The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-06-21
A NEW TREATISE ON MINING.
co.AlE1a. mon A.ND orr.
Mines and Mineral Resources of
West Virginia.
[Ftom the Mslg York Post:l

t=ad "alF tF+on The Nsw York .POal' d. .i-
One of the most complete and valua-
BILE treatises that has yet been published
in relation to practical mining in this
country is volume entitled, "Coal,
Iron and Oil," written by Samuel Har-
ris Darrow and Benjamin Bannan, and
issued by ]. B. Lippincott 81 Co., Phila-
deIphia. Mr.. Darrow is a mining en-
gineer, and Mr.. Bannan has been for
several years known as the editor OF
the Jhner'S Journal. The product of
their Joint labors is large volume OF
over eight hundred pages, full of facts
and figures, presented with admirable
system, and giving an immense
amount of useful information. The
book is profusely illustrated, and con-
tains at the end large and beautiful
map of the anthracite coal region OF
Pennsylvania. ,-.---
Mr.. Darrow, at the outset, announces
that he has adopted new theories in
regard to the geological formation of
| the coal strata. The truth or incor-
rectness of his theories do not Mt all
affect the value of his factsi and they
are certainly so presented as to merit
examination. He sets out with three
new propositions: t.G
First-That the material forming the
AZoie and PalacoZoiC formations of the
earth are almost exclusively and ut-
reCtly from volcanic sources.
Second-That volcanic and subter-
ranean heat produced the vapors or
gases which result in petroleum naph-
Third-That the hydrocarbons, in
the shape of naphtha, petroleum, and
their resulting bitumen, formed min
eral COAL N '-s-
These are Mr.. .Darrow's propositions,
and in regard to them Mr.. Bannan says
that, while he does not positively COM
nit himself to them-"since nothing
better than theory exists on those sub
iects, and none of the many theories
agree or account for all the facts and
coincidents, L feel like giving support
to any new theory which promises bet
ter results, as believe those herein
presented do.n ...------
In the Introductory chapter COM
parison is made between the respective
capacities of the coal fields. of Great
Britain and the United States. Taking
the aggregate of our anthracite and
bituminous coal beds, and they are, in
common language, inexhaustible. The
former, however, which are the main
sources of supply for the use OF the
finer manufactures, are by no means
inexhaustible,u in any sense of the
word. !. The estimate of the total amount
of anthracite coal is $4,000, 900, 900 tons.
Our present production is ut the rate
of 10000, 600 tons per annum, which
will probably be increased by 1870 to
not less than 15, 900, 900 tons, and at the
same rate of increase the annual pro-
duct would amount to 3O,OOO,OOO WITHIN
the present generation. An annual
drain of this extent would exhaust the
anthracite coal within six hundred
wears. This estimate leaves wastage
out of the account, which-under the
present system of mining and shipment
amounts to over fifty per cent. addl-
tfonal. Should, however, our consump-
tion of anthracite approach that ofIng-
land, our supply would be exhausted
in one hundred. and eighty years--7a
short period in the life of n nation.
The fact is rather startling one. The
authors are strong professionals, ont
we would suggest whether 1t would
not be n wise husbandlnS OF our re-
sources of anthracite were we to nave
access-free of duty--to the vast coal
beds of the provinces, and to use their
coal Tor common consumption. sr
The history of the development OF
our coul mines is very interesting. Al
| though Pennsylvania was first prom1-
nent as n coal producing State, the btu
minous Goals of Richmond, Virginia,
were the first worked, as early as l775.
The Richmond field must have been
discovered as far back as 100 Ihe
author has seen trees at least one nun
dred years old growing on the coal
| banks of the old excavations. The hrst
authentic account of using anthracite
| in this country is in 1859. in the wy
oming Valley, where it was used by
| two Connecticut blaOkSnithS by the
name of Gore. ItrwaS not until lSOS
| that anthracite was used for domestic
purposes in the common CRATE. The
bold experiment was made BY the late
| Judge Jesse Fell, of Wilkesbarre, who
| - III, tT,a ,FolInyyinor IN riOuS memOran-
dunn: 200
Made the experiment of burning the
common stone-coal of the Valley, in a
! crate, in common Fireplace in my
house. and find it will answer the pur-
pose of fuel, making a clearer ana pet
| ter fire. at less expense, than burning
wood III the common way. .,,ta-
NJ. -.,.-74,rt,r Jesse FELL.
"Borough5 of Wilkesbarre, February
IL, 1SO3."
velopment in the Wyoming Valley has
been much liken that of the Lehigh,
SchuylkilI. and other regions. Coal
was Gradually, though slowly, brought
into use but it was valueless until
means of communication with the
marts of commerce and industry had
been opened. The coal mines created
the demand for canals and railways,
and these latter in turn vastly aceeler-
atad and increased the production ol
| the former. Iai g.''iie
we have no space to refer to the de-
| tailed account of the mines of PennsyI-
yania and other States, but Will extract
some passages relating to the mineral
wealth of Western Virginia, to aid in
directing attention in that direction.
| IF tbe South is to be regenerated 1t must
be largely by introducing just that eie-
ment which would be drawn thither by
oreat industrial enterprises. Make a
Ssnnsvlyania of West Virginia and its
influence would be felt beniicently in
ali the adjacent Southern States. The
sutiior saws that this State contains a
| larger portion of the Allegheny coal
hasin Than any other of the States
through which it extends. West Ntr--
| yinia has no less than sixteen thousand
Square miles of coal area. The richest
portion of this is trayersed by the Great
| KanaWha river, which, cuts the coal
measrres-two thousand feet thick-tc
their base. Besides atfording an excel.
| iect, channel for the transmission of coal
| to the West, the Kanawha divides the
| otherwise impossible Appalachian
range. and thus opens the most valua-
1 BILE route from the great rivers OF the
| West TO the Atlantic, and connects tue
| minerals of the old geological forma-
| tions-lead, iron, copper, &c.-wlthy the
! coal of the Allegheny. The river Is
\ free from. the ice that in winter obstructs
| die upper Ohio, and has constant sup
nlv of water sufficient for boating pur'
| noses. From the head of navigation
| 6n the James is three hundred and
| twenty miles, thirty-six miles less by
land than from Pittsburgh to Ph1i4ladel'
phia. ~. 58ael llll- 9. H. Si i-i'7sz =
r,gFsT 5.fi'i' WEST yIRGISIA. iaIHi