The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-09-05

" Breckinridge, "a 9" II lG3.52 81 .l6l S.47
Ohio, Pomeroy,l $40 80. 80 I772 1899
Va, Glover Hill l2S5' .13l3l.2l i56S3 10.2j
800 acres of these lands will yield
an average of 4G cords of hard wood
per acre, which is equal to 5000 BUSH
els of charcoal to the acre, and there
are vast forests of hemlock, which are
destined, in few years, to be almost as
valuable as the pine timber is at the
present time"
In conclusion, he says: "Bufialo
possesses facilities for the sale and dis
tribution of coal and manufactures I'M
surpassed by any other city in the
country, and must be the great point
for the distribution of the Tuning
want coal. The debarkation of the
cargoes of all the steamboats, and pro-
pellers at Buffalo, renders it desirable
that they supply themselves with fuel
at this place, rather than turn aside
for that purpose to Erie or Cleveland.
The upward freight of vessels from
Buffalo to the western ports bears so
small u proportion to the downward
freight that vessels are compelled to
purchase sand for ballast on their out
ward trips. 1t is evident that if coal
could be obtained at Buffalo as cheaply
as at Cleveland or Erie, these vessels
would purchase coal for supplying all
the lake ports having commercial in
tercourse with Buffalo. The amount
of Bituminous coal now consumed in
Buffalo, and by the steam vessels run
ming from thence, is reported to be not
less than 100000 tons annually"
On reaching the south line of war
rant 2241, the line of the railway, con-
tinuing southerly, enters warrant
1869. This is in the northeast corner
of body of land which has been des'
ignated as the Howard Hill Region"
comprising warrants 2469, 2609, 2605,
1865, 1868, 27O3, 269O, 267l, 26S9, 269l,
2eO7, 263s, 26OO, 26O6, 2692 and 26sS,
containing l6,SOO acres of land. The
following is compiled from a report,
dated Dec. 6, 1856, to the Mexican and
Elk Land and Improvement Co., of
examinations made by August F. Dali
son:
"The lands of the Company, an
area of upwards of 10000 acres in all,
are situated within the northernmost
coal fields Of Pennsylvania, and con-
sist of Il plateau 1000 feet above tide
water, furrowed by many streams,
which form deep valleys and ravines,
thereby sensibly modifying the char
acter of plateau ; the most important
streams being the Kenzua, Tionesta
and Marvin creek. With the eXcep-
ton of some settlements on Marvin
creek and along the road between
Smethport and Ridgway, the whole
country is one continuous forest, bear
ing an ineXhaustible supply of valua-
bic timber-hemlock is abundant along
all the water courses. Warrants 1891,
1928 and 24S7 may be degisnated as a
pine country; and three cherry groves,
each covering upwards of 100 acres,
have been pointed out-one of these in
warrants 1921, 3l27, and on east, con.
tanning excellent timber. The Geologi
cal survey was confined to the l6 war
rants, above named, designated as the
Howard Hill Region" upwards OF
60 shafts were dug, varying from to
90 feet in depth, and 8 distinct
veins of coal were found, of which
however, appear too thin for mining
The veins of iron ore and coal are des,
| ignated by the numbers l, 2, 3, &c,
beginning with No. l, at the bottom OF
the section, it being a vein of iron ore
five feet in thickness. About 20 feet
above the iron ore bed, called No. l, is
bed of fsplint coal A! feet in thickness
which is designated, on the section, as
No. 8. This is the lowest vein of coal
and correspondents in position and
thickness with the "a" vein found
north of the Kinzua. 1t consists OF q
splint coal of superior quality re-
posing on compact sandstone. The
vein was opened near the center OF
warrant 2669, and found to measure as
follows:
Splint coal, 8 in
8 h. in, eoal 20 .