The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1882-12-07
Iron-Making in the South.

n which it groups facts which have been
Known to interested and intelligent obser-
Ters for some time. An error is committed
It the close of the article, where COMPARE
son in prices for the manufacture of pig iron
n Tennessee. Alabama and Virginia is made,
but which it is claimed are equalized by trans
costs, &c. The advantage to the
Virginia manufacturer is increased by rea-
son of the less distance TO market. While
the actual cost at the furnace for ton OF
pig is less by 81 than in Alabama. and by $l.50
than in Tennessee, the diminished freight
age at Pittsburg, would be at least 81 less,
giving the Virginia furnace the advantage
by 81 per ton over the Alabama product
and 50 81 oyer that of Tennessee.
These remarks apply to the furnaces al
ready erected in Virginia, and now In OPP
Grafton. We assume, however, that, there
are locations in the Valley of Virginia
where pig iron could be manufactured at
less cost than ct the points taken to mark
the comparison, as found in the article be-
low. All along the line of the Shenandoah
Valley railroad, where there have really
been no new developments, exeepta at Roam
oke, there are mineral belts which will ex-
pose the several kinds of ores. in close
proximity, necessary for No. l pig. There
is group of properties in the upper end OF
Augusta and the lower part of Rockbridge
where the neutral ores are known to exist.
but which have never been fully opened.
except where upheaved by CONFUSION OF
nature. Vesuvius, Cotopaxi, Bare Bank,
Kennedy and Mt. TORY, lie in consecutive
order and contiguous to each other, and i'm
mediately on the line of the Shenan-
doah Valley Railroad. Mineralogists
agree in the statement that specular,
brown hematite and manganiferous ores,
and manganese exist in large quantities,
with every ingredient for the manu-
facture of pig iron, except coal and coke,
which are easily obtainable from the mines
and ovens of West Virginia. This mineral
district is practically unknown. But few
of the people living about the properties
have a knowledge of the wonderful re-
sources which lie at their feet. A practical
miner from Pennsylvania few years ago,
who had been on these properties for several
weeks, remarked to us that he was astonishep
at what he saw and believed to exist
| that he regarded it as one of the richest
sections, naturally, he had ever visited, and
seemed amazed that it had not long since
attracted the attention of capitalists and
manufacturers. Since then, the Shenan-
doah Valley Railroad has been completed,
and now the entire section is accessible by
this great Improvement. The hematlte
ores found on these properties assay FROM
"a to IS per cent. of metallic iron. AT We
suvius they appear in huge bursts, consti.
tuting small mountains, and at other
points the surface indications assure the
continuance OF the deposits. but in normal
position. We venture the assertion that
there is no such iron field in or out of the
State as is embraced in the properties we
have named, and yet they have not had at.
tention drawn to them. except in a cas-
ual and spasmodic way. Were they To-
Gated in any one of the Northern or West.
ern States, they would be estimated by
millions of dollars, as the ir true value,
but here they have been considered as sc
much waste land and permitted to lie as ma
ture formed them, their wealth lost to the
State and to commerce.
The article below we find in the Balti
more Manufacturers Record, of the 23d
Bradstreets is the highest authority and iti
correspondents are only accepted wher
they are known to be unassailable in thei
statements of facts:
Some months ago we published an interesting ar
| ticle upon iron-maktng il the South, written by
well posted Cincinnati pondent of Bradstreets
The same writer has prepared second article upol
this important matter, and his facts and figures ar
| of great interest. He says that six months ago h
predicted that within two years, If existing condl
lions remained unchanged, Alabama, Tennessee an,
the Yirginias would be the controlling influence Il
| the Western iron trade, but that the development
of the past six months have convinced him that thi
prediction might be safely extended to Pennsylvania
| itself. Probably this sounds a little wild to tn
iron-Inaster Of the North; but with the two tmpoT
tant conditions of good quality and cheap cost dem
onstrated the rest follows without violent stretcl
OF assumption.
sloss iron from Birmingham, Ala, and soutl
Pittsburgh, Tenn, and Sewanee iron from Tennessee
are being transported 600 to 800 miles, and lait
down at the Pittsburgh mills with liberal profit I,
the furnaces. The present market at Pittsburgh TO
forge iron is about $21 so per cash. LIE
prices decline antoher dollar two, and majortt,
of furnaces Immediately tributary Pittsburgh
would blow out or run at loss. But Tennessee o.
| Birmingham iron manufactured at home for $12 Il
S4 per ton, with freight at 81 to S. could be sold
$40 $40 at profit In the case of Virginia Yves
| Virginia, which manufacture at the same or lowe
| considerably less freight the advantage
over her nome furnaces would be even greater.
| But is any such fight for supremacy imminent
| l hope and believe not. The aggregate increase O
pigron production in this country Is scarcely
| than keeping pace with the aggregate growth IL
wealth, population and industrial activity. Com
paratively little foreign iron is brought fn ant
there should be for the different districts Il
exist and prosper without destructive collisions
| The West great deal more Southern iron
at fair prices, If general trade conditions remain
undisurbed, without giving up entirely its supplies
from the East, and there seems to be reason why
If the tariff is meddled with, prices in Pennsyl
vania, New York and Ohio should not range above
| the cost of production for some time to come.
| But If, through over production general dis
turbance of trade, the squeezing process should be
gin the South must inevitably demonstrate its fit
| ness to survive.
1t will interest iren-makers and consumers every
where, doubt, to review the latest developments
in the growth of this vigorous industry in the South
For while past the center of activity has beer
Alabama. In April the large Sloss furnace at Biz
mingham was nearing completion. Now it has beer
in successful operation for several months, and has
its second stack, of still greater capacity, nearly
completed. Alice furnace, also at Birmingham has
another stack far advanced, its capacity TO be 10
| tons per day. little below Birmingham, the Wood
wards, late the owners of Labele Iron Works. Wheel
| ing, W Va, have established new "Wheeling,
center of which is the Woodward furnace nearly
completed, IS by II feet with three Wh1twell stoves
At Oxmoor the Eureka Company, now making Ion
| tons per day, is making improvements that will
nearly double Its capacity. The Mary Pratt furnace
at Birmingham, intended for charcoal iron Is near
ing completion. 1t will make so tons of car-whee
iron per day. At Jonesboro', in the same district
Mr.. H. F. Debardaeben, the foremost spirit In Ala
bama iron and coal enterprises, has selected the
site and is completing plans for the largest furnace
of ALL 1t will be of the same order and dimensions
as the famous Lucy and Isabella furnaces of Penn
| sylvania.
under way, several of similar scope projected
company has been recently organized by Iowa
capitalists, who have put in $1,000 capital ano art
seeking favorable location for a furnace Othel
less definite shape in the heads of their projectors
Altogether there twenty-five furnaces In Ala
bama, completed or far advanced, with an aggregate
daily capacity of over 1000 tons
III Tennessee, while there is for the moment less
pushing of new projects, there is, nevertheless,
rapid and healthy growth. The most important or
gan1zation is the Tennessee Coal Iron and Railroad
Company, of which the veteran and successful Iron
master, James c. Warner, is president. This has
absorbed by purchase the Southern States Coal,
Iron and Land Company's works at South Pitts
burgh, which English capitalists expended over
800 000 1t has So 600 900 capital and owns three
furnaces, with average daily capacity of 200 tons
It also the Tracy City Coal Mines, from which
its own furnaces and others in the district
supplied with coke. Tennessee is at present put
ting out,in the aggregates as much iron Alabama
but with the completion of the new furnaces named
the latter State will take the lead.
In the Virginias the most important enterprise Is
the Victoria furnace nearly ready for blowing,
at Goshen near Staunton, on the line of the Ches-