Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-01-31

rlca, which had received universal commentator, ano
contributed doubt not elevate him to the high po
sition he occupies in the National Institute. In the
months of November and December $780, he visited the
of this company and in order to ascertain whether
the usual regularity observed other coal districts existed
there he extended his observations along the range of the
sandstone formation which the coal is found and thus
explored many miles above and below their possessions
and made an elaborate report the situation of the
mining district the geological and mineral character Of he
formation the situation of the coal in respect to
erel the position Of The and their iaciiaato their
thickness the character Of The coal found al different points
particular character Of that found the lands of the
company and its vicinity; and the cost Of mining and DELI
uertng board The bdrges and transporting market and
finally the advantages of the locality respect to climate
health, and means Of subsistence for mining population
We thus particular in giving the topics embraced in
the report that it may be how full is the information
furnishes and to put all doubts in regard the
vale of these coal fields the certainty of profit those
who may engage in mining them.
very few extracts from the report will exhibit the
opinions entertained by the Professor of the quality of the
COAL the thickness Of the veins and the of
transport to tide-water.
OF the bituminous coal he says 1t has upwards Of
eighty per cent of carbon and evaporates $40 of
of coal thus showing its admirable adaptation to
brilliant combustion, rendering it most desirable fuel
for paror CRATES and is moreover excellent coal for
smiths purposes" 1t takes fire promptly, swells suf
GENTLY, aggutnates its together SO as to form
good hollow fire. The amount of sulphur is not such
prevent its usefulness in this application or to in
terfere with its preservation either shp-5oard or on
Shore. We may here remark that in report by the d
rectors of the aforementioned company the stock
holders this popularity of freedom from any considerable
quantity Of sulphur is regarded of the utmost impor
lance in view of the disasters which have occurred
to English and three American ships which took
and were burnt in their attempts to reach the Pacific
coast, by of the of sulphur in the coal
They state that when it is considered that the Richmond
the Pctou, and the Sydney Goals have always been sup
posed contain large quantities of sulphur to
der the of these Goals dangerous long voyages it
becomes apparent that such coal as this of Deep river
will be sought for the best of all Others if not the onl
safe COAL for long voyages. In regard to the thickness Of
the veins at the pits opened the lands of the company
the Professor says the bed is seven feet eight inches
thick, with an nterposng ply of slate, eighteen inches
leaving six feet two inches of pure COAL This he re-
marks sis equal in thickness to the great Pittsburgh
seam, not inferior the seam at Newcastle and of
the same thickness of the bed long worked Sydney
Cape Breton This ply of slate when the vein was first
opened twenty-six inches thick, but gradually d.
mnished when the Professor left to eighteen inches
Since then the vein has been penetrated several fur
ter in all eighteen feet and the ply of slate has dimin
ished to fourteen inches with every prospect of
running out while the vein of coal has increased nine
feet in thickness In the report of the directors already
referred to- they the stockholders that they may
count upon bed of the best bitumnous COAL three feet
thicker than the Sydney bed, the great Pittsburgh seam or
the main seam al Ne~case enough, they say to satisfy
the cupidity of most Immediately following the
table of analyses Of the various Goals found on the
panys lands the report of Professor j. proceeds thus
All these analyses it must be observed are necessarily
made upon Goals taken from within feet The ourop
of the bed and they may therefore be regarded as by no
exceeding the true estimate of the value of the Goals
The gradual inclination of the beds does net lead to
the supposton that it win be necessary to descend
to an excessive depth, and in consequence to leave
large proportion of the coal for pillars may remark
that the coal lat the companys and is Overland by an
excellent ae roof Of several feet in thickness appa
rently well adapted to sustain the superintendent rock
well as to keep out surface water On the cost of
mining the Professor says The thickness of six feet
two inches of pure coal (snce he left it is three feet
thicker) would afford most commodous body Of coal for
easy and profitable mining and would cost suppose
than from thrtytwo to forty cents per ton but
the slate must be removed it would be safe put the
of mining forty to oryfve per ton and if
teen cents per ton to put it board the barges
The directors report this be the proper
estimate and after strict examination the further
cost Of transporting TO tidewater say Wilmington or
Smhvile puts il at twentythrse per ton so the
entire cost of raising and transporting smthvie does
not exceed eighty three cents per ton Thence New
York at S175 per ton makes the entire in New York
1888 The selling price Of btuminous coal at New York
usually from Sc TO 81 per Should the market be
gued with bitumnous COAL the directors think the Com
pany underse all Others and yet make profits
The sackwaer navigation of the Cape Fear and
viii be certainly completed and the boats pass up the
coal fields in eight nine months furthest We have
not stated the ent Of the coal formation because in
truth its real limits have yet been ascertaned but it
has been traced from hirty-fye TO forty miles the
Deep river and its tributary waters and the width Is pro-
badly from FIVE to eight miles and therefore
ranted in saying that it is than the Central
Coal Field Of England which Miller estimates at thirty
miles long by eight wide The company above alluded to
have raised hundred Of bitumnous coal Of very
superior quality Of which has been taken to New
York. and has been pronounced the very best exhi
bted in that market
This article has already grown under hand much
beyond the length intended that must forego the plea
Of giving minute detail Of the work performed by
this enterprisng company, who only waiting for the
completion Of the navigation convey their coal
et We cannot however omit to state that their spirit
and activity have infused life into entire popua
ton Of the midland counties Of North Carolina Purchases
Of coal lands daily made and long this State must
export coal in such quantities Pennsylvania now does