Mount Vernon signal. (Mt. Vernon, Ky.) 18??-current, 1912-10-18

"Olk IL - SCCu thoe
the hidden resources of the old |
Commonwealth are coming in,o
their own. and Kentucky is slowly
but surely advancing TO her right
full place in the production of those
things demanded by the advance
of civilization.
Yesterday the proprietor of the
Kentucky Portland Cement and
Coal Company, covering moe
than 900 acres contiguous to the
Knoxville branch of the L. &
N. railroad. was inspected oy a
party OF prominent Louisville
people, who went to Pine Hill
upon the investigation of the
operating company for the purpose
of seeing the latest big Exploitation
of Keutucky's natural wealth; it
being the wish of the company to
show the representatives of various
interests within the city and State
what is going forward. The party
was composed of Charles B. Nor
ton, Charles w. Milliken, George
G. Fetter, Milton J. Thalhei mer
DR.. Ben L. Bruner, City Engineer
David Lyman, Jacob B. Jndah,
d. H. Bowman. John J. McHenry
Chester H. Norton, j. A. Nc
Carthy, J. w. Dreisbach, A. S.
Halle and Jonn F. Lynch.
VALLEY FACED BY HILLS.
The property of the company
consists of a little valley some
1000 feet in length within the
company's lines, faced upon thre e
sides by the round hills which
stand sentry to the neigh boring
mountains. The one containing
an inexhaustible supply of a very
high grade limestone will be faced
by the crushing equipment OF
the cement plant-a matter of only
hundred or so feet away, which
fact will obviate an expensive
handling of the mass of material.
About at right angles, cutting a
corner OF the valley referred to-,
stands another hill. rich in coal of
a high quality, and shale in i'm.
mense Veins-the other main
constituent of Portland cement.
About I, 900 feet of entry work has
been done in two coal veins. one
of which average about thirty
seven inches in thickness, while
the other is not quite so thick
The coal is of a semi-cannel
character. we'll adapted 10 the
pulverizing process necessary to
the manufacture of cement, carry
ing no excessive percentage of
moisture and admirably suited to
the domestic market when it shall
be mined in quantities over and
above the needs of the big plant.
ONLY PLANT ON SYSTEM.
Thus it seems that the plant is
situated in the center of an i'm
mense visible supply of the raw
material from which Portland
cement is made. 1t will be the
only plant of its kind on the L.
& N. system, and will have to
purchase only one of the ingre
dents of its product, that being
gypsum, sort of rotten linn estone
which is used to a very small ex.
tent and which is cheaply available
from mines in the northern part of
Ohio. On the ground nearly the
entire bulk OF raw material can be
placed at the door Of the primary
process of manufacture by the
force OF gravitat.on, reducing the
cost of carrying equipment by
large percentage.
Roughly speaking, the above
outline is what the Kentucky in
dustry starts with. John W.
Dreisbach, expert in the manufact
ure of Portland cement, and
builder of many plants, besides
being observe OF three score manu-
factories OF this characte. in the
United States aud Germany, is
the general superintendent in
charge of the erection of the plant
ad carries the responsibility of
gettingout OF the property of the
company the best and quickest
results. Mr.. Dreisbach said that
there is no end to the limestone in
the quarry mountain above re.
ferred to, and that so long as the
mountain gives forth limestone.
there will be shale and coal upon
the nronerty WhereMith to com