The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1891-09-24
4 GREAT INDUSTRIAL cENrER

A GREAT INDUSTRIAL CENTER.
Rich Patch Mines-Low Moor-Clif-
ton .Forge-Iron Gafe-Covingto
jackson River Valley, and the
Future Before Them.
From an Occasional Correspondent
Low MOOR, VA, Sept. 81, 1891.
The Rich Patch Iron Company, of
which Major D. Shanahan, of Louisville,
is President and Captain M. H. McCar-
thy, General Manager and Disbursing
Agent, is getting fairly to work Last
week a Copeland and Baker Washer
was put in operation, and new 44-ton
engine, built at the Baldwin Works,
Philadelphia, on special order, was
steamed up for service on the Company's
track between the Mines and the G. &
O. railway at McElwee's. The test of
the Washer. was satisfactory, and with
no unforeseen distractions the Company
will ship daily an average of $50 tons of
ore. The output up to this time has
been taken by Low Moor Furnace.
the capacity of the mines enlarge, and
this will be done to supply the demand,
even should it require 500 tons a day to
do it. There is no question about the
quantity of the ore. 1t crops out every
where on the property. contiguous to
the railroad, and improves in every re-
spect as it is worked. Nor is there any
doubt as to the quality. The shipments
analyze from so to SO per cent. of metal
lie iron, run of the mines, which per cent
can be easily kept up, whether the out
put be small or large.
The capacity of the washer, with one
cone, is about 200 tons day, and an
equal amount of lump ore can be readi-
ly obtained from the mines now being
operated which take in probably about
| SO acres of the 5000 of the tract, and ON
| which as many more mines could be
opened with an additional force of
hands, without touching for years to
come any other of the vast deposits
which are exposed from one end of the
property to the other Tramways and
| incines connect the mines with the
washer, and with each other, forming a
network of tracks, which present a
busy scene as the ore cars convey the
metal to the dump into the cars and
washer. There are now about 100 hands
at work, and this force will be enlarged
as the demand for the ore increases.
The engine is a splendid piece of
mechanism, constructed especially for
brake attachment, a device to control
the locomotive on a descending grade
It consists of a small pipe extending
from the boiler below water line in the
cab to the exhaust passages of the cyl
inders, with a valve conveniently within
the control of the engineer. When run
ming forward down grade with valve
gear in the reverse motion the pistons
act as air pumps and would suck hot air
and cinder in from the smOke-box, but
| by the use of the La Chetalier device a.
jet of water is thrown into the exhaust
passages, which is Immediately vapor-
lied and prevents such suction and at
the same time tends to lubricate the cyl
inders. The motion is controlled by the
reverse lever, the same as when running
ahead This attachment or device was
considered necessary, in view of the
heavy grades on certain portions of the
track connecting with the G. y 0. rail-
way, as means to guard against accident,
| ;o1I in n
engineer from the Baldwin Works came
along with the engine to put it in work
| ing order.
The addition of this engine and the
washer, make a pretty complete plant.
OF course it will be enlarged as occasion
may require. 1t is the purpose to at
once erect number OF new houses for
the use of the hands, such especially as
have families, so as to give them homes
as we'll as work
! Low Moor Furnace is about three
miles from the Rich Patch Mines. About
700 to 800 tons of pig metal are being
turned out at this furnace every week.
1t finds ready market in the east and
west Most of it is shipped by rail to
Newport News, thence by water to the
eastern markets. About 1000 tons are
held on the yard, for what purpose we
do not know, unless it be for better
prices. This is splendid property and
splendidly managed. 1t is one of the
most lucrative plants in the country,
and is doing as much to establish the
character OF the Virginia ores as any
other plant in operation.
Adjoining this property is that of the
| Allegheny Mining and Development
Company. Sitting on a log the other
day, not far from the new hotel, nearly
completed, watching a passing train, we
observed sandwched between each 9TH
er, thirty or forty cars of coal, iron ore
and coke. going eastward These prod
ucts represent the growing business and
wealth of the G. & 0. railway. They
speak of the vast natural resources OF
the country tributary to this great ar
terry of trade. and foreshadow the vast
development that is yet to come along
this great highway. Tt suggested, too,
the Importance of utilizing much OF this
natural wealth, in the vicinity where it
is taken out. AT Low Moor much Of
this ore and coke is consumed in pro-
ducing pig metal. AS yet this last prod
uct seeks a market either west of the
Ohio, or on the seaboard How much
better it would be, if industries were in
operation near the furnaces to work the
crude metal into higher forms, and thus
give employment to labor on the ground,
both skilled and common, and keep the
wealth among ourselves. In a few
months two more furnaces will be in OPP
Grafton, one at Covington and one at
Iron Gate. At each of these places a
rolling mill and one or two other indus
tries will be established to consume the
furnace products in part at least; but at
Low Moor there is nothing of the kind.
Yet there are no more attractive sites for
such industries than can be found on the
property of the Allegheny Mining and
thaU a "