The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1859-03-16


my colleague, Mr. Branch. at the last ses-
sion, offered bill to this effect, | was in
hopes the effort would move steadily forward,
and that the claims Of North Carolina, and
the facilities she offered on this subject, would
be well considered, and if well sustained, as
! believe they can be, conceded and allowed.
But, like most of measures which are of
truly practical and commercial character for
a southern State, it has been permitted to
linger till it is about forgotten. tits now my
purpose to revive the subject, and claim for
my State full and fair hearing in the pre-
mlses. premise, then, by saying that the
Deep river valley, in the State of North
Carolina, is suitable place for national
ioundery, and the State Of North Carolina
has peculiar claims for its location within
her borders.
What constitutes suitable place for
I national tounderys
4 !. Minerals and other materials for use in
such work and Of these, principally coal
and iron ore.
2. Locality, accessibility TO tide water,
and inaccessibility to an enemy in time of
war.
5. Climate, and means for subsisting
population Of mechanics and workmen.
On the first can safely say, without dis
paragemcnt to other places, that the Deep
river valley has no superior. II has coal OF
the best and most abundant quality. tits
bituminous coal, totally free from sulphur,
or other noxious element initiating against
ITS free use Tor manufacturing purposes Of
any description. II is conceded to be one
oi the best gas Goals in the world, and Yields
the greatest abundance of the best coke for
smelling and forge work, and is well adapt
ed Tor making what is called hollow fires,
Tor heavy wrought-iron work. lis iron ores,
too, are equally superior, embracing every
variety. The specular, brown hematite,
magnetic, and blue.clay ores. are inexhausti-
BILE, and are all bedded together in narrow
compass. And then, over and above any
other place known on the continent, the only
workable vein Of black-b ore interlines
the coal-feds themselves not ONLY SO, but
are the deepest in thickness and extent ever
yet discovered in any country. This is not
assumption, but fact, proven and visible to
the inspection OF any inquirer. A shaft,
lately sunk by one Of the companies engaged
IN operating these mines, to the depth Of five
hundred feet, discloses no less than upwards
OF seven feet of coal, and over eleven feet Of
bhaNN tVniuEu w a SLFdfum Oh
some forty feet. This is only one spot but
others are equally favored. But this impor-
tant maleable article Of ore, for the purpose
OF making all the descriptions of fabrics for
war and naval use, cannot be over estimated,
and should give controlling influence in the
selection Of the locality for such a national
work. With the use Of this deposit, exclu-
sively, as yet, found in workable quantities
in the Deep river valley, combined with the
other and harder ores found in such great
abundance, will enable the Government to
make every description Of iron fabrics, from
the hardest steel cannon or shaft, down to
the softest loop. band that can be demanded
for any part OF the naval or military depart.
ments.
Several very able and lucid reports have
been made BY eminent geologists, who base
their statements upon actual explorations,
made with the greatest caution aud attention
70 the facts, among whom | may mention
prominently Professors Johnson, Jackson.
and Emmons-the latter being the authoriz.
ed State genlogist for North Carolina. From
their united opinions and statements in their
several reports, the following are some Of
their conclusions:
l. The coal is ofa quality equal TO the
best Newcastle coal, aud the best for making
gas, for which purpose il would bring in
New York slx or seven dollar per ton.
:. u is very easy TO work, and free Of
fault.
5. II is admirably suitable for smelling
iron, being free from sulphur.
4. Black band iron ore overlies and un-
dcrlies the cpal, and can be mined from the
same pits aud openings.
>. The bIack.band is in deposits eighteen
inches TO SIX feet thick, and Of better dual.
ity than any found in Scotland, contain
ing such large portion of bitumen, and
Of so peculiar character that from twelve
TO sixteen gallons Of kerosine oil can be
extracted from it while il is being cal.
cincd to fi il for the blast furnace. Six to
sixteen inches is the usual thickness Of the
black band iron ore in Scotland.
9. ilcnatite iron ore, clay.b band. and also
magnetic iron ores, are in enormous depos-
it, within ten miles Of the coal and black.
band.
Z. Pig iron can be made from the above
deposits, Of quality superior to any male
IN Scotland, in any quantity, and at prices
less than in Scotland, the proximity uf the
minerals to each other more than camper-
sating for the higher wages in mining. SAYS
a practical Scotch Iron master, speaking Of
the Deep river valley:
am satisfied that pig iron can be made
at a cost Of nine dollars per ton in Chatham
county. on tie banks of the Deep river. Que
hpndrcd aud ilty thousand dollars would
suffice 70 buy enough uf mineral land to sup.
ply two furnaces with material fur some gen
rraticns. Il would suffice 70 sink The pits,
and erect two furnaces on The Scottish prin-
ciple; and, as tie minerals are the same as
in Scotland, the plans ought to be imported
from thence. The two furnaces could make
tour hundred to five hundred tons week
Say twenty thousand tons per annum--
it cost 81 about ten dollars per ton. $500,
1Ou.) Price in New York and Boston va.
ries from twenty ttyn t1it,r. n, tttFrttt sirht