The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-03-11

virginia is situated on the Atlantic slope OF the
Appalachian mountains half way between Florida
and Maine. The extreme length OF the State from
the Atlantic border to Kentucky is 47s miles. and
the greatest width from north to south is 1872
miles; its area is 4245o square miles. OF this
area, 2,325 square miles are covered with water,
giving 40.125 square miles of land surface. Its
principal inland waters the Chesapeake and
Mobjack bays Hampton Roads, and Lake Drum
mond. Except in the eastern section. no navigable
streams traverse the State and transportation is
necessarily limited to railways.
Considered with reference to its surface feat
ures Virginia Is divided into three major provinces
% An eastern plainregion, designated the Coastal
Plain Tidewater region; CD central or plateau
region, designated the Piedmont Plateau; and co
western mountain region, designated the APP
palachian Mountains province. These three prov
inces the State differ markedly in the nature and
origin of surface features, and in the age and kinds
of rocks. They intimately related to the geo
logic structure and hence have an important bear
ing upon the mineral resources OF the state.
As shown from examination Of geologic
map, the State stretches from the Atlantic coast
westward nearly entirely the Appalachian
Mountain system. Within this area are found
rocks that represent all the principal divisions of
geologic time, Equally as great variety of rock
types of structure which characterizes both pro-
foundIy disturbed and undsturbel rock masses, and
of topography is shown Virginia therefore is
possessed of abundance and variety of mineral
materials, many OF which have been worked since
early colonial days especially the coal, iron ores,
and brick clays.
About forty mineral ma tcrias are now exploited,
many Of them a large scale which afford basis
of important commercial enterprises and give to
tho State prominence in varied and extensive
mining industry. which amounts annually to more
than $40 200 ,000 The mineral products that have
been mined and quarriod in Virginia are Iron ores.
manganese ores gold and silver, copper, lead and
zine, tin, coal, clay sand and gravel, stone tgran-
lite. marble. limestone. sandstone, and slate),
abrasive materials tmillsones and emeryl silica
quartz, ebert, and diatomaceous earth1. mica
feldspar, asbestos, tale and soapstone, barytes,
gypsum, salt, mineral paint tocher] mari green
sand and caicareousl, pyri1e and pyrrhGtite, ar
senic, phosphate, graphite, rute ttitanum), mem
azite, mineral waters, and precious stones in con
siderable variety
Without exception the mineral products now
produced in Virginia be developed still further
with an increased production in future years Some
of these have been developed within recent years
and others still have not yet been exploited The
undeiveloped mineral resources of the State
vast and promise greater increase in production
in the future OF the forty mineral materials new
exploited in the State, mention can only be made
at this time of the larger and more Important
Mining OF iron ore in Virginia in 1903 by the
jamestown coloDtsts was the first iron ore mined
in the Uniiei States The building OF the Germania
tRappahanneekl furnace about 1si4, by Cover
Spotswood in Spotsylyania county, marked the
first successful iron industry in tho South BY 1891
a total OF ten furnaces had been built seven OF
@h were lse&tsyY iii fsssTneHs virginia. and three
in the Appalachian region west of the Blue Ridge
- AT present thr total number OF blast furnaces in
in the State Is 70. The commercial deposits of
iron ore in Virginia are confined TO the Piedmont
and Appalachian region, and include three impor-
tant types of ore, namely, linonite drown hema-
tite). red hematitc, and magnetic. The sulphiles
tpyrite and pyrIhetite) occur in many places but
they do not form yet important source of the
metal, but extensively mined for in the
manufacture of sniphuric acid. The annual pro-
duction OF iron ores in Virginia amounts TO about
125,00e long tons, valued Mt approximately 81 500.-
o00 OF this production brewn hematita conNi-
tutes about 80 per cent, rcd hematite about 95
per cent, and magnetic hess than per cent.
Deposits of magnetic are widely distributed
through the crystalline area which form impor-
tant future reserves Of iron ore. The production
of pig iron in Virginia in 19g7 valued ut SIS,
963, eco.
Virginia has long held the position Of first pro-
Queer of pyrite iron snlphide used in the mann
faeture of sniphuric acid| among the pyrite-pro-
ducng states In the United States Commercial
pyrite In Louisa. Stafford, Spottsy lvania
and Prince William counties. and mines are opened
in each county. The pyrtte mines of Louisa and
Prince William counties the largest In the