The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-10-24
THE IRON AND STEEL VISITORS.
They All Arrive in Roanoke
EARLY Last Evening.
Three Long Pullman Trains-All Night Mt
the Depot, but of this Morning for
Luray ana Washington-An Inter-
view with Sir James Kitson.

1t was clear moon which showed
half it's face to the Iron and Steel Insti-
tute visitors last night when their three
sections of Pullman cars rolled into the
Union Depot one after another, but the
mists hung low on Mill Mountain and
the mud was deep in the streets.
Ilalf-past7 timed the first long train
and the rest arrived at intervals of ten
minutes. Bright, fresh-faced men of
all ages, and tall fine women who
looked as though they had stepped down
out of Du Maurior's pictures in Punch,
swarmed down the steps to the plat
forms and walked up and down to
stretch their limbs. Up at the further
end Of the first section IL qnict-loolling,
gray-bearded man alighted and got
down to business.
He found out when the trains were to
leave in the morning-at G:3O-and
gave Il half-dozcn orders to rs many
trainmcn. 1t was Mr.. w. p Shinn,
who represents the American Society Of
Engineers and has entire charge of the
biggest most extensive and best man
aged excursion which has ever tray
clcd the American continent or any
other continent.
Then he went with TIMES reporter
to the telegraph Office and fired off a
score of kilograms in less than as many
minutes lie went to the city postofIice
and made arrangements about mail,
took in drug store and got some CO.
coaine for toothache; had big box of
mail down from Vice-President Eddy's
office, and set someone to distributing
it; and then took THE TIMES reporter
off to interview Sir James kitson,
president of the British Iron and Steel
Institute, president of the North Brit
ish Liberal Union and one of the prin-
cipal men Gf not the principal one, to
which he might justly lay claim) on the
excursion.
All this time Mr.. Sh.nn had been re-
calling the reporter with an extended
account of their days visit up the New
River road to the Pocahontas coal fields,
and TO the tremendous ore outburst in
the Gossan fields.
The reporter found Sir James Kitson,
Sir Lowthian Bell, eX-president of the
institute, and Alexander Thieten, presi-
dent of the German Iron and Steel In
stitute, in n private car, where few
minutes before they had been presented
with souvenirs of their visit to Virginia.
in the form of geologic maps of Virginia,
showing, in addition to the mineral de-
posits, the location of every iron fur
mace in the State. The presentation
was by Mr.. c. II. Boyd, of Wytheville.
Va, State geologist, and member of
the Engineers Club, of New York, who
made appropriate remarks in connec ton
herewith.
Sir James Kitson is man of fine
presence and agreeable manners. His
demeanor is as unaffected as though he
had just run over from Lynchburg in
stead of having travelled some six thous-
and miles in the last few weeks.
eve consider" said he, ''that our ar
rival in Roanoke is practically tho end
of our visit to the iron belt and coal
fields of the South. We are all glad
that we came South instead of going
North, where we would havo encoun-
tered deposits and Developments with
which we are familiar.
''We have had opportunity to examine
closely your resources. You here in
the South will be able to make certain
grades of pig iron very cheaply, but it
will be necessary for you to introduce
the latest and most approved methods
of treating your ores in order to produce
steel successfully. It is evident that
before the pig iron can be made into
steel the phosphorus must he elimi-
mated.
: AT present your most profitable field
of iron manufacturing will be in pipe
works and similar industries. for which
your numerous new towns will furnish
n large demand.
1--WE have devoted to-day to visiting
the POcahontas coal mines, in one of
which we walked for three-fourths Of a
mile until fall of coal blocked the way.
Here the manager made the miners
light up in order that we might see with
our own eyes a seam eleven feet in
thickness and of enormous area.
I'VE were also shown the methods
and appliances for working the coal
which is certainly of superior quality.
Mr.. Beardsley, the manager of the mine,
only few years ago was employed in
coal mines in Yorkshire, near my place,
and know him very we'll
''We also ran the great orc Outburst in
the Gossan fields which, was wonderful
sight.
From seeing these resources am
entirely confident that great prosperity
will follow tho manufactures which will
be largely built up in this section. 1t is
clear that the shrewd and able managers
of the Norfolk and Western railroad will
he amply repaid for the enterprise and
foresight and system which have enabled
them to penetrate this enormous coal
field.
The delegates regret that they we're
unable to come to Roanoke in time to