Frostburg mining journal., 1883-08-11
Our COal-PrOduciag District.

w" COut-1 FOuNCtHY DtStFtCts
The important position occupied by
the State of Maryland among the
coal-producing districts of the coun-
try has, perhaps, been greatly under
estimated from time to time. The
carriers of it's rich deposits know best
how great her productions are, but
beyond that it is highly probable that
but few of her citizens know how
much wealth she possesses in that line.
Mr.. Albert Williams, jr., chief Of the
division of mining statistics and tech
nology of the United States Geologi-
cal Survey, has in the press valu-
able work on the mineral deposits of
the county. There is mention made
of Maryland's mica, kaolin, and other
valuable deposits, but it is her coal
that attracts the greatest attention on
the part Of the student, the speculstor
and the average citizens as we'll. The
total product of Maryland during the
pact forty years has been more than
forty three millions Of tons. The great
bulk Of this comes, of course, from the
Cumberland Georges Creek) field in
Allegany county. These fields supply
an important proportion of The semi
Bituminous coal that rea hes the sea.
board markets Experts say the
Georges Creek coal is of a very super
ior quality. The vein worked is said
to be fourteen feet in thickness but,
owing to the insecurity of the roof,
the full extent is very seldom taken
out. The entire length Of this coal
field is from fifty to sixty miles--from
the head waters of Georges Creek
near Frostburg, about fifteen miles
northeast of Piedmont to those of
the north branch of the Potomac,
some thirty miles to the northeast.
The width of this valley averages six
miles from outcrop to outcrop of the
lower seams of coal. The total thick
ness of the coal-containing strata is
about l,400 feet, but this thickness
does not pervade the entire era, as
to the south of Piedmont and
Bloomington the yield has been great
er, and it is only few isolated hills
that contain the upper seams of coal.
In the entire thickness there are many
seams of coal, but there are only five
or six Of thickness of three feet or
over. The coal from the smaller
veins will hardly come into use to
any great extent while that from the
larger veins continues to be offered at
so low rate as at present. The out
let's for this product are, of course,
the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, the
Chesapeake and Ohio canal aud the
Pennsylvania State Line railroad.
The Baltimore and Ohio began to car
ry this coal as early as l842, and the
canal company began eight years
later, and it is quite interesting to
know that the canal has thus far car
ried about half as much as the rail-
road. The total carriage by the
Pennsylvania road has not been much
over million aud half tons. The
total Maryland coal shipments ten
years ago were nearly as large as they
are to-day. During the first six
months of the present year work has
been carried on steadily. The con-
tracing season opened late, and the
competition with other districts was
active and bitter, so that the prices
we're reduced to low figure. Thus
far this year the tonnage has been
considerably largsr than last, owing
to the strike of last summer, and
there is a good prospect for yield
oboua tho avaraue for ten veara