The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1882-09-07
What First Glass Basic Steel W orks
q would do for Virginia

What First Glass Basic Steel " orks
. would do for Virginia.
A first class Steel Works such as the Edgar
Thompson at Pittsburgh, the Pennsylvania
Steel Works at Harrisburg, or the North
Chicago Steel Works, would require per day
1000 tons of ore, 1850 tons of coke per day,
1000 tons of limestone per day, 1900 tons of
coal for steam and heating per day, which
with incidentals such Us brick, clay, sand. oil,
lining materials and provisions, would run it up
to 5000 tons per day and to this may be added
1000 tons of finished steel making 1000 tons
of material which must be freighted to, or
from the works each and every day in the
year. This would require the employment of
1000 miners of coal, 200 outside hands ,includ.
ing the cookers, 300 quarry men, 1000 men at
the Blast Furnaces, 1900 men at the Convert
ing, Blooming and Steel finishing departments,
Add to this 100 Clerks, Weighmasters, Book
keepers. Managers ,Superintendents, Engineers
and Chemists, we have 1000 men required to
keep, such plant in steady employment out
side of those employed on the Rail Roads in
carrying the 1000 tons OF freight per day, and
at least 1000 men engaged in furnishing sup
plies. Such as steel plant, with capacity to
produce from the raw material 1000 tons OF
finished steel per day, will require the active
service of 5000 able bodied men, and taking
the general average of families, it would add
$4,000 Inhabitants to the district,an would dis
burse $4,000 cash per day for labor, freight
nd hos lor, &,
insurance and royalties.
The very sight Of such a beehive of indus
try, with its mines and coking ovens, its
glowing furnaces and roaring conyertcrs, huge
blooming mill and rail finishing plant, blowing
cylinders, steam and hydraulic Grains, is cal
culated to infuse greater activity into the life
of every man, and inspire him to greater deeds
himself
Fully onehalf Of these workmen would be
educated experts of a healthy well developed,
vigorous frame, and large proportion temper
ance christian men, AS the improved processes
now in use are largely automatic, the metal
being manipulated by air, water and gas, great
intelligence is required to direct the chemical
and physical changes which the material under
goes from the moment it leaves the earth until
the finished steel is loaded on the cars.
These 5000 people will need doctors, teach
ers and spiritual advisers, beef, mutton veal,
chickens, eggs, butter, milk and cheese, veg
etabes and fruits, flour, meal and buck-wheat
cakes, potatoes, corn, tomatoes, hay and every
thing u farmer raises. In other words it
would make large cash market right at
home for all the provisions raised in that sec
ton of Virginia, and would create vigorous
trade in MEMS women's and chdren's wear
ing apparel. 1t would increase Rail Road |
dividends and enhance the value of real estate
augment tax income, and add over million |
dollars annually to the value Of the fixed cap |
ital of the state.
What reconstruction this would be-tak-
ing the crude material from the everlasting
hills, and running 1t into useful forms and
sold to other people outside of the state for
an annual sum of fully fl lteen millions dollars.
This is what basic plant with a capacity of /
1000 tons day would do for Virginia.