The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1899-03-09
AS TO STEEL MANUFAC-
TURE.
Edmund G.. PeChin Expresses
an Opinion on the Subject.
CFrom the Iron AgeJ

AIi'm b' ii'i -
In an article in one Of your late issues
you expressed serious doubts as to the
to furnish the ore necessary to run the
furnaces lately acquired by the Virginia
Coal, hon aud Railway Company. In the
promoters circular the consolidation takes
in nine furnaces-Bristol, Max Meadows,
Dora, Radford- Crane. Graham, Salem, two
Grocer and Bucna Vista. The IvanhOe,
Pulaski, Roanoke and Shenandoah fur
nsces are not included.
If it were possible to start at once all
of the above furnaces, whose yearly ca
pacity can lie cOnservatively placed at
400, 900 tons, they would require 900,0 600
tons of ore. 1t is needless TO say no such
quantity ia now available; nor can it he
had for some little time TO come. The
two Grocer and the Dora furnaces have
been running straight along, and o cOurse
have their respective mines opened and in
Wpih'hS ViuNls utu 'lo'o u ulHO 't
dismissed, as it is running exclusively on
the Oriskany ores from the Chesapeake &
Ohio Railroad, and enough OF this can he
had for several furnaces. 1t may be noted
in passing that Ms little furnace, l6xl7
feet, is averaging 100 tons Il day Of basic
Open-hearth iron, on a 81 per cent ore.
There re mains to be taken care OF the
Salem, Radford Crane, Graham, Max
Meadows, and Bristol. Very considerable |
intervals seperatr these furnaces. and all,
with the exception of Graham. lie near the
base of the Blue Ridge, carrying the-Pots-
dam ores. The Radford-C Crane was never
completed. The Salem and Graham would
require new lining. The Max Meadows
can he quickly blown in. l am not
familiar with the present condition of
Bristol; but it undoubtedly will require
refining and other repairs. All Of these
are thoroughly good modern plants-not
modern ~ compared with Carnegie and
Lorian, but we'll built, with fire brick
stoves, double engines and ample yard
and storehOuse facilities.
The ore properties controlled by this
new company could not he duplicated in
Virginia at any price, because they could
not he found. They embrace pretty much
all of the good mineral lands for miles
along the Cripple Greek range, carving
the high grade limestone ores, together
with very valuable deposits of (Potsdam)
ores in close proximity. AT the close of
the boom of 81 there had been enough
mines (so-called) opened to give, say,
10000 tons II month, had there been any
demand With a few exceptions all were
being worked on a small scale. 1t will
be a comparatively easy and inexpensive
matter to clean out and open up these
quarries, as they are all open cuts and
nothing underground. You are perfectly
right in saying that railroads must be
built, machinery erected and improve
ments made; but lone of these will be
required on a large scale. A branch from
Carriers Ferry on the New River TO old
S%peedwell furnace, as / recall it, Il dis
lance OF 10 or IL miles, would run con-
tinuously over ground carrying the lime
stone ores and allow many new and large
ore openings.
Around Foster Falls there are large
proved deposits of Potsdam ores. Assum-
Ing that the Max Meadows furnace would
be the frst that would go into blast, these
ores would only have a 80 mile haul to it.
Apart from this, the furnace company
" two and a half miles Of narrow guage
road, with It's equipment, running from
the furnace yard to the foot of Draper
to its mining camp and washers. ,
The extension Of one mile TO Locust Hill &,
mines would at once make available what {
shows from developments made to he a {
very large deposit of mountain ore. There
ought not TO be any difficulty in promptly \