Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1880-01-16
Virginia Iron Interests.

n LFACloufR correspondence VI tue QllRQel-
phia Ledger 'mmunicates many interesting
f,cts relating to the present speculation among
the workers Of iron and the owners of ore fields.
Largo quantities. OF ore from newly discovered
iron ore beds on the smes river have been
sent to Pittsburg aud tho Pennsylvania Steel
Works. near Harrisburg. A number of Phila
delphi .ns are Interested Ia the development of
these orc bsGs. and large pu chases of land have
been medo near them. The James River Steel
Manui: ctufing and Mining Company, of which
General Hartranft, OF Philadelphia, is Prssi-
dent, is largely interested 10 these ores. The
Teil aud spikc mill above Lynohburg has been
purchased by this c1mpsny, and it will soon be
turning out sixty tons of rails per day, after
scvou years Of i4l,uess. This cipscity will be
increased, and s:eel rails will be produced in-
stead OF iroo. This company is wholly c>m
posed Ct PhilsdolphlaDs, and 10 addition to tho
tract CT ore land purchased Oh it's acc Iunt, 9th
or parties have taken up large tracts. The ore
csn b. worked to great advantage. 10 conse.
quence Of the sbsesce of sulphur and phospbo
rug. 1t ia said that this ore vein is several
mllcs in width, and extends 10 northeast and
southwest direction, parallel to TIE mountain,
sed probably throughout the limits oftne state.
ores, said to be of great purity, are being ex-
,ensively miued and shipped to Pennsylvania,
to be used 10 the manufacture of steel.
The ores from several mines along the James
river, roar Lynchburg. are being shipped by
rail to P.nnsylvapia. lt is proposed to cou-
sruot q road Of about ten miles from these
mines to the Virginia Midland road, and thus
save time aud reshipnent. The narrow gauge
read frJ Pttsville 10 r cky Mount, distance
Of thirty miles, and which will al.o c)n-
nee with the Dauve trarc1 Of the Midlaod
road, will sooG be completed. Fide ore beds
have been opened along this new road, and some
Of them ere in the hands of Philsdelphiaus,
and men have arrived Gu the grou9ds to com
mere! operations.
road from Buchanan to Clifton Forge, to
iaIersect the Chessp cake and Ohio Railroad at
the latter point, disalc, of thirty four miles,
is teing built which will open large deposits
OF c,sl, and enable the furnaces which bave
beso out of blast for years TO crmmence opera
tions again. MIR. Lobdell, Of Wilmington, DEL,
has purchased three iron mincs and three cid
casrc al blast furnaces all OF which are now 10
operation. They are |, csted on Cripple Creek,
which is in e>nmuDicetlon with the Atlantic
Mississippi and Ohio Railroad. 10 this neigh
borhood are large deposits of magnetic aod
hemstite ores. 10 Pulaski c,unty, aud c,nneot.
cd with the same road by a narrow gauge road
are located the only anthr. cite coal beds that
have b@eG found in the State. They now pro
duca 100 tones per DAY, which will be increased
when the main shaft is opened. 1t sells at
Lyuchburg by the CIR load at So so to 81 90
per ton, and the company has contracts for fur
nishng over 80 600 tons this year.
The Bertha q 90 Works. on the line of the
narrow gauge road, and not far from the coal
beds, have 10 course Of erection at Martins
Station ten furDec's, four Of which will be 10
opers!i)n next month. The mines furnish very
pure ore, end in large qusntites. About FIVE
miles above these works, on New ri yer, are the
lead mines, which have been worked since the
kevolu lonery war, and which furnished the
Southern Contedsraoy all their lead during the
civil war. There is one furnace here for making
bar lead and pigs. and shot tower for the
manufacture Of shot.
The Arcadia Iron Works, at Buchanan, thu
bead of the James River Canal, have Just been
purchased by per les from Pennsylvania prin.
cipally from Philadelphia. They bought "a 900
acres of land containing valuable iron deposits.
1n few days they will be shipping or. by way
OF Richmond and over the Midland roads to
poicts 10 Pennsylvania where ore is in demand.
10 addition, the following companies have
been formed and large purchases made by Penn.
splvauisrs The Pennsylvania and Virginia
Coel Company have II 900 acres of coal aud
iron land west Of Stsunton. The New York
and Virginia Company have bought the Buffalo
Gap furnace, and will be 10 operation in few
days. The Central Iron Company will COM
mence work shortly at the Panther Gap furnec'.
new furoace is to be commenced at Rock
Fish Gap, fourteen miles east of Stauotop,
where large tract OF iron ore land has been
purchased. Iron works are to be established
at Buc 1anan as soon IS the railroad is com.
plcted
All through Virginia there seems to be an
awakening to the importaDc, Of developing her
resources. aud the large amount of Northern
capital bsiug Invested here will stimulate all
business interests.
TOTT CAN FIND A LARGE ASSORTMENT OF