Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1871-02-14

A
bined action of air and water. The coal
has, at the same time lost a small proper
tion Of the more volatile bituminous mat
ter, but not enough to materially alter its
capacity as fuel. In opening this mine,
Mr.. Ries has exhibited much good judg-
ment and practical knowledge in so ar
ranging as to have currents of air passing
| through the several chambers in the mine,
adding materially to the comfort of the
miners. This mine drains itself and the
Inconvenience arising from the accumula-
ton Of mud and water is avoided. It is,
perhaps, 800 yards from the entrance of
the mine to the main track Of the branch
road, which distance the coal is conveyed
In dump cars, drawn by mules, where the
coal is deposited In the railroad cars, at q
comparatively small expense. With their
| facilities should it become necessary, this
company could with ease throw much
larger quantity of coal on the market than
has ever been done heretofore. The prop
erty of this company embraces fif y acres
of coal in an adjoining tract which is easy
of access, and which Prof. Bradley esti-
4
mates will yield according to the ordinary
miners estimate, 1872, 500 bushels, or 31e,
500 tons.
| Since the two mines above spoken Of
were opened, Messrs. McEwen & Wiley
have opened another, west of the opening
| made by the Knoxville Iron Company,
and have been working it very successful
lxz ;r 60 .lar. ol,aro c<or f0
that of the other mines, and the facilities
for bringing it from the mines into the
railroad cars are about the same.
When these mines were first opened,
those engaged in opening them were sub
jected to many hardships and privations
by reason of the sparsely settled country
and the scarcity of supplies, but
quite q village has sprung up with every
sign of thrift and prosperity. The miners
all have comfortable cottages and can easily
procure the necessaries of life from the
surrounding country Three mercantile
establishments have been opened, all do
ng good business, we learn. The people,
ofthe surroundiny country, with the mines
being worked and the railroad attheir door
have been reinvigorated and built up. Pro-
perty in that immediate locality has adj
vahced one hundred per cent. in value in
the past three years.
The present terminus of the Knoxville
and Kentucky road is at Careyville, eight
miles beyond Coal Greek. At this place,
three miHes have been opened in the past
year, all Of which are now being worked.
Each of them is opened near enough to
the railroad track for tram-roads TO run
up to chutes by the side ofthe track, where
ears are very conveniently loaded. The
first mine opened here was by Messrs.
Kennedy & Morrow, since when Messrs.
Grady& Spence and the East Tennessee
Coal Creek Company have opened mines,
and are able to send large quantities ofcoal
to market. 90
Good lump coal can be had in the Knox
vile market in quantities to suit consul
mers at five dollars per ton. Fine coal,
such as is used by manufacturers, can be
had in bulk at from 1925 to $3.50 per ton.
If manufactures were putinoperation here,
blast furnaces, rolling mills, foundries or
anything requiring a large quantity of
stone coal, the mines now in operation
would be worked much more extensively,
and if the demand rendered it necessary,
any number of other mines could be put in
operation, and would be soon. This be-
ingso, and iron ore being deposited through
out East Tennessee in almost inexhausti-
BILE quantities, there is nothing to prevent
this becoming a great manufacturing coun-
try