Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1874-08-01

ed, but those who lived near the head Of
the valley state that suddenly it seem
ed as if the heavens were opened and
the water came down as if discharged
from immense pipes The volume was
so great that the valley was filled with
raging torrent. Frame dwellings,
stables an / slaughter houses gave way
like pipe stems.
Most carefully prepared figures give
the total loss of life at 2l9.
During flashes of lightning horses
and cattle and animals of all kinds
could be seen floating in the torrent,
and their believing of terror could
be heard above the roar of the flood.
THE BLACK HILLS ExrED1T1oN.-A
special dispatch few days since an
nounced the arrival of the expedition
for the exploration of the Black Hill
country, under Gen. Custer, at point
in the Little Missouri valley, which is
within three days march of the region
it is designed to penetrate. The Black
hills extend through parts of Montana
and Wyoming, south of Dakota, ard
are at least in scientific point
of view, a terra incognita. Many
vague reports of gold and other min
erals have been current in regard to
them, generally the stories Of Indians
and fronticrsmen. General Clusters
progress shows that the route pursued
by him was southwest from Fort Lin
coin as far as the Grand river, when
a westerly course was pursued to the
point on the Little Missouri river, in
southern Dakota, twelve miles from
the Montana line, at which he arrived
on the 18th instant. He has thus
crossed the Bad Lands, and now re-
ports that he is in good pasturage.-
Discoveries Of lignites (mineral coal
containing the texture of the wood of
which it was formedU have been made.
The first fossil of importance found du-
ring the expedition was by Mr.. Grin
nell of Yale College, on the l4th
1t was the shoulder bone of an animal
larger than an elephant, and was about
four feet long and foot in diameter.
The country about the Black Hills is
inhabited by Sioux Indians who are
now said to be away on the war path
against the Crows, General Custer
expects to make his observations and
explorations and return in August.
B1TUMlNous CoALs.-Our favorite
American steam generating Goals,
those of Eastern Pennsylvania and
the Cumberland district of Maryland,
which have of late been largely sought
after for foreign orders, suffer a con-
traction Of business from the same
causes that affect the Anthracite mar
ket. The Consolidation Coal Company
and Borden Mining Company, both
producers of the well-known Georges
Greek Cumberland coal, however, re-
port fair business doing, although at
prices not entirely satisfactory.
Give us manufactures and factories,
is the great cry of Western and South
ern communities Nebraska and Neva-
da, and other as imperfectly developed
States, see remedy for every financial
i'll in the establishment of few mills
paying out several thousand dollars
a week. Georgia is looking at the ex-
ample set by India, and wants to have
all her cotton manufactured at home,
and California wool growers see anoth-
er Pactolus in woolen-mill while San
Franciscans are pointing with pride to
their home-spun garments.
There is hourishing pump manu-
factory at Charleston West Virginia.,
on the Kanawha River, whence they
ship pumps by the carload to New
York, where the company have an Of
fee and warehouse. The vast forests
of that region afford extraordinary IA
cilities for maaufactur ers of wooden
ware Coal and iron also abound in
that section of the State.
Satisfactory reports come in from
South Iorkshire concerning the iron
trade, but the coal trade is troubled on
the vexed question of wages.
The iron trade on the Continent, es-
pecially in France and Belgium, is
slowly improving. Prices are frmer,
and orders more numerous. In Lux
embourg, the prices of pig iron have
been raised.
AN IMPORTANT RUMoR-The Phila-
delphia Ledger says there are rumors
current that the different railroads in
tend to combine and do their own ex-
press business that is, carry the pack
ages and receive the full price them
selves, thus making the profit now
4Ia A Lawn, Evrroe, ro,o