The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-07-02

legend attached to it, but have not been
able yet to learn the Indians name. I hear
this called the New River Valley, bat why
can't say. From Kanawha Falls where
the New and Gauley rivers meet to form
the Kanawha, the G. & o. follows the for
mer. The river it is true flows along here,
but the mountains commence right at the
rivers edge and end away up. The rail,
road is cut out of the side of the noun
tains, and one needs only glance to show
where they would land if train left the
track. In appearance the region is yery
dlssimilar from the Goa! region l have lust
passed through, and L understand the coal
is too.
HAWKS NEST NINE.
The first niue is the Hawks Nest Coal
Co., and it really does not belong 10 this
immediate coal field. 1t is owned by an
English company, and Mr.. Stevens M. Tay
lor is its Superintendent. Through his
courtesy started up on a coal train for
their mine. Up most beautiful gorge the
narrow gauge led US, little wilder this
morning, perhaps, than usual, from the
effects OF the severe storm of yesterday.
over eleven trestles, some sixty feet high
up till at a distance of three and a half
miles we were nearly 1,l0O feet higher,
lperpendicular) than when we started
The mine itself is one of the INCEST have
VISITED. With a thickness OF II feet, the
seam is worked to only Z. Known as the
Gauley Mountain coal it is used for cokinp.
steam purposes and fuel. Two small part
Jugs OF slate run through the vein, nowhere
thicker than three INCHES.
1he coal IS u soft hituLninous and easily
mined. The average of the mine il from
two to three cars a day, each car holds
from Two to three tons. The miners re-
celve 40 cents per ton. The good miner,
am told, can run out nine tons daily.
The mine has been worked for some wears.
put never very successfully till the present
company took charge. Mr.. John Shearer.
the mine boss, tells me the force will he
increased. At present only sixtv rainers
are employed. How small the force Is.
comparatively, can be judged from the fact
that the capacity is 500 tons daily. or ID
0UO bushels. at present the ventilation il
by natural methods, but the company ia
building furnace and as soon as possible
Will use 1t. But little water is found, the
mine being kept dry by means Of siphon
steam pump. A short distance below the
spenlng nov used, an entry is being driven
hy-other parties. This entry. wiiSb viIl, will
pc mile long, will be used by these par
ties to brirg their coal to the company's
short line by which it will be shinned to
the Chesapeake & Ohio. Everything is in
fine style III this opening.
SHIPPING FACILITIES.
Huge timbers thirteen feet long support
the roof; the width is twelve feet at the
bottom and ten at the top. 1t is their purs
Pose to run an underground engine through
this when completed. From the mine the
cars descend by ,Gravity to the tipple at
the q. Il .. road, the engincs-and the COM
Ddnr has tlfRE--Ininu need l,, e.
Ing emptles. AT the tipple the coal is run
over one screen, the screened coal is ship.
ped to their Richmond agent, or ccao;gned
to the G. 4 0. for its Eastern market. The
SLACK is used in making coke. This is the
main business OF the company, and their
ovens are, perhaps, the finest in this conn.
try. 1t is claimed they are the only ones
OF the klnd here. They are known as the
improved Coppee, and are largely used in
England and Wales. Qf the eighty bull,
here oEiy torty six are In use, the fiue for
Tor the escape OF the burning gases being
out OF order. They differ very essentially
from the beehive. In this everything il
utilized, and instead OF cooling BY use az
water i'll the ovens q steam ram rushes
the coke 9ri!hlde aud the water is then an
plled. The ovens are then ready for i'm
mediate use again. Loaded in "dandies''
the coke is hauled to hydraulic elevator,
any an tnen loaded intQ cars for shipment
Ihls same company owns the Victoria
Iron furnace at Goshen, Va, and all the
coke made here is used at that furnace. At
present the coke is not as good as il can be
made. A crusher is on it's way and after
lis arrival the coke turned out by these
ovens will be second to none.
FIDsr NINE IN NEW RIVER REGION.
The first mine really in the New River
region aud mining It's peculiar coal is ore
mile above Hawks Nest. Some years ago
company OF capitalists from Staunton, Va.
leased large tract of coal land aud opened
in two places. From one OF its members
they took the names OF Gaymont and East
Gaymont, respectively. Lately changes
have takep place and the first is now
operated by two Ironton, o., gentlemen,
Messrs. Pierrung and Ridenour. These
gentlemen are etill in their first month, but
have the qualities to make it a success
The vein worked by them is the one pecui-
lar to thig whole region, In fact come claim
that all the mines from here to Quinne-
mont are working the same seam. We
have no flint ledge here as a landmark, but
am told the vein lies much lower ihan
tie qne3 worked on the Eanawha, The
coal 10 hard bituninous used for steam
and cokiug purposes. On account of its
cleanncss it is used by ocean steamers. The
average thickness is from ieet inches to
> feet, and the miners average 3 to tone
per day. for which they aTe paid at the
rate OF 10 cents ton.
! found reiTrung 4 Ridenour's mine free
from water, coed air pushed by a furnace.
and possessing the best crawling qualities
haye yet geeE. The mine cars are very
much smaller than the ones used in the
kanawha mines, being flattened inside and
holding only one ton. How men can en-
Joy lie in such crarrped quarters is be-
yond me. Set one of them told me as /
walked down the railroad with him, that
he did not enjoy Strengthening up as much
as might be imagined. 81 get used to it
and it agrees with me-" MIR. Mcmillan,
the mine boss, said the company intended
to coon brig in the use oi the. long wall
plan, costing more but paying better in re-
suits. The mine is reached by an incline
about 400 feet long, and monitors, large
cars, are used to bring the coal down to the
tipple. The small mine cars are dumped
into the bins al the lead of the plane. No
screens are used. The coal is consigned to
the G. IL o. for i's eastern market.
REED, LUCAS ( co.'s MINE.