Rohrer Mines

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In May of 1887, while R.P.C. Sanderson was the assistant to the superintendent of motive power for the Norfolk and Western, he was the court appointed receiver for the Rohrer mine property. This included the oversite of the erection of two steel bridges over the Roanoke River with 120 foot spans. Since he was a full time employee of the N&W he had to squeeze the bridge work into the early morning and evenings.

Two questions: where were the Rohrer mines? and does anyone know if those bridges still exist? I have found references to the mine in engineering journals but they simply say the Rohrer mine was in Roanoke County.

There is a little irony in R.P.C. taking charge of the building of bridges. Just before he went to work for the N&W he was hired by the City of New York as one of three engineers for a bridge to be built across the Harlem River. He didn't last a week before he quit because of the politics involved. He wouldn't comprise what he thought was morally correct.

Peter Getz

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