Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1880-02-07

greatness. With the Improvement
and extension of the Chesapeake and
Ohio Canal and the construction of
the Ship Canal across the Peninsula
of Maryland and Delaware, Balti-
more, with the advantages of her ge-
ographical position would make New
York tremble and fear for the SUI
premacy. These questions are ma.
tional in their scope and bearing, and
should be treated by the Legislature
of our State in a manly and states
man like manner. The cost and char
ges by water communication on
heavy goods are sustained and en-
dorsed by the celebrated Civil Engl-
neer, W. ]. McAlpine, in his esti-
mates on water transportation, as
will be seen from Senator Windows
report to the U. S. Senate, on water
transportation"
The Commission examined the
Salisbury bituminous coal basin near
Myersdale, on the Pittsburgh branch
of the B. and 0. R. R. 1t lies in a
beautiful and fertile country, on Cas-
tleman River, between the Allegheny
and Negro Mountains. The principal
vein OF coal in this basin is the ten
foot vein of Pittsburgh coal, vertical
section showing six feet of clean coal,
clear of slate partings and bone coal,
with good undermining and hard
roof, and ought to produce 5000 tons
per acre the area of this vein, as Civ
en- by the second Geological survey
of Pennsylvania, is 2,788 acres, in
Guiding crop coal. 1t is principally
owned by the Cumberland and Elk
lick and keystone Mining Companies,
the coal is very much like the three
and four feet veins of the Georges
Creek Valley-dark, hard and lus-
trous, and will bear shipment well.
The five lower veins of this basin COW
er an area of $4,000 acres, according
to the same report of the State Geolo-
gist of Pennsylvania.
The present routes of shipment Of
this coal to market are the Salisbury
Branch Road, 6 miles, and the Pitts
turgh Branch Road, 81 miles to the
Canal, (tota) 43 miles. To Balti-
more, 223; to Philadelphia, BOG; to
Pittsburgh, ll6.
None of this coal can be shipped by
Canal on account of discrimin alton
by the B. and o. R. R, against the
Canal.
The Commission closed its final
field work by an examination of the
Clear6eld bituminous region, which
lies in Clearfeld County, Pennsyl.
vania, beyond the Allegheny Mour.
tains, in long range of Pine Hills
along the Moshannon Creek; this
coal field is divided into number Of
very narrow sub basins, Osceola and
Phillippsburg being the centre Of the
first and second sub-basin; all the
coal shipped from this basin coming
from ten or twelve mines near Houts.
dale, or the Beaver branch of the Mo.
shannon, FIVE miles above Osceoa-
the mines around Osceola having
teen worked out and abandoned, the
lower veins are too full of sulphur
and iron pyrities for market. The
Morrisdale mine, north west of Phil
irsburg, is being worked to limited
extent; the character Of the coal not
being equal to that of the mines neal
Houtsdale. The main veins OF coal
show a vertical section of six feet
giving when not disturbed, four and
one half feet of good, bright, lustrous
coal, resembling strikingly in struct-
ure and analysis, the six foot vein
Of the Georges Creek Valley. This
coal has high standard for steam
purposes with the Pennsylvania Rail
Road.
Tho entire coal field is very irregu.
lar and full OF faults, clay-veins,
trouble, uneasy and rolling floor and
roof, thinning out the coal in many
places to only few inches; in many
places rotten roof and swamps with
water, which has to be drawn off by
the miner with a small hydraulic
pump, making it both unpleasant and
expensive to the mines.
The region presents very univit-
ing appearance for any comforts Of
lie to the mine;s, who are living in
shanties stuck here and there amor 9
the Pine stumps along the side of the
hills.
The extent of these several sub
tasins Of coal does not exceed eight
or ten thousand acres, from informa-
ton obtained from reliable and we'll
informed Mining Engineer, resident
Of the region. The outlet for the
shipment Of this coal is by the Penn
sylvania and Tyrone Branch passing
through the coal field. The grade On
this branch in climbing the Allegheny
Mountains is l40 feet per mile, for six
miles against tie grade; requiring
three locomotives to take train to
the summit.
The distance from the Clear6eld
coal region to Baltimore is two humid
red and thirty miles, and to South
Amboy, three hundred and twenty
TWO miles. This coal field is sixteen
(l6) miles farther from Baltimore
| t.an the Cumberland coal fold and