The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-03-11

Mineral Resources at the vifEintns-
Another Public Meeting oftho Iron Al
soctation Rooms In PittsburGh.
Pittsburgh Dispatch March 10.
Another meeting Of our solid busines
men was held yesterday afternoon in th,
rooms Of the Iron Association on Fourtl
avenue, to listen to addresses on the or,
fields Of Virginia, West Virginia ant
North Carolina by Major Hotehkiss o
staunton, and W. @. Kerr, Of Raleigh
North Carolina. The addresses were lis
tened to atentively by those present
many OF whom said, at the close Of th.
meeting, they had had no idea Of the ex
tent OF mineral wealth Of the States refer
red to, and the advantages Pittsburgh
would enjoy by increasing her railway
facilities to those points. Gen. Moorhead,
President OF the Chamber Of Commerce,
presided. He introduced as the first
speaker Major Hotchkiss, who spoke in
substance as follows: 1s1
The original structure Of this country,
when 1t was made, was such that 1t left
three great belts OF iron ore In and west Of
the Blue Ridge throughout Its length, 100
miles wide and 200 miles long, tending
northeast and southwest, making the
three great iron belts oil Virginia and
North Carolina, where the beds Of iron
ore, regularly stratifed, arc thicker than
In any other portion OF the iron region Of
the Atlantic highlands. The centre of
these great belts 10 but 200 miles directly
south from Pittsburgh. This central point
can be reached by railway going up the
valley OF the Monongahela and its exten.
sion on Tygart's Valley river, $50 miles,
crossing low water shed around the end
OF Cheat mountain into the valley Of the
Greenbrier, passing down that valley Tor
more than so miles, long outcrops Of which
this river has made across the entire
side from the Blue Ridge west
ward. s, ~ ,su -slls..i
WHAT Is NEEDED p'uy r
A line Of railway following the route
indicated, crossing the single water shed,
will bring the city Of Pittsburghi within
l50 to 250 miles reach Of all the
varieties Of iron ore that are required in its
blast furnaces. These iron ores are found
in sufficient quantities and above the wa
ter levels Of the country, outcropping In
great beds sufficient in quantity TO supply
all the possible demands Of this great iron
centre for ages to, come.
The extent, character and condition OF
these ore deposits have been established
beyond controversy. The quantity can be
readily seen by any one who will visit the
great stratified beds Of iron ore on the
and Ohio railroad, near the
White Sulphur Springs, then taking the
line OF the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad
for some 25 miles to the eastward.
By taking the Chesapeake and Ohio
from the same point Westward
for 80 miles, following down the Green.
brier to the mouth OF the New river, then
going up that river for IS miles, this same
iron ore belt Is again reached farther TO the
BY following up New river
still further, these three great iron ore
beds, namely, that OF the Appalachian re.
gion first, that Of the eastern side Of the
Great Valley second, and that Of the Blue
Ridge third, will each be crossed success
fully by railway that follows the easy
grade region spoken Of. Their quality has
been shown not only by the many analy-
ses that have recently been made OF them
but also by the reputation always born by
the iron manufactured from them-irons,
that, in small quantities. Il Is true, have
been manufactured from them. ~ . ~
He stated that existing railroads reach
their fingers in all directions toward Gill;
ton Forge. A company has been organic
ed which Is building furnace here that
is to cost about 500, 1000. What Pitts.
burgh needs Is TO extend the Pittsburgh
and Southern road to that point. The
mines in that region are being rapidly de-
yeloped, and this city could get her ore
cheaply did she but increase her railway
It has been shown at different
times that ore Ia abundant and by extend
ing railway lines and building Others, un-
paralleled prosperity to Pittsburgh will be
the result. tfs'5 ~