Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1871-01-26
MINERALS OF THE CONTINENTAL
LINE.

In the next number of the RE
PUBLICAN, we will publish an article
on the mineral wealth of Ohio, as
developed by the Geological Survey
of the State now in progress. The
proposed Continental Railroad thro'
this county crosses the coal field OF
Ohio at its widest part, and would
have section of from ninety to one
hundred miles from the east line oi
the State to the west line of Holmes
county, abounding in coal and iron
The following letter from Mr.. Reed
to the engineer of the "Continen-
tal," describes a section of about
sixty miles from the west line OF
Holmes county to Paris in the south
east corner of Stark county, and
shows the great mineral wealth OF
this line:
HUDSON, O., Oct. -, 1870.
Geo. Paul, Esq, Engineer B., p. &
c. r. r. Co.:
SIR:-During the present season
as one of the corps of engineers in
the geological survey of Ohio, 1 have
made a somewhat minute examina-
ton of most of the townships, trav-
ersed by your road between the east
ern line of Ohio and the western
line of Holmes county. The part of
Columbiana county traversed by
your road is known to be rich in coal
and iron, but I have not minutely
examined it. From Paris in Stark
county to Nashville in Holmes coun-
ty, l have this season explored ev-
cry township along the line of your
proposed road, and 1 find that every
township between those points con
tain large and valuable deposits of
coal and iron ore. In Paris town
ship the deposit containing the ex-
traordinary black band and noun
tain ores of Tuscarawas county
passes through the tops of the hills
and ores of like character of those
in Tuscarawas county will doubtless
be found on further search in that
neighborhood. Other deposits of
ore belonging to the lower parts Of
the coal measures are found in large
quantities in all that neighborhood.
The coal is of good quality, and is
found in very large quantities in all
the townships west of this point to
Nashville. At the falls of Sugar
Creek, at Dundee, and various
points. Massive sandstone is found
in large quantities easily accessible
and of good quality for heavy rail
road work. Limestone of excellent
quality for all purposes except
building stone, is associated here
with the Goals over the whole area
traversed in the coal regions. Just
south of Nashville in Knox town
ship, there is a remarkable develop
ment of the coal rock, an average of
six veins being found in all the hills
of that neighborhood with two strata
of limestone, and frequent deposits
of rich iron ore. In the regions i'm
mediately southeast and east of
Nashville, the block or Briar hill
coal is found at many points, and a
stratum of black band ore associated
with the vein of coal directly above
the block coal is found at so many
points as to indicate that it under
lies large area in that region. The
local business developed by road
along the proposed line must be ul-
timately very large, and with proper
connections to the west q railroad
thus located could not fail Of secur-
ing a very large business in trans
porting Goals to the country in the
west and northwest which depends
upon railroads for supply of coal.
Yours Truly, N. c. REED.