The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-11-22
SOUTHWEST vIRGINIA'S ORES.
CONTINUED from page ID

main line of the Norfolk and western
railroad; Nos. 3, A, s, 25, go and ~ on
the Reed Island Branch, North Caro-
lima extension; Nos. 8, z, II, Is, IL. ~
al. 30. 90, "a, and 90 on the North Caro-
lima extension; Nos. IL, 10, IA, Is ana
10 ON tho Shenandoah Valley Railroad.
at first blush these totals OF $4,000 tons
indicate decided shortage, but there
are some modifying features.
"The Grocer furnaces have In stock
10000 tons; Pulaski, $4,000, Roanoke
about 5000; Graham, 10000; Salem,
$4,000; Max Meadows, 10000; total
say..of 1000 tons and three OF these
furnaces not in blast; hence for short
time stocks will increase.
.'Bristol is as yet drawing no supplies
from the Virginia brown ore field, save
Gossan. She is running on brown ores
from Embreeville, Tenn, magnetic from
Cranberry, N. c., and Gossan from Car
roll county.
.sBoth Pulaski and Grocer use n GER
tain percentage of Cranberry, and
Buena Vista is getting the Oriskany
brown ores from Craig creek and Rich
Patch, Allegheny county.
"Graham requires special attention.
This furnace is at Graham, eight miles
from Pocahontas and sixty-seven miles
from Radford. Tho present stock of
10000 tons is composed of Rorer, Clark
!. Summit and Gossan, but she expects in
the near future to draw her brown ores
from the locality and the red fossil ores
from near Big Stone Gap via the Clinch
Valley extension.
The furnace company controls the
mineral rights on Il large acreage near
Tip-Top station, ten miles from Ora
ham. Extensive developments show
apparently large quantities of excel
lent brown ores lying in and on the
1imestones, forming the valley at the
base of East River mountain, through
which the Bluestone river flows.
These ores have not hitherto been
available for want of branch line
connection of about three miles from
the railroad, but this branch will I'M
doubtedly be built early in the coming
year, opening up a new ore field and
giving Graham large local supplies.
sit must be steadily borne in
mind that the above figures Of OUTPUTS
are good weather figures and that with
bad weather the monthly output will
be diminished, hence safety requires
that these figures must be discontinued
from the first of December until the
first of April.
"This apparently makes the furnace
situatian more critical and unquestion-
ably indicates a shortage if all of the
furnaces were to run, but in the writer's
estimation the question of winters
supply is practically assured for all of
the furnaces that can or will run. and
with the incoming year large new sources
of supply are clearly in sight. 1t has
only been within the last year that any
inducements have been offered to either
land owners or outsiders to open mines
and become shippers of ores. A very
radical change has taken place all along
the line. Not only is better mining
being done at the old mines by fuller
opening up and the putting in of better
machinery, but extensive preparations
are actively being made for reaching
new territory and opening new mines.
1.-The Grocer Iron Company, in addi-
tion to largely increasing the efficiency
of the Rich Hill mine by working it
with heavy steam shovel, have opened
what see ms to be good deposit of ex-
cellent ore on another part of this same
estate, to which they have been extend
ing their narrow gauge railroad, now
about finished. They have also con-
nected their Murray mine with the
Norfolk and Western railroad near
Cloverdale, and built complete new
washing plant. They have also become
the owners of DIR. Sanders limestone
ore tract four miles from Foster Falls,
ducing property for this class of ore in
the whole district.
The Bertha Zinc people are put
ting fume and other appurta noes
which will, by the first of the wear.
double their output.
"The Wythe Lead and Zinc Company,
at Austipsville, who have a splendid
piece of ore territory, are putting in a
new washing plant, and will therefore
shortly become large shippers of ore.
eat Foster Falls new opening are be-
ing made on the limestone ores, and
the owners have decided to open their
Deep we'll lead of intermediate (neitber
their limestone nor mountain, strictly
speaking,) ores. The numerous test
! pits and shafts over a mile OF territory
promise a very excellent ore to be had
cheaply and quickly.
Arrangements are nearly completed
for making the limestone ore property
of the Carter heirs, near Carter's Ferry,
an early producer.
SAT the Crockett bank, as soon as the
ground is properly opened up to justify
1t, another complete washing plant will
DC erected with a monthly capacity of
1000 tons.
'Messrs. Graham s. Robinson advise
mo that they will shortly increase their
output, not only of their Foster Fall
but Carriers Ferry and Reed Island
mines.
"A very largo and valuable ore terri
tory, now totally unproductiye, looks as
If it would soon be available. This will
be reached by what is known as the
Cripple Creek extension of tho Norfolk
and Western railroad, from Ivanhoe to
Speedwell furnace. Much OF the heayy
work has been done on this line and in
dications now point to it's early com