The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-07-08
PROGRESS IN THE WEST END.
What the Roanoke iron Com
pany is Doing.
The Work of tho Muck Bar Mill Nearing
Completion-The building For tho
Plato MIL Going Up-Tho Issue of
S@5O,OOO In Bonds Authorized.

AAoiAo AAOh OOulp . uluCh Ddf anu
plate mills, remarked to TINES repre-
sentative, there are perhaps few people
In Roanoke who fully realize what is
going on in the West End.
A twonty.minutes' drive from Jeffer-
son street west brings one to a place
that promises soon to be one of tho
busiest sections of the Magic City, if
not tho center of its industrial activity.
Tho principal industry, and tho one
that is nearest complete in this new Sec
ton of the city, is the plant Of tho Roa-
noke Iron Company. This comprises a
2OO-ton blast furnace, which has been
IN operation for several months; muck
bar mill, nearing completion, and plate
mill, upon which the work of erection
has just begun.
Through the courtesy of Mr.. Porter,
OF the company, and Superintendent
Lynch, of the mills, THE TIMES man
was shown over the grounds and through
tho various buildings. The grounds
comprise forty-four acres, lying between
the Norfolk and Western railroad and
the Roanoke river and strip OF eight
acres across the river.
In the rear Of the furnace is neat
office building recently completed
This structure is of brick and three
stories high. Tho four rooms on the
first floor are conveniently furnished
and occupied by the officers and clerical
force of the company. On tho second
floor is tho kitchen and dining room,
and those of the force who live down
town take their dinner here. Some Of
the rooms are fitted up as bedroom J
and several Of the clerks have their
permanent residence in tho building
a number OF cottages have been erected
on the grounds and arc occupied by the
furnace laborcrs.
The constant hum Of the massive
machinery, the busy laborers about the
furnace, the almost constant shifting of
cars for the unloading of supplies for
the production Of pig iron and material
for tho new mills, and the active
mechanics putting in place the compli-
Gated machinery and fitting together
the iron building for the plate mill, all
together present quite a busy scene.
The furnace has been described at
length in TIE TINES and the mills are
now the chief point Of interest.
The puddle mill, or muck mill, is
332x7G feet. The building is entirely of
iron and one of the most substantial and
complete in the country.
Pudding furnaces twenty-four feet
apart extend along each side OF the
mill. Near the center is tho squeezer
and the machinery for rolling the iron
bars, which is driven by magnificent
400 horse power Corliss engine. The
mill throughout is being constructed on
the most improved plan, and when com
pleted will he one of the finest in the
country. Nearly all the machinery is
in place, and everything is being ar
ranged in the most convenient manner
possible, both for receiving the mater
ial and handling it inside the mill.
Along each side the entire length of
She building 4 railroad track will be
constructed on Il trestc. Into coal
hoppers at the mouths Of the pudding
furnaces the coal will be dumped from
the cars, saving the trouble and expense
of handling with barrows. Tho pig iron
will also be unloadcd from the cars on
this trestlc. Just beneath this track
will be narrow gauge track for carry
ing away the ashes from the furnaces.
The ore to be used for filling will be
the only material to be handled by bar
rows.
This orc will be prepared in build
ing 72X3G feet, 4 few feet from the mud :
die mill.
tank has been erected, and the
water supply will be pumped from the
river and carried TO every part of the
mill by system of pipes. All the waste
HCdI lioIu VIC Will Oc uJlllZcQ
for steam purposes. In fact, the entire
construction has been with the view of
wasting nothing.
The plate mill adjoining the mill just
described will be 3O4xS4. This, too, will
. be entirely of IRON and similar to the
muck bar mill. The material for the
building Is on the grounds and is now
being put together. This, too, will be
supplied with the latest improved ma
chinery. When all the machinery is in
place the Roanoke Iron Company, from
the crude ore that comes from the
mines, will turn out the finished plate
The mills alone will employ 225 men,
mostly skilled laborers.
AT recent meeting OF tho stockhol-
derS of the company tho directors were
authorized to issue bonds to the amount
of $3.50, 600. The bonds have been pre-
pared and deed OF trust to secure their
payment has been filed for record The
bonds Will run twenty years, with inter
est at 6 per cont. payable scmi-annually
in gold coin. The Fidelity Insurance.
Trust and Safe Deposit Company. of
Philadelphia, is the trustees.
The authorized capital of tho com :
pany is S750,O00 and Of this $500, 900 has
been issued. The remaining $3.50, goo
will be reserved that the bonds NAV be
converted into stock should it ever be
desirable and practicable to do so. Just
.sacross the river the work on tho large
Fsouilding for the Duvall engine works
is moving along briskly, and soon the
walls of the Norwich Lock Manufacture
ing Companys buildings will begin to
rise few hundred yards down the river
Hannah Cots oar with Warning.
Neal liam an, who was arrested few
days ago on the charge of stealing q