Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1858-03-06
Communicate.
II. b. st.s,sn. ESQ.

/ "a tFor the sunbury Amcresn
II. MAssxR, ESQ,
Dea, sir,--l deere through he column. Of your
paper, tn Invite the attention of All the Of lands
il the shnnckn Coal Basin, to subject which may per-
haps pretty generally be admitted Of importance when
fully cemprehended To present and discuss the subject
in all its Details will require TIME than can, and
sunpose than you could devote the present
communication My MIN at present being TO present a
general idea and outline ~ the scheme trusting that oppo
unity viii oGer to az anse the details hereafter
lis generally conceded to be the part Of wisdom in
those who after, profit by the experience Of those
who have before propose apply this ulo to the
coal mining operations If this regun winch compara-
lively md have comc afte those OF schuylkill and
other regions; ond il is certainly both right and duty
to profit by the expefience-sood bad management
of those who have gone bcioe and it IN reference
their experience in draining OF water from their Colciies
wish to call attention nnd whether cannot escape
many OF the pRowNiSos which have fallen the lot.
Coal uinins was every new thhg' III this country,
when the operator Of the schuyik region, erected his
one horse gin on the tops Of the hills and sunk his tiny
shnil into the ouicombing OF the from which he
raised the Coal BY meansof horse, gin, rope aud bushe
measure.
They subsequently discovered an improved method Of
driving horzonialy "hole into vein at the foot Of
the hill and mined the Coal above that level up the slope
rtw,o which il conyeye cd to the bank An.
other great benefit experienced by this arrangement was
that the water flowed out at the "hoen they were in
no danger II being drowned
sun another advance step, and the 'hole in the ground
was enlarged, to which given more digniRed ap
plca,iun VI gung way'' which rail iad was laid
The ffs that had the temeriy take this bold stride
believe Abraham Poti Esq in a coIiery near Port
Carbon. II memory serves correctly the colossal d
Of his coa lcar
Axes Of wrought inch in diameter, wheels about
si1 inches diameter without Ganges, but guided the
rond by sort Of tram rail, capacity, three bushels
r Of coal. This system Of gangways railroads and
cars, rapidly obtained general favour, and adopted
throughout The iar;ng region with 'enrged and improv
= ed etiors." And as the conl was mined out and the
coeries became exhausted above the level Of the
e natural drainage in tic immedia vicinity and it be-
came necessary 10 obtain the cnal frnm below that eve
the operatuG had sinking shnits slopes
erecting steam engines and oh= heavy and expensive
cinery u pump the ni,I raset he eoai frm his coll
cry, unit, at this lime it problly entirely safe say tba
ninety per cent Of the coal product Of the schuyki BASH
is from colieries below the level Of natural drainage
. the immediate vicinity; Aud the atmnsT here OF th
whole region s cnudcd with the heavy breathing Of
> engines endless toll Oising water from the mines
Although such large percentage Of the coal is raise
from colieries below tie level of streams In their rmei
ale vciny yet think can he readily shown, that but
very tna percentage of the coal mined from the entr
region is raised from below the level Of the natural dram
age Of the Coal Basin-lhe les.l Of the schuy kill river
the Gap "f harp Mountain the south barrier the basr
y Thcienre ruppose (and believe statistics and figure
win bear 0u that il the money expended in etectin
the pumping machinery throughout the schuysiIl region
had been indic usy expended in driving level
mel at right angles with the coal hasin Mt the lowest ol
J" tnabe natural drainage and from this tunnel gangway
II East and West in the coal vtns for the double purpose
8 water drains and mine gangways, that coal wuui
IL have been drained Of a has been done By all tn
steam aud pumps Of the region erected for that
y pose.
Now suggest 10 the owners Of lands in the Shamoki
region, the propriey OF preparng for in time
y reaer,n and while the operations
r going the appropriation q sma percentage of i
ID mine rents, the Of a per acre annually
e. constitute fund to defrny the expense OF driving tunn
IL the coal bis the loves, obtanabe drai
agete level Of shanOkin creek in the Gap Of Big Mout
u and from this tunnel eangways East and West Il
20 veins the double purpose Of drains
'n mine gnngways
IN Between The Big Mountain the North and the Locu
,n Mountain the South (he boundaries of the Slnmck
coal ba.n) there three principal anticul axis viz
D. Coal Run Ridge Red Ridge and Green Ridge. Opposi
Ig OF South Of the samnkn Gap in Big Niountun where
r. coal basin obnns greatesi deh the principal whi
SIS ash vei No g it's crownnr the two first nam
re- axis supposed lie hut little IL any above the level
ms the natural dra nuee of the lnsin but the
tese axs rise rapidly both to the East and West OF
r. point opposite the gaP and the white ash VEINS crop
high above tire level of adjacent streams. The axis
he Green Ridge maintains more uniform elevation nho
or the throughout the region Hence in driving
ON rrpptred tunnel c4elumerate rock would be eneou
cy tered IN passing eher the axis of Coal Run Ridge
~ G,a
,h would there be any very lard material encountered
air Ard the of anclna knowat to II
rk bth East and West Of Shauiokin gap, necessarily
its lows that the intervening selina Use also and
m hnd tie difference level fal of Shamokn Creek fT'
80. Mt Carmel 10 ihe gap in Dig Montain lowest natu
in drainage the bast) is three hundred and fifty t35o e
ds suppose the entire bottom Of the coal basins at Mo,
III Carmel and the Fast OF that place, be duied Of
cd though the gancways and tunnel propose and
OF tame principal will hold good westward fro the gap
Set The work ui driving the tunnel and the gangwsys
yer prominent coal veir sny No g, or subcinal as
on tunnel progressed could be carried with moderate
he nua expenditure and by the time the present above wa
y level coeries mined out the low water level dr.
lre would be completed which the coal could lie mi
se raised with light machinery, hroug shafts, to the
he breakers fixtures foi preparing The cost of DR.
in ing the gangways IN the coal veins Is not properly char
he bic the system Of dnnge us Proposed rs they ne
cr The purpose OF mine gagways which indispensable
IL; the operation Of the clieIy and believe can rea'
IN be shown that the cost Of pumping machinery required
81 eIaus the nom the amount OF coal here prorn
to be drain,d will much inn pay the cost Of tun
- and interest the investment until avniabe The mI
OPP Ioinr sna,v d,smi,sed and hone
,,oy hints have givcu viii elicit examination.
my Respectfully submitted,
IVY, KIMBER CLEAvER
en' Shomokiu, February 10, 1858.
leir
olu-
ulul For the American