The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1870-06-25
THE srRAwN COAL MINES.


1
| very large ceal field extends on either side of
the Vermillion at intervals almost its entire
| length, but how broad territory was COM
prised in the coal basin, or how distant the
| intervals or breaks in the beds has never been
fully determined. 1t has been known for
twenty years, however, that the coal on the
Vermillion river was of wonderful purity, and
| that 1t was found in veins of from seven to
| ten feet in thickness. The great coal bed
at different places along the river, runs out
to the surface, and in others dips downward
| for many rods and then seems crowded to the
surface, so that 1t seems to lie in a series of
basins, the place of the COAL wherever that
disappears, being taken by the sand rock,
which everywhere underlies the coal, and
| crops out wherever the coal fails.
1t has never been demonstrated how far
| from the river the coal extends, simply be-
| cause there never has been sufficient means
of getting it to market; but now the Ottawa,
Oswego and Fox River Valley Railroad hav-
ing been partly completed, this great coal
| field is opening to the world. Accepting the
general principle that coal dips from the
southwest to the northeast, David Strawn
Esq, believed there must be coal on his land,
mile and a half from the river southeast of
Mackey's mines, and so great was his faith,
despite the predictions of the knowing ones,
that there was no coal there, he drove a drill
down and found vein of probably the finest
coal in the west. He at once sunk shaft
five feet square, properly and securely curb
ing it as he went, until, within ten feet of the
coal, where he found hard slate and soap
stone cap,-natures own curb, water proof
and as solid nearly as the best rock, and for
| all purposes as good protection as he could
wish over the mine.
material found:
Blue clay, GO feet.
Blue limestone, 20 inches.
Soapstone, 2 #. inches.
inches of black rock
I foot 6 inches black slate rock
inches, a mixture of soap and slate,-the
water vein.
feet 2 inches, hard black slate.
foot hard dark soapstone.
S feet 8 inches of solid seapstone
And finally MIN. feet Of pure coal.
In all the Vormilon coal vein is found a
stratum of fire clay, the finest kind known,
and eventually destined to be even more val
liable than the coal. This clay lies about two
feet above the bottom of the COAL and varies
in thickness from two inches to two feet, and
is always of the same quality, and the same
uniform height above the bottom Of the coal.
Mr.. Strawn's discovery nearly settles the
fact that the whole region northeast for four
miles Is vast coal field, which cannot be ex-
hausted in hundreds Of years. Land in that
from twenty to one hundred dollars per acre.
and none for sale even at that figure
| On voyage of discovery in that region re-
Gently, we were in Strawn's, Plumbs Mac
keys, and other shafts, and have no doubt of
the vastness or value of these coal beds
| Mr.. Strawn is to have side track from the
railroad-two miles east, extending to his
coal bed. Then he will put up steam works.
and mine coal on an extensive scale, and his
neighbors will soon begin to follow his exam.
pie. Although this IS one of the best farming
regions in La Sale county, owing to the SUI
perior quality of the coal, and the ease and
chcapness with which it can be raised and
marketed, we soon expect to see farming aban-
doned here, and a city spriDging up mo mean
proportions. Indeed, store, saloon, &c. al
ready constitute a nucleus there for one
Who can predict the changes in ten years
since only couple OF years ago Streator. five
miles away. was not known. So there is
doubtless Il bright future for Strawnvillc,"
or whatever name the new city may bear
Those who would like to see specimens of
the coal from Strawn's shaft, will find some
at the FREE TRADER Office.
The mnnthly rpnort Df fine commits sioDpr If