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


ed for, less a fair rer. cent. allowed
| for waste. .a-..
In order to elevate the miners as a
class, and to give the strong oonser-
vative men strength to counteract the
evil influence of secret associations,
we suggest TINT an act Of inoorpora-
tion for Miners Association be pass
ed, placing them on the same high
ground as all other Incorporated bod
les, with full power to arrange and
settle all questions between them and
the coal operators, including that of
the price for mining coal; requiring
the coal operators and transportation
companies to furnish correct lists Of
quantities of coal shipped, to the
President or Secretary Of said Miners
Association, afordins proof of good
faith on the part of the operators in
giving full weight of the coal mined.
If an Association Of this character
was properly encouraged on the part
of the Companies and endorsed by
public sentiment, the destructive
effects of secret societies would be
controlled and defeated.
In order to secure harmonious
working Of the coal operators and
miners, we suggest the propriety of a
fixed minimum price for mining, with
sliding scale of fixed per centage
on any advance Of coal at Georgetown,
beyond the cost of delivery, inclu /
ing in said cost fair and legitimate
profit for Royalty, Taxes, Interest on
Capital invested in lands and i'm
provements necessary for coal busi-
ness.
The Commission, after very mature
examination and reflection, have fail
ed to see any good effects either to
the miner or to the true interest oil
the State by the appointment of a
Mine Inspector, and can see no good
to result from its continuance, and
therefore recommend the repeal of
the Law, except 50 much of Sections
II and Is as applies to the correct
weight of COAL Section 10, Of said
Act, relating toprops, has been tested
in the Courts and set aside as inter
fering with the right of private con-
tract; if the construction Of that Sec
tion claimed oy the miners had been
endorsed by the opinion of the Courts,
it would have undoubte ly interfered
with the proper control and working
of the mines by the Companies
agents, and seriously affected the in
vestment of capital in coal lands.
The Cumberland Coal basin extends
from the Pennsylvania state line
across Allegany and Garrett counties
of Maryland and into Virginia; its
general bearing is South thirty-four
degrees West. 1t lies in trough
between Dams Mountain on the South
East and the Great Savage on the
North West. The general width of
the basin is five miles and its length
(30) thirty miles, containing one
hundred and fifty (l50) square miles
of coal measures. The trough is
closed up at the North end by a trans
versed ridge connecting the two
mountains on which the town of
Frostburg stands eighteen hundred
feet above tide water.
On the North of Frostburg, Jen-
nings run takes its rise, cutting both
longitudinally and transversely six
miles through the coal formation, then
turning south and emptying into
Wills Creek come three (?) miles
above Cumberland.
On the East of Frostburg, Brad
decks Run rises, and passes through
Dams Mountain by very deep and
narrow gorge, emptying into Wills
Creek at the head of the narrows.
On the South of Frostburg, Georges
Creek rises and flows through the
coal Basin near the line of the cyncli-
nal axes for distance of sixteen miles
to the town of Westernport emptying
into the Potomac river.
The Potomac river cuts through
the coal Basin some two (2) miles
transversely, then flows southwardly
near the oynclinal axes for distance
of ten or fifteen miles.
The coal measures Of this Basin are
computed to be fifteen hundred (l500)
feet thick, consisting of strata of shale,
sandstone, limestone, iron-ore, fire.
clay and veins of coal, succeeding
each other in layers of different thick
nesses. The base of this formation is
a strata of very thick beds of white
sandstone or conglomerate, Gaping
the top of Dan and Savage Mountain,
sloping sery deep beneath the streams
and cutting through the coal measures.
The surface of the Basin is of
course very irregular, being intercept
ed by very deep ravines formed by
the mountain streams and rivers ira
versing it. The fourteen (l4) foot
vein Of coal lying high up on the
range Of hills and spars making out
from the mountains is, in consequence
of the great denudation from the
streams and rivers, of very limited
extent and does not to-day exceed
nine thousand acres in the Georges
Creek Valley and one thousand
acres In the Elk Garden Settlement
in Virginia.
The idea that has prevailed in the
public mind that this big vein was in