The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1870-06-16
Ceai slines alsng the Uaien
PaclAc Railroad.


The western Mines Of tho Rocky
Mouptsin Coal and Iron Company are
located on Bear river, about three
miles from Evanston, Q station on the
Union Pacific Railroad, butt by the
Rocky Mountain Coal aud Iron Com
p any.
These mines were disccved BY one
o the members Of this co npany In
tho fall Of 1864, but wero not sxten-
9 vely worked until about tie time
the Union Pacific Railroad, was oom
plsstsd 10 Evaustown, 10 October,
1898.
The Br,uth Railroal | to tho mines
was complicated In November, 1869,
since which time cars have been load.
cd At the mines and forwarded to all
points on the Union and Central Pa-
ciac Railroads.
The mines are nine hundred and
dtty-seven miles west Of Omaha, nine
hundred and 6fty five miles east OF
San Francisco, and s,venty miles east
OF SaW Jhke \OSueuI.
The coal Is found 10 nesrly hori-
zoutal position, and extends along the
face Of the Bear River Mountains,
north and south, for abou, one and
balf miles. Itis reached by tunnels
from the main railroad track. The
vein or scam Of coal varies in thick
ness at the tunnels now open from
tweuty-six to forty-two feet, and has
been traced BY the blossoms and crop
pings some three miles cast
The quslity Of tho coal is very Pc.
culiar. being between the anthracite
and bituminous, (semi.bituminou,),
entirely free from al trace Of sulphur,
burns without smell or smoke, depos-
i,s but q small amount Of white ash
(,wo and one.half per cent. OF water,
and from seventy to seveoty-four per
cent. of 6xed carbon, also from twenty
to twenty two per cent. OF volatile
or innammab'o matter.
The coal is used in locomotives Of
the Union Pacific, Central Pacific,
and Utah Coatral Railroads, and makes
ION the passenger locomotives) up.
wards of ninety miles run per ton OF
coal. 1t Is entirely free from clinker,
does not burn out the firc-boxes or
crates, and is universally conceded by
the railroad master mechanics and en-.
eineers to be the best and most econ
omical coal for steam purposes 10 Amer
ics.
Some hundred and ffty tons per
day ore mined at this time, but the
mines arc opened for the delivery Of
four hundred tons daily, which can be
increased 70 twelve hundred tons
whenever tho demand shall require
it.
North OF the coal mines, and con-
tisnous to them, is the iron property
Of the Rocky Mountain Coal and Iron
Company. This isa mountain Of iron
which assays, from the surface, thirty
to thirty-hve per cent. Of oxide Of iron,
thirty to thirty-two per cont. Of car.
bonate of lime, and is entirely free
from sulphur or phosphorus. 1t in
cxhaustablc o in quantity. The iron
exists 10 the form Of mixed carbonate
aud oxide.
This Company propose during the
ensuing summer (lS70) to erect blast
furnace Of fifty tons capacity per day
for the manufacture Of pig iron.
Owing to the proximity Of the coal
to the Iron ore, it is believed that pig
iron can be manufactured at less cost
at this point than at any place in
Pennsylvania or Ohio being situate
mid way between Omaha and San
Francisco, the iron acquires addition.
oil value from the great saving in trans
portatiou.
1t is extremely fortunate for the
country that these great beds Of coal
are found along the line Of tho Pacific
railroad, o. wood for steam purposes is
scarce and expensive. and will be Gu
tirely exhausted in few years, while
by the development Of the coal fields
Of Wyoming Territory, the Pacific
railroads ore enabled to procure fuel
for their locomotives at no higher rates
than Is now paid for the coal Of Ohio
and Illinois by the railroads Of the
Westeru States.