The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-11-06
MIDDLEsBoRoUGH, XIV.
What it is, and the Many. Adj
vantages it Possesses.

The rise and progress of Middlcs-
attracted widespread attention for the
last eighteen months, particularly in
the South.
Like all Southern towns it has been
doomed" extensively. and good
many things have been said that were
unwise and exaggerated.
Tint it has an admirable strategic
position, and is in a good mineral dis
trict, is beyond question, but at times it
has been overwritten. 1t is a pleasure
to read the opinion Of clcar-hcadea
dlsintercsted eorrcsp ondent, as i- sub
mitted herewith, taken from a late
issue of the Iron Age.
He falls, however, into one error in
speaking of the Mtngo coal seam now
being opened. The seam is about
seventy-two inches: but the clay part
ing runs from four TO twelve inches in
stead OF one foot, as stated. While this
parting is NOS desirable, as far as coke
making is concerned, it is going to
make cheap mining of the coal. dis
pensing with the use of explosives
The coal is III iirst-claSs condition. both
above and below this parting. The clay
is soft. admitting of easy and rapid
bearing in, and then The top seam is
ridged down and the bottom up.
The coal is lustrius, hard, and
wcathcrs we'll, and is going 20 TO a most
valuable commercial, and according to
the analysis given. Il prime gas coal
The smalls will make an excelle mt coke.
Thus far the tests have been made on
an experimental scale only, in three
ovens erected for the testing. While tho
coke from these is not tirst-class, it is
evident that with Il proper plant. and in
hot ovens. an excellent coke will be
made. Great caro- i'll running must be
exercised to keep the clay on top the
SmallS. otherwise the coke will run off
III ash, and be wanting in conference; but
with the proper mining and crushing of
the coal before charging into the ovens,
good understandable coke will result.
which will find wide market, and
ought to he very profitable to the opc-
rators,
Whatewer may be lis future. those
who have created Aidd3esborough have
certainly proven their own faith in it,
by lavish expenditure of money. Hills
have been carried away, the tortuous
stream has been provided with new
| tk9d, whicE it is the aim to secure by
| sheet piling: streets have been graded.
| In Il sol I,
number OF residences and houses have
| sprung up, an,l a good mary town 10 is
have been sold, one-quarter cash down.
The ba lance III one, two and three years.
The amount Of work done liz the short
space Of fifteen months is almost incrcd-
ibic. The credit is duo to A. A. Arthur,
who has been bravely backed by Eng
lish capitalists. Whatover doubts and
misgivings may arise in the minds Of
outsiders. they cannot help admiring
tho prodigious energy and pluck dis
played. Whether the industries based
upon the natural resources can bear the
burdens of interest accounts which such
expenditures involve may DO q UeStionod.
That is the riddle which trou Nles the
majority who calmly watch the peculiar
phase into which Southern dcyclopi. 7cnt
has drifted
Middlesborough's main reliance will
be its coal, which produces good coke.
Thus far an experimental plant of three
ovens has been erected, but the best re-
suit have not been obtained. the ovens
being too cold 1t is probable, too. that
outcrop coal has been cooked. 1t is
hardly fair, therefore, to Judge of tho
character of the coke to be produced
from that already made, although its
quality chemically is good. its strive
turc and physical qualities will prove
better i'll actual practice than that cx-
hibitcd by tho product of the expert
mental ovens alluded to. The mineral
lands in the vicinity OF Malesborough
are owned by tho Am ercan Association.
limited, with cnpiCal of $4,000. 600, who
lease the coal lands to independent
operators at 10 cents ton royalty. In
the hills surrounding Middlesborough
particularly along Little yellow Creek,
there are above trainagc level eight
workable seams, varying from ~ to -
inches. the latter one now being opened
upon. 1t has Il ] l.; inch parting. The
coal has been tested by number of
entries. Some of the party visited the
lower opening of the Mingo Mountain
Coal and Coke Company, of whist the
following analyses have been made:
Moisture. ......... lbs 2.l5 1.95
Volatile matter. 80. 1910 $3.50 4O.95
Fixed carbon. ~ $3.50 50,95 5515
Ash. 3.45 1.60 los
Sulphur. ....... 0.404 O.4lS O.61l
Tho veins arc nearly horizontal. are
readily accessible, and should be chcaply
mined. At the Mingo Mountain 300 coke
ovens are now in course of construction.
along the Little yellow Greek, where
thor6 IS an amp".3 water supply.
The leading plant at Middlesborough