The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-04-16
THE NATIONAL FOUNDRY.
BLACK HAM colurar.

ra ChesieTneld CO. Va, April IA. 't3. !
re TIE EDITOR OF THE DIsPArcIf-sII: In the Dis
patch Of the 9th inst was glad 70 observe The an
srEssic steps Of the people q Richmond. in sestin,
Possesses o.er every other city on the Atlantic sea
oosfd Tor the location of the foundry intended to b
s@oussfncted 10 By the government. Too much canno
,isd e ssd in representing the claims of Richmond In
| Sviicitlh9 benefit which the government has K
ISp,se IaIpv e,! ~ Her immense water power-sa auxil
isetnring interest.-is scarcely eouaJei by sny r.
s,S. M. Mosd 81 Ihe eligible position which She com
nnsstionsb water, to facilitate commerce. is uG
| - c,,is ofanance aud other instruments O,
var could be manufactured and shipped without in
ar m ana her interior position would render
ei at All Iimes secure from the incursions OF an en-
emr, whtls her iron manufzctories might cort;nns
without interruption. A'su' 'on'inue
me adjacent coal fields Of Chesterfield. which ara
only distant about II miles, is another imnottsns az
feature IN representing her claims This coal tield
~niCn upwards OF twenty miles in length, having
son.nWesteriy direction from James River i ms ns
ratet by several public lines-near its nortbern ss
| tremity by the James River Canal, and about Ave
panville Railroad and about twenty miles south ~
lanes River. and near its southern extremity by a
hlh nIaneh o. the Richmond and Petersburg Railroad
Mhcn aliord during all season. of the year ample
means Of transit This coal field is of considerable
sAtent comprising about 6.,n0o acres of which not
more than one-trentieth part has been work ed or
ZOO acres, which is chiefly on the eastern margin CT
ine eoa neld, which will leave 60 acres yet TO be
uesslopsd by fqtnre operation. This immense area
WouId contain 9ls 0000s tons which at the present
s as oi production. weuld last f all got) for pc
matter 49, " '.i'
in ,Saie1at9nssf this kind. it is proper to make
CONSIDERABLE allowance for faults rupture and other
oDstructions. which known 10 exist IN ALI coal
neids III We deduct about onethrd of this area for
Iiblurnance, and sn devoid of coal we will
ihen have about 5000 acres of supposed coal
lands. which. at au average thickness of six feet
onai =; aitef making proper allowance for loss OF
S1di ,s IN mining We would have quantity equal TO
.i',4fUo tons, and supposing the annual demand
20 us to'p tons Il would require period Of i,Gs7
yeaIs 20 exhaust this area In addition to these a-
vshtaSes Richmond is connected by several public
nes, with the Alteghanies and the interior of the
in great profusion, and only want a more extensiys
10 Dring those vast resources into active op-
Virginia is happily endowed with natures gifts
one Is aoundantly supplied with coal IRON lime.
stone and many ether minerals of superior quality.
In addition to those great advantage wSicb yir.
sa possesses with that lboraiity for which she has
% neeh he'd she now offers suitable site fo
the Intended foundry, the Tretieoar iron
WORKS, which is an establishment of considerable
mSgnitude, IN the immediate vicinity of the Armory
~ fHglhla the garrison Of her Public Guard where
the nag Of Virginia would keen zeaIons 1usrd
over the United States foundry, in case Of in. |
,sntat,eo or n ctsai commotlon Those combined ad
siderable prominence in soliciting a boon which
lne Federal government has TO bestow Her
great commercial facilities and her Communication
"nu W the INTERIOR where domain of mineral wealth
oI almost imneasurable extent, is vet comparatiye
~ untouched, her natural advantages far the AID
am accommodation of mechanical structure THE
iacilites which coal "a commodity which Is OF snch
@ uapis beneht to the prosperity of nation
can be produced are adva ntages in her representa-
LIONS that are unequaled and irresistibs and If |
mere Is city in the world that has cause TO boast
mechanical skill, it is Richmond aud her schools
hua Institutions for instructing apprentices and |
young mechanics is sure guarantee that the deye,-
Opment OF the arts and scences are on the march in
your happy and healthy city.
Kichmond has mechanics. possessed of excellent |
mioTmation and most inventive genius and it can |
not Dc denied that Richmond stands pre-emipent To
any other place for the Government Foundry: and |
Whocan tell the good that, in all probability wouId
ne iet 1or hundreds Of miles from Richmond by the
deVelopment OF unexplored coal lands which con
tributes so much tothe wealth and ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
o, TINS or any other country; for the employ
OF capital and labor, the advancement of general
commerce the appropriation of the wonderful pow
OF 9l the steam engine, the support of the Navy |
ana tine development of the arts and sciencesl What
would England ever have been. without her aoal
helnr And all Of it put together is nothing i'm |
comparison to the coal fields in America the fornn,
only containing 1000 miles of coal lands while the
iatter embraces an area of 1873 569 square mes-nnd
ANY reasonable quantity of COAL equal in uuaIity
tor All purposes, TO th- Newcastle coal in England
can De ralsed from the mines in Chesterfield coun
l. miles from Richmond. and delivered in Richmond
at reasonable price.
am, sir
Yours very respectfully,