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Austinville East Lead Zinc Mines

Past Producer in Wythe county in Virginia, United States with commodities Zinc, Lead, Silver, Dolomite, Iron, Cadmium
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Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Materials information
  7. Alteration
  8. Mineral occurrence model information
  9. Host and associated rocks
  10. Nearby scientific data
  11. Geologic structures
  12. Ore body information
  13. Controls for ore emplacement
  14. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  15. Mining district
  16. Land status
  17. Ownership information
  18. Workings at the site
  19. Links to other databases
  20. Bibliographic references
  21. General comments
  22. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10088538
MRDS ID K002907
Record type Site
Current site name Austinville East Lead Zinc Mines
Alternate or previous names Austinville, Van Mater Shaft

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -80.95342, 36.84701 (WGS84)
Elevation 671
Relative position 0.35 MILES SW OF AUSTINVILLE FROM STATE ROAD 636.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Wythe(county)

Virginia(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Austinville(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Galax(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Winston-Salem(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Upper New(hydrologic unit)

Kanawha(hydrologic accounting unit)

Kanawha(hydrologic subregion)

Ohio(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Virginia Wythe

Comments on the location information

  • SITE OF SHAFT IS ON AN ACTIVE DOLOMITE PRODUCER, THE AUSTINVILLE LIMESTONE COMPANY, A SUBSIDIARY OF JAMES RIVER LIMESTONE COMPANY, BUCHANAN CO., VA.

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Zinc Critical Primary
Lead Primary
Silver Secondary
Dolomite Secondary
Iron Tertiary
Cadmium Tertiary

Comments on the commodity information

  • IRON FORMERLY MINED 1800'S TO EARLY 1920'S NEAR AUSTINVILLE. 60 PPM AG IN GALENA; SILVER IN GALENA TOO LOW FOR COMMERCIAL EXTRACTION. SILVER ERRONEOUSLY REPORTED BY US BUREAU OF MINES TO BE BYPRODUCT (WEINBERG, 1988). IRON IN SPHALERITE 0.0-0.3%, CADMIUM IN SPHALERITE 0.0-0.3% (FOLEY , 1980)

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Anglesite Ore
Galena Ore
Goethite Ore
Hemimorphite Ore
Hydrozincite Ore
Limonite Ore
Smithsonite Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Anhydrite Gangue
Barite Gangue
Calcite Gangue
Chalcopyrite Gangue
Chert Gangue
Dolomite Gangue
Fluorite Gangue
Marcasite Gangue
Pyrite Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Oxidation At Surface On Carbonate Pinnacles And Along Faults To 100 Feet Below Surface; Dolomite Recrystallized In Barren Zone Around Ore ("Met").

Analytical data

Result AT CLOSING 1981: 3% ZN, 0.4% PB
Result 1968: 3.7% ZN, 0.7% PB (SEE PRODUCTION TABLE 1968-1981)

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 228
USGS model code 32b
Deposit model name Mississippi Valley, Appalachian Zn
Mark3 model number 42

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Carbonate > Dolomite
    Rock unit name Shady Dolomite: Patterson Member (Usgs Usage)=Ribbon Member (Nj Zinc Usage);Shady Dolomite: Saccharoidal Member (Usgs) = Austinville Member (Nj Zinc)
    Rock description Shady Dolomite: Patterson Member (Usgs Usage)=Ribbon Member (Nj Zinc Usage);Shady Dolomite: Saccharoidal Member (Usgs) = Austinville Member (Nj Zinc)
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Cambrian
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Cambrian

Nearby scientific data

(1) -80.95342, 36.84701
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Multiple, Imbricate, Steep Thrust Faults Parallel To Regional Structure; Fries Thrust
Type of structure Local
Structure description Austinville Syncline, Austinville Anticline; Fosters Falls Fault, Logwasher Fault, Van Mater Fault, Stamping Ground Fault, Gleaves Fault, Callahan Fault, Ivanhoe Fault, Blue Grass Fault.

Ore body information

  • General form LENSE: PENCIL SHAPED WITH LENSE-LIKE CROSS SECTION
    Strike NE
    Dip SE
    Thickness 9.14M
    Length 121.92M
    Width 30.48M
    Depth to top 0M
    Depth to bottom 365.76M
  • General form LENSE: PENCIL SHAPED WITH LENSE-LIKE CROSS SECTION
    Dip SE

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Ore Confined To 1300 Feet Within Patterson And Saccharoidal Members Of Shady Dolomite.

Comments on the geologic information

  • (WEINBERT, 1963, BROWN AND WEINBERG 1967, WEINBERG 1971, FOLEY 1980, FOLEY AND OTHERS, 1981). 1. THE ORE FLUIDS WERE WARM, METAL-RICH BRINES WITH TEMPERATURES OF 100-160 DEG C AND HIGH SALINITIES (10-25% EQUIV WT. NACL) BASED ON FLUID INCLUSIONS IN SPHALERITE. 2. THE ORE MINERALS ARE SIMPLE AND CONSIST LARGELY OF LENSES OF SPHALERITE-PYRITE-GALENA WITH TRACES OF MARCASITE AND CHALCOPYRITE. 3. PYRITE IS UBIQUITOUS AND IS THE FIRST MINERAL TO FORM IN ORE BODIES. IT MAKES UP ABOUT 5% OF TOTAL SULFIDES. 4. THE SPHALERITE IS BANDED, IN PLACES BOTH DARK BROWN AND HONEY COLORED AND WAS DEPOSITED CYCLICALLY. 5. ALL ORE IS DOLOMITE-HOSTED WITH VARYING AMOUNTS OF BLEACHING AND RECRYSTALLIZAITON (WHITE "METAPPROX. ) AROUND ORE LENSES. RECRYSTALLIZATION OF DOLOMITE WITHIN ORE HAS LED TO ALTERNATING LAYERS OF WHITE AND DARK DOLOMITE IN MUCH OF THE ORE. THERE ARE UP TO THREE GENERATIONS OF DOLOMITE. 6. THE ORE OCCURS AS BRECCIA FILLINGS AND THIN LENSLIKE REPLACEMENTS PARALLEL TO SEDIMENTARY
  • LAYERING. FOOTWALL ORE IS GENERALLY CONFORMABLE TO BEDDING, HANGING WALL CONTACT IS IRREGULAR. 7. BRECCIATION AND DOLOMITIZATION PRECEDED ORE DEPOSITION AND IS POST SEDIMENTATION. 8. THE MAJORITY OF ORE LENSES ARE PARALLEL TO SUBPARALLEL TO FAULTS AND SEVERAL ARE STACKED NEAR FAULT ZONES. SOME OF THE STACKS ARE CONNECTED VERTICALLY. LATERAL AND STRIKE BOUNDARIES ARE BOTH ABRUPT (FAULT, JOINT) AND GRADATIONAL. 9 BOTH POST ORE AND PRE-ORE FAULTING ARE PRESENT BUT ONLY MINOR FAULTS INTERSECT ORE LENSES. ORE BODIES GENERALLY DO NOT MATCH ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAME FAULT. OXIDATION ALONG SOME FAULTS HAS BEEN OBSERVED TO 1100 FEET BELOW SURFACE. 10. SPALERITE COLOR DOES NOT COREELATE WELL WITH IRON CONTENT (0.0-3.0%). CADMIUM (0.0-0.3%) BEARS INVERSE RELATIONSHIP TO IRON. SPHALERITE STRATIGRAPHY CAN BE USED FOR CORRELATION. 11. LATE STAGE SPHALERITE, FLUORITE, QUARTZ, BARITE, GYPSUM AND ANHYDRITE OCCUR IN VUGS AND VEINS. THE FLUORITE IS COLORLESS TO PALE PURPLE. CHERT IS COLORLESS TO PALE
  • PURPLE. CHERT IS COLORLESS, RED, OR BLACK, QUARTZ. ISOTOPIC DATA ON LEAD IN GALENA WAS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH A CAMBRIAN OR LATER AGE OF MINERALIZATION CLEARLY DEMONSTRATED FROM GEOLOGIC AND MINERALOGIC EVIDENCE. A "PSEUDOSECONDARY" ISOCHRON INDICATED 3.5 +/- 0.4 BILLION YEAR AGE FOR SOURCE OF LEAD, UNREASONABLE FOR CRUSTAL ENVIRONMENT UNLESS INHERITED THROUGH MULTICYCLES FROM CRUSTAL OR ASTEROID SOURCE. DATA DOES INDICATE MIXING OF LEAD FROM AT LEAST TWO SOURCES.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Both
Deposit size Large
Significant No
Discovery year 1753
Discoverer Colonel Chiswell, British Army Officer
Year of first production 1753
Year of last production 1981

Mining district

District name Newriver-Cripple Creek Region, Austinville-Ivanhoe District

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner Austinville Limestone Co. (Currently Operates A Surface Quarry For Crushed Stone And Agricultural
  • Type Owner
    Owner Gulf And Western Industries, Inc. (Purchased New Jersey Zinc Co.)

Comments on the production information

  • IVANHOE WAS MINED FOR IRON IN THE 19TH CENTURY TO THE 1920'S. IT DID NOT BECOME DEVELOPED FOR ZN AND PB UNTIL THE 1950'S AND IN THE 1960'S TO 1981 MOST OF AUSTINVILLE PRODUCTION WAS FROM IVANHOE. PRODUCTION FIGURES FOR 1968-1981 ARE GIVEN IN THE TABLE. CONCENTRATES AVERAGED 61.5% ZN METAL AND 75% PB METAL FROM FLOTATION MILL (WEINBERG, 1980). OVERALL PRODUCTION FROM THE COMBINED ORES FROM AUSTINVILLE AND IVANHOE HAVE BEEN ESTIMATED AS 34,000,000 SHORT TONS (30 MILLION METRIC TONS) OF 2.3-6.6, AVERAGE 4.7% COMBINED LEAD AND ZINC FROM 1750 (1756) TO 1981 (MILLER, 1985). THERE ARE SEVENTEEN SEPARATE ORE BODIES IN THE AUSTINVILLE DEPOSITS INCLUDING THE IVANHOE AND ALL BUT THREE WERE MINED.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Unknown
    Overall depth 365.76M
    Overall length 9655.8M
    Overall width 804.65M

Comments on the workings information

  • MINE WORKINGS EXTEND FOR SIX MILES ALONG STRIKE AND 0.5 MILE ACROSS STRIKE, LEVELS WERE CUT EVERY 100 FEET DOWN TO 1200 FOOT DEPTH. THREE MAIN SHAFTS WERE SUNK: 1) AUSTINVILLE (VAN MATER); 2) IVANHOE, 2.6 MILES WSW OF VAN MATER; 3) FLATWOOD 1.5 MILES NE OF VAN MATER. AUSTINVILLE (VAN MATER) WAS THE FIRST MODERN SHAFT. IVANHOE AND FLATWOOD WERE MUCH LATER - 1950'S-1970.

Comments on development

  • SEE GENERAL COMMENTS FOR HISTORICAL TECHNOLOGY. MODERN MINING (1925-1981) CONSISTED OF HAULING ORE BY RAIL TO UNDERGROUND CRUSHER BREAKING TO 4 INCH MAXIMUM SIXE, HOISTING, AUTOMATICALLY IN SIX TON SKIPS TO FLOTATION MILL ON SURFACE WHICH PROCESSED 2,500 TONS DAILY.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    BROWN, W.H., 1935, QUANTITATIVE STUDY OF ORE ZONING, AUSTINVILLE MINE, WYTHE COUNTY, VIRGINIA: ECON. GEOL. VOL. 30 NO. 4, P. 425-433.

  • Deposit

    BROWN, W.H., 1953, AUSTINVILLE: MINING ENG., VOL. 5, NO. 12, P. 1216-1221.

  • Deposit

    BROWN, W.H., AND WEINBERG, E.L., 1967, GIOLOGY OF THE AUSTINVILLE-IVANHOE DISTRICT, VIRGINIA, IN RIDGE, J.D., ED., ORE DEPOSITS OF THE UNITED STATES 1933-1967, MAPLE PRESS, YORK, PA.

  • Deposit

    CURRIER, L.W., AND WEINBERG, E.L., 1967: ZINC AND LEAD REGION OF SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA: VIRGINIA GEOL. SURV. BULL. 43, 122 P.

  • Deposit

    FOLEY, N.K., 1980, MINERALOGY AND GEOCHEMISTRY OF THE AUSTINVILLE DISTRICT, UNPUBL. MS.S THESIS, VIRGINIA POLYTECH INSTITUTE AND UNIV., 84 P.

  • Deposit

    FOLEY, N.K., SINHA, A.K., CRAIG, J.R., 1981, ISOTOPIC COMPOSITION OF LEAD IN THE AUSTINVILLE-IVANHOE PB-ZN DISTRICT: ECON GEOL, VOL. 76, P. 2012-2017.

  • Deposit

    KOHLER, E., 1870, HISTORY OF AUSTINVILLE, VIRGINIA: UNPUBLISHED MANUSCRIPT IN NEW JERSEY ZINC (GULF AND WEATERN INDUSTRIES, INC.) COMPANY FILES.

  • Deposit

    MCCREATH, A.S., AND D'INVILLIERS, E.V., 1887, THE NEW RIVER-CRIPPLE CREEK MINERAL REGION OF VIRGINIA: HARRISBURG PUBLISHING CO., HARRISBURG, PA, 171 P. WITH MAP.

  • Deposit

    MILLER, J.W., 1985, STATISTICAL MODELING OF AUSTINVILLE MINE: A GUIDE TO EXPLORATION: PH.D. DISSERT./UNIV. OF GEORGIA, ATHENS, 142 P.

  • Deposit

    PHEIL, 4.W., AND READ, J.F., 1980, CAMBRIAN-CARBONATE PLATFORM FACIES, SHADY DOLOMITE, SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA, U.S.A. JOURN SED PET, VOL. 50, NO. 1, P. 91-115.

  • Deposit

    VDMR, 1981, AUSTINVILLE MINE CLOSES: VIRGINIA MINERALS, VOL. 27, NO. 4, NOV. 1981.

  • Deposit

    WATSON, T.L., 1905, LEAD AND ZINC DEPOSITS OF VIRGINIA: GEOL. SURV. VIRGINIA BULL. 1, 150 P.

  • Deposit

    WATSON, T.L., 1907, MINERAL RESOURCES OF VIRGINIA, THE JAMESTOWN EXPOSITION COMM., J.P. BELL CO., LYNCHBURG, VA, 618 P.

  • Deposit

    WEINBERG, E.L., 1963, GEOLOGY OF THE AUSTINVILLE-IVANHOE MINE AREA, IN GEOLOGIC EXCURSIONS IN SW VIRGINIA, VA POLYTECH. INSTIT. ENG. EXTENSION SERIES, GUIDEBOOK II, P. 5-17.

  • Deposit

    WEINBERG, E.L., 1971, SULFIDE MINERALIZATION IN SW VIRGINIA, AUSTINVILLE-IVANHOE MINE, IN GUIDEBOOK TO APPALACHIAN TECTONIC AND SULFIDE MINERALIZATION: GEOL, SOC. AM, SE SECT. MTG., BLACKSBURG, VA, P. 7-23.

  • Deposit

    WEINBERG, E.L., 1980, AUSTINVILLE MINING - 1756 TO PRESENT: VIRGINIA MINERALS, VOL 26, NO. 1, P. 11.

  • Deposit

    WEINBERG, E.L., 1988, FORMERLY NEW JERSEY ZINC COMPANY REGIONAL GEOLOGIST, PERSONAL COMMUNICATION.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit THE AUSTINVILLE MINE IS PART OF A SYSTEM OF 17 EN ECHELON LENSES WITH VERTICAL THICKNESS OF 8 FEET AND MORE AND COMBINED PB AND ZN % OF AT LEAST 3.5 AVERAGING 4.7% (MILLER, 1985). SIMPLE MINERALOGY: SPHALERITE-PYRITE-GALENA +/- (MARCASITE-CHALCOPYRITE)(FOLEY, 1980) AVERAGING 400 FEET STRIKE LENGTH, 100 FEET DEP LENGTH, 10-30 FEET IN THICKNESS; LENSES ARE VERTICALLY STACKED, SOME CONNECTED (WEINBERG 1963, 1971). ORE BODIES ARE: SOUTHWEST, FISHERFIELD, BROWN (NOT MINED), CHISWELL, RIBBON DOLOMITE, NORTHEAST CHAFFIN, HUNDRED, FLATWOODS LOWER, AUSTINVILLE NORTHEAST, NINTH LEVEL, FORTY, MOTTLED MARKER, PYRITE, FLATWOODS UPPER (NOT MINED) AUSTINVILLE SOUTHWEST, SHARP (MILLER, 1985)
Deposit BEGUN. FURNACES FOR BUILDING SLAG BUILD ON SITE OF OLD SCOTCH FURNACES (WATSON, 1905). 1848: WYTHE UNION LEAD MINE COMPANY FORMED FOR TEN YEAR CONTRACT. MULTIPLE OWNERSHIP DISPUTES RESOLVED BY SELLOUT OF PRIMARY DISSENTERS. 1858: UNION LEAD MINE FORMED. OPERATED MINES DURING CIVIL WAR AND SAID TO HAVE SUPPLIED MOST OF LEAD SHOT FOR CONFEDERATE ARMIES EAST OF MISSISSIPPI RIVER. OXIDIZED ZINC ORES, SMITHSONITE AND MEMIMOPHITE MINED FOR FIRST TIME WITH TRIAL BATCH SENT TO CONFEDERATE ZINC WORKS AT PERTERSBURG. NEAR END OF WAR MINING EQUIPMENT AND CONCENTRATING EQUIPMENT AT AUSTINVILLE DESTROYED BY FEDERAL CAVALRY. ZINC WORKS DESTROYED BY UNION TROOPS. 1864: MINES CLOSED DECEMBER 17, 1864 BY UNION CAVALRY (WATSON, 1905). 1865: MINES REOPENED OCTOBER 1865 WITH ZINC ORE SHIPPED TO LEHIGH ZINC WORKS, BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA AND MERCER ZINC WORKS, TRENTON, NJ. 1874: WYTHE LEAD AND ZINC MINING COMPANY PURCHASED AUSTINVILLE FOR SMITHSONITE. NEW COMPANY FOUND ABUNDANT
Deposit SPHALERITE BUT LITTLE SMITHSONITE AT DEPTH. SOLD ZINC ORE, PRODUCED ABOUT 3 TONS OF PIG LEAD AND LEAD SHOT/DAY. 1879-1881: AIR COMPRESSOR USED TO VENTILATE MINES AND RUN BURLEIGH DRILL (BOYD, 1881). 1879: ZINC SMELTER OF BERTHA MINERAL COMPANY OPENED AT PULASKI, VIRGINIA. 1902: BERTHA MINERAL COMPANY FORMED AS SUBSIDIARY OF NEW JERSEY ZINC COMPANY. 1911: ZINC TAILINGS EXHAUSTED. FLOTATION PROCESS DEVELOPED FOR RECOVERY OF ZINC FROM SPHALERITE. 1925-1297: CONSTRUCTION OF CONCENTRATION MILL FOR FLOTATION. MODERN SHAFT SUNK AT AUSTINVILLE. 1950-1960: IVANHOE PROPERTY DEVELOPED FROM PROSPECT TO MAJOR ORE PRODUCER. 1960-1970: FLATWOOD PROPERTY DEVELOPED TO 800 FEET BELOW SURFACE WITH 4000 FEET OF DRIFT. SEVERE WATER PROBLEM AND SPOTTY ORE KEPT FLATWOOD FROM PROFITABLE MINING (WEINBERG, 1980). 1970-1980: CHAFFIN ESTATE PROPERTY 1 MILE SE OF FLATWOOD WAS NEVER DEVELOPED BECAUSE OF DEPTH (1800-2000 FT). CHAFFIN CONTAINED A MAJOR PORTION OF 900,000 TONS RESERVES AT TIME OF
Deposit CLOSING. GULF AND WESTERN INDUSTRIES, INC. BOUGHT NEW JERSEY ZINC IN LATE 1970'S. 1981: BECAUSE OF NEARLY DEPLETED RESERVES, COST OF DEWATERING MINES AT 1100 FOOT LEVEL (13,000 GALLONS OF WATER/MINUTE, $60,000/MONTH, RISING LABOR COSTS, AND CONTINUING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AND SAFETY HEARINGS, THE MINE WAS ALLOWED TO FLOOD IN NOVEMBER, 1981. TOTAL VOLUME OF WATER AFTER FLOODING UNDERGROUND WORKINGS ESTIMATED AT 1 BILLION GALLONS, EQUIVALENT TO A LAKE OF 265 ACRES, TEN FEET DEEP. MINE CLOSED DECEMBER, 1981. (WEINBERG, 1981, PERSONAL COMMUNICATION , 1988). ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT; 2 UNPUB REPT; 3 FIELD OBSERV; 5 PERS COMM
Deposit 1750-1756: WATSON (1905, P. 15, P.68) MENTIONS 1750 AND BOYD (1881, P. 74) INDICATES 1756 AS FIRST YEAR OF MINING. COLONEL CHISWELL, BRITISH COLONIAL OFFICER AND PIONEER, CREDITED WITH DISCOVERY ALONG HIGH BLUFF ON BANK OF NEW RIVER. A 20 FOOT TUNNEL WAS DRIVEN UNDERNEATH LEAD SHOWINGS JUST ABOVE RIVER LEVEL (CHISWELL'S HOLE"). 1756-1776: PRIMITIVE SURFACE EXTRACTION OF LEAD FROM GALENA IN SHADY DOLOMITE. CHISWELL'S SMELTING PLANT WAS COMMON AIR FURNACE WITH HEARTH AND ROOF BUILT OF FIRE BRICK, PROBABLY FROM ENGLAND. THE SMELTER WAS AN IMPORTANT SOURCE OF LEAD SHOT IN THE FRENCH-INDIAN WARS AND AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 1776: MINING WAS TERMINATED BECAUSE OF CHISWELL'S TORY SYMPATHIES. PROPERTY CONFISCATED AND OPERATED BY AN AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY ARMY DETAIL UNDER WASHINGTON'S ORDERS. COLONEL CHISWELL DIED IN 1776 IN CUMBERLAND COURTHOUSE JAIL, VIRGINIA (WATSON, 1905). MINES SOLD AT PUBLIC AUCTION. 1780: TO STEPHEN AND MOSES AUSTIN. MINES RENTED TO CAPTAIN NEWEL WHO WAS
Deposit FIRST TO WORK CERUSSITE IN ADDITION TO GALENA. 1800: IRON PRODUCED AT NEARBY IVANHOE FURNACE. 1805: AUSTINS DEFAULTED ON PAYMENTS, PROPERTY REVERTED TO VIRGINIA WHICH SOLD MINES BY AUCTION TO THOMAS JACKSON, DANIEL SCHEEFEY AND DAVID PIERCE. 1805-1837: PERIOD OF LOW, INTERMITTENT PRODUCTION BECAUSE OF MULTIPLE OWNERSHIP COMPETING FOR SAME ORE, SALES OF PARTIAL INTERESTS, CONTESTED INHERITANCE, AND OTHER LITIGATION. IN 1837 FOUR SEPARATE MINING COMPANIES (KOHLER, 1870, IN MILLER, 1985). 1830: WATERPOWER FROM NEW RIVER USED FOR CRUSHING AND GRINDING. 1838: COMPETING MINES JOINED TO FORM WYTHE LEAD MINE COMPANY (1839) FOR TEN YEAR CONTRACT. SCOTTISH FURNACE ("SMELT MILLS") USED. FIRST SYSTEMATIC DEVELOPMENT, CROSSCUT ADIT FROM BLUFF BEGUN, COMPLETED IN 1851 (1527 FT) SHOT TOWER SHAFT (242 FT DEEP) AT END OF TUNNEL. SHOT LOADED ON TRAM CAR AND RUN TO SURFACE FOR SEPARATION, SIZING AND GLAZING. MINES PROSPEROUS (WATSON, 1905; BOYD, 1881). 1843: LARGE SCALE SHOTMAKING

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-APR-1975 Weedow, Helmuth Virginia Division of Mineral Resources
Updater 01-MAR-1988 Good, Richard S. U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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