The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1891-08-20
a Great Iron Property.

While there, in company with the Presi- I
dent of the Company, Maj. ID. Shanahan,
and the General Manager, Capt. N. H
Mccarthy, we went over a portion of the
and climbed what is called
Horse Mountain, one of the Rich Patch
range The point where we struck this
part of the mountain, is about half mile
southwest from Iron Rock where mining
is progressing, and is a continuation OF the
same formation Horse Mountain" at
the point named, is over 500 feet from
base to apex and from the bottom to
the top there appears what might be
called a solid body Of ore, 60 to 70 feet
wide and 500 feet in height. The same
exposure of iron is shown on the south
side of the mountain down TO the raylne,
and this continues III another mountain
and through the property to its western
boundary, five or six miles. 1t is at least
a half mile from base to base at the point
we struck on Horse Mountain and
taking the tests made OF this vein at IRON
Rock and other openings as guide, 1t
runs through the mountain, evidenclng
a solid body OF ore, lis depth has been
tested at the mines now being worked
to 200 feet, without giving any indlca-
ton of reaching the bottom. There are
five openings being worked on this vein
at this time, the last opening, made within
the past two weeks, being 0ft.wide OF ore,
which will average 90 per cent. OF metal
lie iron. The stripping was very light,
and the breast is now solid ore, with SOL
id ore walls on either side, as far AS
work has been done. The yield of
these five openings with limited force
of hands will be about 300 tons day,
after the first of September, when the
Company will have its large washer in
operation.
Mr. Lewellyn, a distinguished mining
! engineer of Pennsylvania, made All exam
nation of this property. containing 5000
acres, in 1874, and officially reported that IT
contains, on fair estimate, one hgt11dfed
| and fifteen million tons Of ore. His estl>
mate was made upon basis OF Two dis
tinctly marked brown hematite and two
tossiliferous veins, running para lei
through the tract Since then there has
/ been discovered one other, and possibly
two veins of brown hematite ore, equal
| lv rich in metallic iron, and as extensive
in quantity. as that from which Mr..
Lewellyn made his estimate.
It will be the policy of the Rich Patch
Iron Company which owns this valua-
BILE body of mineral land, as soon as they
can make the necessary arrangements, to
reach this immense deposit in that part
| of Horse Mountain we visited by a
railroad. constructed on line above the
present road, with chute, through
which to pass the ore to the cars on
tram-way and thence to the hopper with
the lump ore, and to the washer with
the washed ore, for conveyance to mar
ket. The output of the mines then will
be limited only by the demand
The Company has A. or miles OF
standard guage road connecting with
the Low Moor road, and with the Chesa-
peake & Ohio at McElwee, about IA mile
west of Low Moor; and about the same
length of tram way and incline. Its
washer building and washer are tirst>
class, put up to stay, and with the adds
ton of other cones, as development may
require. will be able to handle a large
quantity of ore.
The contemplated Potts Greek road,
by the Camden system, will accommo-
date the western part Of the property,
where. it is claimed by those who have
examined it and are competent to judge
the ore is richer in quality and as large
in quantity as on that portion now being
worked-analyzing 55 per cent. of metal
lie iron Even should this road not be
constructed by the parties considering 1T,
the Rich Patch Company could reach
part of this end of the property with
road two or three miles in length and
other parts of it by one six or seven miles
long. This of course will not be under
| taken at present, the Company having
as much as it can conveniently and eco>
nomically work with its present open
| ings, and those in contemplation III the
same locality, where necessary accommo-
dations have been practically completed.
1t is only question of time, when the
unlimited supply Of the best of brown
hematites that the Rich Patch Company
will be able to furnish becomes more
generally known. when furnaces will be
erected to consume the ores, as the best
of fuel is within easy reach and lime
stone in immediate proximity. 1t stands
to reason that with ores rich in metallic
! iron; the best coke in the country, and
all the other necessary requisites at
| hand, that iron can be made there as
cheap, if not cheaper than any other
portion of the Union. OF course, capital,
in quantity large enough for building
furnaces and coke ovens, moves slowly,
but it cannot be long before the great
| advantages of this section for making
the best of pig at the lowest cost, will
command it, and result in what nature
designed. the greatest iron making dis
! trict on the Continent.