Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-11-26
Paper .vo. !, illustrated Nth Mp.
The RICHMOND Or TIDEWATER coALFIELD
GENERAL FEATURES

tEhEhA1 fEhIUhco.
The true position Of this coal field, in the
carboniferous group. Or its geological age. can
Ike Of little Importance practically. since it is
idiosyncrntc in its character and features. and
niferoiS, nor the modern Volite or lia> Our
geologists. however, have taken much pains and
trouble to refer it to the lower part ot the No-
lite SERIES, or the lcoraSsic group AMI We have
neither time nor inclination 10 brin. up the lis
c,ission again. or, not at present: the only
effect Of which would bc tp add tn the mere
curiosity Of antiquarian research, and Ia illus
trate picture books. if not To prove thr utter
fallacy Of toregoDc conclusions. Thus, a coal
field is referred hy the gcologist t" the imprl-
feet formation of the lias yolitc, bccaI>c il is
unlike those found over thu great congl"neratc
or the old carhonifcrons formations, or. perhaps,
from the presence oi few lldistincl fossils
which may bc peculiar to the age Of the more
modern formations: and these facts alone would
condemn the coal field in England because
there no perfect coal has ever been found in
their formation, and, therefore. VT are told not
TO .ook for it under such circumstances. The
same NAV be said Of the coal found beneath
the limestoncs; vet coul was found beneath the
limeStones UNCOMFORTABLE Of Durham. and in
large and profitable quantities. And coal has
also been found in the solite } Of Richmond, and
in magnificent quantities Wc'lo not make these
remarks TO disparagc tie science Of geology far
from it; we only condemn forcgonc conclusion
"r conclusions from Inference; or thai science
it~ir' should he positive. or make local facts
general ones. Before the accidental discovery
Nf nj ri, H,,lI 1lr IA. iii
covered, our wisc men would say N" coal in
the volite mo coal on the granite no coal
in Eastern Virginia just Is the miners Of
England have said: no coal beneath the lime.
stonc'-''no coal under the red earth" II
! would be placing the gcologist on par merely
with the miner who knew and believed no far
ther than he could See and To whom the flu
turc held no revelations. except such as acci-
dent revealed The miner or mere deliver into
the bowels of the earth, works hlindly and ig-
norantly without the assistance OF the geolo-
giSt or the information We expect him 10 pos
,cSs. Our professional or scientific geologistS.
however have done but little towards the de-
vclopment Of our mineral resources generally
II ha, been our practical mining engineers
who have devoted themselves Ia the develop
nlent Of our great mineral deposits that have
done more for the progress Of science, the world
over and she'd more light on the formations
and riches Of the mineral kingdom. than the
most learned professors of our schools. The
geologist unaidcd, makes but little progrc-,
and sheds but little light on the resources Of 4
new Vr undevclupcd country. Sperious though
uncertain theories, oil unimportant questions,
and pictures Of strange creatures with unpro-
nounccablc names, hound up in pondcrous
torneS. al an immense cost. can be- but Of little
Use in State reports, or for practical uses. y few
facts mixed up in InasS of learned arguments.
to prove that a certain pctricd stone Or lDssIl.
vas the tail Of fish. or tha; of reptile, can
not be interesting Or valuable 10 any hut the
curious or the scientific Indeed. such work,
are seldom read or understood and frequently
not attainablc by those 10 whom they ought
to be most valuable. Plain. practical matter
of-fact information, with geological map, and
stratitications in regard 10 our mineral re-
sources and geological formation, are all that are
required Of our geologists at present 10 promote
the development pf onr minerals. The anti
quarian aud the naturalist may come after, and
they will then be assisted by the miner 10 in.
vcstigate the silent abodes of the fossil inhab.
tants which roa,ned the earth long before il
was tenantcd by man. and to identify the
ages Of the rocks and their places on the
hook of nature; the ichthvolosist may pursue
his profound stnde, amongst the iinny fossils
Of primary ages, and the philosopher the gcolo
gist the chemist the mincralosisi, and the cos
inographcr, assist each other in developing the
wonders Of our great creation and the wise and
uniform provision Of the Author. We respect
their labors; we ardently admire their works,
and We appreciate their additions To our limited
stock Of knowledge. But We submit most re.
spectfully, that the rrqcticm ,f,c'e demanded
by the people in .I"tc h7orts-particularly
when required for the practical development ol
internal rcsourcc,--should not be mixed up
with the profound sciences. or hid and mysti-
, fled in tlieoric, anil learned technicaiticS, dc-
rived from tho oblivion o. dead languages:
pondcrous volumes, with thousand, Of closely
printed pages, illustrated with thousands Of
pictures Of obsolete birds, and beasts. and fishes
and reptilcs-uere pictIre-books, costing hun
ireds Of thousands Of dollars Of the public
money TO get up, and then thirty OF fort! dol
lars per cepy to the pcople-are seldom Seen,
and never read for the business information
I they contain. We might point 10 many works.
however, of the kind that We cnn endorse, but
! to too many which condemn themselves.
Our long depression may be objected to by
many. and We have not said what we prenedl-
tated in such terms as We could wish. in order
to convey a correct impression Of the point in
question; but those who are aware Of what we
really want. or what would pay as an invest
mcnt, cannot fail 10 comprehend the value of
3 the suggestions Our miners and our manu-
facturers do not ask for information on the age
and classification Of our rocks, or their fossil.
iferous remains merely. Even the complete
r. a., n,-tl1.
h. ponderous and costly. would he OF less pre-.
sent advantage than the ali which science and
/ practical experience could give them. in making
our immense mineral resources Of some real
and immediate utility--n developing and elab-
strength To our hands and subject all nature
to our ,lse and pleasure" and which, in turn,
aid the progress Of science in all her pursuits
| and investigations.
! We direct our attention again 10 the Rich
mond coal field. which differs in feature and
formation from every other coal field with
which VIC are acquainted-or, perhaps. in the
world With the exception. however. Of its
uneven bottom. or stratiiication and the great
depths Of the coal. it has every advantage pos
scssed bY the best Of our coal fields. In the
fossils. alone. il resembles the Notc; and. per-
haps, thcy are the only means Of indentitica-
ton with the inferior Goals Of Whitbv and
Bora. with which our Scologi,t, have been
please, TO class it, The coal itself is pure and
of great thickness. ~ we before remarked and,
when pulvcrized. presents the jet black appear
ancr Of nil true Goals. whilst the inferior Goals
of the Voltc invariably presents the brown
shade OF the Ignite. In some portions Of the
field the coal exists in beds equal to the greatest
and thckest known in the world and in other
parts, We find it stratitcd. in several veins Of
large size, and in prolific quantities. Thus, in
the Midlothian mines. We find masses Of coal
sixty feet thick. whilst at the ruckahoe--a part
Of the field hitherto cried down. being OF the
| North side Of the rivcr--tivc splendid seams
ranging from five to twelve feet in thickness