Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1874-05-28

we puOIiSu UeiOW Tie TepafI OF CapC.
cambridge, Chief Engineer OF the w. C. s.
st. l. r. K, which. appears in the Old
Commonwealth OF the 21st inst. It shows
that there Is coal of good quality and in
large quantities u long the North Mountain
Several years ago gentleman from this
cosiLty in company with a geologist made,
a tour along the North Mountain above
the headwaters Of Cedar Creek. 'rhcy
reported that they had found veins OF
co al but no efforts have been made to de-
Telop it.
AT your request, fol report of my ex-
| animation of the Dora coal mines, here
with submit an extract Of report l am
preparing to make the w. {. s. St, L. Co :
on the resources Of the country along It's
route, &c.:
An examination Of the Dora coal mines
has led to the conviction that large and
valuable deposits of coal exist at that
point. These mines are located on Mort
River, 10 miles southwest of Harrison
burg, and Immediately on the location Of
the W. G. & st. L. r. R., which has
already been nearly graded to the coal
beds, and viii be completed within few
months to that point. Three veins of coal
are found in q vertical section of about
one Injured and thirty feet, of which the
two upper will not average in ont-crop
shown, over 3 Ia feet, but the lower vein
has an average thickness Of good coal Of
5 l-2 TO feet. The latter seam has been
opened upon the lands of MIR. w. Shafer
on the northern bank of North River, one
mile from his residence, and also at one
or two points on other property in the
neighborhood. Mr.. Skaters vein has been
d-ifted some 90 feet into the mountain
and with a horizontal front of 80 feet The
opening of the drift Is some 20 feet above
low water mark of Nol tn River and 100
feet distant and shows6 feet thickness of
coal, with "a parting of4 or 5 inches OF
Slate near the middle of the seam. Be-
tween the coal and sandstone formation
above vein Of rotten slate is uniformly
found, of u to Is inches in thickness.
and Il sim liar formation of slate exists
between the bottom Of coal and solid sand
stone beneath. 1t is entirely unnecessary
to remove this upper and lower slate in
mining the coal, us seems to- have been
hitherto done and the small proportion of
Safe a to inches) i'll the Gentle of the
! coal seam necessarily taken out. with the
coal, will detract but little from the value
OF the mine. The stratitication OF this
section is exceedingly Irregular. The dip
of coal where opened, is at first inclined
.. nearly 30 degrees to the horizon in north
eastcrnly direction. and when 50 leet en-
trance has been gained, changes TO one
nearly Level; and probablyipa short dis
lance wilt incline upward, at the same
angel as the decline near the opening of
the mine. The transverse section is pro-
portionately, tortuous and Irregular. These
characteristics are of con iderable dis
advantage i'll the economical working of
the mines, but IS the coal seems to be of
| uniform the hness, averaging nearly feet
of good quality, their. value compares
iavoraby with any seams found in similar
qualification in Pennsylvania and Ohio.
Although contrary 10 all expectation, the
I coal closely resembles anthracite Portions
/ OF the vein show the "Peacock" coal in all
i IS variety Of color and appearance. being
exactly similar to that found in the
Mahoung Valley and Straitsyilie mines OF
Ohio and i'll Pennsylvania.
Some $50 tons have been minel and us.
ed for various purposes tron this seam.
Used in the smith Shop. it is found to weld
kiron admirably. and tor foundry purposes
is equally valuable, Used py Mr.. Palmer.
west OF otaunton, for the latter purpose.
twas found that about one cwt, was
sufficient TO reduce seven ,cWt. of iron.
The deposit OF coal has been traced by MIR.
Shafer and others for some nine mikes in Il
norlherly and southerly direction and
shows in the bed of North River. one quar-
ter mile southwest OF the DRIFT referred to.
as well as across the valley OF that stream
in the mountain-side westward. 1t Is re-
ported to have been found at Brooks Gap.
distant some twenty miles. The existence
OF this deposit, Immediately on the line of
the VIC. u 81. l.. Il. R.. and in such close
proximity to the k,f9er lnarkets, rcannot
fail 10 afford :. large and very profitable
tonnage The distance to Haryisonburg
will be 10 miles. to Winchester 50, to Bal
timore 1875, to Washington l6S, taking the
b. q o. r. r. from Harrisonburg to these
points; by the 0 a. & NJ. r. r. to Alex
| andria 100 miles and by the W.. c. & st.
J.. r. r. to Alexandria, l42 miles. From
Baltimore to the Frestburg;.S Piedmont
mines, which supplies such enormous tom
mage over the BALTIC. & Ohio Road, the
distance is 1875 to 200 miles. The coal Il
the Dora mines is OF such quality, and can
be furnished at such rates, both to local
and central markets, that its demand must
be great. Hematite ore exists in large de-
posts in the same hills with the coal near
Skaters. 1t is of the brown and red varie-
ty, and specimens examined will assay
probably 30 per cent. A vein some. ter
feet thick. is reported to he found within
! one-half mile of the present coal drift, aid
close down to the foothills, near the Rail-
| road location. In the same locality, cop
per ore is found Oh the surface in colsid-
| erably ,quantity. From piece Of this ore
o inches Jill diameter, two and a.half oun-
ces of pure metal was obtained by u recent
experiment. The abundance Of timben.i in
this section. both as source of tonnage
and reduction of ores by charcoal, when
necessary. is'an.. additional advantage OF
considerable Importance.
G, G. DANDRrDGE.
| Chi Eng'r, W., c. & st. J.. r. r.