Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-09-21
the Iron Mountains ,,

We have hitherto DESCRIBED
haustiess beds 0! iron ore IN
the Valley and the S~ou,nwp,, s.
the East, aIoug the line OF tho +
and hana"ha cInal, but wc hal
seen and Travelled over the m,,...,
in Allegheny and aGj,ia.ay
were afraid Of being though, ey-r,,.
~exaggeratlng in ous DESCRIPTION.
deposits OF the North river II,
aud the ore banks 10 Blt,r,r-,
ourselves astonlshed at TIE e..4,,
meas Of the iTon ores On the NIX
tributaries, particularly above 80
the Virginia and Tennessee ,..5
superabundsnce 10 which If, ry;.
side of that line, from Salem 81 r..
Wytheviile, at Marion aud a, > .-.,
but particularly at aui sb,,a g..
But extensive and valuable a. tho.
nations OF ore may be, they cam;
pared in m~assIveucs; Or extent n.
We tihd in Allegheny county. 81 y
Rich Patch, Brusny and Green M
Peters mountain and the Warn
ranges. 10 travelling from Fioca.r.
tourt, through Craig, scras- ;pa =
Craig's and pitts creeks, All the
ranges, We had an Abundance u mp.
ell p~romischousIy over :he surface.
masses occasionally developed I,
tlcularly at"Grsce iurasce, yagr,
operated by Messrs. Shanks a..
or Potts creek, and On !hg ma,
to the East Of the Rid SgI
But the first grea, mas OF ysc vine,
smined is on D~unlap's creek. q -.
lance above Calllhan's. on the Ia.
C1vington and Ono raiIr,a! aal Tho
river and K.uasaa canal, .al r, o..
ern end of Peter Mounta,n Pe.,.r
tain is on the right SIDE # D.ri,r.
aud along It's Western ,l1.o, =. u,,.
aod around its NprtherT p.iat, g,
CovlngtOn, vast masses Of toe cfa.s
hematlte, or hydrated nyyie cIis.
a spur Of the left side Of tie creek
site Peters Mountain, We .oua! paga.-
mass--iudeed, O mountain Of irr
mass which stands W IN rocky CO..
raj buDdIed feet III height, has oegs
at various point-, ana invariably f1-
asoIid pass 0! brown ores. We asyg..
moUntaIn nearly 10 II. TOP. which i.at
feet above the creek, All waisai n
base nearly aquarier oil 4 nile, and e.
nothing out ore wherever wa turn.
found it too quarriei aui t.asg.e. r
several places, ami only i3got a. 81
4 richer and more promising m4isuil
depOsite deserves the name q ~.
tain" as much as ever did TIE uou,
of Missouri, Of New York, N.T Jsu
Pennsylvania. Bat even tbs d, l.
great iron mountain pr erc...,tt. q
We had 10 contemplated wbeD Sc
the heading Tor this article, "irtlg1E
tains OF Virginia" by far the greats.
Of iron ore that w have vet sean p
or any other State, may ne iouat
three miles East Of CoSlng'on, 90 m
ly Ann Furnace tract, Owoei hy +,
j. JordCn Il Go, OF Lexington. IT,.
ton commences near Jlckson's Rs
the line Of both the Cana! and EU.a..
tral Railroad, and runs to ,he N'. la.
the Mill aud Brushy mountain, Il a..
take not their iDcnl names. Msu"
an iron formation Of the most u1gr
character, for three miles alongthe'PU
Mill Run" and the Western s!.ae
mountain. We clambered up 5a-! a..
pure brown ore, hundreds Of let d..
examined huge and detached i~ragn.G.
had been hurled by some caus u 10
the valley below, that would CONTAIN
sands Of tons sod made up Of cDrfe g.
of ere. We broke PARTICLES from e'sg 9.
Of those great iron bOuldcIs--it tagy "a
50 cslled--and found the brown sui e
hydrated oxydo pure, heavy, aa4
wherever ~e broke into IT,
At several points along Ibis range
quarries have been opened, which el
massive features 10 unmls.akaOle i~ b
nigh, give the engineer some .E.
to calcu, ate 10 tons, Il be c..'
en~Ough-tbls mighty m'uni'a
precious ore--preciOus IL this iron ag
DO Dot pretend, Dur " u!i We at,m'i
the probable extent Of this ~ ~
feel safe 10 seyirg that the Ne--'
own in Al!cgnany AID yigirl'g r.t
a mile or we should say q 'H'''n
bcmaiite; lot "a superficial -.-
grsut cube IF 60 acres on a'.y
Bot this family Q. Iron Nast-Is
over l0O,O o acres VI mineral .at!
and adjoiDi z counties. Wcdyhy,
say that any single ma-s Of y lD.'A.
seen, would reach the enormous extent
trilliOus If tons which 81"
in a cubic mile. We mercy maty b"
10 show that ven this pa. u ~.
If which 60 little has been .a!d ac1
so little known, is able tJ supply
enough to keep all the fusnacr- I'D
and the rest Of Viz, u Pc.
countless ages. The iron moua,a,u.'
yielc. if properly wrought, . ma'i'l
= year for c%sn1prlrs; hos E'a.
he bard 10 say. The r u value III" ..
formations is beyond calculation, e's-
tsuth part OF il could ever be o1;sA
il on a par With toe great coal !.'n''