Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1873-11-12
FACTS ABOUT EAST TENNESSEE.
Direct Communication from the North
west to the Southeast-The Advan-
tages, Minerals, &c.

west to the Southeast-The Advan-
tages, Minerals, &c.
We take great pleasure in publishing the
following letter to Capt. Vanderhoof, Civil
Engineer, who is taking much interest in
projected narrow gauge railway from
Chicago, to the southeast Atlantic coast.
This letter fully developes the great mines
Of wealth to be opened by such an en-
terprise, and must needs attract atten-
ton of capitalists. No road in the coun-
try can have such a variety and exchange
OF products, both agricultural aud mineral:
o. g. Vanderhoof, Esq.
DEAR SIR: The line of your proposed
narrow-gauge railway, striking the Ohio
mt Portsmouth, is through all the more
northern portion of its route, outside of
the coal-ields, but runs through q rich
farming country which must ere long
consume large amounts of coal. The por-
ton of Kentucky just south of the Ohio
at this point, is famous for its extensive
iron deposits, which are at present worked
IN many small furnaces and FORCES, by the
aid of charcoal. These will also demand
large amounts of stone coal as soon as you
are able to deliver it, and will give in re-
turn their product of pig metal as Ohio
will its wheat and corn-all for transporta-
ton by this shortest possible line to the sea
coast. Where your line begins to rise the
western slopes of the mountains, it begins
to cross out-crops of coal seams, which are
met, at short intervals, all the way
through the Alleghanies. This country is
still wild and thinly settled, and has never
been thoroughly explored by any geologist.
Consequently, the details of its mineral
wealth cannot now be given. From what
is known of adjoining sections, as well as
from the incomplete sketches of those who
have passed hastily through it, it is evident
that it must contain at least eight work.
able coal seams, each of them accessible
along many miles of outcrop. The more
northwestern portion of the coalfield
should yield, from its lowest seams, good,
tree-burning, furnace-coal. Its central
portion viii yield mostly steam and gas
Goals, while its eastern edge, as we emerge
ut the outer edge of the mountains, at
Pound Gap, should again give us one or
two good seams of furnace-coal. On this
outer slope, we also find outcrops of the ar
gillaceous red hematite, which is worked
at so many points, from Pennsylvania to
Alabama, under the name of "fossilfer-
ousN ore. Other beds, of more compact
hematite, have also been reported from
This region, but | have no definite knowl-
edge OF them. Beds of clay ironstOne Gron
carbonate doubtless occur among the coal
measure rocks of the mountains, though
mediate vicinity.
Avast amount of valuable timber would
be made accessible, in this mountain Sec
ton. 1t is probable that range of salt
and petroleum-producing rocks, cores
ponding with that of the Kanawha, would
be found along the western slope of the
mountains.
Upon reaching the great valley of Vir-
ginia, which is in this portion separated
into two sections by the Clinch mountain
range, the line crosses anoth er rich farm
ing region. This is intersected by several
narrow ranges of valuable iron ores, which
must ere long attract capital for their de-
velopment, and also includes extensive
beds of handsome marbles, which only
need low freights to the seaboard to take a
prominent place in the ornamental work
of the world.
The limonite Tor brown hematite,) iron
ores of the southeastern side Of the valley,
in Tennessee, are already worked by sew
-eral furnaces in johnson, Carter and
Greene counties, and others will be built
before many months. Attention has re-
Gently been called to the beds of specular
and magnetic iron ores, upon both sides of
your line, as it passes up the French Broad,
some Of which will doubtless prove valu-
able and 80 become tributaries of your road.
BY reason Of the cheapness of ore coal and
labor, in all this region from the Ohio to
the Blue Ridge, iron is here constantly
produced at lower figures than almost any
where else in the country, and the atten-
.tion OF iron men is therefore directed to
this region, at the present time. 1t needs
nothing but cheap transportation to make
it one of the most active iron-producing re-
,gions of the world.
Nothing definite is known as to the value
Of the copper deposits, of this region, but
there is strong probability that good mines
will be found and opened, whenever a rail-
road shall open the country to enterprise.
The corundum deposits of this region are
extensive and valuable, and the mining of
this material will doubtless greatly increase.
The gold mines of North and South Car
.Olino are of greater extent and value than
is generally supposed. Though much
money has been wasted in ill-advised en-
terprises, Others have paid largely and will
continue to do so.
On reaching the coast of South Carolina
or Georgia, you come into the region
which is now furnishing so large amounts
of fertilizers, and have in them materials
for return freights to the agricultural re-
gions, have sent down by you their corn,
wheat and cattle. In coming to the fine
harbors OF this Southern Atlantic coast,
you reach large markets for your coal--un-
limited ones for your grains and other pro-
visions.
In thus giving a briefgeneral view of the
mine raj wealth along your proposed route,