The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1891-01-22
THE EYES OF THE WORLD
ARE TURNED TOWARD JOHNSON
CITY AND IRON MASTERS
ARE ANXaouSLV WATCH
mo DEVELOPMENTS
THAT WILL PROVE
1T TO BIZ THE
Future Steel Producing Centre
OF the World.
Ky. Trades Journal

Ky, Trades Journal
The result Of three important en-
terprises that will show the value oil
southern coal and iron ores will be
made known early in tie present year.
The first Of these is the coke plant
at Big Stone Gap, where 500 ovens are
now under construstion by parties
who sold their interest in the Con
nsllsvi!le district 10 invest there. Tebts
made Of the coal to be used have
shown that coke with a cellular struc
ture equal to that OF Connellsville,
combined with the puritr Of that OF
POcahontas, can be produced. Il IL
stated that this coal can be mined al
twenty five cents per ton, as props
are not required, and the veins are Of
extraordinary thickness and above
drainage. II the claims put forth by
experts are verified by the actua'
working OF this immense plant, tn,
coke product al this sSction will TAX.
leading position and force the way
for its consumption wherever coke is
used. As to quantity, it is prsctic Ill,
inexhaustible, one company owning
100000 acres, this being twi,e the
acreage Of the Conceivable district.
The second OF these tests Is to be
the iron plant ut johnson City, Tenn,
aud will b. the frsL Southern furnace
to produce Bessemer pig in any guam
tity. The ore used will be from the IA.
nlous CRANBERRY mines in North
Carolina, one Of the largest deposi,A
Of nen-phosphorus bearing, or BrSse
mer ore, in the country, aud the coke
from Big Stone Gap. The coke and
the ore are separated only one hum
dred miles on an air line, giving nd
vsntages unequalsd IN any other
part OF the country. Tests made H.
the original Cranberry charcoal fur
lace for thirty days, using this ore
and POcahontas coke. resulted in tn.
production Of u grade OF Bessemer
pig-iron that sold Ut Johnson City for
500. ut time when iron in the Birm
ingham district was selling at $l2 pei
ton, and was sold in Pittsburg At from,
80 TO "a per ton above the price obtain
ed for Bessemcr pig made from Lake
Superior ores.
The third test will be the bssi,
steel plant being built at Middlrsbor
rough, KY, for an English syndicst.
by J. p. Witherow, of Pittsburg, Pa
one OF the leading furnace builders d
the country. In the drawing tn,
plans and specifications for the con
struction Of this plant, 1t was ordered
that no expense be spared to make il
complete in all its parts, and Mr.
Wither w is quoted ~ saying thai
when it goes into blast it will be tn,
most perfect furnace plant on the con
tinent. The ores to be used will b.
the red hematites and oriskany Of tn.
Cumberland Gap, district, which car
be place in the stock.house at on,
dollar per ton and Middlesborougl
coke at two dollars per ton.
Capital tt interested in the tok'
and iron industries are watching thes'
tests with great degree OF interest
and upon their success depends thu
movement OF 8 million OF capital
That they will all three succeed, ca,
almost be assured, as they are all be
ing built by practical men, with . life
time experience in coke and iron, an'
who, after thorough examination
and crucical tests, are so certain 0
success that they are putting immens'
sums OF money into them. and VIII
feel so certain Of the results to be OBJ
tanned that they disclaim that thei
plants are tests, but are built upoI
well established facts. While this i
tue, so far as the builders are con
cerned, the great bulk Of The capita
which will find It's way into these sec
tons will not be moved by tests. bu
require TO be touched in tn
: Open market, which will convict tn
most conservative capitalist who i
: unwilling 10 leave the iavorei locs
lions OF the past, until forced to do g.
by the more favored locations OF tn
present. TIE dawn OF new era is a
hand, and 1891 will see the South DE-
! manding, more than ever befOr, tn
attention OF both home and foreig,
capital, that will 90 impel Southern
developments as to overshadow tina
made up u the present time, which !
very insignificant compared wit
. what the future has in store.
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