The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1890-10-02
THE VALLEY VIRGINIAN.
STAUNTON, VA.
Millions for Virginia.

THURSDAY October 2, 1890
Millions for Virginia
A dispatch from Chattanooga. Tenn !,
dated the nth, furnishes the following
important information:
most important event in the industrial de-
velopment of the South occurred here yester-
day by the Successful casting of steel fl ON
Southern material by the basic process. The re
suit clearly demonstrates that Southern iron
will make steel, and explodes the notion that
the iron contains too much phosphorus to be
used for this purpose. The first cast of twenty
two tons was made in the presence of a large
crowd ana was OF superior soft, low carbon
steel, finely adapted for structural work. The
second furnace will be putt operation in thirty
days. The great Importance of this event is the
fact that it affords market for the lowest grade
of Southern IRON
The output of steel from the blast
shows the following analysis: Combined
carbon, eleven one hundredths, silicon.
twelve one thousandths; manganese,
fifty-seven. one hundredths; sulphur,
twenty-one one thousandths, phospho-
rus, sixty nine one thousanths.
This announcement means millions
for Virginia and especially this portion
of the State. 1t is here where the phos
phoretic ores exist in greatest album
dance All along the Blue Ridge and
the North Mountain spurs the henatite
ores carry a certain per cent. of phos
phorusy about enough to make it suit
able for the Basic process. The Rich
Patch range, probably the largest body
Of hematite oresin the country, is pecu-
culiarly adapted to the making of basic
steel, and we have no doubt that will be
one of the largest steel-making districts
in the Union. The success at Chatta-
nooga will invite similar industries, here
and the result will, in all probability be
in few years that numerous steel plants
will beaestablished. s
The Stag, or bi-product, would be al
most as valuable as the iron from the
ore for fertilizer. ! 1t would contain the
phosphorus element from the ore and
command ready sale at good prices. AL
together the Introduction of the Basic
process for making steel would be of in
aalculable benefit to Virginia, and create
a degree Of wealth from materials that
that have heretofore been discarded, that
could not be computed.
FURTHUR' PARTICULARS
A letter from Chattanooga to the Big
Stone Gap Post, September 18th, gives
the following particulars of the result of
the operations of the Basic process:
Great interest has been aroused here by the
completion Of the Great Southern Steel Compa-
ny's Works, constructed for the purpose of max
ing steel by the Basic process. The company
purchased the Roane Works and have had a
large number Of expert mechanics engaged for
months putting in gas retorts new furnaces,
heaftias, and otherwise remodehng the old plant
and adapting it for making steel by the new
process. 1 as a
Experiments at the Henderson Works at Bir-i
mingham have proved satisfactory, and there
was no longer doubt that superior steel could be
made with Southern ore by the Basic process,
which has proved SO successful in England and
Germany. w
Naturally the men who invested millions upon
the chances of success felt degree of anxiety to
see the first run successfully made, and number
of them weresin the city to witness the interest
lis, pIOC0SS etU very
starting point Among these are Mr.. John Fl. In
man, Of New York, Mr.. Nat Baxter, Of Nashville,
Col. AM Shook, of Tracy City. 1t was hoped that
Col. II. s. Chamberlain would be here in time to
witness the first effort to make steel by the new
process, but he did not sail fEom England, where
he was with his family, until Friday evening
and will not reach here until about the 18th in
slant. number of people visited the works of
the Southern Steel Company to witness this in
teresting event. -
This experiments the most important that
has been made in the South. R}
The result was highly satisfactory, and the
problem whether Southern ores can be made
into steel by the Basic process is considered
solved. This will, of course, greatly increase
the value of these ores and viii give new slim
illus to Southern industries. I'D
The charge in the furnace consisted of twenty
tons, one third Of which steel and wrought
iron scraps mixed, and the other two-thirds of
charcoal pig iron made at the Lagrange, Tenn,
furnace. The pig is graded as No. iron; it is
described as containing eighty-nine one-hun-
dredths of one per cent. of silicon; two one-hun-
dredths of one Per cent. sulphur and three
tenthsl of one per cent. phosphorus The iron
from which the pig made is the Stewart
county, Tenn, brown hematite ore, having 40
per cent of metallic iron, IL per cent of silica,
and one-fourth of one per cent phosphorus.
A little later on coke irons, made in the Chat
tanooga iron DISTRICT will be used The furnace
men agree to furnish iron low enough in sulphur
and silicon to adapt it to the process.
The experiment was made under the direction
of Superintendent Benjamin Talbot. The SER
vices of Mr.. Talbot were secured last fall by
Col. A. M. Shook and Capt FL. S. Chamberlain,
they having gone to England to thoroughly
study the latest appliances in the manufacture
OF steel and also to engage one of the steel
making experts Of England to conduct the ope-
rations at the great Southern Steel Mill. Mr..
Talbot was manager of the great steel works
of the Earl Of Dudley i'll Staffordshire; this plant
is one Of the greatest steel making establish
ments in the world Mr.. Talbot was the assist
ant Of Thos Gilchrisl, the patentee of the Basic
process and one of the advanced thinkers and
profoundest students of Inetallurgy on the globe.
The steel cast was a superior soft low carbon
steel finely adapted for boiler plates, structural
work, etc For the present the blooms will be
made and as soon as the new engine can be put
in motion, the mill will be started up rolling
billets az Hs