The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-02-12


Tho statements of the Iron Age with regard
TO the remarkable iron deposits on sne 'a'hes
river below 1ynchburg. II these represent
ations are reliable we have here 10 virginia
untold sources OF wealth lying Immediately
unou the line Of the James River aaa hs'
ravha canal. The iron veins referred to By |
the IRON Aqe were singled cut by thst Jour- /
nal socially In connection with the search /
for suitable iron ores. in the East Tor Tue
manufacture of SssssEMsa pig. There are
great many other iron deposits IA Virginia
some of them, 40 do,tst, equally sui,ablefor
the production of BEssEAER metal, wfsach,
however, is but fractional part OF thefirou
industry Of the'conutry.
A glance at the map will show that the
present terminus aof the James River canal
fat Buchansn) is separated by very narrow
bel. from the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad.
II we can bridge this gap the coal1eIds oil
the Kanawba valley and the iron'fe4ds OF the
James River valley are rendered mutually
available for the manufacture ofiron.
I We are gretitied to learn'that 1t has oeen
now>experinentally ascertained ia this CITY
that there arc Goals on the line OF the Chesa-
peake andehio railroad which are PROBABLY
the finest 10 the world for the manufacture
of iron. We learn from two a the most 40
h telligent end prosperous OF our iron manu-
facturers.ia this city, who have been recently
trying the coke from the Qunnimont mnes
1one hundred and two miles by the Chesa'
peake and Ohio railroad from Clifton FORGE,
that thevpr efer ii ton Jort&es, to the ahHf1'
cite eoai Gf Pennsylvania. Its pronounced
equal for coking purposes to the celebrated
Cannelsyile coal. "If we could have that
"coal delivered to us heresin Richmona Tor
fifty cents less than the present COST re.
marked one of these gentlemen TO
us, ait would supersede 'the Pennsylvania
Goals" The testimony Of our 'coat-
merchants is equally strong. One ofthem
assures US that the Quinninnont Goals sage not
only regarded by the manufacturers who
have used them as equal or superior to the
CannelIsvilIe coal for ceki nc, but that they
are preferred by those who have tested them
to the Cumbella land coal for steaRla5 pur-
poses. The latter fact as as full Of signlt-
capce as the former for II we can deliver at
Norfolk a better steamingc coal than that now
used from Mary land by our ocean steamers
we may anticipate an ius4nense Tonnage over
the canal when that great work'is pushed
through TO the coal-helds.
If the Kanlwha Goals could be brought to
the iron deposits OF the danes River valley
pig-iron could be produced at the iron mines
for SIT ton ut present prices Of l&bor. 1t
cannot at this tiyure-or for less, indeed, than
$50 or 4S25 per in Pennsyiveuia. If
Virginia can turn out large supplies Of pig
iron atSsl7 per ton lit is.now lnadcfor less
at one point on the Chesapeake and Ohio
roadD our future is assured: We shet rival
Pennsylvania in our iron industry. We
should produce this pis'ron at points With
in essy access Of Richmondand the Atlantic
cities by tno;er, the demand tor the iron ore
and for the Goals Of West Virginia securing
the very lowest possible transportation in
virtue Of the amount Of the 'tannage neces-
sarily Developed.
We understand that one Of DER business
men has WitbiH week OK so past received
an inquiry from England as to the terms, on
which $4,000 or ~, 600 tons Of ,iran ore can
be delivered here in Richmond for shipment
TO England, where the scarcity of iron ores
and the consequent high prices aee being
more and more severely felt every day. "a
similar inquiry was sent to the office of the !
james River and Kanawha Canal Company. |
Ia 80. a. =
this office, and we were gratified to learn
that the company offered TO bring the ore
from LyDchburg to Richmond $50 miles,
for S1.10 per tou, carriers charges and tolls
included. We merely mention this and the
other facts which we have given TO show
where the wind is setting. attention is d.
recte2 to the iron deposits Of Virginia. for
in England. and in the eastern States of this
country, the cry is loud for cheap iron Oh es.
And now, as Richmond is tie point We
havesmost at heart, we cannot fail to con-
slider the question, How will oil this affect
us! We have already INDUCED the express
sion of the highest hopes OF benefit from the
causes we speIk of. With an ample supply
OF coal and ores here at the low rates named
who can doubt that ten years will be sufi.
cicnt 10 make Richmond the rival of Pitts
burgh: As II Is, we stand here, held in
painful obstruction, with our citizens chatting
and freiting at the unfair railroad direction
and policies, which have impaired and Grip.
pied the resources which should shave been
now flourishing. In casting about for ways
{, better our condition and set free our en-.
terprises we still see in the canal the main
artery for future commerce. 1t deserves to
be favored, and sustained, and cherished.
Our chief men and merchants should give IL
their most patient and earnest ,considera-
ton.
Certainly If we cannot accomplish some
thing - Increase our means for the pro.
motion of our interior commerce We may
fear a decline instead of being justified
to hope for rapid improvement. The i
Of The canal With the 'Chesa-
psake and Ohio railroad at Clifton Forge [
either bv canal, or railway thirty miles {
long and UNDER control OF the canal eompa- ::
ny, will give US u powerful means ior in I
creasing the power and wealth of Richnoud., ,
The canal company, rs our readers know, {
Is no" IN king proposition for this purpose.
1t should he most thoroughly examined by
our people
A railway would be the cheaper plau.
Mr.. WHITcoAs estimates that it can be built
for 81 $50 600 and thst cnoh a rood co,I6