, 1865-01-10
MINES AND MANUFACTURERS
In ILLINOIS,
Coal Mines ut Rock Island.

| lhc coal OF Rock Island and yIuinity form
Fart Of The northern border Of the great lii
nojs c1al field. The lower carboniferous rock
mere come ta The surface, resting upon Silurl
IN and DeVonian strata. Deeply cuteby th.
great valleys of The Mississippi and its triba
ta1ics, and rcmorcd By extensive derudation
Tie eoal ormatien exists as d series Of out
llers, occupying the highest points Of land
In al the deep valleys 1t has been awep.
away, and lis ruins have gone southwark, tc
form the rich alluvials of the Lower 3flssis
eflpi and the deltas at its mouth.
The coal is found associated with sandstones
and limestones in thin bands, between heavy
beds Of shalc. One workable scam only has
been found, which has an average thickness
ofhbout three feet SIX inches. It is, however.
quite irregular, being liable to very sudden
conttactions and expansions. Tho coal lies
h1gh above the streams, and is very favora-
by located for mining. It IS generally reach
Cd ty shaltlng into lie hill sides. III: roul is
Limestone or calcarcous sandstone, OCCASION
ally separated from the coal by thin band
Of shale. Beneath lies gery bituminous
ehalc, sometimes graduating into an inferior
slale abounds in iosil plants; often in a 1ery
hne state Of preservation, prominent among
Which are huge reeds and ferns, mingled with
plants Of great deiicacy and beauty. The flrc-
clay has been tested, and found valuable, It
Y extensively used by Thomas & Joury, at
/ tirc-bfi:k aud tile.
Most of the mines Of this district arc small.
averaging from ten to thirty tons daiIy y;rId
The nl;nlng is done at the outrap on he hIll
Eidcs, and the coal is gencralty carried to
Rock Island by teams. The mines aro from
clght to ten miles distant from the river, and
ms !ong transportation is very serious
drawback upon the profits. The only lnfce-
mines are those Of Cool valley, owned by 3.
l.. Cable, Esq, Of Rock island. This is one
q the best organized mines in the country.
Alr. Gable has built railroad twelve miles
ea loEs, from Rock Island to his mines, over
WINCH his Goa! is carried to market. lis an-
nral product is about C0,000 tons, which is
marketed mainly ut the riye4, and CARRIED
westward into Iowa. It is extensively used
By steamers, and supplies the 1atge towns Of
Eastern Iowa, with fuel and gas. About SO
hands arc employed, most Of whom arc con-
mon laboress, who have taken up mining and
acquired their skin by practice III these mines.
Ihey work under an arrangement us novel as
1t Is successful. The miners and tho ownccs
OF the mines, are parties to mutual under
standing, by which the railroad receives one
third, the m1ue-owner another, and the oper-
ali'cs shn 3 e3e-th!rdof TIC price per ton. which
rapSenent works admirably. It SECURES the
best class Of labor, avoids strikes, encourages
men to csta blfsh permanent homes. and "a
cures the steady Development of the mines,
It is cminsntly profitable to NIL parties. ills
intriasically just and humane, and has the
additional advantage Of putting mere money
into the pockets Of fmlne-oWncrs aud opcra-
tiyes than the old method.
The mine is opened In tho side Of steep
bluff, south Of Rock Rtver. The coal is
brought to the cars, which run to the mouth
ol The drift, by mules over b wooden track.
The seam is here about -four feet thick, with
excellent roof and floor, hut is subject to
some slips and Interruptions. In running the
nain entry back into the bluff, at a distance
Of about 10 rods from the opening, the coal
mass Of sand md gravel, mingled With large
stones end DRIFT wood. This occurrence
puzzled the miners considerably and was sup.
posed By some to be fault or slip Of tic
strata On examination, however, Of the
surrounding country, the real nature Of the
interruption becomes obvious, The coal and
its associatc rocks come In again, and are seen
in their proper place, through q large extent
Of the formation is gone. 1t has been cut
out by dividing agencies, similar to those
wlnch are now at work in every valley where
water flows. But the space has filled up
rents, willie the surface suffered temporary
longs ID tAe DRIFT epoch, when extensive areas
of the earth which had been above
wafer for ages, subsided below the
ocean, and became covered with the
deposits Of clay, gravel and boulders, which
form The su.lacc 50 generally in the North
temperate gone, Possibly Ii is altered drilt,
washed in by The Mississippi at its Hood,
when its waters flowed hundreds Of feet aboye
their present level. Fresh water has certain
" stood on the highest lands of this region,
TOR On the hill-tops deposits Of loamy clay arc
everywhere visible, containin. fresh water
wells. All shallow beds Of coal are liahle to
these interruptions In regions which have
betn subjected to extensive inundation, cut
ting broad aud deep Valleys and especially
where the deposit Of DRIFT Is thick, the great
est care is required in opening mines, where q
heavy outlay IS to be made. a thorough sur
Tey ty competent geolosist is IN Essential
prerequisite to any large Investment in in
provtmvnts.
The quality of this coal Is good, though
hardly equal to the test coals Of the State,
as seen at Du Quoin, LaSallc, DAnyiAe and
Faiitury.
II is very compact, in thick layers, with
mineral charcoal between, with some thin
seams Of carbonate Of lime, and sulphutate
Of iron in email quantity.
Spec1hc
Nh- Ia SoAAuS. l3.u
Asiee' $40
Vast quantities Of small c.:al 10y around The
mines, wastc and useless, which might be CON
ycEtcd into the finest coke. Tie farmers
G. Fit long distances and draw this small coal |