The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1881-06-09
The Institute of Mining Engineers.
IN THE MouNrArNs OF VIRGINIA.

IN THE MOUNTAINS OF VIRGINIA.
On Thursday morning last, the American
Institute of Mining Engineers set out over
the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway on the sec
ond excursion of the Virginia Meeting. A
number of ladies and gentlemen from Staun-
ton accompanied the party, and added to the
pleasures of sightseeing those of more OK
tended social intercourse.
The first point visited was Grace Furnace at
Ferrol, which was examined with interest ny
the party. At Longdale station, further west
the excursion was met by q number OF nat
cars from the Longdale Furnace, in which the
party, in driving rain, Travelled seven miles
over the narrow gauge railway which leads
from the Chesapeake and Ohio road to the fur
mace. This property is owned by stock com
pany and is managed by the Firmstone Broth
ers, and is in very prosperous condition. IL
is one of the oldest furnace locations in Vlr-
ginia-a charcoal furnace having been in oper-
alton here in the early part of the century,
The timber for miles around has been des-
troyed in the manufacture, in former years, OF
charcoal with which to run the furnace. Be
You'd the furnaces at Longdale are the coal
pits, which were visited by the gentlemen OF
the party, the ladies having stopped at the
furnace on account of the rain.
AT Lowmoor, after partaking of a magnifl-
cent dinner at the house of Mr.. George Il.
Wickes, the superintendent of the works, the
excursionists visited the furnace and seemed
much pleased in the making ola cast Lowmoor
is one of the largest if not the largest iron es-
tablishment in this section OF country, turn
ing out a much greater amount of iron than
Longdale, which averages about seventy five
or eighty tons per day.
The excursion train arrived at the White
Sulphur late in the afternoon and that night a
session of the Institute was held in the ball
room of the hotel. and Maj Jed. Hotchkss
delivered his lecture on the Valley Campaign
of 1862, which was listened to with great
interest and greeted with applause.
The next morning at O'Clock, the travellers
once more took up the line of march and Wis
tied successfully Stone Cliff, Fire Greek, Sew
ell, Nutallburg, Hawks Nest and Coalburg.
AT Hawks Nest, where the works are man
aged by Mr.. w. N Page, dinner was served
in the woods on the mountain, near the little
village of Ansted. Near this village is buried
the mother of Stonewall jackson. The ascent
to Ansted is made over a narrow gauge rail
way, the grade of which is fearfully steep in
the contemplation of one unaccustomed to
such methods of travel. The company was
safely pulled up by a stout little engine and a
dozen coal trucks. The descent was of more
perilous character. After dinner the train of
| trucks, loaded with passengers and disengaged
from the engine, went down the mountain
side propelled by its weight and uncontrolled
save by the brakes which on many of the
care were managed by boys Perhaps few Of
the party themselves realized the fact that the
breaking of a screw or the twisting of a rail
might have thrown the whole crowd into the
| ravine hundreds of feet below
The members ofthe Instituteseemed impressed
with the yastness and richness OF the mineral
| deposits, no less than with the grandeur of
| the magnificent mountain scenery, which
elected repeated expressions of admiration.
Returning to the White Sulphur, another
night was spent there, and on Saturday the
excursionists passed over the Richmond and
Allegheny road, along the line of the old ca
nal, visiting the Natural Bridge. Here hand
some dinner was served, and Mr.. III. G. Par
| sons, President of the Richmond and AL
| eghany Railroad, made happy speech of
| welcome.
Returning in the afternoon to Williamsons,
| the party dispersed on the Eastern and West
ern bound trains of the Chesapeake and Ohio
| Railway, and the Virginia meeting of 1881,
of the Institute Of Mining Engineers, was at
| an end.
| Those who had the management of the ex-
cursions cannot be too highly complimented
and congratulated on the eminent success
which attended them throughout. The rail-
road companies, too, deserve no less credit for
the generosity which they exhibited, and
which cannot fail to result in material benefit
TO Virginia. There was nothing lacking to
make the whole series of excursions delight
| full, and the members of the Institute with
| their wives and their SISTERS and their cous-
ms and their aunts," expressed themselves
highly pleased with the hospitabe social re-
| ception that had been accorded them, no less
than at the sights and scenery they had wit
messed.
/