LARGEST LIMESTONE DEVELOPMENTS IN STATE NEAR HERE.
H. O. Harzell Issues Limestone Pamphlet.
H. O. Hartzell, manager Commercial Development, Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, has issued an interesting pamphlet on “Lime, Limestone and Flux” for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. A considerable portion of the pamphlet is devoted to this section, as follows:
The largest limestone development in this state is in the Eastern Panhandle, where the Valley limestones outcrop over broad areas, with varieties adapted to various uses and large quarry plants in operation.
Near Martinsburg is found one of the purest limestones in the country, with silica under 1 1-2 per cent; carbonate of lime, 98 per cent or better. Train loads of this limestone are shipped daily for flux to Pittsburgh and other steel centers. Nearly half a billion tons of this high-grade limestone are available. It is crushed for glass and chemical manufacture, but its value for chemical lime apparently is overlooked.
Near Millville and west of Harpers Ferry, both north and south of this railroad, are low silica, pure dolomites used for flux, refractories and lime. Four companies operate quarries in this area, with large acreage available for further development. West of the dolomite are the largest building lime operations in the state at Bakerton, north of Engle.
A pure limestone at Keyser is used for ballast and should be available for lime. The Greenbrier lime stone along Cheat River is used at cement plant near Rowlesburg. This limestone outcrops for three miles on the Morgantown and Kingwood branch, about nine miles from Morgantown and about 100 miles from Pittsburgh.
The Baltimore and Ohio lines in Virginia are adjacent to limestone practically their entire extent. Large lime plants are in operation at Stephens City, Cedar Creek, Strasburg, etc. In a number of sections a very pure limestone is available for flux and chemical lime. One new plant has been located for manufacture of high-grade chemical lime.
Limestone is used for furnace, flux, building lime, fertilizer, Portland cement, for chemical lime in manufacture of sugar, leather, soap, soda, bleaching powder, smelting carbide, glass, electric steel, etc. On the lines of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad are large deposits of very pure limestone and high grade magnesium limestone or dolomite.
