Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1865-11-20
Bhe Alexandria g ne 81 tte
MONDAY EVENING, NOV'R. 20.
observation-disclosures VIRGINIA.

Jt3E-uNIulIU@ AAsS1
The State Geologist, Dr. Grant, has recent
" returned from tour OF the State, ana =
more than ever impressed with the sa = 11:
and variety Of the material resources - y
ginia. He appears to be surprised lneo ~ "
usual degree Of admiration at the Wonuels ne
has witnessed. 60 g..
dred miles over the State, visiting nearly every
cn,,nfu,Aand carefully examining and exploring
eacl,s''He saws that Virginia possesses every
metal and mineral that all the other States
nossess, and any specific one, IN as great aDun-
dance, and Of equal quality with any other 1e
single State. 60.
az the metals examined by him, may be
enumerated, gold, silver, copper, IRON, lead,
tin. zinc, platinum, molybdenum, tellurlu1m,
cobalt, nickel, bismuth, anthony, arsenic,
plumbago, &c. s.@,, ..,.z & ,ss
of lie minerals, coal, marble, kaohn, (por-
celian clay. potter's clay, fire clay, tullers
s earth. hydraulic cement, asbestos, soap stone,
slate, red and yellow ochre, mineral paints,
manganese, gypsum, salt, mari. white sand,
numerous mineral springs, &c. 49,,
Doctor Grant has visited over rne hundred
gold mines forty silver mines, twenty-five
consecutive miles of copper, lead and zinc,
three tin mines, one platinum, two OF moly
bdenum, one of tellurium, one OF cobalt, one
ofnickel, one of bismuth, one OF antlmony,
four of arsenic, and twenty OF plumbago.H
There are about two hundred square emlles
Of coal lands in the Shenandoah valley, one
hundred square miles In Chesterfield county,
twenty square miles in the Farmville fields,
and two hundred and fifty square miles IN
Botetourt, Montgomery, and other counties
Of Southwestern Virginia.
OF the valuable ores he says: The gold ores
Of Virginia are more brittle, more easily crush
ed and by ANALYSIS, equally valuable with
those of Colorado, and cover fully as great an
area. @.s
Silver is found both in simple ore, IN ar
e,entiferous galena, and with native copper.
There are lead mines in Southwestern Vlr-
cinia as rich as any in America they sup,
plied the whole South during the war, and
show no signs of exhaustion. The ores are
compact blue sulphuret, and are frequently
found In solid veins six feet wide.
The coppers are carbonate and sulphuret.
Masses of native copper have been found IN
this State of great size. The mines extend
through at least eight counties.
The iron ores are red and brown hematte,
ferruginous ochre, speeuar, magnetic, spathlc,
black band, sulphuret.
The Goals found are adapted to the furnace,
smithing, manufacturing, family use, manu-
facture Of gas, and to steamships. There
are different beds of different qualities, adapt
ing them to one or more OF the ABOVE purpo'
SEES. They range from coke and dry seml-Dltu-
minous to the most volatile bitumlnous.
Of white marble, there are three different
kinds in the State, as also two varieties OF va
rieqated marbles one is the Breccia, the other
Verde-antioue, shading to cream color.--
This IS the most beautiful marble In the world,
and greatly superior to the Tennessee marble
used on the Capitol at Washington. The
most elegant vases and ornaments are made OF
of it. :,
No kaolin, found in any State in the Union,
surpasses the Virginia kaolin. In clearness,
translucence, elegance and durability, 1t is
enual to any yet discovered. Such is the su
perior excellence of its qualities that crockery
dealer in this city says that, having tried 1t
once. he wants no more of it, being so dura-
bic that it lasts forever, and thus INJURIES the
trade.
Potter's clay is found in inexhaustible guam
titles and ofsthe finest quality, In numerous
parts Of the State.
Fire clay isalso found in abundance and OF
superior quality.
OF hydraulic cement, there are mountains
OF lime furnishing this peculiar variety, which
are readily accessible to navigation.
OF asbestos there are two deposits or beds.
Soap stone ouarries are near the james
River, and Kanawha Canal in inexhaustible
quantities. -
The Virginia slate is of such fine quality that
it took the premium atthe W orld S Fair. Does
not decay or collect moss.
Ochres and mineral paints are found in the
greatest abundance.
There are mountains Of manganese OF from