The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1876-01-15
The Tennessee Committee Report

CoLCMBUs, ", Dec. rs, 1875.
GENrLHMEN The underslgned, the com
mittee appointed by the Miners National
Association to make an inspection VI cor
tam coal lands in the State Of Tennessee,
have visited and examined the property
in question, and beg leave to report a. fol
lows: We started together from Louisvi1e,
KY, Dec. 2, taking the Louisville, Padu-
cab and Northwestern Railroad in order
to stop over at Green River and examine
the coal of that region, doing 30 by re-
quest Of B. Dupont, Esq, Pres. of the
k. K. We found several beds Of good
coal in course Of development, but they
could hardly be called first class Goals,
being to some extent impregnAted with
pyrILes Of iron and aulphur-defects too
frequently found In the Goals Of the Great
Central Coal held
The coal property We came to view lay
along the line of the Cincinnati Southern
Railroad. now III course Of construction,
and hoped 70 be completed from Cincln-
nati 70 Chattanooga in the course Of twelve
months. On arriving at Chattanooga we
met Mr.. W. Fordham, the agent Of the
property, who took US TO the residence VI
Col. w A. Hoskins, the owner. Accom-
panied by Mr.. FordhRm and Col. Wade
Hampton, We passed up the Tennessee
river from Chattanooga to Kingston, by
steamboat, thence carried over to Winters
Gap on horseback, to see some coal mines
opened there. We fou I'd coal of first class
quality, the seam about three feet thick,
and having slate roof. The coal ap-
peared to be semi anthracite ia character,
burned with an intense heat, and emitted
little smoke or flame. II was utterly free
from impurities, 30 far a. We could exam
inc We then crossed over to Wartburgh.
IN Morgan county, and from there rode
over the railroad, " the lands Of Col
Hoskins. We saw an exposure of coal Ia
the cuts Of the railroad, the seam ranging
from two TO three teet in height and semi
bItuminous in character. The lands have
never been settled. and no exposures o.
coal except those laid bare by the cuts Oi
the railroad could be seen, but there can
be no doubt of the existence of several
other beds Of workable height and first
class quality. The country IA very noun
famous, and most of the GOALS could be
reached by drift mining. The lands are
covered with hne timber. Valuable and
exhaustless beds OF iron ore OF very supe
rior quality are also found IN this region
of country.
Our visit was too short to speak den
nitely as to the best property to purchase,
but in general terms We can say that all
the elements exist in the Tennessee coal
fields that could be desired BY the practi-
cal miner and iron manufacturer. We
advise the location Of q cooperative estab-
lishment in ths Tennessee coal field. but
before any lands are self cted for purchase
they must be more carefully and thor
oughly Investigated. There are hundreds
Of thousands Of acres OF lands t. select
from, and 1t IA important that the best
lands should be secured, the best surface,
the best mineral, and the best location for
market.
| The Tennessee river will, ia the courns
of few years, be nsvigabls from the coal
held to the mouth of the river, opening up
vast market. Chattanooga u destined 10
become q great manufacturing site, like
Pittsburg and Scranton. Iron can be
manufactured in Tennessee cheaper than
in Ohio or Pennsylvania.
The country is healthy, but rough and
mountainous, like the coal regions Of
Maryland and those Of ClsArheld, and the
anthracite regions Of PennHylvAniA.
We are under obligations 70 Mr.. Ford
ham, Col. Hampton and Col. Hoakins. TO
the latter We are especially grateful for his
generous hospitality during cur stay In
Chattanooga
Respectfully submitted,
ANDRxw RoH,
IoHN SISET,
COMMITTEES.