The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1891-07-17
PREVIOUS DIFFICULTIES.

PREVIOUS DIFFICULTIES.
"Thc difficulty that has existed in the
development Of these ores has been occa-
stoned by the absence of fuel. While the
quality Of the iron produced is superior
yet tho percentage of metalllc iron con-
tanned in these ores Is not sufficiently
high to warrant long transportation, as ls
possible with the magnetic ores. of the
lake region and the Mediterranean and
Cuba, because of the higher percentage
of iron they contain, from which sources,
by the way, the furnaces in Pennsylvania
draw the most of their supply. The lake
and also the foreign ores contain an aver
age of from 60 to 65 per cent Of metallic
| iron while the Carter county andCranberry
ores do not exceed from - per cent, as it
is being mined and shipped. Reports,
however, recently made by Pennsylvania
experts upon tho value of these ores ex-
press the belief that by proper mining no
difficulty will be experienced in obtaining
ore containing certainly 50 per cent of
metallic iron, and they further state that
by selecting the ores it will be safe to
guarantee possibly So per cent.
"That YOU may realize the value Of this
wonderful deposit Of orc and the possibil-
tiles Of this section as the center Of the
stcel-making iron of this country, con-
slider the fact that the Pittsburgh furnaces
are compelled and depending for their
supply of ore upon the mines of the lake
region, and the value of these mines is
reckoned upon in the millions. The
Pittsburgh furnace people are paying at
the present time an average Of about
seven dollars per ton for the hundreds of
thousands of tons Of ores they are con-
vertng into Bessemer iron.
"The same conditions exist substantial
" with other sections Of Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania Steel Co., being one Of the
largest steel plants in this country, draw
large proportion oftheir supply of ores,
| am informed, from Cuba, where they
own large deposits, and in order to avail
themselves of the Cuban ores this COM
pany has recently erected several furnaces
and rolling mills at Sparow's Point,
about miles from Baltimore. / am in
formed that this ore costs abont Sc per
ton delivered at the furnace, and the coke
comes from Pennsylvania, being hauled
about 800 miles think this represents
correctly the present conditions under
which the Eastern furnaces produce their
Besscmer iron.
cup to the present time the magnetic
ores of East Tennessee could not he fully
utilized, though the value had been
known, because the percentage of metal
lie iron is not sufficiently great to war
rant long transportation, and the ALSO
Lutte absence of fuel at reasonable prices
has rendered it mpracticable to erect
furnaces near the mines, by which the
orc could be converted. Our confidence
in the great future of this section is sus
tanned by the knowledge of the fact that
the changed conditions make it possible
to develop these immense resources and
bring population and wealth to this Sec
ton. The absence of coke no longer
exists.
BIG STONE GAP.
"Alrcady the Pocahontas Flat Top re-
gion Of Virginia is producing quality of
coke not surpassed by the best Conneils-
willie. The completion of the South At
lantic g. Ohio Road from Bristol to Big
Stone Gap opens. other coke producing
fields. The Charleston, Cincinnati &
Chicago Road, which crosses our line at
Johnson City, enters the Pocahontas vein
of coal at distance of about so miles
from Johnson City.
sour company contemplates the extern
sion Of the Rogersyille branch to Big
Stone Gap. In addition to this. coking
coal is now being found on our Knoxville
& Ohio Road, and i have the authority of
Prof. Proctor, of Kentucky, for saying
valuable coking coal exists in immense
quantities short distance from our road
at G areyville Sutton, on. the Knoxville &
Obi, Road. -.
b G thus it is made possible TO deliver an
abu adant supply of coke from three, and
poslibly four. independent sources of
sup and by four competing lines of
railway, insnrirg aneahundamce in quality
AMI quantity,gt:n minimum cost, and by
III lsmeans We have reason TO believe that:
in the very near future contracts for the,
su pply of. coke TO be located on our line
vii lie made at not TO exceed $3.50 per
tols i. Including cost and freight. Reckon,
therefore, the cost OF magnetic ores de-
sIiM red to furnaces at PIPER ton and coke.
at Ay2,5U, being the principal factors in
ahc construction dc iron, and any expert.
scan ,'cadiis estimate the cost TO produce