The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1873-11-15
Written for the woRkmsnAs's ADVOCATE.
The Origin Of Coal No. 8.


| THE RICHMOND AND NORTH CAROLINA GOALS.
In addition to the great and extensive
coal deposits Of the Allegheny and western
coal fields Of the American Union, there
are . number of independent, though
small, deposits in Virginia and North Car
olina, which belong to later geologic ages
than the carboniferous era. OF these the
most important is the Richmond coal field.
This basin contains less than $50 square
miles, being FIVE miles wide, and about
thirty miles long. 1t lies within the gran
ite basins Of the primitive formations, al
though this coal strata is the latest crea-
ton Of geology. This coal field is very
irregular in shape and structure, existing
in the form Of series of deep basins, the
hanks Of which, in many cases, rising to
the surface The coal is always thickest in
the bottom of these irregular troughs, and
thinnest on the anticlinals, whence it is
held by the geologist, that these troughs
existed at the period of the deposition Of
the carboniferous matter from which the
coal is derived.
The coal troughs Of this field are not al
ways found occupying the same line Of
lead, and the line Of inclination Of the
strata is not uniform. The dip of the
measures vary from 20 to 40 degrees, and
in one or two instances the Goals are found
occupying wholly perpendicular positions.
The f,,1l &hsolnous of Aha tLn
south side Of the basin is nearly one thOus-
andfeet there is only one bed Of mineable
coal, but it Is of magnificent thickness,
ranging from 10 to SO feet, the general
average being from 20 TO 80 feet On the
north side Of the James River the basins
are shallower than those of the south side,
and the order of stratikcation is materially
different, there being in the northern side
Of the field five different seams of Goa, one
of which is bed Of natural coke, from
five to six feet in thickness. There are
two grades of this coke in the same bed,
named respectively the soft coke" and
''hard coke, the softer variety being the
more valuable. 1t burns beautifully and
emits strong heat, while the harder grade
is difficult Of ignition, and requires the ac-
ton Of strong blast.
The first coal mining ever done in Amer
lea was done in the Richmond coal field.
As early as the year 1889 coal Was shipped
from the mines near Richmond to Phila-
delphia, New York and Boston. During
the war of the Revolution, the Goals from
these mines were employed in the manu-
facture of shot and shell for the armies Of
Washington. Some costly and extensive
mines have been opened in this district
The Midlothian mine, on the south side of
the James, is 100 feet of perpendicular
depth, and the coal seam, when struck, was
SO feet in height. Another mine, coal
slope, is /, 800 feet long, the perpendicular
depth to the coal beinE above 700 hundred
feet. Most Of the mines, however, have
been opened on the antichnals or ridges Of
the irregular troughs, and all the hill Goals,
which were available Of extraction, have
been mined out. Whether by reason of
the slave system of the Southern States,
which retarded social progress, or BY reason
Of the greater difficulties of successfully
mining the coal, the mines Of this region
have never been carried On very extensive
ly, and less coal is now annually raised
than was done twenty years ago.
The coal seams of the Richmond mines
abound In tire damp, ard several serious
and fatal mine explosions have occurred at
the mines. Before the war Of the rebel
lion majority Of the miners were slaves,
the property of the mine owners. As
many as four and five wrought together in
a single room--they all struck the coal at
once, keeping time 10 inspiring songs which
they all sung. 1t required the united ex-
ertions Of four Of these sable colliers to do
the ordinary days work Of skillfal prac-
tical miner, with Anglo Saxon blood in his
veins.
In the counties Of Prince Edward and
Cumberland a small coal deposit is found,
called the Piedmont coal field. As in the
Richmond district, the strata is very irreg-
ular. The Goals are thin, ranging from 6
inches to 2b feet, and are subject to
troubles. The Deep River coal field of
North Carolina is, doubtless, part Of the
Piedmont basin. The Goals are thin and
irregular, and sometimes approach the an
thracites in character. No developments
OF any consequence have been made il
these districts. The Goals are mainly got
by stripping, an operation which consists
in throwing off The material above the coal
where it is exposed on the line of outcrop
and quarry it In open daylight. There arc
a number Of other coal patches-that of
the New River field and Porcis Mountain
basin, and the North Mountain basin, il
the valley Of Virginia, where coal has been
opened but little Is known practically Of
their value and extent. The beds so far as
exposed, appear to be very irregular, being
subject to frequent changes Of thickness.
and they are lmpregnated with rock and
slate faults, the rock faults in general cases
being dikes, shich change the line Of level
up or down from 10 TO 40 feet. The lower
Goals approach the anthracite Of Pennsyl-
vania in character.
In the New England States there are
some deposits Of anthracite, but they are
Of no value. The intensity of the heat
which acted on the coal, and deprived 1t
Of its bituminous matter, during the up
heaval Of the Allegheny Mountains, de-
stroyed their value for the practical purpo-
ses of the miner they are everywhere thin,
irregular and subject to all the various
troubles of the mine. Attempts have been
repeatedly made to mine these Goals, but
the beds are too irregular, and uncertain
for success The miner cannot count on a
single yard Of advance, % plentiful are the
slip dikes-the irregularities of tina seams !;
by thinning out, or by folding and distor-
tion Of strata.