Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-10-12


political faith. May they observe it, both by their
constancy in adversely and exile and by their firm.
ness and devoted patriotism when the course Of events
shall restore them to thsir country. My last words
are tor my beloved sons prayer and a blessing"
~s
THE RICHMOND OR TIDE WATER COAL
FIELD.
Local Fsatures
All coal aelds have their local features-that ia, a
certain variation Of the thickness and sretihca,ion
OF their seams o. change in their number and the
quality, quantity and character Of their GOALS but
generally some governing feature or features identi
fy The whole breed or formation. The clay slates
aud saud stones Of The coal measures are composed
generally Of the came material throughout the entire
field, and the whole formation is sratiHed ON and
over The granite, and in strict conformity with it's
uncomfortable surface. Aud all the available or
marketable coal lies below water level, and the gra
mite edges ridges by which it is surrounded Other
wise, the resemblance ia in character than form
or appearance, with the exception, perhaps, of the
andnstions, which appear TO be the result Of come
dntorm structure of the granite ledges on which the
coal measures rest or were srst6ed. Thus in the
unfulstions from east 10 west, find generally the
dips Of the Western ou.crops TO be at greater an.
gs than those OF the East, particularly in the roughs
or basns lying In the eastern eide OF the field
though the fluctuations are not invariably OF
hi. character. In ihs connection it will be renem
bsred, that the two sections, range at right au-
giles TO each other, forming great number Of local
troughs or bssios Thoss local basius generally
lis.insuishsd by looa! features.
The old Stone Hedge Pi.s lying in a basin outside
ot those On which the Black Hs.h and Midlothian
mines gre located, differed considerably in the strait
lca,ion OF it's COAL and did not reach the depths at
aned by the latter, though the quality and character
of tbs coal WAS, We believe, much the same. The
Clover Hill mine psrtAkss of the features asthose
which governed the Stone Hedge basin, though the
depth Of the former s much greater than the latter,
md equal to the depths attained by the Midlothian
mines. The Goals generally of this or the Southern
portion of the field resemble each other very much
in appearance as wsll in character, being extreme
iy fat, or b!tuInnous and gaseous. The average Of
thess coss, analysis, yield about the same pro
portions. The Stone Hedge contained SO carbon, 81
bitumen, and Of residue or esh in 100 parts. Black
Ieth contains 60 carbon, 81 bitumen and residue
rhe Midlothian average gu carbon, IS bitumsn and 4
residue. The Glover Hill Sc carbon, 80 bumen and
residue. All Of which may be chased with the rich
| gas GOALS
The basins on the James River vary to great
extent from the callsd South Side basins psrtlcu
larly on the Eastern side OF the field, near Bsllons
Arsenal and on the Tuokahoe Creek. Here We find
about the same average thickness of coal, but We
find il different In form and character. The seams
ere Eve or six In number and sraied through $50 or
500 fee. of coal msasures-sia.es, sandstones, fire
clays and iron ores, instead of one or more seams In
close proximity as they exist in the before mentioned
basins. This derenc, Of disposition s plainly showr
in the vertical sections. There is aao great change
in the proportions of carbon and bitumen oonstitu.
ting the body of those Goals The analysis of those
Goals yield greater quantity of carbon and less o
btumsn than the South side Goals, and average sbou
gu to 70 OF carbon aud 20 to 80 Of bltuuen With abou
I've parts, as tho msan, of ash, or residue There is
| however, more bumsn 10 the deep GOALS, than those
! from the upper parts, or out crops of coal on the
James River and Tuckahoe. Another singular fea
ture of this portion OF the field, particularly abou
/ Carbon Hill, is the existence of natural coke, or min
era charcoal, which, in fact, almos. resembles an
thracite in i;s constituent psrts, though differing
widely 10 appearance This coal has not been fount
in any other part Of the world, thct we aware OF, il
! workable quantities. Here it constitutes q arg,
! eean, or asscas, and is proatsby worked
{ Before referring TO the local featured Of any othe
part of the 6eld, We would here mark the benefit
which may and should be- derived from those vare
lies of coal. The rich and highly btumiuous coale
like those of the Suuth.Side, peculiarly adapted
for the dstation Of gas since the greater the quantt
Of brunsn coal conaine the greater is the qusntit
many OF the purposes requiring intense heat will
light draft email quantities of oxygen. For III
smelling Of ircn or for steam purposes generally
whs In crude state, il is no. 30 we'll adapted as
coal containing lees bitumen and more carbon. Fo
smelling purposes, ell the Goals OF this field mus
fret be reduced 10 artificial coke, by carbonzatio
or the dstillaon of tho oitumen they oonsini there
fore rich lat coal, containing 80 or Sc of volatile
or bitu,ninous matter, will waste too much and yelC
too little coke, to be pro6taby used for that purpose
On the contrary, however, oos containing but 20
Is per cent of volatile or esa would be much more ecc
nomical for sme,iug purposes. For steam purposss
aIso, ooal containing from 90 to IS of bituminou
mater, is better than cne containing more provide
Il is pure coe and does not contain more than fv
or Elk rer ceut CT si!ica or sidue-inoombustlbl
maUsr-the Ttst CetES cdiu uon, AGInrhclte Goa
which i- aimos. pure carbon, hiss been found YER
efficient, unde, intense drs or great quantities
oxygen, in smost every instance where strong GU
rent OF air-pasticalarly hot air-osn be used; bu
where quick intense heat is required under Fight
moderate draft, bituminous coal is the beat.
The locality Of Dover presents some striking pe
oulisrilies Of formation; the mine, being on the Wee
srn out crops Of the coal field, and generally on tb
Eastern dip OF the aams. which, as we before re
marked, is much more abrupt and irregular than tb
Western dip. In many places here the coal is almo.
perpsndculary s,ra;isd, but atn:srTals, or in steps
and. therefore. al points, the coal may be yer
tbin and at others very thick, or in immense masses
We acarcely need remark. that the lesu or thin poi
tions always at the top of the perpendicular strait
fcstions or "down-throws," and the massive or ric
portions at the bottom OF these formations where th
srsfcatiou lies from nearly horizontal to forty-6v
degrees.