The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1883-03-08

famous imestones grey ore, so extensively mined
| in the Hanging Rock region of Ohio and Kentucky
The limestone coal is mined only for local ump-
tion 1t is fair coal in quality, but is eclfpsed by
the superior grade Of the Coalton or Wellston COAL
which for many purposes has no superior in the
whole range of the Allegheny coal field, and until this
becomes exhausted the limestone coal will never
! be able to make headway in the market
The other Goals of the county have not been mined
to any extent and of them too thin for the
practical purposes of the miner, and some of them
mere local beds.
The Jackson shaft coal lies from forty to ninety
below the surface in the immediate vicinity of
the village of Jackson. This coal discovered in
1863 by drfllers who were boring hole for salt.
shaft test the quality and thickness of the
vein, and its fine appearance being remarkably free
! from sulphur other impurities. its bright and
spinty character attracted the attention of capital
ists among whom were the late Gov. David Tod. of
of Briar HILL from whose farm the famous Briar Hill
Coal, of the Mahoning Valley derives its name. Gov
Tod and his associates in business leased tract of
land Jackson, bought furnace and rebuilt it.
and opened a mine, for the purpose of making iron
out the native Goals, limestones, and of the
| county. The adventure did not prove financial
success. however, for two the owners lived
too far away from their furnace property and mines
to give the works personal attention, and the rail-
road company too exacting in freights. But an
important n d remunerative industry has since
sprung up this pioneer enterprise, there being
five blast furnaces in Jackson village all of which
the native Goals and imestones of the
| ty; beside four others at the village of Wells
ton. miles northeast of Jackson, all of which
also rely upon native products of the county in MAX
ing iron.
The Wellston Coalton Coal is. however. the
manspring of the coal mining in dustrv of the coun
ty. This of coal had been long opened and
mined in the hills surrounding jackson for local use
before its existence suspected at wellston. In
its progress eastward it punges below the valley of
Horse Creek, mile east of Coalton and gradu
ally thicker along its line of direction being scarcely
two feet thick at Jackson while at Wellston
seven miles northeast it rises to four feet. The
coal discovered at Wellston, by Hon. Fl. s.
Bundy, member of Congress from the 11th Congress-
ional district of Ohio, in 1872. Mr. Bundv then,
as now. extensively engaged in the manufacture of
iron in this county, and conceived the idea of expor
ing for the Jackson Shaft Goal the Homestead
where the village of Wellst is located. He put
set of drilers to work who at depth of 60 feet dis
covered a foot vein of coal Mr.. Bundv was boring
for the Jackson Coal and felt he had found it.
feeling shared by all the mining experts of the county
upon the discovery of the coal.
The Milton Furnace and Coal Co. was organized in
1872 Immediately after the discovery of the coal.
which leased several hundred acres of coal on lands
adjoining the tract which Mr.. Bundy had drilled.
furnace built and shaft sunk before the quail
ty of the coal practically tested well assured
were the Company that the had t he jackson shaft
coal. When at length the coal was reached in the
SHdib II WAS lounu. although ulHeTlHS LII
structure tn be equally well fitted for furnace use as
the coal at jackson village. The question of the
identity of the two Goals still in dispute in 1877
when the writer during official visit the mines of
the county Inspection of Mines. in company with
Mr. John Hail. mining boss of the Milton Furnace and
Coal Company's mine traced the Goals from
Wellston to Jackson and established their relation
beyond further dispute.
The wonderful purity of this COAL its freedom from
ash. and its extraordinary heating power, which
lad tba bast of thaoif
the coal into public favor. The following analysis is
a sample of its quality at Coalton:
Speclnc GraVlty-...-.. l'oooV.
wafer .....--...-...-.-.............. l.50.
ASH h............................. l.5O.
Volatile Matter r-................. ....... 1855.
Fixed Carbon. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 6b-iO.
The coal makes little smoke in burning and leaves
small amount of ash after combustion that the
late Prof Andrews. of the State Geological survey
disposed in consequence to doubt its vegetable
origin Owing to the freedom from ash and the un-
usual quantity of fixed carbon contained in the coal
the cnders in falling through the gratebars of the
fire into the ash pit below continue burning until they
fall into dust. The people of Springfield and Dayton
and all the intermediate towns We'd with each other
to which city would first reach the new coal field
with railroad, and two roads now known the
Ohio Southern and the Toledo Cincinnati and St..
Louis railroad, the latter gauge, built
to Coaton in the fall of 1878, and extended Wells
ton in 1880. The narrow-gauge has since been ex-
tended to Ironton, passing through heart of the
charcoal iron region of the county.
The mines opened this coal have been developed
with extraordinary energy. In 1875 with the excep
tion of few thousand tons shipped from the mines
of the Milton Furnace and Coal Co.. there no
shipments made in the county. In 1880 the output
from the mines of this coal exceeded one hun
pred and fifty thousand tons In 1882 upward of three
hundred thousand tons were shipped. Last year the
output was limited, not much from want of trade
other districts of the State but for of
10 two ida al VIII ic n
markel-the Ohio Southern and the Toledo. Cincn-
natl and St. Lonis which first entered the coal field
in the fall of 1878 not being able to supply themselves
with fast as the mines have been opened Dur
ing the last four thrty-three mines have been
opened on this of coal having annual capacity
| of 0OO.Ono tons.
The beds of ore like the seams of coal are met on
well defined geological horizons.
By far the most valuable ore of the county and of
the whole Hanging Rock region is the grav lime
stone which lies two hundred and seventy feet
above the Welston Coal and one hundred and forty
five to hundred and fifty feet above the Rlue
Limestone. This is usually about ten inches in
thickness and is generally mined by stripping or
open casting the bed along the hill Sides The ore
mined in this along its out crop is limonite
having become Oxydized by the action of the atmos
phere. Although very persistent bed it is occa-
sionally wanting where it is due and it sometimes
swes into pockets of three four feet in thick
ness. When followed into the hill by drifting. it
| gradually changes to carbonite and otherwise so
deteriorates in value to frequently become unfit
for furnace The cold blast iron made from this
is of the most valuable in the Unitid States,
and is especially priced for the manufacture of car
wheels, ordnance and for other castings which re-
quire unusually tough and strong iron. This ore,
as have said. rests on bed of limestone part OF
which is usually mined with the for furnace ux.
The other of the county found in descend
ing order the first bed below the grey limestone
being the limestone kidney, which lies twenty to
forty feet below the horizon of the grey limestone.
This its indicates is kidney; it ranges
from inch TO six eight in thickness and next
in value. far quality is concerned. to the grey
ore. About thirty or forty feet below the limestone
kidney the red block is met. a bed which from
two ten inches in thickness This is also OF
purity and value but like the limestone kidney
is too thin to be followed in the hills by drift mining
and is only mined by stripping.
The sand block is a rough ore never highly priced
although occasionally used. Its horizon is twenty to
forty feet below the little red block. and is usually
eight to inches thick About forty feet lower the
blue limestone bed is due. This is of superior
quality to the sand block the little red block and the
limestone kidney, but like the sand block is not much
sought after by furnace owners. The bed is too thin
which makes the too costly to mine so long the
thicker and superior accessible in the
hill above.
know of point in Jackson county where the
Boggs ore is mined, but 1t is opened at a number OF
points by drifting. in Scioto county along the Ports
mouth Branch of the Marietta and Cincinnati rail-
road. few miles south of the county line Its horizon
is in the near neighborhood of the blue limestone
The is very thick, frequently swelling to eight
1t is mined by drifting the pillar and room
system, coal is worked, and is used in the bias
furnaces of jackson county. The is rather lean
but owing its great height is of untold value
1t is probably persistent bed at rate it ha
not, 1 believe, been opened in Jackson county.
The upper of the three beds oflimestone is the
limestone. underlying the grey ore, the horizon o
which is 27O feet above the Wellston COAL and aO fee
the Jackson shaft coal. Sixty-six feet abov