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

snOAouShly CuulpSCenb CHEMISTS, WherS
the silicon ran from Il minimum of O3O
per cent. to n maximum of o. 20 per cent.
and an average of less than 0.50 per
cent. BY watching tho ores as de-
lvcred, and properly charging the fur
mace, any desirable percentage of phos-
! phorus and manganese whatever can be
absolutely secured. Virginia can DO
considered as one of the few natural
homes of basic steel.
incidentally, ore washing has been
spoken of above. With the exception
Oh the lump, which will not exceed ono
/ quarter, If that, of the output of the
mines, the brown ores of the whole dis
trict, whether No. L, II, III or VII, have
to be washed to free them from tho on
| closing clays. One we'll constructed
double log washer will give an output
! of from so to 100 tons of orc per work.
ing day, according to the nature of the
ground; and picking belt attached
thereto enables the washed ore to be
freed from lump and pebbles of
free silica. AS a rule, jigs are not used,
as generally they are not needed. Aver
! age ground requires the use Of from $50
to 300 gallons of water in minute per
washer.
In many locations mountain streams
and springs afford supply, but there
are many points where large mining
operations can only be carried on by
the establishment Of pumping stations,
and bringing the water a greater or
lesser distance. There is one item OF
expense inseparably connected with
every mining opcration--viz. the con
Meeting of mines with the main lines of
railroad. In the portion of VIRGINIA
under consideration the railroad officials
have exhibited a broad, liberal policy
in this respect that has largely light
cncd the labors of the producers to tho
| advantage of both.
Before considering the last and old
est of the ore-bcaring rocks of Virginia
(Archen), single word may be said in
relation to a so-called 'ore'' lying to
the eastward and under the Potsdam
sandstoncs. 1t has been heraled far and
wide as Besscmer specular ore, in I'M
limited quantities. and as of inestimablc
value. 1t is neither. 1t is simply
ferruginouS sandstone, which can be
traced along the Blue Ridge from one
end of 1t to the other, 1t lies in strait
lied seams, of from to 6 feet in width
Ordinarily, it carries under 30 per cent.
oil iron, and anywhere from 80 per cent.
to GO per cent. silica, At one or two
points there is Il local improvcnt. which
brings the iron up to 40 per cent. and
the silica proportionatcly down. In
such cases it is ased in very small
quantities to mix with the rank. cold
short brown ores TO dilute the phos-
phorous and manganese, from which il
is almost free.
In the older rocks are found two elias
ses of ore the magnetic and spccular.
and the gossan. While the quality of
the former is high, it has never been
worked on large scale. owing to the
fact that no large veins have as yet been
developed. Major Il. S. lIutter has been
working some mines on tho Franklin
branch of the Virginia Midland Rail
way. III Pennsylvania county, for several
years. lie is authority for the state
mcnt that they can he traced for many
miles dip nearly vertically, and aver
age from to feet in thickness. Carry
ing from 80 per cent. to CO per cent. of
iron, and oftentimes within Bessemcr
limits, these ores are valuable for adj
mixture with the brown ores, and nat
urally improve the character of the iron
In the same rocks, in Amherst county.
below Lynchburg, Va. considerable
money and labor were expended in de-
veloping the magnetics and spcculars.
but without any commercial results.
In another portion of the field, com
ing under the visitors direct attention.
vein of fair magnetic ore. Of about
AZ
the surface, at n depth Of ~ feet was
entirely pinchcd out. In addition, the
ore carried from to 80 per cent. Of
sulphur 1t is very possible that future
research may show better conditions,
but at tho present time. with its very
moderate development, it can scarcely
be considered an important factor in
Virginia iron making.
There has been purposely left to- the
last a source of supply which is unique,
and destined. in the writer's Judgment,
to have a widespread influence upon the
iron business of Southwestern Virginia
the gossan ore fields of Carroll county.
For many years in the ''long ago this
ore was worked in q small charcoal fur
mace in Floyd county, which adjoins
Carroll, the iron requiring many miles
of transportation over wretched country
roads to reach a market. The output
of the furnace was put mostly into cast
lngS for local use, and acquired wide
notoriety, by reason Of the strength.
toughness and durability of the cast
ings. Car wheels made from this iron
proved of extraordinary lasting power
and tenacity, the latter undoubtedly
owing to the copper contained in the
iron. Practically, however, the iron
ore was of no value, the properties being
worked for the copper underlying the
goSSan.
In consequence there is splendid
and unusual opening up of the ground by
many hundred feet of tunnels and shafts,
at different points. The lode dips at an
angle varying from 40 to 20 degrees, and
also varies very greatly in width. There
are at places surface widths of 300 to
500 feet. A conservative estimate would
make All average width of say so feet