Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1851-06-10
VOL. 52.-NO. Is.

oldcn time have created the denuded escarp-
ment or great wall into which he has penetra-
ted; and then sheer dorm into the boats b
low him the valuable mineral can be thrown.
instead Of being brought up to the surface by
the laborious aud expensive process of hois
ing it out Of the bowels OF the earth Moth
ing stuck Professor Lyell more forciblv than
this remarkable facility in the Western parts
Of Pennsylvania and Virginia. Il was truly
struck" says he, NOW that had entered the
photographed basin ofthe Ohio, at beholding
the richness of the seams of coal which APP
pear every where, on the TANKS Of the hills,
at the bottom OF valleys; aud which are ac-
cessible in a degree nerer teitfesSed else-
,cAcre The time has not yet arrived when
the sull value of this incxhaustible supply
of cheap fuel can be appreciated but the re-
sources which it will one day afford TO a re-
gicn capable, by its agricultural produce A.
lone, Of supporting a large population, arc
truly magnificent. Three riyers--the Mo-
nongahela, Allegheny and 0hio-intersect it,
and lay open the level seams Of coal found
at Brownsville bed ten feet thick of good
bituminous coal, commonly called the Pitts-
burg seam, breaking out 10 the river cliffs,
near the waters edge. Horizontal galleries
may be driven everywhere, at very slight ex-
pense, and worked 50 as to drain themselves,
while the cars laden with coal, and attached
to each other, glide down on a railway, so as
to deliver their burden into barges moored to
the rivers bank" ] his distinguished geol-
ogist. in his two works recording the results
Of two visits TO the United States has given
us mere interesting and ineligible picture
of the remarkable geology of our country
than even can be found in the valuable re-
ports of our own geologists--the Rogers,
Feathcrstonhaugb, and others The same
remarkable formation, affording such striking
facilities, is well described BY the latter in his
able geological report, made TO the Senate in
1886 (Sen. Doc. 333) IIa states. that
one mile below the mouth Of Savage, the Po-
tomac has worn its way through ridge APP
parently 900 feet high making gap mile
wide On the Virginia side, is very Curl
Gus vertical section exhibiting the rare spec
tacle Of six workable veins Of coal containing
near 40 feet Of coal and two bands Of iron
orc.
And what think you is the extent Of these
coal and iron basins The first coal we fiud
from the coast, is the Richmond coal field,
Of bi.utninous coal, 50 long used in our cities.
The next. and more recently known, but "
extensively used, is the celebrated anthracite
or carbonaceons coal Of Pennsylvania, co;
tanning but from 6 to l. per cent. Of volatile
or gaseous matter--almost free from the Bit
luminous ingredient, and valuable therefore
for every hing for which charcoal Is used
for, as its name denotes, it nearly consists Of
hoo II ola In, sfc
fracture We thnn como to the edge Of q
coal basin at Frostburg. which extends fom
the borders Of New York through the States
of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia. Ken
tucky, Ohio and Tennessee. into Alaban
700 or 500 miles. and in places $50 miles
wide And farther West, one occupying an
area as large as England in Illinois, Indiana
and Kentucky. Then to the North. between
Michigan and Huron Lakes, another, occu-
pyiug the whole space betn cen these great
inland fresh water seas; besides that every
day is Disclosing the fact, that the limits Of
these mighty carbonlerous basins have not
yet been circumscribcd by discovery Every
variety of this valuable mineral is to be found
in the range Of these mighty deposits; and
by some process of Nature, 10 her early opers
atoms, when the wisdom and providence Of
the Creator was preparing this earth for the
habitation Of man, providing, by anticipation,
these great stores of mineralsdor his use III
future ages these coal deposits were subject,
on the Eastern edge, TO u process of uphcaval
and subsistence, BY which they were folded
Gas it were) into high, waving strata. or beds,
ranging with the external form of the parallel
ridges, 50 as not only to afford the facilities
Of drainage spoken of in mining. but TO pro-
duce the remarkable effect Of making Goals Of
different kinds or rdricties for, as We 70
West, tho waving form Of these strata be-
comes more and more open, or obtusc In form;
and just so, in proportion, does the coal be-
come more aud more bituminous as the strata
have less and less of the anti-clnal arrange
ment So that while In Ohio, or at Wheel
ing, the coal has 40 or so per cent. of vola-
tile matter or gas, in the mountains, where il
is more Rexed, the proportion is but 20 per
cent. and so on, until we come to the OUT
lying coal fields of Pottsyille or Mauch Chunk,
where sometimes the coal has but 6 per cent.
Of bituminous or volatile matter. Thus af-
fording to the artizan, the steamship, tho
iron master, and the domestic gratc, every
desired variety Of coal.
This subject is fertile one. but it must
not tempt me to dwell any longer upon facts.
perhaps known to most of you, and if not.
which are perfectly accessible to the enquirer
into this most interesting science Of geology.
Look at the Copper of Lake Superior, re-
Gently found to be so abundant, pure, and
accessible Look at the Galena, or lead ore
of Missouri; extending, as some biologists
think, from the mines Of Dubuque to the lead
mines in Missouri, distance Of at least
degrees of latitude, Fcatherstonhaugh, thinks
he believes these vast stores Of Ga
lena, or sulphuret Of lead extend further
North chan has yet been ascertained But
this known range, Of more than 800 miles Of
lead ores of the richest kind and most album
dant in quantity, is enough to supply the
world
Here then, upon the great river, in the
centre Of the Basin, we have fertile lands
iron, copper, lead, and other minerals. The
depot Of the fur trade. the land Of Cattle,
Swine, Hemp, Tobacco, and peltries.
Lower down, we como to the region Of
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