Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1875-05-08

Y
the Big Vein" of replying to it after it APP
pears in the columns of the Coal Irudc
, Jou1nN
Very respectfully, ANDREW Roy.
.1m1reoc R4y, Esq, Inspector Of .Hines fer
/ Odi1:
| DEAR SIR Having received a copy of
your first annual report rs State Inspector of
mines for the state of Ohio, am pleased to
notice the careful and assiduous attention
| You have paid to the duties which the Of
! fee imposed on you and the very detailed
statement of the condition of the mines I'M
der your immediate inspection, with the cy
idcnt laudabc desire on your part to en-
courage and even enforce every improve
mcnt that will tend to conduce to the
health and comfort of the miners.
OF the business or otherwise of your
statements therein as regards the condition
of things in Ohio do not pretend TO give
any opinion, but take for granted, in the
main, they must he correct, nor do | wish
to dctrrioratc the statements so deliberately
made of foreign opinions, systems and re-
ports (hut which, by the bye, let me say,
think very foreign to the purpose as regards
the report of state inspector of mines in
Ohio) But lnotice on page 81 you say: "a
nine should be worked in squares or panels,
and the pillars should be removed as soon as
the rooms of square are driven to the
point of destination y on the same page, af
ter speaking, with very justiliable praise, of
the quality of the coal in the Cumberland
region of maryland, but giving very exag
gcratcd statement of the area and thickness
of said vcin you again say: This coal
seam which twenty years ago was consid-
cred practically ineNhaustiblc is already
threatening exhaustion, not 50 much from
coal mined and removed to market, rs from
the 'Wastcful mode of mining; in many
abandoned mines after all the pillars are
got out which can be reached by the pres
cnt criminal mode of mining more than
onc-half of the coal is left in the mine"
You further state that: Along Georges
Creek at least five feet of coal of m: gniti-
mt quality three feet OF which is of easy
and inviting removal, is left untouchcd.'
Now, my dear sir, in view of these extracts,
with what degree of authenticity can the
intelligent reader view your report, when l
here state beyond the possibility of contra
diction, (as it shows and can be seen any
day. that the system of mining by squares,
which you recommend as the only approx
able one, has been in operation in that
same Georges Creek and i'll the mines of
which have charge, and practccd for the
last eighteen years, and not only with my
self but several ofthe largest mining opera
lions in my neighborhood for many years
have adopted the same system OF mining,
and carried it out with favorable results as
are deemed possible under arising circum-
stances.
The above is not only true, but | make
free to assert that nowhere in this or any
other country, has the square system, with
coal of the same formation or even any
other, been so etfectually carried out, to the
exhaustion of such large percentage of the
vein.
You state that this vein is fourteen feet
thick let me ask you, where did ever you
see it that thickness | have never seen it
more than twelve feet, and there are few
mines in the whole extent of Georges Creek,
and where the vein is thickcst, which
have not measured.
The five feet solid and of magnificent
quality left untouched, will you please in
form me where it is? True there are
about two feet nine inches at the bottom
of this vein in Georges Creek that in most
mines is left untouched, and for the good
and substantial reason that it is considered
unfit for commercial purposes, Il reason you
give for the action of the Ohio operators,
you must, therefore, surely allow the oper-