Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-03-24
The Iron Interests Of Virginia aud
howAleXandria may Realise Wealth
from them.-.PIacIng Virginia and
Alexandria .'in Line with Pennsyla
,ip

howAleXantlria may Realise w ealth
from them --PIacing Virginia ana
| Alexandria lin Line with Hehhsyla
Yania.''
| 10 the editor Of the Alexandria Gazette:
You, With commendable sagaclty, gave
space last fall to my brothers articles on
the iron industry and | now beg small
space in your columns for few of my views on
the same subject. 10 this article propose
question aud its answer Of vital interest to
Alexandria, Va. As the Philadelphia North
American claims, in noticing my brothers. ar
tees, that this new interest of iron production
in Virgaa must soon awaken greater attention,
placing Virginia ''n line with Pennsylvania in
theory and practice in securing all the profits
OF Industry" the question arises how can she
be placed in this line. l propose to answer
this question by facts and statistics.
quote from the Chesapeake and Ohio Rail.
road report page 4j. The cost now at PIttsburg,
1870, for ore necessary to make one ton OF
pig iron is not less than SIS, aud at the c5tl
mate before assumed of l.43 tons Of pig iron to
one ton Of rail, this would give S2l.45 as tho
cost Of orc per ton of finished rail. ga the
Chesapeake ADD Ohio Railroad So per ton
of pig iron fer the orc will be admitted to be
high figure. This would give Sl7.16 per ton
OF rail-over 81 per ton advantage. This was
in 1870. Since tina. time the cost OF ore at
Pittsburg has largely increased "Pttsburg
was considered the cheapest point in the West
for the manufacture OF finished iron.
a furnace established at Lodestone Ridge,
Fluouier county, can be furnished with ore as
pcr estimate cost Of ores in Prof. Rldgway' 8
report-also sec Chesapeake and Ohio Rail
road report, page 43-ioclud!ng royalty, at
$l.40 per ton. Say SLIGO per ton, and the
comparison 10 favor Of Fauquier over Plttsburg
for iron manufacture stands thus: PIttsburg,
ore, Sl5 Fauquer ore, 1920. Profit per ton
pig iron on iron ore Sll.S0.
We know from the report Of able experts
that this Fauquler deposit is a mountain OF
iron, incxhaustabIc. NJ one questions the
value CT these ores for The manufacture OF the
most valuable qualities OF pig iron for foundry
and wrought iron. We have facts also to prove
+ the value oil this ore Tor steel 1t Is perfectly
satisfactory to ourselves that the cuttings o!
these miucs are the most valuable steel ores,
aud that every loot OF depth will Improve their
quality, But admitting that they arc not steel
ores, | propose t. show that ordinary pig iron
can be made cheaper ia Eauquicr county, Va,
than at any other point 10 the United States, pro-
vidiug cheap fuel can be procured. The object
Of this communication is 10 show concISGIy how
cheap fuel can be- brought to these ores. l
propJsc u show how these ores can be used
even now most probably 10 the depressed state
Of The iron trade 10 manufacture obituary
foundry aud other pig iron.
Thc Mineral county, West Virginia, coal
field, being the ErCstburg. Nd, II foot bed oil
coal. the upper ard lower Goals all exposed,
accompanied by valuable beds Of Orc lies about
seventy miles iron the FauquleT iron mountalD,
, and 4 railroad can be built 10 eighty miles to
Cumberland Md, from Lodestouc Ridge,
, Fauquicr county. | understand the Virginia
Midland Railroad now has charter for q branch
from Srrasburg to this field.
NJ L. liaury, IT,, in his Resources Of West
Virginia. page 2l7 says of these Mineral
20. Goals: They are very valuable and highly
priced for steam, ioundries, rolling mills. smiths
work, &C. Such road would afford to Alex
audria cheap fuel the actual cost Of coal being
say $3.50 per ton to deliver, thus making
Alexandra the poiot for the loclt!oo OF rolling
mills and building up all branches Of Industry.
This ro.u would be feeder to three great
, trunk liues--thc Virginia Midland, and Balti-
more aud Ohio, aud Valley Road, carrying
Fauquicr ores to the Kanawha, Cumberland,
and Wheeling.
Here then 10 Mineral county We have a sup.
ply OF coaI-5ne OF the grandest reservoirs of
fuel 10 the storchousc OF uature within seventy
miles Of cur iron ores
1t is uow conceded by ali engineers that the
three lGJt GarrGw guage railroads as feeders aud
for short routes are the most economical. Indeed
tile two foot tcstiniog read Ia Wales is pro-
uouDced success, having proven carrying
capacity OF 5000, 900 tous, and declaring diyi-
dcnds Of 80 and 80 per cent,
\ narrow euage railroad can be built to this
coai field Of Mineral county for sl5, 900 per
mile by proper economy, and taking advantage
Of the fall 10 prices Of all materials ard labor,
10 miles then will cost Sl,050,000 and TO
Cumberland, ten miles, for Sl50,000. Total
cost 81 100000. Connection to be made by a
four and half mile branch from the iron mines
readily presume the Virginia Midla nd Railroad
would make. Such road can carry coal for
one cent per ton per mile See W. g. G. &
St. l.. Narrow Guage report, page -. 1t
would be Of great advantage to an iron COM
pany to control lis oWn line OF transportation
aud to own its own coal beds.
We DOW can sec how with this accomplished
We can make iron proGtably in Fauquier and
build up Alexandria as per the following state
mcuts:
Mining coa aud royalty, 81 per ton,
5! tons, 3 50
Coking-supposiDe this coal has to be
cooked 4 IS
Freight Oh coke. q to1sat - cents, IS
Labor, 3 80
Fux, 50
lrOu ore, ; 20
Wear and tear and interest, 90
Total cost Of pig iron made in Fauquicr, SIS &c
Freight TO tidcwatcr, Alexandria, l 80
$50 26
Suppose We use the Goals 0 the kanawha.
It is about $50 miles from the Hawks Nest to
the FauqucT iron mountain, We then have
| this statement
Miliug and royalty. . tons coal, $ 80
Freight on - tons coal, J.; els. per ton
| per mile. . 80