The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-11-08
From The Galena (W.) Daily Aduertiser.
Coal Mines.

The depth at which our Illinois coal is dug rs
but pin scratch on tho globe compared with the
diggings in the English coal mines. One shaft
Sunderland is, perhaps, the deepest in the
world The coal was first found one thousand six
hundred feet below the surface, and il is
worked at one thousand seven hundred and one
thousand eight hundred feet! These English mines
employ large bodies of workmen. In one there are
one hundred and thirty six men and eighty five
boys below ground, engaged in fourteen different
kinds OF labor, and one hundred and twelve men
and twenty eight boys above ground, in seventeen
occupations, and three hundred and sixty-one
workmen in all. The names of the classes of work
men sing .ar: under viewers, banksmen, dri-
vers, hewers, putters, headsmen, half marrows,
iVals aoppers doorkeepers, &c. The hcwers
the actual miners Of the coal, and receive about
20s. a week, working six hours day, with coal
and house-rent free. Children under eight years
OF age now excluded by law, and the barbarous
Harvesting of females to the coal carts in the pits
is prevented. Our Illinois coal diggings COM
paratively dry. The English mines often pump
one thousand gallons a minute, or six thousand
tons day. One, near Durham, pumped twenty
six thousand seven hundred tons of water per
diem The use of seam-p power in our coal mining
is yet to come In the north of England engines of
two hundred and fifty horse power are in common
use at the pumps. eat Percy Main, near Newcastle,
engines of five hundred and sixty six horse power
are in operation four and forty horse power
being employed in pumping alone But little capt.
tai is employed in the business herc but it ia esti-
mated that the cost of first class English cutlery,
including the shaft, machinery, houses, wagons,
&c, &c, is from 100000 to 9i50 900. The deep
est coal IL the best AS Illinois beds worked
deeper, they will furnish an article as good, and
ere long better, than the Pennsylvania coal. Adj
joining the great unCorked coiiiery which stretches
across our State from central Iowa to northern
Kentucky, manufacturing cities will soon arise
busy as Pittaburg, perhaps as smoky. And coal,
more and more valuable for manufacturing pur-
poses for solidity density, heat giving, &C.. will
be brought up as the progress of our northwestern
manufacturing towns makct a demand for it.
PLANK ROAD AT WAeHINGToN CITY.-We OBJ
serve by the Republic that the good people of
Washing ton about constructing plank road
from that place to the District line; that proposals
for making and grading TO be invitcd and
ers, &c. The road is to be made the bed of the
Rockville turnpike, Wewould advise some of the
gentlemen interested in this improvement to take
trip to this place. which can be done in
twelve bours, and view our road. Ii is com
pleted from Cumberland to Lavansvie, four miles
west of this place, forty miles IN all, and is
the best road of the kind in the Union. 1t passes
over the Allegheny mountains, and not single
sleeper is used. The bed of the turnpike is turned
up to the necessary depth by iron plough;
slip of board one inch in thickness is laid at the
edges of the plank TO prevent them from sinking
uncvcnly, and the whole thing is completed. Our
road is as hard and compact as il laid with brick
no rafting and shaking, when laid on slecpers
vehicles passing over it produce but very little
noises and, what is more to the purpose, the forty
miles that completed cost but s 400 per mile.
Another thing: ii our friends at Washington are
anxious to consult economy, their present road bed
needs no grading Plank can be laid any hill
over which a turnpike passes in this mountainous
region; and experience shows that on the hllside
the road becomes the most compact.
[SOmesei pa Hhis,
IRoN BUlLDrNGs Iron buildings are rapidly in
creasng in Philadelphia The uses of iron, indeed,
are only beginning TO be appreciated. But the
other day, comparatively speaking and the frat
iron front excited the surprise of many of old
fashioned citizens, while now scarcely builder
commences new undertaking, in his particular
line, without consulting his employer TO the pro-
pricty OF introducing iron in whole or in part, in
many Of the leading features of the undertaking.
new, ndsome, and substantial iron front has
just been put up at the southwest corner Of Third
street and Harmony Court, Immediately opposite
the Exchange. Itis the handiwork OF Mcssrs. Botom
Tiffany & Co, of Trenton, and deservcdly excites
much attention and admiration IL Is at once neat
and elegant while il presents an aspect OF strength
and durability peculiarly calculated 10 show the adj
vantages of iron brick stone. The architect
is Mr.. Riddel, and the property belongs to A.
Manderson & Co., of Kensington. Ii will, when
completed, form decided improvement to the
ncighborhood. There are three iron fronts on
Third street, between Walnut and Chestnut, and
this and very available application of iron is
only thing of yesterday - Philadelphia Inquirer
CATHARINE HAYEss CoNoERT ron FATHER MA
THEw.-Last evening Miss Hayes gave her twelfth
concert in this city. IL was n complimentary ben
eft to Rev. Throhald Mathew, and il was gene
rally supposed that the house would be filled to
overiipwihg, and we suppose many persona di not
attend, owing to this anticipated jam, who would
otherwise have willingly contributed to the pecu-
mary resources Of the great temperance advocate.
There was very elm attendance, not over fifteen
hundred persons being presently. T. Tunes, 9Th.