Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-09-21
THE IRON MOUNTAINS OF VIRGINIA.

We ave hitherto described large and exhaustless
beds of iron ore in various parts of the Valley and the
Southwest, we'll ss in the East, slong the line OF
the james river and Kanawha canal, but We had moi
then seen and travelled over the mountains OF ore III
Allegheny and adjoining counties. We we're aira'a
of being thought extrsvsgant and exaRgeratngin our
descriptions of the ore deposits of the North river in
Rockbridge and the ore banks in Boetourt. We
were ourselves ss,onshrd at ito extent and richness
of the iron ores on the New river and it's cbu;aries
particularly above Central" cr the Virginia ard
T-nnessee road. and the sGperabund nee liz which II
exists on each side OF that line from Salem to Bristol al
Wythevi!e, at Marion and at or near Satvile, but
particularly at and above Central. But extensive and
valuable as those great formations OF ore may oe'
they cannot be compared in massveness or extent 10
those which We find in Allegheny county, on Mill anc
Rich Patch, Brushy and Green mountains, Peter .
mountain and the Warm Spring ranges. In travelling
from Fipcaste, in Botetourt, through Craig across
the Catswbs, Crag's and Pitts creeks, aud the
mountain ranges, we find an abundance OF ore
scattered promscuously over the surface, and large
masses occasionally developed TO view particularly
at "Grace furnace" on Craigs creek, operated by
M.ssrs. Shsnks and Patten; Potts creek, and on
the mountains to the Esst of the Red Sulphur
But the fret great mass Of ore which We exam
ined il or )unlsps creek, short distance aooVe
CaIlahans, o the line of the Covington and ONO
railroad snc the James river and Kanawha canal,
and Oh the orthern end Of Peters Mountain fefers
Mountain i ou the right side OF Dunlaps creek, ana
along it, .,ern slope, for many mes, and around
its N, point, or end, above Covington, Vast
,nssses the crude brown hematte, or hydrated
oxyd IT, Assoc spur of the left side OF the creek,
and opposite Peters Mountain, we found another
large mass-indeed, mountain OF iron. This mass
which stsnds up in rocky crags several hunureo ee'
in height has been opened at various points ana III
variably found to be solid mass of brown ores. we
sscsndsd this mountain nsarly 10 its top, which
"a ahsu, jOD fsst above the .eek and walked around
ia hasa nearly q quarter O. mile, and etill lound
nothing but ore wherever We turned ana iound II
,oo ouarried and tunpeec into, IT. several places
and opy fsund at such points rio Ter and more pro
missing material. This depoeite deserves the name o
.iron mountain" az much as ever did The mountain
of Missouri, Of New York, New jersey, or Pennsy
yapis. But even this is not the great IRON MoUsrAH
nar erccllence, which we had in contemp alton whel
we oenned the heading for tbis article, The lro
Mountains of Virginia" By far the gresteet mae
of iron ore that have Yet seen In this or any obe
State ,asy be found about three miles Es-; "t Gov
in,.oa, on the Dolly Ann Furnace tract. owned o.
Ben J. Jordon & Co., of Lexington. This forma
,ou commences near Jackson's River, and the lid
of both the Canal and Virginia Central kailroao an