The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1865-09-19
The Camel Coal.fields Of Elk River,
West Virginia. l9s
To the Editors OF the Enquirer {:

/ To the Editors OF the Enquirer:
This river empties into the Great Ka-
nawha at Charleston aud is, next to that
river, the largest in West Virginia. To
CLAW Courthouse from its mouth is fifty
miles The fall in the river to that place
/ is two feet per mile. The railroad char
tered to connect with the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad, by way of Elk River, near
Grafton, will be of grade of some three
feet per mile, from Braxton CourT house
to Charleston, some ninety miles, aud con-
Meeting with the Ohio River at Big San
DIV bringing Baltimore nearer to Cincin-
natl by perhaps one hundred miles than
by any other route. .s
Bituminous, spint, cdnneI coal and cam
mel slate abound i'll tins river in the up
per part of Kanawha, and in the county
of Clay, The cannelvein, however here
as elsewhere, presents the same eccentri-
city of deposit Nine miles from Charles
ton. on Mill Creek, two oil factories are
in operation. The one ownei by the
Messrs Tanton is worked with some fifty
retorts, and am credibly informed, at a
net profit of $4,000 per annam, for the
crude OIL thesa gentlemen selling then
oil in the crude state. The other, on a
large scale, is worked by Boston COM
pany, at large profit. The next we'll
defined camel or oil bearing coal is on
Falling Rock Greek, nineteen miles from
Charleston, where the most extensive oil
works in America are about going into
operation. owned by a New York capital
lists. Tie oil from these Goals, and par
ticularly the latter, isofi very superior
quality S3 4
The next camel coal vein is at Queen
Shoal, twenty five miles from Charleston,
and is owned by Mr. W.. Rand, Of
Charleston A company has been formed
for the manufacture of oil here. The
next well-defned camel or oil-bearing
coal is ut Clay Court house, OH both sides
of the river. On the north side it is
owned by Mr.. John S. Swami, Charles
ton; on the south side by Mr.. Wm. Ed
wards, Now York. 1t is not, strictly
speaking, camel COAL neither is it q
shoal. 1t yields very superior oil and
is extensive in deposit, being open for
three miles on each side Of the river.
The yield of oil per bushelis from one and
q half to two gallons But it has, per-
haps, ten per cent. less of tar than any
coal oil known to me. To oil is remark
ably pure and clear. has no sulphur, is
huid, and stands at q deg. at tempera-
ture of60 deg tits pronounced, recent
ly, by indges of oil at Parkersburg, supe.
rior TO any coal oil that has been pro.
duced, and being tested on n planning ma
chine revolving $500 times to the min
ute, is also pronounced superior as lu-
brcator to any petroleum. out Of great
many trials made at that place, and
scarcely inferior to lard oil for such quick
motion. Capitalists wishing to invest in
camel coal lands would do well to turn
their attention to the oil-bearing coal at
Clay Courthouse. - "
In addition to the camel oil bearing
caal veins on Elk River, others doubtless
exist, and will be developed, but AIN
coniining myself TO those seen and ex-
amined. Several superior bituminous
and splint coal veins have been also open
ed on the river, i'll the upper part of
Kanawha and in the county of Clay
Among them is a six-foot vein, six miles
below Clay Court house, five-foot vein,
three miles below, and nine font vein,
one mile below and half mile above
Clay Courthouse. The first owned by
the heirs of David Piersan; the second,
by Mr.. S. Salisbury; the third is on the
camel coal lands at Clay Court t-house.-
These three veins, known to exist from
seven miles above to some fifteen miles
below Clay Courthouse, are separated
from each other by from forty to sixty
feet of sand stone, and are estimated by
Judges equalin quality to any coal known
in the West; besides those running, other
veins are opened and the same, no doubt,
will be found lower down the river. The
petroleum indications from Sandy Creek,
thirty miles below, and for twenty five
miles above Clay Courthouse, are mum
erous and distinct =.
Among others, the river bubbles with
gas to such an extent "a to attract the
most careless observer The gas on the
river, four miles below, and some distance
above Clay Court house, has been known
to take fire from fishermen's torches
Other surface indications are numerous
Iron ore can beseen along the river bluffs
in many places.
The river affords cheap navigation IL
all purposes connected with the manu.,m-
ture, transportation, &c. Of oil for one
hundred miles, but for commercial coal
it needs improvement, which could be
made at small cost. NIAT0R.
PARKERsBURG, September |. 1865 7!