Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1867-10-29

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Cost per ton, .... . .................... $28O(
This estimate probably applies to cases where
the ore and timber belong to the owner of the
furnace. If the ore and coal were purchased
as in the case Of the stonecoal furnaces, the cos
Of the materials would be much greater The
capital invested in the charcoal furnaces is much
greater than in stonecoal furnaces
Timber land which will yield forty cords per
acre sells at twenty dollars per acre wood stand
lng worth fifty cents per cord common labor
ers receive 81 25 to $l.50 per day. 1t appears
| from the above statements that the cost of ma
king pig iron in the West is not less than thirty
dollars per ton, whilst on the line of the Chesa-
peake and Ohio railroad the cost will not be
much more than fifteen dollars per ton.
Notwithstanding the high prices Of labor and
! materials. the manufacture of iron has been ex-
tremey profitable in the West.
The supply of coal suitable for the manufac-
ture of pig iron in the Ohio Valley is extremely
limited Thus far only about three hundred
acres OF coal adapted to the manufacture of pig
iron have been discovered in Southern Ohio
The seam Of coal is small, and the mining is ex-
pensve.
In the Kanawha valley the supply of coal of
the best quality for the manufacture of iron is
almost unlimited ; the seams are large, above
water level, and immediately on the line of the
railroad.
1t has long been we'll known that the Kama
Wha coal, for many purposes, was superior to
any in the United States but its superiority for
the manufacture of iron now established in con-
nection with an abundant supply of iron ore of
the best quality on the line of the railroad, will
have most decided influence in favor of our
great work.
A knowledge of the extent of the coal and
iron product of the United States and England,
and its rapid increase in the last few years, war
rants the conclusion that the profits which the
Chesapeake and Ohio railroad will derive from
the coal and iron traffic will alone be equal to
the interest on the cost of the work
Pig iron produced in the United States
in 1850, 1884, Ala
Pig iron produced in the United States
in 1864, ..................... 100000
Anthracite coal produced in the United
States in 1870 80, 1856, 1870
Anthracite coal produced in the United
States in lS305 40 .................. 6,26l, 1877
Anthracite coal produced in the United
states in 1870 5O 10, 373, 429
Anthracite coal produced in the United
States in 1850 go, 954, ,864
States in 1860 -, -. -. 81, 172, 800
Cumberland coal produced in United
States in 1872 .--..--............... l,1OS
Cumberland coal produced in United
States in 1852 334 11S
Cumberland coal produced in United
States IN 1860 .............. 779, 900
Cumberland coal produced in United
States in 1865, 9O3, ,495
In the year 1865 the production of coal in the
United States amounted to 20, $685. 642 tons, Of
which Pennsylvania produced 1889 099.-
England produced in 1854, 64,000000 tons of
coal; in 1864 Sc. 6.000,000 tons of coal in 1854,
3,O69,S38 tons Of pig iron; in 1868, 4,5l0,O40
tons pig iron.
The coal and iron fields developed by the
Chesapeake and Ohio railroad are equal in ex
tent and quality to any In the United States,
and because of their central position, will com
mand larger market and we may reasonably
conclude that in a few years after the compile
ton of the work it will be the great coal and
iron railroad of America. 1t is only necessary
for the friends of this great work to continue
their exertions, and they will accomplish results
beyond their most sanguine expectations.