The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-10-13
The Goal Fields of Pennsylvania.


There are four great carboniferous coal
fields in the United States. The first and
most important, in all respects, is called
the Appalachian, or more properly the
Allegheny, and is Of continental dimen-
sions, being S75 miles in length, extending
through important parts of seven States,
in northeast and southwest direction,
from 30 to 1870 miles wide, and producing
great variety Of the best qualities of coal.
1t covers the western part of Pennsylva-
MIA, the eastern part of Ohio, the western
corner Of Maryland, nearly all Of West
Virginia, the eastern part Of Kentucky,
crosses Tennessee, and ends in the central
part Of Alabama. It is quite remarkable,
however, that several of the largest pro-
ducing regions are mere outliers, or de-
tached island-like fields on the borders of
this great coal region. The northeastern
fragments arc the anthracite basins in the
northeastern part Of Pennsylvania, the
smallest in area, but the most important
and productive of ALL Also, along the
eastern borders of the field, are the Bloss-
burg, Clearfeld, Broad Top, Pennsylvania,
and Cumberland, Maryland, basins, aud
there arc similar productive detached ba-
sins on the northeast, on both sides Of the
line between Pennsylvania and Ohio.
The Pittsburg and Westmoreland district
produces the largest quantity of bitumi-
nous coal, but this appears to be, at pres
ent, the only very productive region in the
main body of this great coal territory.
The second coal field occupies the CEN
tral part Of the State of Michigan, and,
although spread over large surface, is
inferior in importance to all others, hav-
ing only thin seam of coal of a poor
quality.
The third great coal field is of enormous
dimensions, covering two.thirds of the
large State Of Illinois, the western part of
Indiana, and the western part Of Kentucky.
The best coal from this field is found in
Indiana, and, although none of the coal it
produces, with this exception, is equal in
quality to the best Pennsylvania coal, yet
it affords great abundance of very cheap
and valuable fuel.
The same remark applies to the fourth
coal field, which covers the southwestern
part of Iowa, the best portions being along
the Des Moines river 1t also extends
southwark over large area in Northern
Missouri and in the eastern part of Kan
sas, the seams Of coal being generally thin
in all these States. Although it runs into
the southeastern counties of Nebraska, it
is feared the coal, if there be any, is there
too thin for mining
The only other carboniferous fields in
America, in addition to those enumerated,
are those of Nova Scotia and New Bruins
wick, and the latter is of no practical i'm
portance. Pennsylvania is at present the
great producer, and, speaking in general
way, may be said to supply the United
States with coal. Maryland sends annual
ly to tide-water little more than 2,O00,-
900 tons Of coal; West Virginia about
100000 tons; Ohio ships from Cleveland
annually about 100000 tons, besides
large home consumption. With these ex-
ceptions, and the supplying of St. Louis
from Illinois, no other State sends any
considerable quantity of coal to market,
outside of its own boundaries, but few
of them produce quite largely, for their
home consumption, in localities too remote
to be reached by Pennsylvania coal. OF
these Illinois has probably the largest pro.
duction; that of Ohio is rapidly increasing,
as is also that of Indiana, Pennsylvania
mined, consumed, and sent to market in
1871 about 24,000,000 tons of coal, of
which 100000 tons were anthracite,
and 100000 tons were of the various
kinds of bituminous coal. This State,
therefore, indisputably, stands pre-eminent
in respect to the production, as well as for
the variety and unequalled quality, of its
coal.
Taking general view of the mountains,
we find the portion Of them where the
coal fields are situated has only three
broad or hat-topped mountains, according
to Professor Lesley's topography, viz
The Broad Mountain, FIVE miles wide and
fifteen miles long, which separates the
POttsvillc and Mahanoy basins; the Beaver
Meadow Mountain, eight miles wide and
fifteen or twenty long, on top of which lie
side by side the numerous but important
Lehigh coal basins; and the Nescopeck
Mountain, between the second aud third
coal fields, which is crossed by the Lehigh
Valley Railroad, and merges itself east
ward to the great Pocono table land.
For the sake of convenience, these an-
thracite regions are divided into three
coal fields, or districts; the first, the South
ern, or Schuylkill coal field, is one con-
tinuous and almost unbroken basin. The
second includes the Shamokin, the Maha-
noy, and the Lehigh basins. Thy third
is the large, unbrokea Northern or Lacka-
wanna and Wyoming regions.
The total area of all the anthracite coal
basins is as follows:
l. Southern or Schuylkill basin, LAG
square miles.
2. Shamokin so, Mahanoy Al, Lehigh
81 basins, 128 square miles.
3. Wyoming and Lackawauna basin
1913 square miles. Total area of all an
thracite basins, 472 square miles.
1t is sometimes difficult to make people
believe that all the anthracite or common
hard coal Of America, which is used every
where, of which more than 19,000,000
tons are annually mined, and which is sent