This illustration dates to the 1870s and shows a blast furnace in Great Britain, where the enormous quantity of iron produced from clay ironstone was first obtained in the state of cast iron by the process of smelting. In thisprocess the clay ironstone is roasted after having been broken up into lumps. When ready, the ore is then put in a blast furnace (seen here), a structure about 40 to 50 feet high and 12 to 17 fet in internal diameter at its widest part.

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Size: 3907px × 4620px
Photo credit: © Ivy Close Images / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No

Keywords: 1800s, 1870s, 19th, blast, britain, cast, century, diagram, english, furnace, industrial, interior, iron, revolution, smelting