Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-09
IN CUMBERLAND GAP.
A Southern Contract From a Welsh
Firm Comes to Pittsburg.
HEAVY CAPITAL STOCK INVESTED.
Coke Prices Will Neither be Advanced or
Reduced Just Now.
CGIILGHAN AFTER POWDERLY'S SCALP

The English capitalists who have in
vested money in Southern ore and coal
lands, do not propose to allow much grass
to grow under their feet In the neighbor-
hood of Cumberland Gap new towns are
springing up almost as rapidly as the sur
yevors can lay out the sites, and schemes
for the erection of several extensive iron
plants are being perfected in the offices of
Pittsburg's leading engineers. Surveyors
who have been over the district on behalf Of
the syndicate, are eulogistic of its future as
an iron center; the ore and coal are Of good
quality and found almost side by side. In
addition to its manufacturing facilities, it
possesses the advantages of wide tablelands
of great fertility, such as would attract
settlers and farmers, and induce an Inflow
Of population.
The property in control of the syndicate,
which is known as the American Associa-
ton. covers an area of "a, 900 acres. 1t is
tapped on one side by the Louisville and
Nashville Railroad, which is engaged In
extending its feeders by tunneling under
the Gan. at the points above referred to,
and on the other, the association has con-
structed a Camille road from the Gap to
Knoxville, which will be operated In the
interests of the Norfolk and Western road,
giving that line Southwestern outlet.
OWNED BY A WELSH FIRM.
The American Association, whose in
terests in the district are represented by
capital of S12, 600, 600, is largely owned by
Mr.. Watts. of the firm of Watts & Carr, one
of the largest colliery owners IN Wales.
A member of the firm, Mr.. Edgar
4. Watts. has been in the South
for a considerable time seeing to the develop
ment of the property. A short time since,
while in this CITY. he signed contracts with
Mr.. James P, Witherow for the erection OF
two large. modern blast furnaces at Mid
dlesboro- the name given 70 a township in
embryo. which is situated on the Kentucky
side of Cumberland Gap. The equipment
of these furnaces will include s 20x60
feet Whitvell hot blast stoves, 6 blowing
engines. steam cylinders A inches, blast "a
inches. and stroke 60 inches; % steel boilers
each "a feet long, "a inches in diameter, and
having 2 IS inch hues; a wrought iron,
brick-lined draft stack 12x1S0 feet high.
The tankage will be wrought iron stand
pipe 20 feet in diameter and 20 feet high,
and the wrought iron hoist towers Will be
equipped with the latest improved engines.
The pumps, heaters, steam and water httlngs
will be of the most modern designs.
LARGE BUILDINGS.
The buildings will include three casting
houses each of 60 feet span connected, 100
feet long and 25 feet high; two boiler houses
so feet span by 100 feet long; stock house,
engine and pump house, and a complete arc
light electric plant. Work on the tounda-
tious has commenced, and the cost will
reach from $500, 900 to 100000, due pro-
portion OF which will be expended in this
district. The Superintendent of the new
plaut will be George L. Refs, of Knoxville.
The development Of this new iron field is
not without interest here, and as much to
workers as to manufacturers. The former
will see to it that no uni just advantage is OBJ
tanned bv Southern manufacturers over
their Northern competitors on the score of
the cost of production, and manufacturers
will watch the growth of the iron industry
in the South as indicating In the future
keenness in competition with which they
NAV have to account
The importation few DAYS since OF 1000
tons of Southern Bessemer pig by leading
firm is an early indication in this direction.
1t is claimed, however, that the quality of
this pig iron is not such as to cause any ap-
prehension of rivalry with lake ore iron.
The Southern ore is said to be largely phos-
pboric and is therefore unsuitable for other
than foundry work. For this purpose, how
ever. large quantities OF iron may in the
future be brought from the South, as it is
said that it can be delivered here by way Of
Cincinnati and the river for So 80 per ton.