The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-04-01
KING COAL.
Something About the Chesterfield Coal Ba.
sin-Coke First Pound There This Week.
and Its Discovery Astonishes the Miners
The New Vein Thought to be a Large One.

In Wednesdays Dispatch appeared par
aerlph relative 10 the discovery OF coal I"
on the farm leased by Messrs. Jewitt 4
Brother at Midlothian, in Chesterfield coun.
e.. 1t turns ont that the new vein is not
coal. but coke, which Is considered 10 be
III some respects more valuable. IL is said
to be almost pure carbon. and Is on the
land OF the old English Mining Company.
MeSsrs. dewitt & Brother were sinking a
shaft in search OF new vein Of COAL. and
when they discovered coke they were
greatly astOnished, as it is the first that has
been found in that portion OF the Ches-
terrified coal basin. The vein is about
seven feet thick, and 1t is not yet known
how far II will extend, but ii is very certain
that it Is large bed from all indications.
1t was said recently that the coaI-beds Of
Chesterfield were nelrly exhausted. and that
the miners we're forced 10 "rob' the pits
In order to supply the demand made upon
them. This, however, is great error, as
it il well known that IN some portion OF the
coal regions OF that county the cOal.seams
are at least fifty feet thick.
The coal BASIN OF Chesterfield extends
from northeast to southwest, II om the James
river to the AppomattoX, varying in width
from five TO twenty miles, the nearest por-
tiOn OF the outcrop being only twelve miles
from the city Of Richmond. The most In-
tere>tIng fact about the Chesterfield coal
basin il its comparatively modern GATE OF
formation. IL is said by biologists 10 be OF
a vastly more recent geological epoch than
the coal strat OF The Alleghanes, and 1t
has been question OF great interest
among physicists not only 10 fix toe
epoch to which il belongs. but one OF great
difficulty TO account for ItS existence at all.
sir Charles Lyell, the great English geOlo-
gi>t, in the year 1916 made special visit 10
The miDe, IN this basin, and wa, engaged for
weeks IN their examination. The result OF
his mve>tIgdlion was special treatise
upon what he termed the d" Richmond
Coal BlSm.' There Is no question
that there j. an immense deposit or Goa
in Chesterfield, and with proper ral
road facilities and reduced frelghts therf
is 30 doubt that a vast mining industry
could be developed and worked probtabl,
i'm that county. The Goals OF the old Mid
! lothian mnp. are considered 10y experts t(
he the best in the country for Use IN pud
dipg.ftrnacts. Mr.. Henry lietb. Grand
! father Of General Harry Hetb. j. said tC
J have been the discoverer OF coal IN Chester
/ field. II is SAID that he first saw the out
crou in A diicn on the side OF the road or
/ Raiey's Hill, at Midlothian. The lat
! Judge Cox, man whose memory Is We
fonCly cherished, particularly by Che>ter
/ feldlanS. was the first TO discover coal a
! Clover Hill, which iS about fourteen mile
| from Midlothian. He was digging dltcl
on his farm aud came across rich Goa
vein, which wards developed into th'
orea, Clover-IIIll cOal-mine>, which haN
since made >undry persons qnite wealthy
Coal wa. first shipped from there II
wagons to the AppomattoX Ilyer, wher
it was put IN tlat-bOats and iakei
to PETERSBURG, and from there ship
ped 10 different parts OF The country
| Chesterfield coal, up to the time the Yves
/ virginia mines were discovered, was said Il
BE- the finest clS.coal in the United States
Very much OF it has been uSed Tor I'M
uurpoSe in Richmond. The Old Coal-Ca
railroad which ran through Mancbe>tt
many years ago was built by the Mld
lothian companies. No locomotives Wei
used on this road, the ears beng haule'
10 james river opposite Rockets by mules
! That old railroad, which Is now no more
was surveyed and constructed by Mr. JANE
Baird, father OF Mr. Douglass Bard, ~
perintendent Of the Old Dominion Iron
and Nail-WorkS, and Of the late RoDer
Baird, the founder Of Baird's foundry. al
establishment which was successfully car
ried on IN Manchester for years. To hlr
is due IN Il large degree the credit OF open
Ing the deep working, at Midlothian.
The deepest shaft at Midlothian, or IN ID
county, i about 900 feet deep. The deepe>
at Glover Hill is about 700 feet.
The late Colonel William b. Wooldrid-
was for many Years the president OF ID
ereat Midlothian Company, which gave em
pIovment to an immense number OF persons
IL was operatcd very successfully unde
him and DR.. Charles ;. Mills up TO the clos
of the war. and has since been prottabl
operated under new managers. In tn
centre Of the coal-ba-in the body OF the Goa
is supposed TO be three or four THOUSAND
feet deep. but there Is doubtless large tel
rItorv on both the eastern and western out
crop which can be worked proh;ably at
much less depth.