Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-09-21
nY rcnlE prxNAvASr. TYLER & WISE.
TUESDAY MoRNING, sKPTEMRERaI

RY RlrCHIE. DrNNAvANT. TYLER & WISE.
TUESDAY MORNING, sEPTEMBER2
THE IRoNQ OF WESTERN VIRGINIA IN
CONNECTION WIrHOUR COAL DEPOSITS.
In this connection, We do not propose to 20 beyond
the Alleghanies 10 search of iron ores, or to treat {,
any extent fthose 10 the West of Allegheny county
In fact, we Co not suppose iron ores can exist in such
profusion, or in such accessible positions to the Wes'
OF the AlIsghanies as we iod them on this, or the
Eastern side. Indeed, we would not look for ore in the
bituIuinous coal formations Of the kanawha, exoep'
in Q stratifed form, in the clay states Of that region.
II may and does exist there, as We before stated, IN
considerable, nay, in vast quantities; but being inter
strsti6ed in small, thin seams. between the layers OF
veins of coal. aud therefore enclosed in hard ground
the cost of obtaining it would be comparatively great
Yet not 30 great but that it would be accessible &c
the miner at prices that would warrant the manufac
turing of iron on a large scale in connection with the
GOALS that accompany 1t.
9ut if iron ores, of the richest character, can be
taken from the iron Mountains Of Allegheny county
to the coal at the mouth G. Gre a., or even to the
Falls Of the Ksnswha, cheaper. hey can be minet
on the spot, then. of course, the cres from the East
e-n side of the Allegheny will be used in preference
to those on the Western side. A mixture, however
will BIZ found to produce the be-. iron.
Two tons of good ore, carefully burned, screened
and washed from the iron deposits near Covington
will produce one ton Of pig iron. The value Of The
ore in the bank and the cost of preparing il, on a
large scale, would not excssd fifty cents per ton Of
ore, or one dollar per ton of metal. The distance by
water, on the completion of the James River end
Ksnawhs Canal, will be but eighty miles to the wa
ter power of New River aud the Goals Of that region
But, presuming that the ore should be carried one
hundred miles, for convenience of location or greater
facilities for the selection Of coal, it would only cost
one dollar per ton Of ore, or two dollars per ton OF
metal, for transportation from Allegheny makiu. 6
combined cost of three dollars for the ores to produce
one ton Of metal.
The coal Of Sewel Mountains, or the lower Goals Of
the Appalachian formation, are probably the bes; for
the production of coke, or they possibly may do lor
crude use, as the same coal is now made use Of in
Ohio without previous csrboniz s,iou. Two tons Of
good coke, costing from two dollars TO two dollars and
Il half per ton, or not exceeding five dollars par ton OF
metal. would be sufficient to reduce al equa' quantity
of good rich ores. In addition to this, a halt ton oi
mug vi WNa'N ~ NfHhVeb "H'SN 1NNO
tanned comparatively near at hand, at a cost of no,
over one dollar per ton. or fifty cents per ton Of metal
To this point, then, We find a total costo eight dollars
and a half for materials TO produce a ton of iron. -
This, however, is from the best ores that the county
will produce. IL mixed with the band or kidney ore'
of Kanawhs, il would require more coke. ano
would, therefore, increase the cost. But, on a large
scale, We cannot see why coke cannot be produced
on the Kanawha, as cheap az in England or Wales
at 81 50 per ton. We will, however, presume that il
can be produced near the mines, and the furnaces To"
since they will be 10 close proximity, for ~ pei
ton, which gives a margin for profit, and thus We
find that We can uss p tons Of coke, which will re-
duc- p tons of ordinary ores. Under judiclous Usn
ag-ment, allowing for contingencies, interest OF
capital, wear and tear, and all the superintendent
aud labor in producing iron, We think $ll per Tor
would be ample. Ii certainly could not exceed 81:
under any circumstances, i'll practical hands,
If the ores of the coal measures are used
uulsss they are 80 f~avorabIy located ss to be minet
with the coal, it will cost more, since IRE in slnsi
seams cannot be mined and produced al the furnace
Tor lees than frou. | ~ 10 - per ton. If this ore vii
yield ON al average J3 per cent OF Hnst iron. It IA H.
much ne can be- expected, and We would not be salt
in estimating cre at more than 80 per cent. Or ttiS
il would require three and a half tons. costing al
least IS, to produce one ton Of metal. This. then
would require three and a half Or four tons OF coke
or crude coal-if coke, costing 81, 10 which we wculc
reuuir. NOT less than one ton Of Limestone, cosiiol
5l-giviug a total Cos: for materials, delivered, Of $l3
10 which add, contemporaries, interest, wssr and tear
superinteudercs and labor. and we have a total coz
r T.. L.. lT 80. ,ronll hn prara aofa HON
ever. in saying BIZ. Yet, this is by no means az *
travagaut cost. since much Of the iron made 10 Penn
sylvania doss not cost less. Ifcrude coal can be used
which We need not doubt If it exist, rs is supposed
in the anne dense, dry, or semi bituininous state, oil
the ksnawha as il does exist in Ohio-the cost o
producing iron would be materially lessened, slnc'
the crude coal could be produced at the furnaces at
eos, not exceeding 81 50 per ton. In this case iioi
might be- made from the Allegheny ore, or a mixture
of the hematite aud the baud or kidney ores Of IA
uawha. for $40 per ton, which ia at as low a fgur. al
iros can be produced.
But. in order to produce iron ON a great zeal,
in the Kauawhs region, or to produce i. at a low
tsurs. the james River and Kanawha Canal 10 indss
oensabh. True, the Covington aud Ohio road nigh
carry the ore OF Allegheny to the coal of Kanawha
but neither that road, nor any other rail road, car
carry ores, or coal, As cheap as a canal can carry
them. The freights on the Covington and Ohio road
for one hundred miles, on a ton of ore, you'd not bs
lees than 81, and probably not less than s3, which
would make two tone of ore from the iron mountain
cost from $5 to 81, instead OF IS, as we estimated by
the canal; aud such an estimate 10 within bounds
The great trade on this improvement: IN completed
il ever completed, will be from w .ai to East, and
the boats, in passing from East to West. will, there
fore. be mostly empty. Under such circumstances
they will be glad to load at Covipgton with ore and
carry it to the Kanawha, for one cent per ton pei
mile. But even IL this should not be the case, any
party going into suoh an iron business, would own
boats enough to do their own transporting. a boa
could load at or near Covington with Ores for the
Kanawhs, and, returning, bring back a load Of crude
GOAL or coke, since il is evident, that il the ore can be
carried TO the coal, and manufactured there with
profit, the coal can be carried to the ore with the same
results. since ths transportation on each would be
about equal. Such being the case, coal can be brought
lO miles from the coal fields of Kanawha to the ore o
the Iron Mountains near Covington, and iron can be
made here rs cheap as there, at a coet not exceeding
sl2 per ton, or less than the present cost Of charcos
alone, to produce one ton of charcoal iron.
The iron OF kanawhs, Of course, would ssek the
Western markets. and unlimited they would be, to
those Manufacturers who could produce it at such
low prices; the uutaIsd highways OF Nature, the
great rivers of the West. would place that iron over
an extent Of a thousand miles. Iron manufactured
a, Covington would take the James River and
Ksua~hs canal to Lyncbburg and Richmond. From
Ccvington to Richmond 1t is .45 miles. and pre uminc
the charges TO be no less than they now are from
Lynchburg to this place, we have a cost, for trans
portstion. Of IS per ton, which, however, is rather les,
than the usual charges on iron a, present collected
from the upper part OF the canal, but is siill enough
aud AS much rs wil be charged, from Coving.on,