Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1869-04-02

The present annual coal trade of the
city is over a million tons. Yet, in spite
of this enormous increase, the price of
coal has constantly advanced. In 1850
the price paid for coal in the Cleveland
market was $3.50 per ton in 1856, the
same coal was uniformly sold for $3.50
per ton. The price now ranges from
81 so to 1915 per ton.
The coal product of Stark county in
1867, was greater by 7,611, $50 bushels
than in 1866, being a gain of nearly 300
per cent; and this Increase was greater
than the entire product of any other
county in the State, in either of the
years 1866 or 1867. Mahoning county,
in the same ear-1S67-increased its
product nearly 700 per cent.
According to the returns, the whole
amount of stone-coal mined in the
State in 1866, was "a, 200, ,159 bushels; in
1866, AZ, ,13O, ,O2l ; in 1867, 40, ,703, $40. The
stimulus that would be given to this in
crease in the coal product by reliable
and thorough exploration of our coal
mines would, without doubt, multiply
it many fold. Following this would
come reduction in the price of coal,
both for domestic purposes and manu-
featuring, causing a great saving to the
mechanical industries of the State. The
advantages to be conferred upon the
poorer classes by this cheapening of
coal, are many and obvious, while the
benefit to our manufacturing interests
from the same cause would be equiva-
lent to protective tariff. It would be
better than tariff, because it would
render material assistance to our man
ufaeturing interests, without increas-
ing the price of manufactured arti-
cles.
The iron deposits of Ohio are next in
importance to the coal, and but little if
any better understood. They are said
to cover nearly half the coal strata,
and are without doubt more extensive
than has been supposed. But small
part of our great iron belt, extending
from the Ohio river to Lake Erie, has
yet been developed.
Prof. Briggs states that in the limit
ed explorations of 1887, he discovered,
in the narrow territory between the
SciotO and HockhOcking, an amount of
good iron equal, at a very low calcula-
tion, to "a solid, unbroken stratum,
sixty miles in length, and six miles in
length, and three feet in thickness"
A square mile of this layer, he contin-
ueS, will yield, when smelted, three
million tons of pig iron. This number
multiplied by the number of square
miles contained in the stratum, will
give 1,080 million tons, in these cOun-
ties alone, or an amount capable of
yielding 400, 900 tons of iron anuully,
for 2, 700 years. This annual yield is
greater than the whole amount made
in England in any year prior to 1929.
When it is remembered that this es-
innate is much too low, and that it
covers but a small part of the territory
where iron is found, and that but mea-
gerly explored, some faint conception
may be formed of the extent and re-
sources of the iron deposits of the
State.
The ore exists in great variety, as
well as richness, including some of the
finest varieties known to the metallur-
gist. The "black band" variety, which
has been productive of great wealth in
Scotland, has been discovered in some
parts of the State, and may no doubt
be found in others. It is excellent in
quality, easily smelted, and contains
from p to 80 per cent. of metallic iron.
An investigation of our resources in
this mineral is of great Importance to
our mining interest.
There is equally pressing need for
scientific study of our native ores,
some of the most abundant and access
ible of which are not worked for want
of knowledge of the proper method of
treatment. The mixture of our native
with foreign ores, by which both are
materially improved, and which, by
reason of our superior coal for smelt-
ing, is becoming a very important in
terest, should be followed out scientifi-
cally to its complete results.
So also in our methods of mining
there is urgent need for scientific in
vestigatiOn and the appliance of Scien-
tific principles. For want of this, some
of the rich mines of the Pacific slope
are already beginning to fail, and
others are nearly ruined. Our depos-
it's are so abundant that we scarcely
seem exposed to the same danger, yet
science may nevertheless very materi-
ally contribute to the economy and
profit of working our mines.
Besides coal and iron, our immense
deposits of salt, petroleum, pOtter's
clay, brick clay, porcelain, common
sand, mineral paints, mineral phos-
pilates, gypsum, building stones,
grindstones, millstones, mineral wat
ers, &C., all as yet but imperfectly un-
derstoOd, offer a wide field for investi-
cation.
The extent of the salt producing in
terest in Ohio may be judged by the
fact that there were manufactured
/, ,719, 1872 bushels of salt in Meigs coun-
ty along during the year 1867.
The salt deposits of Ohio generally
accompany those of coal, so that the
fuel for boiling is both plentiful and
convenient. Such is not the case with
the New York and Michigan wells,
where more expensive fuel is used,
and as the coincidence of salt and coal
rarely occurs, our State has special adj
vantages for the manufacture of salt.
A geological survey would greatly de-
veIop these advantages by determin-
ing the location and accessibility of
both the salines and coal and the eX-
tent of the salt formation.
Tho geological relations of petroleum
are not so easily understood as those of
the great mineral products, yet the la
ter discoveries of science have led to a
very accurate and reliable knowledge
of the geological conditions under
which it exists, An able scientific