FOREWORD
l'ltc iron iititl stccl itidust.ry i t i C'utiibcrlntitl is of cnrly ortgiti ; tlic workittg of Citiiil~crl~ittd ores cnii he t,riicrtl btick to iiictliaxiil titiics. !Uic tlevcloptiiciit of t,lic loci11
iiitliistq wiis greatly stitiiuliitctl hy tlic cvolutioti, it1 the Intc s i s h of tlie iiittctcciitli cctittrry, of t,lic iicitl Bcssemer stcel-iiinkhig process. This iitlclcd greatly to tlie iiiiportnncc of t h e sul)seqitetit tliscovcry of t i c ~v large qitntitit.ics of pure low pliosp1iorits iron ores in tlic tlist.rict. Tlic presciicc of large :irons of good coking conl nffordctl nil ~ltldition~ll iltlvillltngc, ntitl tllc loci11 iiiclustry grew to cotisitIernl~lc ditiictisiotis.
Post-wiir cotitlit,ioiis let1 to tlic fortiintioil of tlic Utiitcd S t d Cotiipniiies' Ciitiiherlrititl Group, wliicli hroitglit witliin otic orgniiieiitioti iron ore tiiitics, limcstoiie qiinrrics, con1 tiiitics, cokc ovciis, hliist fiirtiiices, i i i i d iicid Bcssetiicr steelworks. 111 102ti I-lis llrijcst,y t81ic King, theti Prince of Wiilcs, iti;iugitrritcd the \'orkingtoti I-krbonr iititl Dock Bonrtl's I I C W Prince of Wnlcs .Dock, to which tlie cotiipiitiy's iroii iititl stccl works is cotiiicct,ctl hy private rnilwny line. Apiirt frotn the cliitiitiiit.ioti of rediiiidiiiit ovcrhead costs, this conibiiiiitioti opctictl opportunities for tlic ititprovcnieiit of processes i i t t h vnrious stages, with tlic object of reducing tiiniiufiictiiring iiiniiufiicturc iii Cutiibcrliind lnrgcly clclictids on tlie oLtaining of pure low pliospliorus pig iroii ;it ii tiiitiiiiiittti cost. In tlic acliievcinetit of this, t,lic tiiiiiti fiictors