The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-11-05
WHEELING 4 LAKE ERIE ROAD.

The s4ndulky RegistGr has an extended
report Of the meeting at that place on
Saturday evening last, and the reports Of
the Special Committee which has been
over the line Of the road, as well as
opinions concerning the project, facts as
to the coal fields, &c. In the committees
report, members Of It al first sketched
maps Of the line before the audience, ex-
hibltipg the coal and mineral localities,
the feasibility as 10 grades, important
places, &c., after which the members Of
the committee reported.
Mr. U. 7. Curran was the first member
called upon. lie proceeded TO give cur
sorry account Of the committees Trip, il.
Illustrating by outline charts Of his own
drawing, in d very clear and satisfactory
manner the entire route Of the Road from
Sandutky into the great MAssillon coal
region and, iu detail, the prominent coal
points at and about FairVIew, Dalton,
Navarro, Zoar and Bolivar. Leaving San.
du:ky early Monday morning, the COM
miltCe landed at Navarro, where they
were met by Hon. Thomas W. Chapman
and afterwards by other Directors Of the
road, and Hospitality cared for during
their visit. Near Navarro the committee
fret saw the coal mines in operation, went
into several and found the miners taking
out Nc. Mslsil!On coal from veins from
five 10 six feet thick. Capitalists from
Massillon and throughout that region
we're investigating the coal lands lying
adjacent to the road all through that Sec
tiOn. In one vicinity 40 bOriDgs had been
made, and in every one but two the block,
or Msssillon vein Of coal had been struck.
The shafts varied in depth from lU0 to
$50 feet 10 that vein, the lighter Goals be.
ing reached at much less depth, and
which are more or less mined for local
consumption. The committee found at
Dalton miners operating seven feet vein
Of the game block coal, and shipping the
cos! back 10 Massillou. At this place,
which was made up Of corner store or
two, the old time blacksmith shop and the
town meeting house, S27,OCO had been
subscribed Tor the road. The committee
followed the route Of the road about thirty
miles in all, much Of the way being d.
rectiy on the line, and found this coal
beng mined oil along toward San.
dusky TO FaiTView, only fiIty.eight miles
distant Fifteen miles OF the road
have already been graded, the culyerts all
in aud the bed made ready for the ties
md iron. The work that has been done
has been cold work, several cuts Of ten
TO fifteen feet having been made in this
distance. They found General Mckee
now at work with force Of 30 men and
10 teams grading the road a short distance
south oil Lodi. Several contracts for
short distances have also been sub let, the
work on which is TO be done during the
winter, and Mr.. Mckee proposes TO con-
Ilnue with his own force preparing the
road bed on toward the north, the purpose
ul the company being 10 reach the lake
aud thus get an outlet from the coal re.
giOn. Mr.. Curran illustrated his remarks
b. frequent references 10. the maps, set
ting forth the facilities OF the road in the
matter of coal in very clear manner
He closed, expressing the highest salts
faction at what he had seen, and the con
vlction, confirmed beyond his anticips
lion, OF the inexhaustible resources OF Inc
region the Committee visited, and the in
estimable value Of the road 10 the people
Of Sandusky. The shortest, most direct
route into the very heart Of the richest
coal belt In Ohio, the Wheeling Il Lake
Erie Railroad, il secured 10 ssndusky,
would prove an annual saving 10 the peo.
pie OF many thousands Of dollars in the
one item alone OF coal.
DR.. Agard next addressed the meeting,
lie dwelt al some length upon the coal
seams characteristic oil the region visited
and exhibited an instructive chart chow.
log the geological formation from the lake
into that region, with the various deposits
Of coal, limestone, fire clay and kidney
and black band ores. He then discussed
The general merits Of the road, saying that
ai 10 this there was no room for question.
Il enters, he said, the great coal belt Of
the State only fifty.eight miles from San.
!usky, and from that distance to the Ohio
River penetrates its very heart II opens
up the region Of MassillOn, or block cos,
As IL is termed, the coal pronounced by
he geOlOgist Of our State the finest vein
ii soft coal In the United States. 1t Is
found at moderate depth, with vein
from five 10 six or more feet thick, and It's
supply is practically inexhaustible. This
coal hss already become famous In the
markets. 1t is the same as the Mahoning,
the Brar Hill, the Block, the Massillon-
the same formation, and Of average puri.
ty. The region Is slso rich in the lighter
and upper Veins OF coal which have for
years been worked for home demand, but
II Ia the lower or block vein that is es-
pecially valuable for transportation
While the coal is so abundant and near
US, the iron ores are equally so. 1t is in
that section Of Ohio where the celebrated
Kidney iron ore is found in It's most yslu.
able state. This ore Is found near the sur.
face, is easily mined, and is being mined
In great quantities and manufactured into
Scotch pig, In the section the Committee
visited, are located the great smelling
works Of Laird & Co, the leading manu-
fscturers Of Scotch pig iron in our coun-
try. The black band ore, which is largely
used and valuable as pot metal, also ex-
lists throughout this section, and is smelt-
cd in great quantities along the line of this
Road. The fire clay, which is also reach.
ed In great quantities, has proven OF i'm
mense value, and is being manufactured
into brick and shipped 10 all parts Of the
country. A leading manufacturer told
me the only other mines In the country
that afforded them competition were one
in New Jersey and another in Missouri.
WILL THR ROAD DE- BUILT?
This question the Committee through
DR.. Agsrd, met with the strongest affirm
alton. BE declared that the Road would
be built TO the Lake Somerhere, and said !:
there Is no longer shadow OF reason TO
doubtit. We have seen ii has merit. II
T., ltkartpn Naabfhla It,