagon bed rails down to the top of the charcoal, was measured. Each inch equaled a certain number of bushels that was subtracted from the wagon's total capacity.