The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1899-06-29
NOW IN FULL BLAST.
Six of the 10 Furnaces In the Virginia
District Running.

SIX OF the I3 furnaces III lne virginia
District Running.
Everett B. Chapman, of New York,
has recently been on tour through
Virginia and Tennessee, inspecting the
properties of the Virginia Iron, Coal
and Coke Company, in which he is
largely interested. In an interview
with the New York Commercial, Mr..
Chapman expressed himself as extreme
ly we'll satisfied with the improvements
which have been made since the con-
solidation of the iron and coal proper
ties in Virginia aud Tennessee took
place a few months ago. I'VE have al
ready running in full blast, said he,
''six of the thirteen furnaces in the Vir-
ginia district. New stoves are being
placed in the Grocer furnaces, and the
capacity of the Bristol plant will be in
creased to 800 tons of pig iron per day.
The other properties are being made
ready to work as quickly as possible,
but it is slow work. Nearly all the fur
naces require 1 900 tons of ore day in
order to keep them running, and get
ting them ready entails vast amount
of work. In order to provide for the
opening of the furnaces we must open
up new mines, provide for the trans.
portation of the coal and coke as well
as the ore. 1t is now proposed to con-
meet Radford, Virginia, where the Rad.
ford furnace and pipe works are located,
by branch of the Norfolk and West
ern railroad with Floyd. The new
branch will open up very rich and val
liable iron ore bed that we purchased
with the Radford furnace and pipe
works when that property was trans
ferred to our company.
"We are now making profit of $5 {
ton on our pig iron. and the demand
far exceeds our present capacity. The
reason we are able to manufacture sc
much cheaper than Western concerns
is the fact that our iron and coal de
posits lie, to all intents, next each 9th
er The best authorities on this ques
lion, 1 may add, have reported that tn,
deposits are practically ineyhaustible.
Mr.. Chapman said that as yet thu
whole attention and resources Of th,
company had been directed to the fur
naces along the line of the Norfolk an(
Western, and in that vicinity. "Wt
have not opened our pipe works at Rad
ford, but they will be put in operation
as soon as the necessary repairs can b.
made.
"Did the sale Of the railroad proper
ties of the Tennessee Coal, Iron an(
Railroad Co. to the Louisville & Nash
vile and Southern railroad mean stel
in its ultimate consolidation with th,
Virginia Iron, Coal and Coke Coz" wa
asked.
"No, not at all, =" was the answer.
"Is it the intention of the Virgini
company to amalgamate with the Ten
uessee Coal and Iron Co. and thus con
troll, as reported, the vast coal and irol
resources of the Southern states?"
"I cannot make any definite answe
to that as yet" replied Mr.. Chapman
"No one knows what will happen i
such cases. There is no reason VIII
such step should not be taken"
He then referred to the conditions c
trade in the southern states. Mr.. Char
mans interests, as identified with th
: Moore & Schley clientele, lie to gref
extent in the south. He has been
student of trade conditions there fC
some years, and states that never hf
he seen such favorable conditions
"The people are happy and prospel
ous," and making lots of money. Ii
Dor is at a premium, and no one nee
go without work. Along the line
our furnaces there is marked scarcit
Y of laborers; so much so, that we al
: compelled to import them from 9th,
localities further south. New indu
tries are also being incorporated to d
yelop natural resources and factori
which have been closed down are no
re-opening.