Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-05-04
For ths Enquirer.
LETTERS,
on THE RESOURCES, iNrRCT FNENTS, v COM
MERGE OF VIRGINIA.


No. NI.
The II1s.I Water CSdi Fields of Eastern Virginia.
To our remarka, in the two preceding letters, on tae
srtsnt and orQiiabil'ty OF that part OF Inc great AP'
paIachisn system Of coal fields, which lies within t'e
bounds of Virginia, we may add a quotation from H.
G.. Taylor's great work on the Goals OF the Worid',n
which ne says, when speaking OF the AppaIach'la
system or The Allegheny coal field:
"W.re We Ia MAKE the deductions Tor unproductI1e
areas, Tor erosiors pi strata, ard for such coas beds a
are never likely 10 be reached by the MINER II "ouo
perhays t,e ai,bersi estimate 10 rate the H0'f"dtf ara
of the whole at forty thousand square niles Even
on this principle, We have here in ihls beld, 10 les
than -. 800 lO0 acres OF prOdGctlce coal: al enc:
nous aggregate, OF whose ultimate value no preset
estimate can be iormed-no array of figures or 1t
words can adet lately portray. j: is beyond tbs
scope OF human vision 10 contemplate, in our day
the results associated with those mihlonS-the indus
trious facilities, the wealth and power, and influence
at home Gud abroad, which they must inevitably con.
fer upon the future inhabitants of the country"
virginia contains Of this area, in its centre. ID uO0. 00f
acres, ~ mor- ihan one.,hird Of the whole, and that.
too, IN iis most available and accersible points
Comment II unnecessary.
But, in addition to the vast coal fields of the West
we have several minor b!iu!ainous basins, peculiar
to Eastern Virginia, which, though they do not in
crease our coal area 10 any considerable extent, their
Importance to the Eastern counties are much greater
at the present time. than those immense fields we
have described, and OF more value, perhaps, to the
Commonwealth, since they are more available to the
markets of the East, where coal commands campar
arively high price, and where great quantities are
required 10 meet the increasing demand.
The quality Of coal aud the COS; Of mining and
; transporting, or the relative position of the producer
10 the consumer, are the questions to decide the ad
vantage OF locality which we claim for the Goals Of
Virginil.
The Richmond Coal Fiell, 30 which We have seve-
raj times referred in previous letters, ia ths only Coai
BASIN Of any extent or value in the United STATES
which lies near tlde.water. In this respect Richmo
has the advantage Of 100 miles of inland carriage in
favor of lis coal over the ports of Pennsylvania l43
miles over New York, and $50 over Baltimore-the
three principal shipping ports in the Union. Or the
difference in dollars and cents, is ~ follows: from
pottsville, Pa to Philadelphia by canal II 80, by rail
roed 81 ~, or to n. York 50 40; from Scranton and the
Lack awana generally 20 y. York 81 IS; from Millers
burg to Baltimore - 10; from Cumberland to Balti
more 81 -, to Alexandria 81 81. (rhe above are the
lowest figure. for tolls and transportation on coal from
the nearest points in the several regions 10 tide wc-
ter From Richmond to Norfolk the freight il Is
cents-to New York 81 jD-which gives Richmond
over Scranton, Pa, 81 %; over Po;tsville 30 cents:
over Baltimore tanthracit-) 50 lO-bituminous So IS;
over Alexandria 81 yi-to the Northern markets,
L. rt-lA. . l. C,.kI
ern markets. In favor, however, Of the Cumberland
coal, and some Of the anthraci.es of Pennsylvania,
we must allow - cents per ton for coal above water
level-sincs all our Richmond coal lies from 100 to
I,U0O fast below the water line. But even after We
deduct - cents per ton, il leaves Us n large item for
profit. BY iudicious management here IN mining
and transporting, We might always realize one dollar
per ton t$i) on Northern shipments, even when the
Northern miners are unable 10 pay expenses. ~
the case i. this season; aud III view OF Norfolk arHs
ing, ~ we have reason 70 anticipate, into a large
commercial city, with an extensive steam marine. our
advantages over all other csal ti-lds will be- pro
por!ionatrly increased, sinre all the coal we could
mine, to The extent of several millions OF tons per
wear, could be disposed OF al home, with fair profits
TO the miner aud inestimabls benefits, not only to
Richmond, Petersburg anu .Noiloik, Uut ~ W "hoie
Commonwealth. In giving facility to our mauulac-
lures and our commerce., not possessed by rival cities
and Stn,es. ii is evidently a benefit TO every producer
aud every exporter. and for this reason in addition to
Others. wa claim pr. eInin-nce for Norfolk as Il C",L
ISG STATION, and for Richmond ~ the most avRila
bic site for II NATIONAL FOUNDRY. But We do not
mean to'ssy that our ability 10 furnish ci'op conf is
the only, or greatest argument in favor of lhese
we have stated others aud will still add more
bye and bye.
We also claim for Richmond and Petersburg all
the peculiar facilities which the proximity to coal
gives them, IS manufacturing cities-and those ia.
cilities are enhanced by their situation on %ide-water
in connection with coal; their water power, &c. No
other Underwater city in the Union lies so near to coal;
no other city has such unlimited means for the
of lie commodities toall parts Of Amer.
lea and the world.
As We before stated. this ccaI fi=ld proper, IL
thirty miles 10 length. by five 10 seven and even eight
ide-averasing nearly. if no; fully Fix mics,
and crnrains abou, $50 superficial. OF sluurc miles,
Of the Pamunk-y, in Hanover county. on the North,
10 the Appomstto1, in Chesterfield county, on the
South, and evenextends into Dinwiddie county to a
limited distance. Tbs course, or range Of the depo.
lte is nearly North and South. The james river
,rosses the formation, from a point near the Bellona
Arsenal, at the mouth OF the Tuckshoe creek to a
point one mile above Dover, a distance of from Eve
a si1 miles. At its Southern end near the Clover Hill
mines, on or near the APpomattox. it is five miles
L A., 81