The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-10-21


Mountain, near buchanan, Botetourt
county, Va, and the projected Western
railroad from Buchanan to the kentucky
line via Catawba Creek and Moccasin
Gap will open up many miles OF these
ores. Recent Investigations seem to
point to large deposits lying in q fairly
regular condition. and susceptible of
easy and cheap mining. A series of
samples taken by T.. ID. Frazier, Il care
full and conservative prospcctor, and an
alyzed by p. &. Salon, of Philadelphia,
gave as follows:
Per cent
Metallic iron. ................ 1851
Alumina. Observation-Disclosures. 3.SS
sulphur acknowledgements. O.04
The manganese, unfortunately, was
not determined. but it is safe to assume
that it will follow the usual run of noun
tain brown ores of from O.6 to | u per
cent.
We are now brought to the considera-
ton of what we may fairly assume to be
the great ore bearing measures OF Vir-
ginia-I and II of Rogers
No. 1.-The Valley of Virginia is a
part of the great valley extending from
Canada to Alabama, and noted for it's
rich, fertile limestone lands, its great
iron ore beds, its pure waters, it's en-
bracing health-giving climate, and its
varied and picturesque scenery. 1t is
called in New York the Waikiki Valley.
i'll Eastern Pennsylvania the kitatinny,
i'll middle Pennsylvania the Lebanon
or Cumberland, in Virginia the Shenan-
doah, James river, Roanoke and New
river, and further South, the East Ten
the whole of Virginia, about 800 miles
in length, and from IL to 80 miles in
width 1t is bounded on the southeast
by the Blue Ridge Mountains and on
the northwest by broken ridges, locally
known as Walkers, North, and Little
North Mountains
The Shenandoah Valley and the Nor
folk and Western railroads run through
its entire length. for many miles along
the base of the Blue Ridge, which holds
the Potsdam sandstones throughout, and
on the top of which are the fcrriferous
shalcs, carrying the great brown ore de-
posts Of the country. These ores widely
vary in quantity, quality, and condi-
tons, but in the aggregate seem to
promise indefinite quantities. 1t is
simply impossible, within the limits of
this paper, to cover the innumerable
matters of interest connected with this
great field. Only generalization can
be attempted. The occurrence of the ore
is thus described by Prof. w. NJ Fon-
tame, of the University of Virginia.
'Wc cannot in strictness call
any of the deposits of the fer
rifcrous shales, veins or lodges, al
though ore may be, and usually is,
found along certain definite bands. The
deposits are lcnticular masses or inter
ruptcd sheets Of ore. that occurs some
times alone, or sometimes overlapping.
in cchelOn, or more rarely radiating
from Il central point. Lines connecting
the several masses in tho direction of
their greatest dimensions would fall
within certain bands, and one mass
may lie on the Same line with another.
so as to produce the appearance of one
lodge or vein. The sheets and masses
will, however, be found to be entirely
enclosed in clay, and they are all
formed by the concentrating action Of
confectionery forces that have collected
this once difused iron into masses that
have more or less distinctly concre-
tionary structure, or that form beds of
nodular ore, or crusts lying in an en-
closing clay"
Beyond generalization, any theorizing
on any special piece of ground is waste
time. The only sure guide is good, hard,
common sense, familiarity with existing
workings, either by practice or close OBJ
servation, combined with tho pick and
shovel. OF course it is assumed that
there is proper knowledge of the meas
ures carrying tho ore-their salient
points, and what constitutes the walls
of the deposit; but how the ore lies or
how it is to be most advantageously
worked must be decided as the work
progresses. Horses of etimcs
of inches, at other times OF many feet
arc constantly encountered The ore at
any time may pinch to trifling lead.
and then open into the lenticular
masses, of varying and sometimes of
enormus size.
While the general direction of the
lead ore is northeast and southwest, at
places there arc very great reflections,
especially at the end of ridges and the
foot of hills, where the orc will take II
new direction, almost at right angles to
the true lead.
Necessarily, under the old charcoal
practice, the quantity of orc required
was very small, and no mining, in the
proper sense of the word, was done
When the ore outcroppcd and looked
well, shallow pits would be opened on
it, and as soon as one opening reached