Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1859-01-04
Paper NJ. .. Illustrated ~iM " Mr.
THE RICHMOND OR TIDE-wATER COAL FIELD
AVENUES To THE MAHSErs. GoTm \. HnNr

AVENUES III TIM NAEhEI-. 10Th \. fp"I
ASp AERuAu.
The facility for transportation by water j,
! uond coal field. w other coal producing ~
! zion lies 80 near tiewatcr ar i available Ia
all the cities of the Atlantic. NORTH amt South.
II also lie, in the midst Of All old and improved
country, and near several large and ourlshin..
cities. whose consumption alone should bc, a!.'t
will. at no great distance III i!c future. exceed
/ Il million of tons per annum Richmond and
Petersburg are cinin"rtly calculated Tor iiaIiii-
featuring purposes. aud might u>c, with !m-
mensc profit 10 their communities, great Ilali-
titles of coal and iron, since that coal an'l iron
run and sh"vNh b, supplied a> cheap TO th">c
cities a. il is oany Of the great Inanulact,Irln"
cities Of the North. and much cheaper than II
can be- supplied To- New York or any "i the
manufacturing localities To the North Of that
place. Us our figures by and bye will show
Norfolk is inevitably destined, some day. to
flourish as great ImaratiInc city. and II j, =
disgrace 10 Virginia that she does not even no"
rival New York. But the 'iay Is coming WHEN
shc will require tie coal, of Richmond or i"-
tcrsburg to supply her steam. toa great extent
since it can be supplied from tins essential!
the tide-water coal field" cheaper than from
any other locality. The Goals oi Cumberland.
or those from the Eastern and oi tnc Ahthrt'
cite fields Of Pennsylvania. wh'ct arrive ut
tide-watcr on the upper end Of the Bay; Or
those from the Schuylkil or the Iehi@h. which
come hv the way o' Philadelphia. are the only
Goals which would compete with thc Richmond
coal At Norfolk; and any Of those before men
toned lie over 900 miles further from Noriol',
than the latter. and some of tilcln nearly 900
miles further. Therefore, if We employed that
independent spirit Of enterprise i'll business
matters which i, exhibited hy our competitors,
no opposition could compete with u, for the
trade, not only Of Norfolk. but the whole oI
the South from the cape, oi the Chesapeake To-
South America
But in addition Ia the trade of our Eastern
cities, the whole population Of Eastern Nr-
ginia, will eventually require this c""i for
every domestic use. Even now, every family
within ten miles of canal. river or rail ..oad in
Eastern Virginia nni ght and could mSc coal
with much greater economy than they can pos
s;bly list wood, since the Silnpl cost Of cut
ting wood. hauling il, and keeping up the fires.
is more than the value ol sufficient l,lan.
purpose Labor is money and the labor saved
in this matter, if properly applied, would rt-
feet saving leaving ull the valuable timber,
so scarce in this section Of the Stalc--whrh is
now destroyed, a. actual profit TO the owner:
and. taking the average real value Of the TIM
Der and that ol the coal. We may he safe III
stating. that cord of onc. would buy ton pf
the other. There may bc objections TO the
use Of bitulninoiS coal hy many, hut those
who do not like that may bny roke. which is
as pleasant, Il, effective and mich cheaper than
anthracite: or. there ran he no reason why
cheap and excellent fuel cannot bc produced
from the fine, or less valuable portions Of uIlr
hitumnous coal, which, when pressed lt" the
form of brick. or half.brickS. and vhi,.r"sh.d.
would bc hard, durable and clean
If the northern end OF the coal licll Were 1r-
voted to the manufacture of iron. as it should
be- a> we portrayed in our last article NJ" :,
the southern portion Of the field should, aud
might, with profit, bc devoted to the pro'iuc-
ton Of gas coal. >tealn coal. and pressed fuel.