Kanawha Valley star. [volume] (Charleston, Va. [W. Va.]) 1856-1861, 1859-07-26
For the Kanawha Valley Star.
Ind try.
Iron Making iii West Virginia.
By GislNASD DUMAS.
By GRlNASp DUMAS.

By GfsINASD DUMAS.
NO. IN
! have said that the liabilities for ex.l
lracting the mineral ores, are greater in
Western Virginia than in Europa. Here
we are upon soil Of the second geolog..
zeal epoch, {secondary formation. The
GROUND is continually aceilented By up
heaying from inside. to outside. making
thus continuous ranges ofhills cut down
By streams of water. which IN their course
haze washed away The movable earth,
disintegrated the friabIe rocks. and car
ried these aiInsious in the beds Of the riv-
ersJto be, inslime. deposited ia the Ocean
Through the work Of ages, the waters
running acfoss the hills. dissolTing, cut
ting the soil Till they meet i solid bed.
veins of minerals and fossils have been
uncovered and now are seen above The
water levellof the country Some ofthese
veins are more lhan SO ID 80 yards up
ward the creek which purI down AeH
height.
Among these hills. broken and torn, iron
is abundantly found in different states Of
combination. Nothing ID so common a.,
ferruginous clay; iteven can Be said that
il is. the general character OF the soil
Some banks of clay are very rich ID iron
and 1 besides. contain very numerous kid
.neys Of pure oxyd ofIiron; also Jumps Of
carbonate and sulphate Of iron are often
met with. and can be picked up in or on
The banks ofall our creeks. But. what's
truly remarkable. they are these large
banks Of oxyd and Iper9xyd Of iron, a.
those found. on the Sandy and Guyan-
dotte rivers. or chose Of The Kaaawha. in
Putnam.eounty. aud .of tile Harvey Tract,
on Elk river. and IN many other places.
When considered from the industrial point
of view. / say these banks are unrivalad
in the whole world. Ills common to see
banks ofiron from 5 to 5feet thick Of pure
and compact ores, situated above water
level.
| This single circums situation.
as every engineer and miner does know.
is Of an immense advantage fer, IN such
case, there is no need Sf sinking costly
shafts. of providing for airing aud drain
ing machineries. These engineering alp,
paratus IS with their accessory coniriyan-
ces. are so dispendiohs that they absorb a
large amount ofcash, and reduce the ben
eft by the incessant costs Of repairs.
In a like situation as are our banks Of
iron; it sufices To- attack tho vein with
picks and crowbars or blast. cut gallery
7 tin the other side Of the hill. get thus a
good draft Of airlthroughout. come back
and make cross 1roams iii that gallery -
The timbers to support the roof would
cost but the trouble ofcntting downsthe
trees. A tram road would bring the ores
10 the opening of the mine. from whence
they could be sent down TO tile furnace.
al cost. less than soc ton So much
for the second part ofthe problem cheap
ness Of ores.
ApPreciations made by Mr.. de Bessier
on that Virginisn ore SET forth its value at
no per 100 Of metal. and several anal
Yves, made BY myself. w the wet meth
Cd, didfinlicate from S. to 65 per 100 ol
ironin the ore pf Kanawha !; some sam
pies even were richer than that.
Then tie solution Of tie problem. Fael
for nothing and ore gery cheap. on which
depends The success Of iron smelling in
this country. can be practically demon
strated aud the solution materially proved
true and .bene6table.
| conclude in saying 10 my readers,
{happyif / could find one. that this
problem is not j fancy ef my brain. ere
ated TO exercise my pen in a tongue lido
not master vet no, >itII is the result Of
many informations. Always. and Of diff
ferent points. iron makers did answer to
lmy enquiries ...We cannot stand. Flu.
lei, ores and labor are too dear. As soon
as canal is open Or a5railroad is put IN
Operation. Englshmcn inunda:e the coun.
TRY with theirsirons, We have reduced
Jour prices beyond al benefiable limits,
| and yet We csnnot compete with them on
4 the market"
To help an industry, go necessary 10
THE country, / say even GO indispensable
TO its prosperity andlpower, without do
ing injury TO The other branches ofnalion.
| II production which TO progress wan
iron az low price 10 help the industry d
iron, say I. the question i then exactly t.
give To- il. gratis fuel and cheap ores
leaving only to- the charge Of The maru,
fufacturerthe mere expen se for the mining
land smelling pf the mineral.
Il think / have solved the problem; per.
lmps too slmn1arily, for I was eonstraia.
ca BY the limits Of thu paper. and could
mot abuse the cbnaescehsions Of the Edit
1or, but yet. think mr. idea can easily
be understood. Ii Enalt Be but justice
| u me 70 Acknowledge that | constantly
stood on . practical ground. ] did al.
vance only facts which can be verified al
lany tine and by anybody. Ibid no
speskofsother profits which may bt mads
III advantages which may be found here
Tha fabrication Of ammeHiaeaI salts viii
| the wafer resulting from the eokiu0 Of ii.
coal could bsE 1 large department in Ii.
conceIn; il would pay here. since ID uivs
] good profta ii England The professor
Way even think thai she productions d
ammoniacAl water should bs the pfinoi
pal aim anywhere i'll ths establishment
/ whore coal is distiilsiad. gas OF oil baips
asly st-ssss.Iss. i, h:t MIDI