Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1877-02-03

|
ployees. The hillsides of this valley
are honey-combed with the numerous
openings of the different companies
mines, and the mountain sides girdled
with the many planes, down which
the coal is lowered to the dump houses
located on the railroad, whore the coal
hoppers or cars are placed to receive
their contents.
These planes are worked by an end
less wire rope that passes over drum
at the top of the plane; the loaded
mine cars descending by their swn
weight and drawing up in so doing
the empty mine cars to the top Of the
plane, where they are taken into the
mine, reflled and sent down the
plane again to the dump or load house,
as already stated.
In this teeming valley Of Georges
Greek and the adjacent mines there
is an air of thrift and industry. The
population here partaks of the hardy
character of the mountains around
them, and are healthy and industri-
Gus people. But few willing idlers
are to be found, and the hive is almost
entirely free from the presence of
drones.
The comfort of the miners and
others has rot been lost sight of by
the coal companies and owners, and in
addition to comfortable homes pro-
vided for them, churches and school
houses, we'll filled at the proper times,
crown the most eligible sites throug h
out the length of the coal fields, and
stores of abundant supplies at reason
able cost are to be met with on all
sides.
1t may not be uninteresting to your
Excellency to give in this report a de-
scription of the mode in which the
mining of coal is conducted in this
region. And tor this purpose l have
made use of such information as my
own experience and practical knowl-
edge affords, availing myself also of
the aid of others well skilled in the
business of mining.
The heading Of the mine Cor what
are technically called the headings of
the mine) are used for three purposes.
On one of the headings there is train
railroad or mine railroad built, on
which the coal is drawn out of the
mine. The usual way of mining is to
drive two headings or openings paral-
lei with each other, and from fifty to
sixty feet apart.
The second heading is generally
used for drainage and to conduct fresh
air into the mine,
The railroad heading is generally
used to conduct the foul air out The
headings are driven as near level
line as it is practicable to drive them
and secure good drainage.
The water heading is the one near
est to the centre or lowest point of the
basin, and is intended to be run as
nearly parallel with the longitudinal
axis of the basin as it is practicable to
do it and insure good drainage. The
pairs of such headings are driven
nearly parallel to each other, and at
such distances apart as are conceived
to be convenient and economical.
Along the line of the heading con-
tanning the railroad, openings are
broken off on the uphill side of such
heading once in seventy or seventy
five feet, which usually run nearly
but not quite at right angles to the
limo of the heading. After driving
this heading up some fifty feet, it
branches off into two openings, which
are run parallel with each other, and
are called rooms. These rooms are
usually fifteen feet wide, and are
driven up parallel with each other,
either near to or quite up to, as cir
cumstances render it advisable, the
next water heading above.
A switch is laid in the road on the
heading at the entrance to the room,
and single track laid up through the
entrance to the commencement to the
rooms, at which point it branches off
into two tracks, one of which runs up
into each room. These tracks are
usually laid upon one side of the
room.
The coal as it is mined is loaded
into small mine cars that carry about
two tons each, and are brought down
from the rooms to the heading, usually