The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1870-08-11


portion Of the Allegheny coal field
The seams Of coal are more numerous, aud
their thickness greater than in any other
portion Of this coal Geld; It eau be mined
cheaper and with more economy, generally
under the same rates Of labor, than to any
other region in this country without excep-
ton. The markets Of the West or the
great Ohio aud Mississippi valleys are open
beyond any controlling competition to the
trade Of the Kanawha in coal, salt, iron
and lumber. Charleston is two hundred
miles nearer Cincinnati than Pittsburgh,
aud always open to navigation while the
Ohio to Pittsburgh is frequently closed By
ice in the winter and low water in the sum
mer. The principal volume of the great
and rapidly Increasing trade Of the West
may be diverted to the sOOports ofthe East
ria The Kanawha Valley, with much ecot-
only IA time and transporting POlOer."
From the geological report wemay clear
" see the advantage Of the valleyas regards
the mineral wealth. It now remains for
us to examine the facilities for transport
tatiou, and first those provided BY water.
Rising 10 the moutaius Of North Caro-
liuia, the Great Hanawha flows north,
through a region greatly resembling tue
sister valley Of tho NIonongahola, for more
than two hundred miles until at Point Pleas
ant it ompties into tho Ohio. It does not
bear throughout its course the name Of the
Great Kanawha, the New river" being
the name Of It's larger branch, but only as
sumcs that distinctionat the junction ofthe
'.New" aud "Gauloy" rivers, ninety miles
from its mouth. A few miles below this
point navigation begins. aud is continued
uninterrupted to the Ohio. Fhree large
rivers add their waters to the Kanawha as
it flows north. AT Charleston sixty, miles
from tho Ohio, it trcceives the waters ofthe
Elk river and capable Of slack water
navigation for more than sixty miles,
Twenty miles below, tho Coal river ompt-
les into tho Kanawha at "Coalsmouth, or
more euphoniously, 'Kanawha City" -
The Coal river possesses eight locks on its
waters, tho ninth being in process Of con-
struction. Farther down the Pocatalico is
received, and from thence to the mouth the
depth Of water in the Kanawha is equal to
that outside in the Ohio. The Kanawha
itself, docs not possess a SlaCk water nayi-
cation, tue depth Of water being sufficient
to render the locking and daming Of the
river. a question 10 tho public mind, Of
doubtful advantage. Yet there arc three
places on the river where chutes are used
aud 10 these the Company are required by
their charter to! keep at least five. feet Of
fh6 c,Beit ~ 0r moro E1aa
three years the packets 70 Charleston liayc
not missed a day through low water or ice
and | have heard a steamboat pilot remark
that when there was water enough on tho
Ohio at Point Pleasant to run packets,
there was always suG6ciency in the Ka-
uawha. Excepting thethree chutes already
mentioned, the river lies in pools Of great
deptll-for instance, from the chute below
Charleston for fifteen miles up the river,
the water in the channel lies in depth not
less than from ton to fifteen feet. Should
locks and dams (for tho construction Of
which charter has bcon granted by tho
I4cgislaturc) bo raised below each Of the
chltes mentioned, the Kanawha will pos
scss channel, containing throughout a
length Of eighty miles, nat less at tic lOrest
ttau ten feet Of ,cater.
Contrasting such a stage Of water with
that in the Monongahela and the Ohio be-
tween Pittsburgh and Wheeling; remcni-
bering that the Kanawha is two hundred
miles nearer Cincinnati than the Monon-
the coal is fully as abundant,
and in some respects superior to that on
the MonongaheIa-in tho inference in re-
gard to the coal trade is very plain.
No bridge abutmcnts obstruct the Ka-
uawha, and have been informed by tue
manager Of The Coalburgh Coal Company
"a company that ships from twelve to IF
teen hundred thousand bushels per annum)
that during ten years he had never lost a
boat.
/ have not space here 70 speak Of the 6n.
est beds Of whether on the Kanawha
above Charleston, on Coal or on the unde-
veloped Elk river, but shall pass at once
to the prices of land.
First, however, let me notice the Mon
ougahcla, comparison with which has al
ready been made. Twenty years ago the
Monougahela was as undcvoloped as is the
Kanawha to-day, two hundred coal mines
line It's banks, aud this year there Wero
shipped City. two millions ofbushels. One
continuous village stretches along the banks
Of the river for thirty miles, and coal lands
that twenty years ago where worth scarcely
moro in money than those on the Kanavha.
arc now valued at from two hundred to
one thousand dollars per acre. Against
these prices We will contrast those on the