Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-03-10
4tnion mud 9ispatth.
argesf Circulation in City and State
TIIH SOURCE OF CHEAP COAL TOR
NAsMyILLE--REPO OT DIR. =.
"A EAFFOHn

y 1
Va Stafford.
10 tie Presidelf AID Directors Of the Poplar |
Mountain Coai Company GESTLENEN-
Having completed the examination Of your
properly / herewith submit the following
report:
Aud at the outset must state that was
highly grati6ed, and In fact surprised, to
see your excellent bed Of stone coal, and
especially 10 see the preparations you are
making 10 mine the coal and get it TO
market. The energy and zeal displayed,
and the business-like air Of the whole re-
gion, from the coal banks along the line of /
the railroad 70 the river, made most "a !
yorable impression on me, and gave an |
earnest Of the early completion Of the road |
and fixtures, AID Of the early commence |
ment Of operations on n large scale. In |
few weeks we expect 10 see your |
steam tug with its barges laden with |
Goa. descending the Cumberland.
THE LOCATION AND TYPOGRAPHY or THE
MINES.
Themines Of your company are located
In Clinton county, Kentucky, on the north
ern or northwestern end Of a long arm Of
Cumberland mountain, called Poplar
mountain. This mountain reaches from
the main Cumberland many miles to the
northwest, and terminates between the
waters Of Indian and Otter creeks, not more
than six miles from Cumberland river.
Poplar mountain like the main Cumber-
land is a hat-topped, wide-spreading noun
tain, or a plateau, having an elevation OF
a little more than one thousand feet above
the waters ofthe Cumberland river at Row
ena. Its Northern end, being cut of by a
wide gap, Is called locally Short Mountain
he latter being nearer the river, mining
operations have naturally been commenced
In il. The mines here are about six miles
south of Rowena, about twenty miles east
Of Bnrksyille. ten north Of Albany, the
county seat Of Clinton, sixteen southwest Of
Monticello, and, may add, not quite one
hundred and ten miles direct from Nash
Vile, Tennessee.
GEOLOGY or THE MINES.
The base of Poplar Mountain, linclud-
ing Short Mountain is everywhere lime
stone, upon which rests series Of sand
siones, shales and coal, all the strata being
approximately horizontal. This series Of
sandstones, shaes, etc, forms the top of the
mountain, and il usually known as Goal
Measures" The structure Of Poplar
Mountain, Win illltSlNUf AT baAt dtiu tbal
measures at top, is ike that Of the main
Cumberland Mountain, Of which, in fact,
the first is but part Ii is 10 be noted,
that by Poplar Mountain the coal isbrought
out much nearer 10 the river than is done
at any other point in Kentucky or in Ten
nessee below the region of the mouth Of
the Big South Fork and Of the well known
dangerous shoals just above.
e r.H s,H g.F
coal measures, as found upon your lands,
from the top Of the mountain down 70 the
limestone.
/. 4 heary Sandstone varying from 40 to
30 feet in thickness, and forming the Hat
top Of the mountain.
2 Gov Shdles often running into sandy
shales or slaty ssndstones from D TO 80
feet thick.
3. MAIN COAL generally about 4 feet
This is sometimes separated from the shales
above by hard, thin sandstone.
4. Bed Of Fire Clay generally present
beneath the coal and from one to 3 feet
feet thick.
3. Sandaoaes generally fine and haggy,
from 70 20 So feet. |.
trace Of another bed Of coal was seen
at one point about 80 feet below the main
bed.
6. 4 Space from G5 to 10j feet mostly
concealed, bat most likely containing thin
sandstones and shales. There is room here
for another bed of coal.
=. Limestone. The first limestone seen
in descending. This is from l40 TO lj5
feet below the main coal Below this it is
mostly limestone on down 10 the foot Of the
mountain.
This section serves TO show the position |
of the main coal bed, with reference to the |
strata above and below. Ii is seen 10 oc- |
cupy position not far from midway be- |
tween the limestone and the top Of the |
mountain, being 10y a few feet generally |
nearer the top. The whole thickeoss of |
the coal measures upon your lands, Is in |
general, not far from 300 feet.
THE MAIN COAL BED;
This bed was examined with reference to
its extent, thickness, and az to the quality |
ofits coal. Accompanied generally with |
n bed of shale, it every where under |
lies the great sandstone which forms the
crest and fiat top Of the mountain. Its
outcrop, il exposed, would show a black
line all around the slopes of the mountain,
at a distance Of from 100 10 $50 feet below
the top. Fortunately, many openings
have been made in this bed on different |
parts Of the mountain, both on Short Noun
tain and ON the main Poplar Mountain, SO
that its general character can be seen. |
On Short Mountain drifts have heed run in
ON opposite sides, one to a distance Of |
thirty-hve yards and another one hundred |
and eighiy-three yards besides which there |
are old openings at other points from which |
more or less coal has been taken. On the |
main Poplar Mountain are DIR. Longs two |
hanks, very near your line, and upon your |
own property a very 6ne natural exposure. |
Some miles further south are other banks, |
from which, as well as from Longs banks |
coal has been taken 90 Albany for years In /
the several openings on your tracts and on |
Longs, the coal shows much uniformity in /
thickness and quality, indicating clearly |
the continuity Of the bed, at It's proper /
level, throughout the whole region.
The bed will doubtless average about |
forty inches excellent coal, all Of which can |
be taken out in good marketable condition. |
Al some points the bed presents forty-six |
inches good coal then again il sinks TO |
thirty-siX. The average may prove 20 be a |
few inches shove or under forty, but this | |
consider 10 be a near approximation In /
addition to the forty inches good coal there /
is, very generally, at the bottom OF the bed Il
from -four 10 eight inches Of slaty coal. /
This occupies a very fortunate position as /
il serves for space and material in which 10
undermine thus saving the waste Of 30
much good coal, and making the bed in
fact equivalent 10 a four foot OF nearly q
four foot. coal.
The bed has genersllya shale root, which
often becomes slaty sandstone. At some
points for short distances 3 thin sandstone,
often more or less pyritiferous, occurs AZ
the top Of the coal This occasionally sinks
Ia ridge or wave &C the expense OF The
thickness ofthe coal, hut this feature is 10
cal. The floor of the bed Is usually hard |
Gre-clay.
This coal bed appears 10 occupy about
the same position in the geological series
rs the main or upper coal of Pulaski conn
~, Kentucky. Both have nearly the same
elevation above the limestone
THE QUANTITY AND QUALITY OF THE COAL.
The quantity Of coal in this main bed,
within the limits Of your property, is eX-
oeedingly great In a list Of your coal
~ IN. II 4 = 4