The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1865-12-27
THE COAL FIELDS OF ILLINOIS.

From two letters from Springfield to the
Chicago Times, in regard to the coal fields of
this state We clip the following extracts:
DR. Norwood (l85S) includes about eighty
counties within the limits OF the Illinois coal
basin; and gives analyses of Goals found In
no fewer than 10l mines, located in 33 of
these counties. Since that date the number
Of surface diggings has been largely lncreas
ed: while at the old points, and at several
new ones, regular mining operations have
been more and more extensively and judi.
ciously entered upon. Whatever theory we
NAV hold of these coal measures whether
that of one or succession OF deposits and
basins,-the quality and uses of the various
Goals vary widely; while difficulties and ia
cilities of mining, transportation lad market.
ing must also enter largely into the practical
decision to which our coal dealers come, and
in which they must ultimately coincide with
coal consumers.
Illinois bears the accepted popular designa-
ton of the prairie state. But this is only
external, superficial designation. There is
an Illinois, sub NinOienSi, which is even
more stvikingly the forest state, than Its alter
ego that we see is the prairie state. For, it
Is not merely one forest which lies eutom bed
beneath the treeless surface. 1t Is the re-
MAINS the quintessence. the representatives
of many forests, which fourished in primi
tive times, ere the lntermontane, continental
basin was fairly rescued from the encroach
ing and receding waves, forests which
touriShed over this area not merely, but
which grew, fell and decayed and were
transported hither from remote, widely sep
arated, often, perhaps, now artic regions of
the globe.
1t may be worth while to state that the
coal areas OF America, of which our fields
form part, are not continuous; but a-s d.
j.. 'vided into several distinct regions.
The great Appalachian coat field, covering
portions of Pehnsy lvania, OHIO, Virginia.
eastern Kentucky, eastern Tennessee and
Alabama. embraces d acorkabie area of Co.
900 square miles,-the entire beds varying
in thickness from 254 feet (Plctsbnrghl to
100 feet (Pottsville)
The Illinois and Missouri region covers a
very considerable part OF Illinois, part of
Indiana and Kentucky, and west of the Mis-
sissippi, portions OF Iowa, Missouri, Kansas
and Arkansas. It's estimated area Is TO 900
square miles, aud the aggregate thickness OF
its beds is 20 feet.
The Michigan coal field occupies 5000
square miles of the centre of the lower peniu-
suIa Of Michigan.
The Teras region embraces several of the
northern aud northwestern counties OF that
state.
The Rhode Island field embraces 900
square miles of Rhode Island and Massachu-
sets.
The Nslo Brunswick and NoUa Scotia re-
gion has an area of Is, 0G0 square niles, IN
Guiding no fewer than I6 distinct coal beds,
with an aggregate thickness of As feet.
The total Of ell the productive coal fields
Of the United States is estimated by Daua at
lbs 600 square miles, which estimate leaves
ou5 the UNEMPLOYED Rocky mountain region.
To return to Illinois. There are few states
which present to the geoiogist more diyersii-
ed aud important features that Illinois, not
withstanding the generally mOnOtonous, a.
iuvial character of its surface. Here, in the
state geological rooms at Springfield, is one
OF the largest and richest state collections in
tho country, full quarter of
million of specimens, collected from four di-
visions of the Loper Sitwrian formation, from
two divisions of tho Upper SiLurian, from
three divisions Of the Deronian from five di-
visions of the Sub Car6On,ferous, from the
Carbonif ferrous, FOCAL measures, and from the
Tertiary, -eIn bracing an aggregate of 1000
feet Of strata.
Aud these Illinois coal measures them.
selves cover tw0-thirds of the whole area of
the state, So, 900 square miles, -including, in
whole or in part, IS counties; filling up the
entire breadth of the state from the Wabash
To Tue nioslssippi, anu EcaculDS 1rOu Tue
latitude of Rock Island and LaSalle on the
north to that of Shawneetown on the south
Beneath this vast extent of surface outcrop-
ping along the borders, and lying from 90 to
600 feet below in the centre of the state, the
coal measures are in ell probability continu
Gus, having an aggregate thickness of 900
feet.
What are these coal measures? Strata of
sRndstones, Gmestones, shales, clay, iron ore,
&c, occurring in no particular order, and in
tercaliated with beds of coal varying from one
in Oh to nine feet in thickness. According to
the most recent Investigations, there are from
II to Is of these beds of Coal live of which
vary from four to nine feet IN thickness.
their aggregate thickness being in the neigh
borhood of 40 feet. 1t is an open question.
which will probably be affrmativey decided.
whether these beds or portions of them torn
continuous deposit beneath this broad area
However the. may be. the coal measures are
known to contain at several widely separated
points as LaSalle, DanVille, Bellevill. and
DuQaoin, workable beds which stretch con-
tinuously FROM county to county, at a moder-
ate depth beneath forest and prairie, hill and
valley. city and hamlet. native heath and Gull
t'yated tsrm, appearing at hundred points
on the surface. In beds Of streams, on sides of
nils. even on the level prairie, where it NAV
De excavated by the acre with the shovel and
leg IN the open light aud pure air of day.-I
fleo eAseW hera han aoth ~