The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1886-12-23

and those further on, Prof. n. s. Shaler,
of Harvard College, and once In charge
ofthe geological survey Of Kentucky, re-
ports: ats future lies in the fact that 1t
Is the richest field OF mineral wealth
known in any country" 0ftheion ores
he says: 81 believe 1t will be found that
no ores Of like richness will he found so
convenient to pure cheap Goals"
have already said that the completion
of 10 miles OF this extension would open
up big traffic for the railroad. | know
of one contract that has been made, TO go
into effect rs soon as these 10 miles are
completed, by which syndicate that Is
preparing TO mine tho camel coal has
agreed to shlpl, 900, 600 tons to its custom
ers the first year. The freight earnings
of the road from this contract will pay
the interest on the bonds OF the road from
Ashland to that point, and this will be
but small item compared to what the
business will eventually DE when the road
is completed to Johnson City. Some idea
of what that will aggregate may be gath
cred from what follows.
Ashland is the center OF the famous
Hanging Rock district, 1t lies Ola the
Ohio five miles below the mouth of the
Big Sanity river, Arou,d 1t within n ra-
dius offye miles, is population of22 900
people, all of whom more or less derive
their support from the Iron industry.
Opposite this place is Ironton, and near
by on either side OF the broad river are
other blast furnaces. Within the radius
named are nine coke furnaces with dal.
I ly product Of 7G0 tons of pig iron. Esti'
mating the running time for all Mt 30(
days which leaves CO days for shut-dlown'
for repairs and other purposes, the out
put OF these f,irnaces is 22S000 tons o.
pig, which, using 30 per cent. ore, woult
require an annual supply of 456, COO ton,
of ore aud 600, 900 tons ufcoke. Adding
the two VII find that THE total of ORD an.
fuel required for these ftifliaces per yea,
is | ,056, 900 tons. The conl iiiines al
along the ronte from Richardson, Ky.
to Hunters Valley, In Scott cotinty, Vir
GINA, will sup ply the fuel anil the hen
attic and specular ores needed, but til,
ste,tter bhlR and Weight Used will Be ear
rcd from the BessGmer ore mines Of Gran
berry, but s5e miles AWAY. This enor
nous Tonnage will REQUIRES $40 trains O
20 ears each for 800 days, or for The " liol,
period 2,640 trains or 50, 500 cars.
The Ashland furraceS now in blast ar;
runntng on a low grade ore, from @iiicl
they mako a solt pig iron that Is put t.
the same use as the Scotch pig. A singtt
| lat proof OF the CREST neca they have o
the Cranberry brSs Is furnished by thu
Norton Iron Works, of Ashland. 1'hi,
company has n paid up capital of 1893
boo. 1t optf4tss d iIisst tSrnacs, rolling
mill, nail mill; key factory and Goa
mines, employing about 700 men. II
has 4, furriacs GDxle feet; and foul
whitehall Hot Glast Stoves eich 50xlt
feet. 1t makes 5000 tons ofiron annu.
any, SohstRiilis s0,OO6 ton, Of ore ant
| $4,000 tons. of coal. All the while il
guys Iron Mountain pig from Missouri
or its uauf Hill, and sells its own pig tc
manufacturers elsewhere Mr. John
Russell, president, aid Mr. L. B. Meach'
EN-, Secretary Of this company, both tolt
your correspondent that as soon as there
was a certainty of getting the Cranberry
ores they would erect Bessemer stee
plant and would double their present ca
paclty. Mr.. John Means, president o
the Ashland Coal & Tfdn Railwry Com
pany, made similaE Statement. Hi.
company has apaid up capital Of 81 ,49l
500. 1t operstesa railroad, a blast fur
mace and coal mine 1t has one fur
mace stack 62xi6 feet, and is erecting an
ott er of the same dimensions. 1t ha,
four Whitehall hot blast stoves, eacl
52xl6 feet, and is building three more
"Give this district Cranberry ore ant
coke as soon as you cam" said Mr.. D
. Putnam, Jr., superintendent OF this com
pany, "aud you will have to make n doub
lie track at once to keep pace with the in
crease Of the Hanging Rock demands.
The figures given in the foregoing ar,
bit fraction Of what this section
would consume II it conld get the iror
and coke, When iron commanded higl
prices the blast furnaces drew their snip
ply from Marquette, lake Superior, 35t
miles away, Since, cheap production
caused by the establishment Of furnaces
in tennessee and Alabama and the use o
natural gas elsewhere, the majority have
been compelled to suspend operations
and their plants, costing millions Of dol
lars, have been idle. These furnaces
numbering 81 stacks, when running tc
their full capacity, produce 2,aS5 tons o
pig daily, which, added. To- Ashland nm,
Ironton output made total Of 2,995 tom
of pig, or for 800 days the enormous pro
ductlon of sos, 500 tons. The ore supply
for these 40 stacks fora year, would b.
! l, 797, 900 tons, and the coke l, l93, 600 tons