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


factorily treat it within the limits of a
paper, and secondly because the larger
is of so comparatively
recent date as to make authoritative
data on some interesting points unavail-
able.
For over 100 years small charcoal fur
naces have been in existence at widely
scattered points. making a few tons of
iron daily, then gradually increasing to
a daily output of, say 10 to IL tons, as
the market widcnod. With the exhaus-
ton of local supplies of wood, inaccessi-
bility to market and sharp competition,
bringing lower prices, many were COM
PEELED from time to time to make tenn
stops, and finally to cease alto
gcther. During the first half century
there were at different times in opera
ton between IS and 90 charcoal fur
naces. Tho last Directory of the Iron
and Steel Works of tho United States
US9O) gives 10 as tho number of char
coal stacks in Virginia. OF these sew
eral arc cold, and it is perfectly safe to
say will never resume.
All of them lie within few miles of
the Norfolk and Western and Shcnan-
doah Valley railroads, and run on tho
brown ores of, and adjacent to, tho
Potsdam sandstones, to be hereafter de-
scribed. The iron made by these fur
naces was almost wholly cold-blast, and
noted for it's excellence for tough cast
ings and chilling car wheel irons The
change came when the completion of the
Chesapeake and Ohio railway made the
fine coking Goals of West Virginia avail
able, and an extraordinary impetus was
given when, in 1882, the Norfolk and
Western railroad, with wise foresight.
built to the Flat Top col1ing Goals and
opened up that wonderful field to tho
outside world.
The census year Of 1880 gave the total
output of pig iron in Virginia as 1906
tons.
The census of year of 1890. just COM
pleted gives 1924 tons. OF this, the
charcoal production was under Is. 900
tons. the balance being made by IL coke
furnaces. Tho rapid increase in late
years is best seen by the figures of the
annual production: 1856, 15G,o5O tons;
1887, 1871 tons; 1888, 1877, 306 tons;
1889, Pal, $3.50 tons. There are now in
course of active construction land the
majority nearing complction) ten first
class modern coke furnaces, with yearly
capacity Of $50, 900 gross tons, and sew
eral projected
The important question now arises:
What are tho sources of ore supply for
all of these plants? To settle that it is
necessary to briefly consider existing
geological conditions.
Every known character of ore is TO be
found, in varying quantities, in the
State of Virginia.
l. The magnetic, spccular and gossan
ores i'll the older rocks east of the Blue
Ridge (Archmn bclt)
p The hydrated brown hematite of
the Potsdam sandstones and states and
in the Silurian limestones overlyinr
them (Nos. and III of Professor Rogcrs).
3. The hydrated brown hematite of
the Lower Silurian shales mo. III of
Professor Rogers).
4. The anhydrouS red hematites. or
fossil ore, of Professor Rogers Hudson
Epoch No. V, ordinarily known as the
Clinton or dyestone ores Upper Silu-
rian).
5. The nydrated brown hematites of
the Oriskany Epoch of Professor Rogers.
No. VII Upper Silurian).
9. The hydrated brown ores accompa-
nying the observation-disclosures limestones
OF No. NJ.
T. The carbonates of the coal meas
ures, No. ri.
These will be considered in the inverse
order.
The carbonates can be dismissed with
out further notice. AS yet they have
only been found as nodules in the states,
and are OF no commercial value what
ever.
Of the subcarboniferous limestone,
brown ores but little is known. They
are of unusual occurrence. and appar-
emily only local, and on limited scale.
AS far as they have been identified, they
occur along the line of the great fault in
farewell county, Virginia, on the Clinch
Valley extension of the Norfolk and
Western Railroad, by which fault No.
NJ IS brought into direct contact with
NO. III. The external indications for
many miles would lead the casual obser-
yer to believe in tho existence of very
large bodies of ore, but positive devci-
opments weaken this impression. The
quality of the orc is very fair, consid-
cradle number of analyses showing:
iron from 30 per cent. to 40 per cent.
Siilca from 3per cont. to - per cent.
Phosphorus from 0.13 per cent. to IN
per cent
Manganese from per cent. to .. 40 per
cent.
While these ores may serve as a local
supply, they can never become, from
present knowledge. OF commercial value
in Virginia at least.