Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1852-08-19

rough and Parkersburg Railroad is a
report from Prof. Mather, now oI
Columbus, on the mineral resources
along the route of said road. We
make some extracts from this report:
Coal FoRMATIoN.-T his rests
upon the conglomerate last men,
| toned. 1t forms the caps OF the
hills few miles west OF Jackson.
and extends along the line Of the
Railroad all the way TO the Ohio
River, a distance of about so miles.
Numerous beds of coal are crossed
by the Railroad line, differing in
quality and in quantity and in
adaptation for particular uses. The
strata of rock, coal, iron ore, lines
stone, buhr-stoDe, slate, &c, all in
cline downwards little, al the rate
OF 10 to 40 feet TO the mile, so that
the lowest coal disappears below the
creek bottom at that place-others
that lie above this, also gradually, in
succession, disappear below the
streams TO the eastward.
| will speak in succession Of the
coal, iron ore and iron, each OF
which may be considered highly inn
poriant items in the freight OF Rail
roads, and afterwards Of the buhr-
stone, marble salt, lumber, and agri.
cultural products.
(CoAL BEDS )-There are many Of
these beds lying one above the other
with layers Of sandstone, limestone,
slate, Iron ore, &c, between them.
The coal beds that are worked, are
from % feet TO 9 feet thick, and have
masses OF rock, varying from twenty
TO thirty feet between the coal beds,
so that as the successive coal beds
disappear below the valleys, there
may be a TO 10 workable beds below
the surface OF the earth in Vinion,
Meigs, and Athens counties. At
Jackson, the western side OF the coal
formation, there are two or three
beds in the hills. These soon dip be-
low the Valleys, while others lying
above them are found in the hills, be-
low which the others have disap-
peared. In consequence OF the
gentle dip Of the coal beds 10 the
east, all OF them emerge in success
sion on the surface, and Goals of
various uses, can be opened where
iesavenient situations can be found.
Many localities may be found, where
each bed can be opened TO advantage
in the hill sides, and where the natu-
raj slope OF the coal will permit the
mine to drain itself, without expense.
The Jackson Coal has long been
known as a superior biluminous coal.
The bed that is most extensively
mined is distinguished as yielding a
highly bituminous free burning coal.
that does not cake or rua together at
all in burning. This coal spreads
out while burning so as 10 keep a
clear, bright, open fire, so long as it
lasts, and requires no punching or
s,oking 10 tighten it up TO burn more
freely. 1t does not give the black,
sooty smoke, like those Of Wheeling
or Pittsburgh. For all these quail
ties, it is admirably adapted as par
lor and domestic fuel. 1t is also
almost entirely free from sulphur
This quality as well as those pre-
. ceding, show its adaptation for
, manufacturing operations, and par.
, ticularly for making iron. 1t is also
: adapted for steam engines. Be-
) tween so and 100 mines have been
opened in the vicinity Of Jackson,
and the coal is of very uniform
quality. 1t is used generally there
, Tor domestic fuel, for steam engines
; and for blscksmithing. In conse
quence Of its superior purity, free
} dom from sulphur, and good quail
, ties for smiths use, large quantitie:
are wagoned off for blacksmiths' ust
, to a distance of 50 and 20 miles.
! This coal bed is from 80 to Al
, inches thick, and will yield abou
! 10000 bushels TO the acre-oI
! 96,000,000 bushels or 3,2O0,OO(
J tons per square mile; and about 8 o.
: 4 square miles of this coal. or abou
: 100000 tons may be considered
easily accessible to this Railroad
] This coal bed, from the vicinity o
Jackson alone, would be competen
e TO furnish Cincinnati 100000 tons o
4 coal annually for 100 wears. Thi
coal is the nearest to Cincinnati o
e any workable coal, and its qualitie
# for manufacturing purposes, 10
b raising steam in steam engines, ant
for pleasant domestic fresides ar
unsurpassed. It's distance from Gin
icinnaii is Ill to ll3 miles. Goa
e can be obtained from the hills ID
; miles from Cincinnati, on this Rail
II road, but the bed is too thin TO work
I. not easy accessible, and far inferio
,s ih quality to the bed above described
g Counting freigh. for coal al Ii cent
s. per ton per mile, as on the Bait
re more and Ohio Railroad, (at whie
g. that railroad made a fair pref,,)
n. would amount To IA cents per bnshe