Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-04-27
NO. XVIII.

In directing attention to the mineral wealth o
Virginia, even the casual observer must be attracted
by our magnificent coal fields, which at once substan
tlate the Oft repeated assertion, that ours is naturally
the richest State in the Union since no other State
except perhaps Illinois, contans go great an area
coal formations, and other contains the came com
bnations of fuel and netaiferous ores. Without
coal those vast deposits of would be compare
lively vslueess and would forever remain as unpro
fitable they now are. But those fields of subte
ranean fuel only await action, to be the means
in connection with our mineral wealth, Of ushering
in new era for Virginia, more splendid in results
than our most sanguine hopes could lead us to anti
cipate.
We place coal frat in the list of minerals, as the
most important item at the present day in the politi
cal economy OF nations. 1t is the chief aid Of man
in subiecting the provisions of nature to his and
pleasure; it warns him. it carries him. and works for
lms powerful slave t." "draw our water and hew our
wood to propel steam ships, our rail cars, our
printing presses and all our labor saving machines.
Itis, in fact the most useful, powerful, and valuable
agent we have realizing in effect the ideal phloso.
piers stone of timegons alchenists.
Virginia contains nearly, if not fully, one-third of
tho great Allegheny, Appalachian coal field, which
extends from the head waters Of the Allegheny river
in the Southwestern part Of Pennsylvania to the
Northern eItrernities Of Georgia and Alabama, and
underlies area of not lees than $4,000 square
miles.
The greatest length of this field, from North to
South is $50 miles, and its greatest breath about
l73 or from point near Cumberland, Maryland, in
a., I .,,t tba
West lts average breadth has been variously com.
puted, but 100 miles will be the truth We
can now approach.
Of this vast area, Pennsylvena is supposed to con-
tain Is 600 square miles, Virginia 25,OOO, including
detached basins on the East Of the mountains, Ohio
l5.0OD, Kentucky 800, and Tennessee 5000, Ma.
ryland $50, and Alabama and Georgia 1850 square
miles.
We that our estimate is greater than that
which PREVAILS but recent explorations have rather
extended than diminished the figures which represent
the size of this greatest coal field in the world. But
when we say that this vast field undsrlies $4,000
square miles, do not mean that every acre or even
every mile of it's vast extent, is positively supported
by coal. We mean, as all other writers DO. when
speaking of coal formations, that such is the extent
or bounds of this field, and such the of coal.
bearing formations in the different regions and basins
appertanng TO the great Allegheny or bituminous
coal field
The probability is, that not more than one-half Of
.L. t-i~ .-.--. = ,-r', -,h e-aii.Li- -.'. -.
the same may be said OF all our coal fields since, in
many places, the supporting measures rise above the
coal measures, and in others, m1on Of the coal has
been swept away by erosion or the action of water
and other natural eauses.
This may be said with full force of that part of the
field which is in Pennsylvania where II is broken in.
to detached formations, and designated gaolo
gical maps by multitude Of small basins under 10
cal names-such the "Bnssburg," Towanda, p"
"Broad Top" Goal Bssins," &C. In Virgnia,whch
contains the centre CT the formation, the coal s thick
er and less broken than in any other State We
should not feel safe however, to predicste any esti
mate on the quantity Of available coal, even 10 Vir.
gina, on than two.thlrds Of the total bituml-
nous arsa-say $1,000 square miles or lU,OOO,0OO
acres. But this only refers 10 that part OF the Apa'
, laohian field which lies in this State, and does not
include several local deposits Of immense value from
their location in Eastern Virginia, several anthra.
cite formations, lying the Eastern slope of the AL
legbsnies, in the range of country as that which
contaius the Pennsylvania anthracite.
| That part of Virginia which is drained by the wa
ters and tributaries of the Ohio, may be considered
one entire coal field. even to the sources Of the ho
ston and to the point where the New River inter.
sects the Virginia and Tennessee Rail Road, and
from the Ohio at Parkersbarg and Wheeling, to the
head waters of the Potomac, which constitute the
Allegheny coal field of Virginia 1t will be Seen
that our figures are even below the mark, since the
area thus bounded, contains nearly half of the entire
State. The general average thickness of the vari
QUE seans Of coal. from six to twelve, and even hf'
teen in some ocalitss which, form the csrbonferoua
strata of th;s coal field it s impossible to determine
sincs they found in some regions over one hun
dred feet in thickness and in others even less than ten
f-et-though this minimum strata ia generally on the
Outside edges of the field Yet in the Frostburg, Ma
-ylsnd Basin which is q local deposite of the ALE
ehany system tn re have been developed sixty si1
feet of coal .es Of which only forty are depos
tied in seams Of workable sizs; the largest OF which
is from Ten to fifteen feet thick, and is known locally
as the "Big Vein, ""Pittsburg Coal" Main Coal,
| &c.
In the Pi,tsburg locality, We find the seams less il
number and size. We 6nd the upper Goals here dl
minished TO one workable seam, less than eight feel
thick above water level. Below water level four Of
FIVE smaller seams found, averaging together
about fifteen feet of coal. To the North and Yves
| they are still less.
In the Kanswhs region which may be considered
in the centre Of the field, we fad greater number
of seama and greater thickness of coal than IN any
other locality within the limits of the field under con
sideration.
| The upper coas, consisting of six seams. average
nearly thirty feet, including the main coa' which
is here from seven to nine feet thick.
The middle group comprises three or four seams
averaging from FIVE to ten feet of coal, and the lowe
group, a series. which is made up OF FIVE seams, ir
come places thin and in others of workable szs
aging ten to twelve feet Of coal-giving fourteen
seams Of coal-of which two are camel making tota
maximum thickness of 81 feet, workable mini
mum average Of forty feet available coal; though
recent reports from the Kanawha estimate the tota
thickness of the coal seams there, be 100 feet
This, however cannot be depended on, and we shoul
not feel qafs in estimating than 40 feet of avaa
BILE COAL though We know the total average thicknes
of the several to be greater and have no doub
but future development will prove all those seams t.
be much thicker than they now appear. but our work
| ing estimate is enough on which to base calcula
ton, even though We discard 10000 square miles ou
Of the $4,000 Of total coal.besriug measures sno ~
cept l5,n0D only as productive or lOOHooo Oh ao.e
Of availsbls coal lands This would yield oOOO0O(
Of tons per year for 5000 years. or more tnan ne es
timsted value of the coal fields Of Great Britain.
Tho arso Of Great Britain and Ireland is estimated
by Tsvlor at 100 29o square miles or $685., ~, acre
and her total coal only II S5a square miles,
$50 $50 acres-with In average thickness OF 81 feet
vb;cb would yield, according to the same calculation
| 50 600 600 of tons for 5000 years'
! A more careful estimate, however, makes the tota
area somewhat lsss. We give the table here a. a
item of information which may be found interesting
Areas of Coal Fields in the United Kingdom:
ENGLAND AND WALES.
Districts. Areas ip square miles
{ |, Northumberland and Durham, $40