The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-03-31

within Bessemer limits, and these sec
tions may be determined in advance by
chemical examination.
The important questions to be deter
mined are: Is the ore here in quantity?
and can it be wrought on commercial
basis? The latter is answered first
With proper mining captain in charge,
and with Il proper mining plant, from
what saw, and figures of cost obtained
it seems to be perfectly possible to mine
this ore at a cost of say S1.60 to SITS a
ton, especially if power drills be used
when tho ore gets hard.
When the ore thickens up, between it
and the slate wall there is a soft, black,
sandy mass" which the miners call
dig" and which gives an admirable
"bearing in" The walls are good, re-
curing little timbering.
The important point 60 be settled is:
Does this vein continue in depth, or
pinch out as at other places in Virginia?
l quote Mr.. Mite: IAN average
width OF three feet may safely be relied
upon throughout the extent of the vein.
If anything, I think that the width will
increase with the depth. The indica-
tions at the lowest levels were tho most
favorable, and, in my opinion, the de-
posit extends to a great depth. The
vein is continuous in structure, and free
from lenticular bedding, common to the
'grccnway' section in Buckingham, Mol
son and Amherst counties"
H. M. Chance, so widely and favora bly,
known, under date of August 27th, 1890,
says 81 believe tho Pittsville is a
regularly bedded vein, and will be found
continuous for a long distance and per-
sistent to great depth"
| hardly think ~ tho
whole, will average three feot, but
MIR. Chance calls attention to the fact
that the vein proper is probably not
over from one to two feet, but that orc
chutcs or chimneys of considera Bile
thickness occur. Bye onfining tho min
ing operations to simply driving tho
levels through the thin ore, and only
Stopping it down when it is thicker, tho
average of the ground worked in this
way might be better than three feet,
and wrought less expense.
In my Judgment, it would not be safe
TO establish large mining plant there
on any theory that the orc runs in depth.
The only proper and safe plan would be
to put down a series OF drill holes in
advance of tho dip and along the work
ings. If the ore should prove to be
there at depth Of, say, 500 to 600 feet,
q" "NNtU "S pOi OAHU W pun up a.
good plant and open big mine, which
might, If wrought under proper man
agement, prove very profitable.
If tho mine should prove profitable to
the owners it would be of immense i'm
| portance to the iron industries of Vir-
ginia Its position would enable it's
products to reach nearly every furnace
in Virginia. AS dilutant of the
Potsdam brown ores, high in phosphorus
and manganese, it would be invaluable.
III the Adams process proves the success,
as is indicated, assorted Pittsville ore
would make first-claas orc for treat
mcnt by this process. and ought to give
a properly located Virginia steel PLAN
a big advantage in prime cost
What this section particularly needs
Is good fix" ore. 1t is now dependent
upon Lake Superior or Champaign ores,
and these are necessarily expensive.
The Pittsville ore was tried at the Roa-
noke Rolling Mill with rather contra
dictory results One statement is that