Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-11-29
. Low MOOR.
A SUCCESSFUL ENTERPRISE.

The yirsinias W. Pennsyivania-rhe no
nance or Iron.Makisg Under the Gronpd
AID IN the Rocks.
Correspondence ofthe Richmond Dispatch
NOVEMBER &c, 1885.
The annual stockholders meeting of
the Low Moor Iron Company was held
at Low Moor last week, the gentlemen
comprising it sitting several days.
There were present John Means, Esq.
| Ashland, KY, president; Major II. Nj.
Bell, Staunton, Va, vice-president;
Edward A. Lowe, ESQ.,, Brooklyn, N.
Y, treasurer A. s. Winslow, Esq,
Cincinnati. director; Colonel III. W.
Goodwin, Low Moor, manager; and
James Spaldipg, Low Moor, superin-
tendent and director. The officers were
all reelected, including MIR. w. 5. Hun
gerford. Of Connecticut, superintendent
| Of the mines.
Low Moor is the largest and most
prosperous furnace now in operation in
the South, and has the best record as to
net results Of any iron manufacturing
establishment in the country, which is
due to its excellent and economical
management, and the superior material
which it works.
REPUBLICAN PREDICTIONS FALSI-
FLED.
As a successful Virginia enterprise
operated by northern capital, Virginia
may well be proud Of Low Moor, and
as an illustration of the deceitful mis-
representations of all the Republican
speakers who norated" through this
country during the last presidential
and State campaigns she stands a
living monument of denial. Ii
was stated again and again on
the stump and in almost every house
in Allegheny county, "if Cleveland
was elected Low Now and Longdale,
Gala and Princess, would all speedily
blow out. And then again the threat
was rung in the ears Of the people that
these furnaces would stop if Demo-
cratic Legislature and Governor should
be elected. One colored orator went
so far as to say that the disastrous re-
suit would be felt from the Susqueme-
hanney to the Marian Grande." But
the Democrats did all that was feared,
and those furnaces-all four Of them
are still in successful blast, and will
continue to blast all such representa-
tons as designing and mendacious.
LOW MoOR's RECORD.
The minutiG of an extensive, we'll
conducted enterprise like this at Low
Moor are very interesting. Here are
few figures On the 18th Of this
month the first year Of the present
blast closed. During the year there
were made "A, 600 tons off, 240 pounds
to the ton, being an average Of over 100
tons per day. The furnace is con-
nected with the mines by a good,
oad.gauge railroad, about two miles
long. At the mines there is large
improved washer for the ore which has
a capacity to work 600 tons of material
in ten hours. There is a pOpulOus,
pretty village at the furnace and
another village at the mines, 700 per-
sons on the company's payroll, and
about 1900 people, little and big,
deriving their sustenance directly from
these operations, while the community
for many miles around is more or less
dependent upon them for prosperity.
COMPARISON.
There are one hundred and fifty bee
hive coke-ovens at the furnace, which
convert the New-riyer coal from the
Caperton mines, one hundred miles west
of this place, into the coke used in the
furnace, which is seyenly-four feet
high by seventeen feet six inches in
bosh. A comparison has recently
been made by some prominent iron
men in Chicago and Louisville as to
the melting qualities of Connellsville
and New-river coke. BY western IRON
men the former has been almost uni
yersally used and considered superior
to all other coke. The North Chicago
Rolling Mill Company, using the Con-
nellsville coke, gave its output and the
Low Moor Iron Company, using New
River coke, showed against it and
proved by actual output that the New
River article had melted ii per cent
more raw material, ore. limestone, and
coke for each ton of coke used than
the Connellsyille article had. This
result was had from one weeks opera
ton in which Low Moor's output was
LOLA tons of90-per-cent. foundry iron.
This showing has made the iron men of
the West open their eyes and the coal
men of West Virginia, the iron men
of Virginia, and the railroad men
of the Chesapeake and Ohio
may all expect something good
as their share of this comparison.
These facts, together with the generally
prosperous condition Of things at Low
MooI-a sale Of some 10000 tons OF
iron during the year and steady de-
mand at paving prices; the general con-
tent and good feeling among the OIL
Gals and labOrers of the extensive
establishment-all coming to the atten-
ton of the northern and western stock
holders Of Low Moor, together with a
nice little "divy" from the profits
coming into their pockets, cOnspired to
make the visit of the Virginia investors
to the seat of their investment pleasant
one, and sent them home well satisfied
with their plant.
HOW IT LOOKS TO A STRANGER.
But this letter, having so far dealt
mainly in results, is not complete with
out mention of some of the curoSities
in and about Low Moor. The night
traveller as he is whirled through the
place on the Chesapeake and Ohio
express, if stranger to this To-
calty, never fails to be star
tied by the red glow that shoots up
from the one hundred and fifty coke
ovens, and thinks he is rushing into
some great conhagration, which to the
distant spectator makes a perpetual
nightly aurora 6Orealis; while by day
the thick clouds Of smoke waited
to and fro by the shifting winds, and the
towering stacks, ever belching forth
smoke, steam, and flame, speak of never
ceasing activity and trade. The great