The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-10-31
INDUSTRIAL NOTES.


"A st. Petersburg journal states that
a russian civil engineer. NJ. dc NicaloT.
has succeeded in producing fuel from
peat greatly resembling anthracite coal.
The mine at st. Andre du Poiricr,
GRANGE. yearly produces 300. 900 tons of
coal. The mine is worked with two
shafts. one 2.y5a feet deep and the other
3.0S3 feet deep. Tho latter shaft is now
being dccpcncd. and will soon touch the
,l.00o-foot level. "A remarkable feature
Of this deep minc is the comparatively
low temperature experienced. which
seldom rises above - degrees Fahrcn-
hcit In the gold and silver mines Of
the Pacific coast. at Il depth of less than
half that of the French coal mine.
much difficulty is often experienced in
Keeping the temperature low enough to
admit of working. In some levels of
the Comstock lode the temperature
rises as high ne iao degrees.
Xxi;
Several attempts have been made to
establish the tack industry in the
South. but they have failed from diff
cultics in handling the material. This
branch of the iron trade is in the hands
of New England manufacturers. and is
practically confined to Massachusetts
More than twO-thirds of the tack bust
ness is controlled by the State. and
fully threc-quartcrs by all of New Eng
land.
Paris and London may soon be con-
nectcd by telephone. The two capitals
have already been connected with their
respective coasts by aerial lines. and
cable to complete the circuit is being
N n lf.f,t ttrn 1, IL
double one, and will he laid between
Kent and Sangatc. the French and
English governments sharing the cost
The circuit between the two cities will
he Il metallic one. and will have the re-
sistancc of 1900 ohms.
xxAs
monster casting, the largest ever
undertaken at the immense plant of the
i'cthlehem Iron Company. at Bcthlc-
mem. Ia. was successfully made on
Monday. All the cupolas. six in num-
Der. in the Bcssemcr departments be-
sides number one and two furnaces.
were used for this casting One hundred
and twenty-five tons OF metal were
melted, then poured into ladies placed
on trucks. which were transferred over
the narrow guage railroad by means of
small locomotives to the mould in the
CINi VII department. connected WITH
the ordnance plant The metal was
poured at ll:04 a. M. under the super
vision of Superintendent and Chief En-
gineer John Fritz. assisted by Chief
Founder Michael Bitter and his assist
ant, Nicholas Ulrich. Among distin-
gulshed iron men who were spectators
were II. Windsor Richards. of England.
the well known steel worker. and sew
cral other English and Scotch iron mas
tiers, who are OH visit to this country.
and large party of ladies. The prcpa-
ration of the mold required from four to
hVe weeks. and was made under the di-
rectlon of the above named officials of
inc company. The smelling of the iron
was done under tho direction of George
y. Jenkins. supC rintcndcnt of the Bes-
semer plant. This large mass OF metal
will not cool off under four weeks. prob
ably. when it will be taken out by means
of large travelling cranes. then planned
OH and put into position as part of the
base of Il new armor plate mill. Fifty
two thousand pounds of coke and loo
pounds of limestone were used to mch
the iron.
The extensive pro parations for rail
road building in the Northwest have in
duced tho Seattle Press to make some
calculations That paper is informed
tina IN the next three years fully STD
100000 will be expended in railroad
building in the Northwest. The Great
Northwestern and Union Pacific. it is
said. will cXpend $50. 00O.OOO.
English channel iiic. for the quarter
year just closed. shows the passage of
lSl,250 persons travelling by the Dover
Calais. Folkcstonc Boulognc and New
havcn-Dieppc routes. In the correspond
ing quarter OF 1850 the number was
29i, 54S. The DOvcr-Calais route carries
30 per cent. of the total. and the New
havcn-Dieppe. a7.3 per cent
The ROckbridgc Company contcm-
plates improving and increasing the
water supply of Glasgow.
Nh