The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1870-03-24


BEDFORD COUNTY IRON ORES
JOHN FULTON, Esq, Resident Engin-
eer of the Huntingdon and Broad Top
r. R. Co., one Of the best scientific and
practical geologists in the United
States, in report TO the President of
the II. & B. T. r. r. Co., submits the
following in reference TO the iron ores
of this county and vicinity:
"The belt of iron ores hanking the
Broad Top Coal Fields on the west,
and extending from Huntingdon to the
State line, belong to and can be con-
trolled by Broad Top interests. The
main portion of it is alongside the
Broad Top Railroad, and will be smell
ted by coke from the Broad Top Field.
The portion of this belt betWee Bloody
Run and the State line about four
teen miles of good ore-will be smPIted
at Bloody Run; the furnaces can be
connected with the Railroad by short
branch from the west end of River
Bridge, when it shall be built. A
tram-road, witn a small locomotive,
will probably be used in conveying the
iron ore and limestone to the furnaces.
1t is a remarkable fac that the iarg-
est developments of iron ores flank
the Broad Top Coal Field. South
ward, up Black Valley, the regular
line of Tussey's Mountain is broken
up by Beams Cove; near the State line
beyond this, the measures are irregu-
lar, and split into terminal hills, the
iron ore thinning out and uncertain.
These surgent iron ores fanking
Broad Top are again repeated in the
loop curving around the valley in
which The town OF Bedford is situated.
This belt of iron ore is rich and valua-
BILE, and has, to some extent, been Sc
cured by parties interested in Broad
Top. The most valuable portion of
this belt Is near the town of Bedford,
curving round the Dutch Corner, and
throwing a double prong southward
towards Cumberland. 1t is reaS0na-
bic to infer that as the ore deposits go
southwark they will encounter, in q
modified manner, the Beams Cove line
of disturbances, declining in quantity
and value.
Bedford, as a centre for furnaces,
will be in a position from which all
the ores of that belt can be reached by
lateral roads.
w tlIl IGiN SAkCiISEOii "a the 1Op
Railroad to Bedford, the carrying CT
coal for iron smelling there, with the
native trade of the district, will, in
part, be secured to the broad Top in
terests.
The third Belt of ore, and the last
I'm the series as it plunges under the
Allegt anies, is found west of edford,
fianking for quite 4 distance the pro-
posed railroad from Bedford to Bridge
port-siXteen miles. That Broad Top
should secure this connecting link, Is
an impOtant consideration, i'm view Of
the rapidly growing interest in the j.
ron ores, and the LOW eager pursuit of
their acquisition i'm a region where pig
metal can be manufactured at a small
cost.
1t seems to me that with the we'll
defined amount of mineral resources
presented in this intervening terrific
ry and the sure source of trade which
must follow its manufacture, that it Is
of sufficient importance to induce
those connected with the Broad Top
interest to lose no time in securing a
position to command the carrying
trade of this wide field of productive
industry, which will be so much in ad-
ditiOn to the business and tonnage ly-
ing more Immediately on the line of
your Road.
The owners of Coal lands and ship
pers of Broad Top Coal should also feel
deep interest in securing a home
market for portion of this coal, at
least, thus supplementing the trade,
and measurably removing the sharp
competition now existing in the East
ern Coal Market.
A furnace of the size Of that at Rid
diesburg will consume in year p 900
tons of coal, $500 tons of limestone,
and 20, 900 tons of iron ore, producing
1900 to 5000 tons of pig iron. Twen-
ty furnaces would require 440, 900 tons
of coal annually.
Ii is now decided that at least two
additional furnaces will be erected on
the line Of your Road this season, with
the probability that two more will be
commenced before the close of the
year.
The loop of iron ore around Bedford
contains four millions of tons, calcula-
ting the rich fossiliferOus ores only,
and the Western line or range, three
millions of tons.
The developments during the past
year, Of the three bands Of iron ore de-
posits fiankiDg the Broad Top Coal
Field, have exhibited the presence of
almost ineXhausible quantities of iron
ore.
1t is 20 feet inch thick, near Coffee
Run, in a compact seam of almost pure
ore. This-the Levant iron ore-ha7
been tested, and is now being used in
the Cambria Company's furnaces at
JohnStown.
The Hematite and Fossiliferous iron
ores of the lower deposits, have been
opened and worked at many points in
the region, yielding superior ore and
showing unusual thickness in the de-
posits.
Calculations made with great care,
from reliable data, show that in the
three large deposits of iron ore flank
ing the Broad Top field on the West,
estimated 10 depth conveniently
reached above water level, there are at
least five hundred millions of tons of
iron ore. This quantity of iron ore
will require, for its reduction in the
furnace, more than FIVE hundred mil
lions of tons of coal. The extension
ofthe main line of the Railroad to
Bedford and branch up Black Valley
will develop large additional quanti-
ties of iron ore.
The Encouragement evident in the
topography of the Region for the con-
eentration of The iron ores, fuel and
hux, on the neutral line of gravity, a.
long the Railroad and river base, is
truly remarkable, for the belt of the j.
ron ore and the Coal Field are notched
at short intervals, by the valleys and
streams, transversely to their length, so