Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-02-21
Coal and Iron i'm Virginia.

ginia formed the subject Of an address, deliver
ed by Gen. Tmboden last evening, in the Hall
of the House of Delegates, to an assenlbage of
members of the Legislature and citizens. The
speaker presented in detail the extent and
characteristics of the coal and iron deposits in
Virginia, and SO much of the great Allegheny
coal fields in West Virginia. as will be opened
up to iron manufacturers by the early compile
ton of the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad. Hen.
ImDoden said he quoted his facts from the IN
vestigations ofsllch distinguished scientists AS
Rogers, Leslie. Armstead, Maury, Daddon and
others, who have studied the geology aud
mineralogy of our State The speaker referred
in detail to the marvellous increase IN the IRON
productions Of the lWprld during the last few
wears and the immense consumption ni non IN
this country for railroads and the arts, giving
interesting statistical data, and maintained that
iron is bound to assume very large, proportions
rs soon as the Goals of the kanawha are made
available for this purpose by the opening OF the
Chesapeake and Ohio railroad.
He discussed the Richmond, the Piedmont
(near Farmville) and the Dan river coal. fields,
in Virginia, concluding that, except the latter,
thew would not contribute largely towards iron
making. The Dan river field he considered
very important when made available by the
Noifolk and Great Western railroad for the re-
duction of the rich and abundant iron ores ~
ing along that road to the westward. An
| ANALYSIS of the Dan river coal establishes its
| excellence and recent explorations show that
| there are FIVE good seams, ranging from three
| to eleven feet thick over an area OF twenty to
thirty square miles. He next took up the
| New river coal field, but assigned to it only a
| local value.
The great Allegheny coal field in the Kama
wha Valley and its extension In extreme South
western Virginia, he regarded as the great
storehouse from which we are to draw our
supplies of fuel to reduce the ores, not only Of
the great Valley Of Virginia, but of South
western Virginia For their full development
the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad, the james
River and Kauawha canal, and branch roads
from the Norfolk aud Great Western
down New river to the mouth Of Grcenbrier;
and another to Pound Cap 9D 2 tie Kentucky
line-would be iFeaqQuilred, and will all be in OPP
Grafton in less than ten years. :,
He showed that the discovery of great and
exhaustless masses of iron ore in Virginia were
ia strict conformity with certain recognized
laws in the mineral kingdom. which point to
Virginia as the most highly favored locality on
the continent in this respect Between the
Blue Ridge and the head of tide-water, where
the rocks are all plutonlc and metamorphlc,
we have identically the same geological condl-
tons that exist in the iron belt running through
Maryland, Pennsy vanla, New Jersey, New
York and Canada, and on the shores of Lake
Superior to the south, reappcarlng IN Missouri
and extending southwark from there to Gcor
gia. But that nowhere is this metamorphlc
region richer in magnetic, specular and spathlc
ores than in at least dozen Eastern Virginia
counties, mainly bordering ON the james and
Dan rivers and their tributaries.
Passing from Eastern Virginia. he showed
that in the great Valley range from Harper $
Ferry. on the Potomac to Tennessee and Ken
tucky the hematite ores are found in absolute
" inexhaustible quantities, and all within easy
reach of the Allegheny coal field. Already
ENGLISH and Northern iron. mongers are buying
I'M these lauds, especially on the Chesapeake
and Ohio railroad, and within five years more
| iron will be produced, in Allegheny, Rockbrld
and Augusta counties than the whole State
now prod uces.
He believed consolidated railroad power
coextensive with the Union, safe counterrolse
to sectional domination. 1t would give liz
steady protection through the tariff, open our
mines, and build our furnaces give the black
man employment in these new fields, and sur
render agriculture to the intelligent white
small farmer with the aid of his machinery and
superior skill.
With this future in prospect, he expressed
the earnest hope that the young sons OF lrgln-
ia would stick to the grand old State and share
| in the glory of rebuilding her fortunes on the
eternal foundations which God has laid in our
hills and mountains, and not go of to other
lands, where sooner, or later, their hearts VIII
turn with yearning to the homes OF their child
| IL - We
dered Rich. HMg.
SuMAc BUSINESS IN VGRGlNGA.-Efforts are
being made in Congress to get sulnac placed
on the free list. Public meetings to remon-
strate against this action Of Congress have been
held in one or more adjacent counties, and 9th
ers are moving in the matter.
There is annually paid out Of Richmond city
alone for sumac leaves over hundred thou,
sand dollars This large amount is scattered
over the eastern and southern portion OF the
State, and goes to help mostly those who are
needy.
Before the war there were only four Sunac
mills in the southern country, and the amount
ground out was limited to less than thousand
tons. The production, in fact, amounted In a
money value to less than 10000. Now there
are about seventeen mills in Virginia. These
mills ground ont last year 5000 tons OF SUI
mac, worth at least $500, 900 at present prices.
We give below list of srmac-grlndcrs refer
red to- all of whom are in Virginia
James f. McGraw, Alexandria, 3. R9sen-
thai, Alexandria Lowenstein & Co., New
town; r. r. Knox, Fredericksburg John G.
Hurkamr, Fredericksburg William &. Rus
sell, Fredericksburg; Waite, Miller 4 Co., Gull
pepper; William T. Smith, GorddGonsvllle !;
| Hrlet 3 King Richmcnd G.. c.. Harsin &
Co., Richmond Hurkamp & Boughau, Tappa-
hammock; German Smith, Winchester; Louisa
Manufacturing Company, Louisa Courthouse
Halstead & Co., Petersburg McAtee Broth
ers, Front Royal. The heaviest operator in
American sumac is John G. Hurkamp, who
arinds out at his two mills 1000 tons a year.
The next is German Smith. who grindss some
ground last wear 1000 tons The usual pro
Duct of mill is from 200 to 400 tons a year.
German Smith has three mills, John G. Hur-
kamp two, and Hulst 4 King of Richmond
are putting up second mill for next season.
| P;oL Die