The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1882-11-23

Low MOOR Va Oct Is, 1882
The furnace of the Low Moor Iron Company, OF
Vrginia,l situated at Low Moor, Allegheny county,
Va, Immediately upon the line Of the Chesapeake
and Ohio railroad. almost equi-distant from Rich
mond, Va, and Huntington, W. Yas and sIeWned
and operated by capitalists Of New York, Kentucky,
Ohio and Virginia. The following gentlemen are
the officers present: President, y no Means, pr
Ashland, KY. vice president II. NJ. Bell of Staunton,
Va; chairman of executive commIttee,l no, F. Wins
low, OF New Yor; treasarer,A. a. Low,of New York
general manager II. w. Goodwin, of West Virginia.
The furnace lighted on the 10th of September
and blown in the 18th, after stoppage Of three
months and day for remodeing repairs and I'M
proyements. Formerly this furnace was an lS-feet
bosl, 70 feet high which has now been changed to
bosh of 10 feet and Is feet high. All the modern
improvements available In this country have peen
applied to perfect its structure and it is now pro-
nounced by prominent iron men to be the finest fur
mace In the country. Principal among the improve
msnts is hot blast of the latest type, built by
Ritter Il Conley, Of Pittsburg, which will be COM
pleed within few weeks. 1t Is also proposed to
put engine similar to the two now IN. use,
made by Mackintosh, Hempltl Co., or PtttspfrS:
Owing to the Increased capacity of the furnace, 1t
found necessary to extend the original cast7
house forty feet, in which Il small railway has been
constructed ON either side In addition to otlfg
tracks i'll the yard. Eighteen additional coke ovens,
ID feet In diameter In course Of erefti6n Which,
with the old ones III reet,wiil aggregaa QReI hun
dred and twenty-five completes ovens. la new OILS
hoisting engine, similar to theQne bum faf theEd
gar Thomson Steel Works, has replaced theelI one.
The 1l-inch valves of the old hot blast haaebeenre
placed by others of "a inches. The 14-frieh bnstle
pipe around the furnace has given way 247inch
one. New 9-inch blow pipes have also been added,
AS we'll as Weimer patent cover oyer the top o. the
bell. Within the year a machine shop and foundry
have been built, which have proved Of great value
during the Improve ments to the furnace All Of
these repairs, changes, etc, have been made under
the personal supervision of james s. Kalding, for
merly of the Lucy Furnace, of Pittsburgh, who hds
been In charge of the Low Moor Furnace for the
last twelve months. The furnace before remodeling
had a capacity daily of 100 tons, which is now ex-
pected to increased not less than $50 tons per
day, she Is now working nicely after blowing Two
weeks, making about rs tons per day or NO fount5
dry IRON. Within couple of weeks 1t is proposedt
test her to her full pacity of $50 tons per day.
The snelted are mined at the mines Of the Low
Moor iron Company, and yield an average OF 40 per
cent, which makes splendid quality Of No foun-
dry iron The limestone used is quarried on the
property of the paAy anu yields about IS per
cent carbonate lime. The coke is made on the
promises from New R1yer coal from the mines pr
Benny, cooper Co., which makes superior ar
tcle Of coke Two miles distant from the furnafe
are the ore mnes connected by a standard gauge
railway, where seyerali hundred haRds are en-
ployed, the output being upwards Of 200 tons per
day. The furnace employees, together with tho Use
of the mines and quarrles, form a population of
over a thousand souls. The managing director of
the company, Col, H. W. Goodwin, who has general
charge here, was formerly manager of the Peytqna
Coal Mines, In West Virginia The low Mp0r F llr-
mace has already attained prominent position
among the iron Industries Of the country and bids
fair from present prospects to prove worthy rika
of some of the veteran furnaces of Pennsylvania
and ether states Il 4QH y AhLEGHANf