The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1865-10-02

Quotation About the Iron ana Coal
Deposits. s.l4s s.fa
NIoUNDsvILLE, WEST VA,
September 2Sth, 1865. II
Editors IntelligenceF: teT l -l
Having recently made an excursion
through the .'Youghiogheny Glades"
of Western Allegany county, Mary
land, hereby offer to the columns of
the IntGfiiJenceT, 80 much of my brief
itinerant experience in that rich miner
al and health-infusing region as will
probably prove interesting to Mt least
the mineral elSing portion of your pa
irons; iind in so doing, shall contine
myself to such facts as were made most
clearly apparent TO me.
Ticketing to Oakland, and placing
myself under the attention, care and
keeping of Capt. Harry McAllister,
conductor OF the night train, 1 was
soon comfortably btRked in one of the
commOdiOus sleeping cars now used
by the Baltimore rOad, where L slept
soundly until aroused by the porter,
who announced our near approach to
our destination, which he further inti-
mated was at an altitude closely ap-
proximnting fifteen hundred feet above
that at which We retired six hours be-
fore r. - sr--1rar ---. -sa-ra.
At Oakland i found quito an excite
ment among the very considerable
that llOrtiOn whose paramount object
was the location OF mineral and oil ter
ritory. The curiosity that led TO an
investigation resulted in the revelation,
TO me, of such facts rs will ut no dis
tnnt period add vastly to theincreasing
value OF our West Virginia lands bor-
dering upon this Youghiogheny coal
and iron basin.
Provided with copies of the reports
upon the mineral resources of the ba-
sin in-question, by the eminent geolo-
gist, DIR. James Higgins, L avRiled my
self of the courtesy of friend, and
under his guidance reached the
two and n hnlf miles Northwest from
Oakland. We followed the river from
this point for a distance of four miles,
to the ''Swnllow Falls" where our in
vestigation Of minerals wns tGmpOra-
rily arrested by the beauty of the sill
very sheet and tho continuous thunder
OF the cataract. Permit me to further
digress from the subject in hand, to
add that within n circle offifteen hun-
dred yards diameter, described from u
point near these falls, there could be
embraced some of the most magnificent
scenery on the continent. Muddy
Creek from the West, and Deep Creek
from the East, n-apparent imitation of
the Youghiogheny, come laundering
and foaming over rugged pricipices to
swell the growing current of that vol
luminous stream. i only regret that
space and time forbid n more detailed
description of this wonderful scenery,
but dW TeGOir. ..-
As DIR. Higgins own language will
more accurately and concisely set forth
the variety, amount and properties of
the mineral wealth of this region, /
shnll quote 1t. In his fourth report to
the Maryland House of Delegates, jan
nary session, 1859, he says: "I cannot
but believe this 10 be one of the richest
iron ore regions in the United States,
and with its facilities for coal and water
power, offers inducements rarely equal
ed. The iron here Will make very
fine quality OF tough, tenacious metal,
we'll adapted to all the finer purposes
for which iron is used. The average OF
the analysis OF four specimens of the
Clay Iron-stone orc Zone recently made,l
shows the ore TO be capable ofproduc-
ing thirty-eight and ninety-tWO hum
dreths per cent of pure metallic iron
The average OF four analysis of the
Homatite variety shows it to be capa-
BILE OF producing more than tifty-tive
per cent ofpure metallic irOn." In n
more recent report, referringto to the coal
"a six foot vein, which is richly btu
minous, as will be observed from the
analysis he furnishes, DIR. Higgins says,
"the coal is moderately hard, firm and
free from dust, burns we'll in an
open, Hat grate, and from its freedom
from sulphur Is well adapted to the
manufacture of iron, and to the reduc-
tion of its ores.n The following is ono
OF the analysis over made (the second ]
believel of this coal. Specific gravity,
l.2S2, carbon 1920, volatile matter 23.I5,
ash 3.05, Besides this vein which has
been opened on the west side of the
Youghiogheny river, / am confident
-
out-crops on different parts of the river
aud Its tributaries, that there exists un-
der it two foot vein, two four foot
veins, and five foot vein, making an
aggregate thickness of Hinetee1I feet of
good coal for fuel, steam, or mnnufac-
turing purposes. Such is the testimony
of one who ranks among the first
chemists of the country, and am dis
posed to fully credit his affirmation, ,that
instead ofexceeding, his representations
fall short of the full merits of this rich
ly favored region.
These "glades" are by no means con-
fined to Maryland, but spread over n
large portion of our Preston county,
and although they have been, until re-
Gently, barricnded to the enterprising
capitalists of freedom, by the barbarous
legislation of slavery, will here pre-
dict that before the lnpse of another de-
cade, the fostering and liberal policies
States of West Virginia and Maryland,
will have wrought that development
which is but the sequence orineXhaust-
ible mineral wealth, md universal free
dom for, r,theemployment of capital. Let
all those who arc interested in estAb-
lisbing nm iron ore market ncarerto our
West Virginia factories thnn Lake SUI
perior, look well into the merits of this
region so convenient and accessible to
us. Without reverting in detail TO
trip, and trusting that in this ] shall
not have proved II trespaSSer; 1 will alb
ruptly conclude with the subscription
of r.f.4. 4saIHl-.r- r-Ers TRAVELLER.