The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1879-12-27

ologically lower-than the Stratford
ore. 1t varies in thickness from l5
to SO inches. The furnaces in the
vicinity used it largely while they
were in operation.
8. The "Haines ore" comes next,
being about 40 feet above the lime
stone ore, This vein varies from Is
to 36 inches. 1t extends over large
tract of country, but crops out before
the summit of the mountain is
reached.
6. The Snakedale vein say 500
feet below the great coal vein.
Z. The Hastings VEN. This is
about 10 or IL inches in thickness,
and has the reputation of being
splendid ore,
The three last mentioned veins are
not in the same order geologically as
the four first mentioned. We saw
and carefully examined all of these.
There are some others.
A deposit of limestone is found IN
this region of not less than rs feet
in thickness. It's geological position
is about 100 feet below the Martin
ore vein. 1t crops out on the bank
of the Cheat short distance above
lees ferry, and again near the sum
nit of the mountain. Il is of
first-rate quality, and makes white
lime.
In the same region of which we
have been speaking and over which
we travelled some twenty miles there
is abundance of the same kind of
fire clay of which the Bolivar and
Mount Savage brick are manufact-
ured, and of quality equal TO
either.
Some years ago there was an es-
Establishment for the manufacture of
brick, at which brick of excellent
quality was made, but which, for
want of means of transportation, is
no longer in operation. We visited
the old works.
The time was when our whole
country was nearly on q level with
regard to facilities of transportation.
At that day iron could be and was
manufactured proftably in that part
OF the valley of the Cheat which we
visited. We saw several abandoned
furnace staeks-some very old and
in ruins, others in pretty good shape.
Away up on the side of Laurel Hill
on a pretty little stream called Quar-
ry Run, we saw the ruins Of what
was called pleasant Furnace" and
it was rightly named, for it was on
as beautiful and romantic spot as
could he found in all Virginia. 1t
was built some seventyfve or eighty
years ago, and was blown by the
power Of the water of Laurel Run.
But so feeble was the blast that in
pieces of cinder which we picked
up were bits of charcoal consumed.
AT an early day charcoal was ex-
clusively used in the manufacture Of
iron, and thus the mountains were
nearly denuded where so many iron
mines now crop out. But now new
and beautiful crop of timber has
sprung up, so that finer place TO
cut and gather telegraph poles and
railroad ties does not exist. Some of
the latter furnaces used coke. AT
one Of these, before finally closing,
the manager found that his stock of
coke ran out before his stock of ore.
He then resorted to neighboring
coal vein, three or four feet thick,
and ran off about two hundred tons
of metal with that raw coal which
was pronounced charcoal iron by
manufacturers Of Pittsburgh, and ac-
tually sold for four dollars per ton
above coke iron. AS there is any
quantity of this same coal there yet,
this may be fact of no little impor-
lance,
The great Connellsville vein ex-
tends to and across the Cheat, and
also to the west side of the Monon-
gahela. A mile or SO below Ices
Ferry, which is about ten miles
above the mouth Of Cheat, it crops
out; but there are numerous veins of
coal geographically lower, although
geographically higher, one Of which
is mentioned above in connection
with the iron manufacture. That
great vein is also found, it is said, at
the opposite base of the mountain. -
On the west side of the Monongahe
la it is not over twenty feet above
the level of the bottom land; but in
the hill above it there are said to be
two other great veins, one Of which is
halfway up the hill, and is nine or
ten feet thick, and another near the
top of The hill reported to be eleven
feet thick. These two upper veins
are of cubical fracture, and therefore
well adapted to the trade in raw coal.
OF the extent Of these two fields we
have no knowledge.
Some years ago, when the oil fever
was prevalent, gentleman Of science
and intelligence drilled hole down
about 400 feet, not far from Ices
Ferry, in the hope of finding oil. He
kept'a careful record Of the strata
through which he drilled. At the
depth Of 100 feet he struck vein of
coal which he reports to have been
thirty three feet thick. This, if true,
is a vast reserve which can be reach
ed by shafting on what, ut small
expense, can be made navigable
water.