Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-11-30

new line recently built under the charter Of the
w. G. T. p l.. .. X. r. Co., and leased to
the Baltimore and Oio Railroad Company.
SatlSi Glory arrat e. mcnts were also made
for interchange ut through business with tie
Il chmond and D,nviiIe Railroad Company in
June las. By these arrangements the North
aud South connections Of the company at
present rest on favorable grounds The
connections with the Southwest line for pas
aengcr traffic at Lync'burg have been cx-
tended by recent additional passenger accom-
modations, and will receive some further
improvements in that respect, now 10 pro-
cess of construction. Iu addition to connec-
tions with the railroads mentioned, and the
Chesapeake and Ohio railroad at Gordons-
vile and Charlottesville for Richmond and
western business, some traffic is lnterchanged
with the James River and kanawha canal at
Lvnchburg, aud arrangements are 10 progress
tor The Improvement Of the navig aton Of
Staunton river above and below the crossing of
this iiue Of railroad, and which promises, when
Completed to furnish considerable tonnage
heretofore transported by other routes Of com-
muncati0n.
TRANSPORTATION OF IRON ORES.
In the report submitted to the last annual
meeting OF the Company reference was made
TO the discovery sud opening of large deposits
OF magnetic iron ores upon the llue of your
railroad, between Charlottesville and Lynch-
burg, and to the purchase of these properties
for development by the Philadelphia and
Reading Coal and Iron Company, and other
capitalists Several hundred tons of these ores
have been taken OUT the past summer and
transported by the first pamcd Company to
Pennsylvania for the purpose of being tested
IN their furnaces. and the value OF the metal
made definitely ascertained. The results of
the experiments as far as reported though
not completed are very satisfactory to the 2.
4. &. q |. Co., and the ore regarded as
suitable Tor the manufacture of Bessamer pig
iron. The Gre referred to was mined at Coves-
vile, few hundred feet from the railroad
that point. A large vein of similar ore has
been opened at North Garden Station, and
tested 10 several furnaces with favorable re-
suits. This outcrop of magnetic iron ore has
been traced as a continuous vein, parallel to
the railroad and extending from North Garden
in Albemarle, to the Amhert county line, d
distance exceeding thirty miles. This, Of itself,
must develope large and valuable future bus
mess to the Company, which will be realized
as soon as the iron Interests of the cOuu-
try revive, and the manufacture of the
raw material again becomes profitable
Another deposit of valuable iron ore has
been opened at Madison Run Station in
Orauge county during the past summer,
and considerable quantity Of it shipped
to market over the road via Lynchburg aud
the James River Canal. More recent exatu-
nations disclose the further TACT in this c0nuec.
ton that vein of specular iron ore has been
found 10 Culpepcr county, near Mitchelrs
Station, which contains by anal ysls upwards Of
GU per CT of metallic iron, and is free from
sulphur and PHOSPHORUS. This vein Of iron
ore has been traced from the above point in
Culpeper 10 southwestern direction, parallel
aud west of the railroad, for some thirty miles,
and within short distance of the town of
Charlottesville Ii has so far been only partial
ly opened and shafts sunk at single point, but
the vein appears to be clearly defined and the
ore found 10 large quantity.
The value OF this last discovery OF iron ore
lies in its superior quality and adaptation to
making steel. In general characteristics this
ore resemble the ores of Lake Superior and
of the Missouri Iron Mountsn, while its prox-
unity to the seaboard will allow its Transports
too to the Eastern furnaces at greatly less
rates. Iu recent communication from the
Chief Engineer Of the Philadelphia and Read
ing Railroad Company, he states that this
CuIlrprr orc is the description needed most
by the furnaces OF the SchuylkIll region to
nix with the Penn>y lvapia ores, and that if
found 10 quantity his company will annually
transport over your road from 100000 to 2jO,-
0U0 tous to Alexandria Tor shipment. The to-
tai tonnage Of the entire road for the past year
did not quite reach l66 900 tons, 50 that the
magnitude OF this iron ore lrathc can be meas
urcd by comparison with the existing business
Il, az
ton of supplies and passengers growing out Of
this new clement OF traffic. The discovery
of this last vein of valuable iron Jas of those
beyond Charlottesville ore is largely due to
the intelligent efforts Of Ma II r. +. Mason,
who has heretofore devoted much time and
labor to the subject, aud who is now engaged
in opening the Cul pepper iron ore beds in the
interest of the p. & r. &. & l. Co. [c is
somewhat extraordinary that this valuable
source Of mineral wealth should not have been
carrier discovered, and remained so long un-
known notwithstanding its proximity to a line
of railroad which has been in operation for
twenty years.
The great value Of this pew source of wealth
along the iiue Of your road can not now be de-
MED, and its full development is only matter
of time and suitable opportunity Ii the cal,
cuations Of those who profess to understand
the subject are accepted the ultimate prouts Vi
transportation from the working of these valu-
able iron ores will be far in excess of the re-
suits produced FROM any other source of pro-
ducton.
LAND AGENCY.
The report of the Land Agent of the com
paDy will show the operations Of the last year
aud state of his depart nent of the service.
The past year has not been favorable to this
class of investment, and sales Of land have been
dull. About one fourth of the
amount of land originally purchased only 80
far have been sold and disposed of. Some Of
these lands have furnished the road with large
supplies of lumber and timber for general pur-
poses during the year.
The accompanying papers herewith present
ed will show 10 detail all the operations of the
company and exact state Of its affairs for the
INST fisnal vaor