The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1879-06-19
The Minerals of the Virginias.


road as far as Hawks Nest have attracted
considerable attention. The large number
of inquiries we have had for the VIRGINIAN
Of that issue, from the N orth. indicate that
an unusual interest is being manifested in
the mineral interests of the Virgnias, and
that sooner OF later, there must be some
tangible demonstrations towards their de-
velopment. Our correspondent, 'iProg-
ress, in to-day's number, while calling at
tention to the wonderful iron ore formation
in Walkers mountain, that did not come
under our observation, as it lies off the
immediate line Of the railroad. mentions a
fact that must exert a controlling influence
in favor of the development of the iron and
coal wealth of the stretch of mineral coun-
try penetrated and accommodated by the
Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad 1t is. that
points must be found where iron can be
made at so low cost as to place the CAPT
foreign competition, and the severest con-
traction of prices" 1t is such q point that
enterprise and capital are now seeking, and
we hazard nothing in asserting that it can
be found in the iron belt of Virginia,
which lies Immediately in proximity to the
coal districts. 1t is where these two agen-
cies of iron and steel manufactures are
joined, easy of access, OF unsurpassed rich
ness and in eXhaustless abundance, that
the great iron centre of the future must be
located. Although in their infancy, the
Longdale and Qunnemont Furnaces, during
the entire period of the panic, kept their
fires burning, and demonstrated their abil-
ity to make iron of Nos. l. and 3 grades
at less cost than in any other portion of the
United States. The exact figures we
are not prepared to give, but it did not ex-
coed $l2 per ton, and it may have been as
low as $40, and We think was, from
the fact that in some instances a short ton
of pig iron was made from q long ton Of
coke-something that does not find its par
allel in the history Of iron manufacture in
the United States.
The hematite ores of the region we have
under consideration yield, upon an average,
and with certainty from forty-seven to fiji
ty-two per cent. of metallic ore. In many
places, in the iron belt, from three hundred
to four hundred tons of ore have been thrown
ont at single blast of few kegs of pow
der. There is none of it that is not easily
mined, accessible to transportation, and in
close proximity to coke and coal, presenting
advantages for the manufacture of iron I'M
equaled in any portion of this country, and
surprising those of the great iron districts
of England.
The Importance of the immense hematite
ore deposits of Virginia, is augmented in
view of the recent discovery of the dephos-
phorizing process by which the iron pro-
ducts are converted into steel-iron. This in
yention is a demonstrated fact, and is being
practically operated not only in England,
but in France and Germany. 1t must soon
play an important part in America, mas
much as steel for railroads is becoming of
general, and soon will be of universal use,
and give increased value to the iron proper
ties of Virginia, where much of the depos-
its OF ore are Of the hematite species, con-
tanning more or less Of phosphorus, and
demonstrating how the wants developed by
intelligent progress in economies are sup
piled by inventive genius, and the store
house of nature made to meet the demands
of our advancing civilization.
The Iron Ore Belt Of Virginia is made the
more valuable because of the economic ar
rangement of nature in placing by its side
the rich and exhaustless coal fields of West
Virginia, and the limestone beds interspers-
ed all through the two mineral divisions
Heretofore we have alluded to the New
River Coal district, and endeavored hastily
to convey to the reader an imperfect idea
OF this wonderful formation, and the great
wealth it assures in supplying the demand
OF the age. We simply referred to the OPP
erations now going on in one seam, on
the fifth in the series described by Prof
Ridgway below, mot even calling to ouraid the
investigations of scientific gentlemen of high
repute. who have formally presented the re-
suits of their research, and given to the
world their conclusions as to the character
and extent of the coal deposits. Prof. Thos.
S. Ridgway, formerly Of the geological sur
vey Of Virginia, but now of New York city,
in 1872, made report Of the iron ore, coal
and other deposits found along the Chesa-
peake and Ohio Railroad, in which he said,
'sany attempt to estimate, by calculation, the
amount of coal contained in given number
of miles of your road would be futile. With
out deeming it necessary to resort to trigo-
metical survey Of even a smaller portion
of the field, it is quite obvious, even to the
practiced miner, that there are above the
water level, between Big Sewell Mountain
and Charleston, within five miles ON either
side of the line of your road. thousands of
millions of tons. The same seams could of
course, be reached by pits of moderate
depth, between Charleston .sand Hunting
ton and the amount of coal available from
West Virginia is intellectually large, suffi-
Gent, allowing for normal ratio of in
crease in consumption, to supply the west
ern markets for thousand years to Gomez
The same intelligent gentleman says of
the New River District, describing the va
rious seams above the water level, and all
available, at an average cost for each open
ing, and every necessary preparation for
their operation, of s2,0OO:E
On approaching from the Eastward the btu
minous coal seams of West Virginia are first
found in the tops of the mountain ranges over
looking New River ia Summers, and Raleigh
counties, embracing only the lowest seams OF
what are known as the Lower Coal Measures. On
the southwest side of the river several worka
BILE seams OF coal have been opened in the latter
county.
The Big Sewell Mountain, prom inent eleva-
ton in West Virginia, towering some $500 feet
above sea level and 1900 feet above the New Riv-
er. forms the southeastern edge of the Upper
Ohio Coal Basin" About ten miles to the north
west down stream from the Big Sewell, an aggre-
gate thickness of twenty-six and halffeet of coal
has been proven by actual test holes made upon
five workable seams. The first seam opened (the
second in the series) about 300 feet above the rv
er. is from to feet in thickness. 1t is rich |
coking coal, the coke having a close grain and |
metallic lustre. Above it is another seam AZ feet
In thickness Of excellent coal of the splint char
aCter. with cleaVape into larra merchants bIo 4