The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1891-03-13

Besides these there are also On railroads
running here another brown ore carrying from
Al to GO per cent of iron, and .Ol9 OF phospho-
rus; mpnganiferous iron ores, and i'll all prob
ability large deposits of manganese; black
limonitc with from SO to SIS per cent OF iron
(well suited for the pneumatic Basic process);
specular or red hematite (Bessemer) with
IS to G5 per cent of iron, while of the great
Cranberry magnetic ore Prof. Proctor, In his
report, says:
Extending northeast and southwest through
the western counties of North Carolina are
large deposits of the purest magnetic iron ores
known in this country save i'll the Lake super
ior region. These ores, from a number OF
samples averaged by myself and officers OF the
Tenth Census and others, analyze from Is per
cent to 66 per cent of iron, and are, III Mitchell
and Ashe counties, North Carolina, remarkably
free from PHOSPHORUS and sulphur. Recent
developments along q line of thirty miles In eX-
tsnt prove the excessive nature OF these depos-
its. The only point where these ores have as
yet been reached by railway is at Cranberry
mine, in Mitchell county, North Carolina. few
years ago the great mass of ore now uncovered
st this point was hid by thick covering OF soil
and decomposed gneiss, save onlv few sur
face pits from which D small forge was sup
piled with ore. Within the past few years the
face Of the hill has been uncovered, revealing
an enormous mass OF very pure magnetic to
heigth of 800 feet above the railway track. The
engineer in charge at the mines assured me
that from diamoni-drill tests and the uncov-
cred mass, he had here piled up above the
railway track over 20,000,000 tons OF ore to
be mined by simply quarrying in open cut; and
Ldoubt II an ore of like excellence can be deliy
cred On cars ut less cost elsewhere in America.
A furnace test was recently made on Virginia
coke and the run ofmine of Cranberry ore, and
pig produced containing .03 per cent OF phos--
phorus; and from practical furnace tests and
the ANALYSES Of ore from many openings, 1t is
demonstrated that the entire district contains
in abundance an ore suited to the manufacture
Of Bessemer steel. This ore il nearer to coke
(st Big Stone Gap) than is any other Ressemer
steel ore known to me in America. From the
Bexsemer ores of the lake region, the source of
nearly all the ateel now made in this country,
to the nearest coke is about 500 miles; from
the Bessemer ores of western North Carolina to
the coke at Big Stone Gap it is l09 miles, and
between these two extremes are to be had the
various ores above described. Beyond the
Blue Ridge in the Carolinas, are large deposits
OF high-grsde ores. A very great development
In the manufacture Of iron and steel will follow
up the completion of the roads connecting the
soking Goals and ores, in the region under dis
susson.
"a Scotch iron manufacturer Of large cIpe-
risnce, who spent some months in examining
Sa6 COATS SllQ ores III JUG utstrttEAtSENiuS lIOA
southeastern Kentucky to western North Car
olins, estimates the cost Of making ton Of pig
iron q. Big Stsne Gap at 81 SO; and thinks that
Bessemer steel can be made at the same place
at % low cos. "a in England. This estimate |
agrees with estimates made BY practical iron
and steel manufacturers from Pennsylvania |
who have made large investments at Big Stone
Gap for the purpose of Development.
3Purnaces and steel plants at Big Stone Gap |
will have, in addition 70 the local supply Of
soke, coal, and pure limestone, the advantage
of o location on competing lines osrailwsy, and
she advantage Of location on great system
that can deliver the products direct to al Of the
great markets in the Ohio and Mississippi VAL
leys. Theior from East Tennessee, South
west Virginia, and the Carolinas can be ship
ped with advantage to these furnaces, as it is /
carrying the ores ir the direction OF the mar
ksta, aid these ores viii give return freight for
the cars Of coal and coke shipped from Big
Stone Gap 70 those States
pAGgs FOG MANUFACTURERS.
THE Virginia Coal 4 Iron Company agrees to
furnish coke at the following prices:
Ftirasae. .Ferlary.
AZ kscysns At Big stone Gap, 4 100 ss2.S0
1tis likely these prices will BE reduced IN.
der comps Ison, hpt take them as they arc and
eoJppRss shsn itl rgice at Council Yllle.