The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1879-12-27
THE CHEAT RIVER REGION.
Vast Deposits of Iron Ore md
Coal--A Locality shat Invites
Capital.
From the Pinsss,sl csn~e,eiai casetfe.l

A few days ago, in company with
two other gentlemen, your CORES
pondent set out from Pittsburgh, cja
Greensburg, Connellsville, Union
town, and thence southwark to the
line of West Virginia, south of Fay
cite county. On our way through
Pennsylvania the railroad from
Greensburg southwark "a branch of
the Pennsylvania Central) rapidly
approaches the base Of the Chestnut
Ridge, which it skirts for some 30 to
% miles to the Youghiogheny, where
that range appears to terminate.
From the Youghiogeny southwest
ward the railroad runs as far as it is
yet made Ito ELEPHANTS Furnace, four
miles south of Uniontown) near the
base of the Laurel Hill. 1t is in
this region, extending along the base
of these two mountain ranges from
the neighborhood of Blairsville to
the Monongahela river, that that re-
narkable deposit of bituminous coal
known as the Connelsville coal, of
which such vast quantities of coke
are manufactured, is found. Its
length can not be less than 60 or 10
miles; its width probably not over
from two to five miles; its thickness
varies from seven to eleven feet
While the Goals known as the Mon
ongahela, the Pittsburgh and other
good varieties of this region, have
cubical fractures, this Connellsville
coal has a fibrous, or rather a colu-
mar fracture. Thus, while it cannot
be mined in square blocks like 9th
ers, it is noted for its purity, its free
dom from ash and its good per cent
age of fixed carbon. Hence its ad-
mirable adaptation TO the manufac-
ture of coke.
Leaving the railroad at ELEPHANTS
Furnace, we took hack and contin-
ued ON, keeping the Laurel Hill to
left for some eight or ten miles, and
then began to ascend. About ten
miles from the furnace we crossed
the State line. Six more miles, over
rugged region, full Of mines Of
iron ore, brought US to Cheat river,
some eight or ten miles above its
confluence with the Monongahela
The Cheat runs about three miles in
Pennsylvania before it unites with
the former river.
The writer was surprised at the
size and beauty Of the river, and in
quired of some of the residents how
it happened to bear such villainous
name.
The tradition is that, owing to the
extreme clearness of the water, no
man could estimate it's depth. Thus
| the pioneer settlers were often de
ceived, or cheated" as they express
sed it, and hence the unfortunate
name. 1t is beeutiiul stream, fully
as large as the Youghiogheny, larger
than the Kiskiminetas, and about
such a river as the Schuylkill. It's
channel and beaches are smooth and
pebbly, the water beautifully clear,
and, coming as it does from noun
famous region, it always has a copi-
Gus flow Had we a railroad or
slackwater navigation to Cheat-and
very likely we shall have both before
long--an abundant supply of the
purest ice could be obtained.
The Cheat has it's source in the
Greenbrier mountain, in the northern
part of Pochahontas county, ". Va,
whence it flows almost directly north
through Randolph, Preston and Mon
ongalia counties to the Pennsylvania
line.
It's entire course is through
mountainous region, rich in minerals
and interspersed with fertile valleys.
A railway through the valley of this
river would gather an immense local
trade.
The geological structure of the
country around the lower Cheat we
| found to be a curious and interesting
subject Of observation and study.
From the base of the Laurel Hill,
where the Conncllsville coal, already
spoken of, lies, the geological strata
rise much more rapidly than does
the surface of the ground. Hence
the coal vein crops out at the base
instead of running under the noun
tain. Then comes in successfully
mines of ore in the following order,
all of which are geologically below
the level of that coal vein, and APP
pearing one after another as the
greater geological curvature of the
strata throws them up to the sur
face.
l. An iron ore vein, and the first
below the coal, called the Little Hon.
eycomb, but popularity known as the
"Martin ore" This extends all over
the country, but crops out below the
summit Of the mountain. Its aver
age thickness is said by the miners
to be about twenty inches. Its quail
ity is very good.
2. Hematite. This is topograph-
ically about 40 feet higher than the
MARTIN" 1t is called the "Big Hon
eycomb."
3. There is another vein some 40
or so feet higher on the mountains
than the Hematite, known locally as
"Stratford ore." 1t is in solid vein
of seven inches, with as many de-
tached balls scattered among the