Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1866-03-29
From Kanawha.
CHARLESTON, WEST VA.
March 26th, 1866.

CHARLESTON, w EST VA.
March 26th, 1866.
Mr.. EDITOR. L. Brown,
Esq, of this city, has just issued his
first annual report as President of
he Navigation Company of Coal
river 1t is in pamphlet form and
contains many interesting facts IN
regard to the extensive coal fields of
the Kanawha Valley and the pros
poets which are now opening mp for
their development. j condense such
portions Of the report as will be of
more particular interest to your read
ers. Coal river is a tributary of the
Great Kanawha, and empties into it
at Coalsmouth, twelve miles below
Charleston and forty eight miles
from the Ohio river At the Forks
of Coal" which is eighteen miles
from Coalsmouth, Coal river divides
itself into Little Coal and Big Coal
rivers Little Coal being twenty
miles long and Big Coal being forty
miles long from the "Forks of Coal" F"
For quantity, quality and variety of
splint, camel and bituminous coal,
the Coal river region has been most
favorably known for nearly twelve
years. For adistance of forty miles
along Big Coal river, and distance
of twenty miles along Little Coal
river, all the above mentioned va
rieties of Coal are found in great
abundance and of the very best
sauality. The veins vary from two
feet and a half to twelve feet in
thickness; and as many as IRE distinct
workable veins are found on the
same property, lying horizontally,
and above the beds of the rivers.
The Navigation Company existed
before the war, and by means of
locks and dams had so improved the
navigation of these streams as to
furnish an easy outlet for these vast
coal deposits. The great freshet of
1861 swept away the greater portion
OF these Improvements, and the war
following, they have remained Uure-
paired up to the present time. The
Company has now been reorganized
and will at once proceed to put these
rivers again in good naviga0le con-
dition. The parties at present H.
terested in the development of Coal
river lands are principally heavy
capitalists of New York and other
Eastern cities, and number in their
ranks such men as William II. Aspin-
wall, Henry E. Pierpont and A.
Bininger, of New York, George W.
Day, P. S. Justice and D. c. Whar-
ton, of Philadelphia. These parties
are making preparations for future
operations on GR erteHsiUe scale. Hav-
ing determined to restore navigation
without delay and in the best man
ner, they are at the same time get
ting organized and ready for runping
and shipping canuelcoal to me
and Tor erecting extensive oiLws
upon their properties. They have
the capital and the ability TO push
these operations to success, and will
undoubtedly do SO.
The following are some OF the ad
vantages which the Kanawha coal
fields possess over the coal fields in
the vicinity of PIttsburg. (D The
Kanawha coal fields contain SIS good
bituminOus coal as the best Youghio-
gheny. and in addition thereto su-
perior splint and camel coal. (2)
The Kanawha coal fields are 240
miles nearer to Cincinnati and Louis
vile than the Allegheny, MOnonga-
hela and Youghiogheny coal fields
are. (2) The Pittsburg coal lands
vary in price from $3.50, to $500, per
acre, while better coal lands on Coal,
Elk and Kanawha rivers can at this
time be purchased at prices far be-
low such rates. az. The navigation
of the Ohio river below Point Pleas
ant is, of course, much better than it
is from Pittsburg down to Point
Pleasant. (5) The Kanawha river
and the Ohio below Point Pleasant
are freed from ice from two to four
weeks earlier than the Ohio river at
Pittsburg, thereby enabling kanawha
coal to be shipped to market fort
night earlier than the Pittsburg coal,
and at the very time when fuel is
most needed in the lower cities.
(6.) The Kanawha coal fields are
situated on what must he in time 4
great highway for the trade and
travel of the Mississippi Valley to
the Atlantic seaboard. The vast and
rapidly increasing trade of the Great
West is seeking new routes for tran
sit to the cities of the sea coast.
And the route through the Kanawha
Valley has advantages over all others
in climate, grade Of road and shortHess
of distance The Covington and Ohio
railroad is to pass through the Ka-
nawha Valley, and this road which
is but an extension o: Virginia's
Central railroad to the Ohio river,
will when completed constitute the
shortest railroad route, by ia miles,
from Cincinnati TO the Atlantic sea-
board, as shown by q comparison of
the following routes.
From Cincinnati TO New York by
railroad:
BY the Baltimore route via Par
kersburg 164 miles.
By the Baltimore route via Wheel
ing Slo
BY the Pennsylvania Central Rail
road SUI g
By the Lake shore, n. Y. and Erie
Railroad SAG "
From Cincinnati to Norfolk, via
Big Sandy:
Covington and Ohio Railroad, Vir-
ginia Central Railroad, and Rich
mond. 643 miles.
(which is 12I miles shorter thsn the
shortest railroad route between Gin