Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-08-03
fCe-sro7isace If II. Richmond Er9ai'sr.I
5 Tou= Through Virginia and che South

1hr Mr. R,ror Coat md Iron HShr
The a':nv. L. no m >i2,,.Y. n~f i rnay : ; ~" our
70 b. a r-.,. - N r. ti..:iiic-ne. nd Importance
than tn b,ss,rI ..ihi ac.te lid. al ?rilnsy!vnn:a
that yield yerriy 10 lLs Keystone Slate 'h''''''
OF treasures; that ill her citiea with industrious pe'
ple, open her mines vt iron, and feed her multiply
ing furnaces; that give activity and life to her rail
roads, and facilities TO her manufactures. such as no
other State enjoys New York and Baltimore stretch
forth their iuss,iste arms for the black diamonds OF
her mountains, and every State in the union pays
tribute to Pennsylvania for her anthracite coal.
We do not claim so magnificent q coal region for
New River. No country in the world can rival Penn.
sylvania's great anthracite coal fields; but we DO
claim, in connection with our coal helds here that
which she has not 10 connection with hers-nor any
other region that We know of-an IRON REGION un'
equalled In the world. Vast, unlimited-liks the
neutrality-suspicious. These are strong words,
We know. but the reality is still greater than the con-
ception. Here we have that which few other regions
possess. A variety Of coal, ranging from anthra'
cite to bituminous; Goals that will make iron,
taken crude from the mines, or in the Shape
Of coke; and coals, too, much like those used
in Wales for iron making-which waate but little
in the coking process; but We have much, how
ever, that requires no coking at all-being as free
from bitumen and impurities az the anthracite coal
of Pennsylvania. This variety we claim az Of
great advantage to the iron master, in the operations
Of making and shaping iron into its various lorna.
But a still greater advantage lies in the fact, that the
iron and Goals are together, or within d few miles OF
each other. Indeed. large quantities of rich ores are
found 10 the same localities with the coal; but the
great m~asses-ths mountains of ore! lie on the oppo.
site side of the valley, within sight, in many places.
And yet another advantage we may name, of per-
haps no less Importance. The limestone Of thu Val.
ley lies under, over, and around the sites for furnaces,
on tho banks Of the beautiful and powerful New river.
All the facilities the iron mater requires ars here.
Coal, iron, ores and limestoues, 10 rich and ine1haust.
ible quantities, in the hills around him, within sight,
and all too with descending grades towards the cen.
trial point and that point is all that the engineer
could ask. Here are extensive and convenient sites
for manufactures, directly on The line OF the Virginia
and Tennessee rail road. which leads to never failing
markets at both ends and those sites, as Nature her
self seemed TO have designed, are directly on the
banks of n strong and rapid river, with power enough
10 propel ten thousand engines. Indeed, much as
VIC iudJ ~ IuC ulScINSp II "a VI u hNO'N SS'''
tude OF the James at Richmond, and lie power to
turn those mighty mills and work those glowing
forges, the New river, sweeping down from the null
titudinous mountains Of North Carolina, through q
perfect paradise Of beauty and p%rofusiOn, comes to
the coal at acknowledgements name-~ith a
wealth of waters, almost as grand and reslsiless as
those which your splendid river pours over lis era
mite chalice, at the feet Of your glorious Richmond.
Here then, We have all that Nature in her lavish
mesa could give US; for mineral and mountainous q:
our region is, and high as it may BIO in the pure air:
of the Allsghanies, we are, nevertheless, in the mids
of farms and felds-in an agricultural country, which
il the fairest and the richest of fair aad fertile Virginia
In no country, no cline, beneath no sun, lie more
beautiful and productive uplsnds, or fairsr, liveliel
vslies than here.
Who, that has trod through the fields and groves Of
Smitbfeld, or gazed over the splendid "Horse Shoe;'
that has rode through Fort Chiswell," and, indeed
OVER all the wide and beautiful farms and plantations
of Montgomery, Pulaski and Wythe. could hope tc
and richer or more productive lands, or sigh for other
sights or other scenes 2 With the temperature OIL
Philadelphia generally, We have the advantage Of
Southern winds to prolong our seasons and take The
icy chill from our winters; We have the purest airs
that ever rustled through the leaves of the forest, and
the most limpid water that ever burst from the rocky
bowels of the earth. We have all, everything tina
We could ask or wish for, from a bountiful Providence
and only now need to take hold of the opportunities
before us. A little energy and enterprise will make
I Central the Myrthyr or the Pittsburg OF Virginia. The
time will come-must come, when this splendid region
will be opened out by activity, industry and science
Sanguine as We may be, and grand and dazzling as
our pictures and our predictions are. they are not the
mere dreams Of On enthusiast, nor the creationt
oil a mere theorist. The pictures stand in living resli
t. before us, aud the predictions ATE only such. ADD
even less, than the results OF other places, with far
less hattering prospects aud with half the manifold
advantages.
The coal mines in Brush Mountain, which lies within
four or FIVE miles Of Central, have been opened by
Hon. VIM. Ballard Preston and other gentlemen Of
Montgomery, and an elegant article of bitumiDous, or
semi.canuel coal. has besu extracted, equal in quail
ty and effect TO any coal Of the kind. This formation
has been traced for a distance Of nearly 50 miles, from
behind Blacksburg. on the north east, to near Wythe.
vile on the south west, aud has been opened at
many points from whence coal is regularly obtained
for domestic use. Theirs are three or four veins,
averaging from Is to 20 feet Of coal in this formation.
But there ara other local formations OF great size and
value, throughout the region, and one of these We
may msntion ns the Price Mountain coal baein. This
coal differs from the coal Of the Brush Mountains. in
being harder, containing less bitumen and having in
iact, all the quaites Of anthracite. Several mines
have been partially opened in this basin; only one
has been fully developed and satisfactorily tested, but
every evidence exists to demonstrate that the general
character of the basin IL the same, and that an abun
dance of the best coal exists. Some five or six veins
have been found in this basin. The minss We allude
to here, were opsned by ourselves, on the lands Of
Jeremiah Kyle. Esq of Christiansburg. last winter,
and a slope sunk on a rich and productive vein, some
six feet thick, TO the depth of 100 feet-ihus demon-
strating beyond doubt. the extent and character of the
coal which increases in hardness, density and purity
az il descends beneath the mountain.
To describe the localities and extent of the iron ores
would occupy more room than we can spare, and We
will only remark in connection that there is scarcely
a plantation of note lying near the New river which
does not contain moro or less Of this truly precious
metal" but ~tbeigreat bed Of brown hematite seems
to lie here as elsewhere, on the Eastern eide of the
valley and between the ssndst one and limestone, and
is Co extensive with the valley. DEBow.
-.e--
DEATH OF MAJOR SANDERS.
Major John Sanders, United States Eueineers, died
at Fort Delaware on the 2Dih of July, 1888 after a
short illness. Major Sanders was u native OF Ken.
lucky, Il grandson of the celebrated George Nicholas,
Of that State. He graduated with honor at West
Point, and entered tbs army as brevet I'd Lieutenant
on tho LIST of July, 1884. He was chief engineer I'm
der General Worth, for whom he planned the attack
Of the Texas Rangers upon the Bishops Palace at
Monterey. He also distinguished himself at the siege
of Vera Cruz. He was engaged at the tUma OF his
a. Ia, ooo,,r,ot;n, E,r. Dalau,.rp whIph ia inland