San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-04-27

der 70 hoiBnt VI tnhV .
this chute is reached. and from mere u
tiny railroad stretches TO the mouth OF
a tunnel, entering the towering gray
hill 10 the sonth at distance Ci 2oo
feet. Following along its track we
notice great quantities OF coal ashes
eaused, as before stated, by combustion
In ages past, reaching the mouth OF this
Tunnel. We noticed at its entrance a
seam of coal three feet in thickness,
over and underlaid by a stratum OF
shale and slate, of an average thickness
above and below, of some three or four
feet. Entering this tunnel, one hour
was spent in exploring the coal seam it
has developed, and here follows what
was seen:
The main tunnel, which is seven feet
high and seven feet wide, has been
opened to a distance, by accurate
measurement, $50 feet; along which,
every thirty feet, tunnels OF the same
size have been opened both to the right
and left for distance of $50 feet, many
of which have been widened into rooms
twenty feet wide, leaving the customary
pillars of ten feet to support the roof.
At a distance of 300 feet from the
mouth an air shaft is opened from one
of these wide tunnels, twelve feet
square to tho top of the hill, 800 feet.
which secures a perfect ventilation OF
the mine. Along the main tunnel its
whole distance, $50 feet, as well as to
the end of all side tunnels, is laid an
iron track, upon which the coal cars,
drawn by mules, enter the mines and
carry out the coal. BY actual meas
urement, the thickness of
THE VEIN,
which at the opening OF the mine was
but three feet, has increased to four
feet at the present terminus OF the
tunnel, and the coal seam, which was
slightly mixed with foreign matter at
the surface, has continued to improve
until the vein, at distance of less than
fifty feet from the opening, has become
a solid mass of camel coal of the finest
quality. The coal is got out by digging
away the slate and shale from beneath
it and then blasting it down with
powder, pieces weighing half ton
frequently being blown down, which
have to be broken up to load on the
coal cars.
THE DIP
of this vein as far as worked averages
six inches to the 100 feet, and the vein
runs from northwest to southeast. All
indications 20 to show that the vein is,
comparatively speaking, inexhaustible.
For instance, its gradual dip downward
is an evidence that it will never be lost
by cropping out again on the surface.
It's outcroppings along the banks of the
Rio Grande demonstrate that the vein
is at least twenty miles wide, and
throughout the thousands of feet of side
tunnels opened in the mines the vein
never shows any weak points. Up to
the present time the mine has been
worked more with view of preparing
it SO that large number of miners
could work at one time rather than to
take out any great amount of coal in
advance of it's being connected with
railroads. The roof throughout this
mine is supported by mesquite timbers
which never rot nor decay. Up to the
present time, but 1000 tons of coal has
been taken out, all of which has found
q ready sale at Laredo, at from ten to
twelve dollars per ton. Three miles be-
low the San Tomas mine, Governor
Hunt has opened another mine situated
on land belonging to himself, known as
the School Land mines, and into which
be has drifted two tunnels for distance
of 200 feet, and every indication goes
10 show that it is equal in all respects
TO the now famous San Tomas mine. 1t
was from this mine the international
road took a carload of coal for an ex
pertinent, and the test was so satisfac-
tory that contract was at once made
TO furnish the international with coal
TO DO used in its locomotives between
Laredo and Palestine. Not only has
The International road tested the coal,
but the Mexican National and Texas
Mexican roads have been using the
coal in their locomotives for six months
TO the extent of the capacity of the
mine to supply it with wagon transpor-
.ation-b besides it was used through the
winter in number of stoves, and has
proved itself in every instance to be
camel coal of the best quality. This
coal will be put upon the general mar
zet as soon as the Rio Grande and Pc
COS road is completed to the mines,
which will be inside of sixty days, as
;he iron, cross-ties and rolling stock
ire already purchased and are now ar
living, and grading forces sufficient to
the Grade in thirty DAVIS are
IT work. Three rails will be laid or
he Rio Grande and Pecos as far as
he coal mines to enable the narrow
yuage cars to connect with the mines,
md so soon as the. narrow-guage is
completed from San Diego to Calves
on, that city will have two competing
ines to the coal mines, where coal can
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