Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-04-29
sou,hcru Coal.

scie,,isc snrvey of the territories of any State
dpvelo De sonrc e wealth, which have a most
imporra, t bearing upon its future property
Thoueh Loniai,ra exhil,:'s fw evidences Of corr
tanning buried mineral riches, vet it Is not imptoh-
able that f,ifhfu and intelligent examination o
It's surface would hiring to light the existence o
most vsluahle unknown treasures and earthS useful
in thu arta and feri lzers thus uuveling sources
o. wrsth not expected in this resgion.
We are led to q j. suggestion from the late dis
covery Of Of the richest mines Of fuel existing
IN any country, an the 0uachita, accessible at eli
seasons from New Orleans, and capable OF furnish
ing this market twenty millions OF tors per an
nun.
Il j. called, by hose who have made the riscov-
ery. Southern Camel Coal, but it Is not properly
coall
II is Ignite Of very superior quality, only in
ferior N the cel brsted Tor64ne-Ill mineral found
in SEQ land viii. h has been used to furnish gas
for lighting the Qaeen's Palace at Windsor-une-s
it he that very mineral itself II Is DOT coal there
FORE in the strict Of the & rm but il affords
BY chemical operations. several products more val
u4be than the best O. coal, AMI it will really ar
swer every purpose offul, n is uper in ever y.
spect to that known here as the Brrcki rig while
absolutely possesses much durability a. the An
thracite. Having gwen the article its true name,
as IL will supplant coal 10 this market we shall, In
the remainder Of our notice. use til word for des-
cribng il.
For come weeks the fact Of the existence oflsrge
coal mines in the Deighborfood Of this river has
been known in this eitV, but it was deemed advi-
sable that car sful expiration and entry o! the
lands should ptec de the publication af the facts.
One, well acquainted with the coal beds Of 9th I
countriss, and who was conversant with the Goa
helds Of the United States after having determined
the extent OF this coil district the thickness OF
the bed, lie direction depth below the surface and
the means Of mining il 10 advantage, has just re-
turned TO the city, bringing with him considerable
amount OF the coal which has been thoroughly test
ed by those interested
The co resembles in some respects the Breck-
inridge coal, but is softer geter and has rougheT
lecture when broken II can easily be cut "th
knife, and the surface presents much the sppreaI'
ance of freshly cut black lead
When lighted il has that peculiar smell which Is
charact ristic Of Ignite bat from the fact that no
dulles resen bling rosin found 10 its bed sus-
pect that it's identical with the TOrbane-lIiIl min
eral. This suggestion viii lead our readers to con-
Jecture its immense value.
In oily products this coal is vastly richer than
the Breckenridge coal, and, e substitute in tn
manufacture of KEROSENE ols, would prove profits
bic almost beyond calculation.
As producer of gas il is superior to any coal
known. Heoted in ordinary tea kettle, it dis
cearged volume of gas which ignited aud pro-
Ou'eO II ifne fourteen inches IN length.
Yesterday il vas substituted In the establishment
OF Mr.. Hebrsrd for the fue be had before used, and
il was found TO burn freely with little smoke and
producing heat equal to the material for which IL
had been used.
In an open CRATE, it lights easily, burns with a
bright beautiful fame emitting heat equal to the
ordinary Goals found in this market and leaving no
refuse Of cinders and only very small residium Of
reddish brown ashes. The importance of this new
tn ,ho. IL II NJ nj
ly be estimated without recurring to the fuctuating
prices OF coal for several years past Dependent,
as we have been, the stage OF water in the Ohio
and the character OF the FIJI and winter, We have
been absolutely It the mercy Of Spectators 10 coal
and, OF more than one occi sion, have been COM
PEELED 10 prices so eKorhitant as to render fuel
serious item in the expenditure Of living. Nor
Was there any prospect OF avoiding just such d &
msnds in scissors 10 come until the opening, by
the enter rize Of two three OF felow-citizens,
of this fuel field at the South. The waters Of
the 0uacEita can at I'll seasons be navigated by coal
or ke boats, and often by steamers even up to the
point where this valuable d. post absolutely crops
out Of the river bsuk. The coal field is so
this city that supply eau, 10 week, be thrown
into it, sufficient 10 prevent tits article of necessary
and common conFun ptOn, from running up TO suct
figure rs almost TO be -yond the reach OF tn la
boring poor. As the means Of diminishing the ccs
OF living and cnlarging the comfort Of the people,
this discovery is, therefore, truly important.
But it will prove advantageous in n still higher
degree, in chs apenin fuel necessary for dr. vingm
chiuery, and will itself become the raw material
from which the most important products are TO be
manufactured. Our pine forests aud our cotton
fields are nov not the only resource for the prOduc
ton Of oils. Our gas will not much longer be the
product of for ign or Pennsy lVauia coal. and the
reduction Of the cost Of production must eventuatc
in the decrease Of the price of light.
This discovery is the rcsut Of an accident But
it sugg' St. with ordinary force, tae Importance
of scientific survey Of oar State. We know not
what mines of wealth Il al around u until they
Developed by the Investigations Of science. We
doubtless have coal, and marble, and mari, and
clays Of the mo valuable character in Lous'ana.
We trust this suggestion, growing out Of the die
covery of this fuel field, viii induce Election
and action ON the SUI ject OF a scientific survey of
tue Stately o. Creole.