Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-05-18
mEErrNc orprREcrons.
Tennessec Railroad and Coal Conn

AShAucSScc AEastf0Ad ahu Co<Ah OOAu@
pany.
The Directors of the Nashville and Chat
tanooga Railroad had a meeting in the
rooms of the company at the depots build
ings yesterday. Their meeting had refer
ence almost exclusively to the details Of
the road. It was harmonious and pleasant,
though the transactions possessed but little
public interest 0ae of the most impor-
tant events Of the meeting was the agree
ment and consent to furnish the Tennessee
Railroad and Coal Company so cars to run
between the city and the mines. This will
furnish the company with abundance ofroll-
ing stock, and the arrangement will no doubt
work sdvantageously to all concerned. The
extra cars will not be required before the
| transportation season of coal arrives, early
in the autumn. This will be calculated to
cheaper fuel, by increasing the facilities OF
its procurement; and whatever tends in this
| direction possesses a direct interest to our
people. The coal mines of the company
are possibly among the most prolific and
exhaustless in the world, and the coal IS OF
a very excellent quality. There is nothing
| precarious about the supply, or its readiness
of access. Tracy City, located at the mines,
is flourishing and growing briskly, built, as
| it is, on the Cumberland Mountain,
near 1900 feet above the level area
below. This place, with its immense
sources of wealth, is situated not exceeding
a hundred miles from Nashville, on direct
| line of railroad. The company own at this
place 5000 acres of land, and have the
| right to dig for coal and use timber of
| from about $50, 600 acres more. The mines
are now in full operation, sending out from
fifteen to twenty-five car loads day, mostly
| to Nashville. A short time since the Lou
| isville and Nashville Railroad sent num-
Der of cars here for coal, and Col Colyar
| is satisfied that he will soon be able to ship
coal to the Ohio and compete with Pitts
burgh.
These are undoubtedly the most extern
| sive coal fields in the South, and are des-
| tined to play an important part In the fu-
| ture development of the country. Atpres-
| ent the work is in its incipiency, but 1t Is
| rising in importance The amount Of coal
here is inexhaustible. The company have
| about four miles of track under ground.
| The vein worked is from six to nine feet
thick. Think of 3, 900 acres of coal OF that
| thickness, and you have some idea OF the
wealth of these mines. The coal is embed
ded between two strata or layers OF slate,
forming roof of remarkable smoothness
and strength. The strata at the top of the
coal is forty-five feet thick, and underneath
it is four feet and half. This greatly
lessons the danger of caving in. The
mines are dry, which is an advantage pos
sessed by but few in England and Pennsyl-
vania.
These mines are easily worked and must
necessarily be an avenue of unbounded
wealth and give profitable employment to
hundreds of hands. The action of the
Directory, then, yesterday in Offering the
company fifty cars for transportation pur-
poses is an important consideration, as
tending to the rapid development Of the
resources of the company, and to the pc
cuniary benefit of all the roads concerned.