Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-07-30
AFTER COAL, WHATa
How wheeling Must Provide chsap
Fuel
After the Pittsburgh Coal Seam is Exhausted
-orof Whites Observations About
Here During His GsolOgi-
cal Tour.

On the 4th of May. Prof. I.C. White, OF
Morgantown University, with the senior
class, passed through Wheeling on a four
weeks geological excursion. From Wheel
ing they passed down the Ohio river in q
row.boat for 200 miles to Point Pleasant, at
the mouth of the Great Kanawha; thence
by steamer to Cincinnati and returned t.
the Great Kanawha valley where several
days were spent in studying the Kanawha
and New River Goals; from the New River
country they took the Chesapeake and Ohio
Ry. to Clifton Forge, and thence down the
James river over the r. & A. r r., stop
ping at the Natural Bridge, Balcony Falls,
and Richmond. From the latter place q
two days excursion was made to Newport
News snd Fortress Monroe. Returning to
| Waynesboro, they passed over the Shenan-
doae Yally r r., stopping at Luray Cave,
and thence home TO the University over
the B. & 0. K. r. reaching Morgantown,
May 3Oth, after an absence OF 70 days.
Between Wheeling and Point Pleasant,
the party made 4 special study OF the Ohio
river geology, with the view OF learning
the approximate position OF the P~ittsburg
| coal, viii ISIcISnCc W thO AANCA lOfOL ~
an article written for The EirginiGS, Prof.
White says they were mainly successful in
keeping hold of this coal horizon.
THE GREAT PIrTsBURG COAL BED
is first caught in the Ohio river hills near
SteubenyilIe, and has long been mined
there at an elevation of 500 feet above the
river. From this point, however, the coal
| dips southwark at an average rate OF 20 feet
per mile, thus constantly approaching the
level of the river until, at Wheeling, the
coal is only from 100 TO i39 feet above the
water. Followed south ward, from Wheel
ing this coal continues to approach the
Ohio river, and about five miles south from
that city, il finally sinks below the water,
and does not appear again slOng that river
until We come to the vicinity OF Hartford
City, 100 miles below Wheeling.
The question as TO what Wheeling will
do for cheap fuel, writes Prof. White,
when the available supply of Pittsburgh
coaEis exhausted from her hills, is one that
will interest the future capitalists Of that
city, and should certainly receive the
thoughtful attention Of those now living
within her gates, for as may be seen from
the sections given, there is
so COAL
above the water level at Wheeling except
the Pittsburgh.
Oue way IN winch the peTIOu VI Cuedp
fuel may be greatly heightened, is by the
discovery of natural gas By drilling in the
vicinity Of Wheeling. The rock which
holds the great gas veins recently struck az
Helisburg and Brilliant. ONO, would be
found about 800 feet below the bed of the
Ohio at Wheeling, and should it prove gas
bearing there, would for many years practi'
Cally supersede the uSe OF coal in manufac
turing, and thus greatly lengthen the period
Of the ~latter's exhaustion. The wells now
being sunk at the Central Glass works.
Martins Ferry, and others soon to be drill
ed for gas within the limits Of Wheeling,
will soon decide tie question as to whether
or not gas in large quantities can be %
tiiued in that vicinity. Should these fail
however, there are, unquestionably, large
gas bearing areas within 1918 miles OF
Wheeling, in the direction OF Wellsburg
snd Washington county, Pa, to which the
Wheeling people
COULD AFFORD TO LAY PIPES
for the future cheap fuel, since Pittsburgh
capitalists are now laying pipes 25.3I
mile s for the m
But however long the time may be pro.
longed, it will eventually come when
Wheeling must look elsewhere for
coal than to her own rugged hills. Where
then shall she get il? She has the choiCs
of two methods, viz: transportation from a
distance or by shafting tn the Lower Goa,
measures which undrrlie the city. The
same coal that il 50 extensively
mined by Skating below the bel
of the OHIO at Steubenville and
southwark, should he found st about 45J
feet below The I'D of the river in the
vicinity of Wheeling, since ITS place in the
series is So feet below the Pittsburgh coal.
In confirmation OF this, the Central glass
works gas boring repp!ia 8 bed Of very pure
| coal SIX feet thick at a depth Of IA feet
When coal Is wanted at Wheeling here is
IN almost irexhaUs'lb!e supply that can
certainly he
CGrNIHEp ~ SHIFTING,
aud under Ills coal. a. moderate depths,
come two other beds which can be drawn
upon when wanted, 50 hat rs far ss cheap
incl is concerned no city in the country
has q longer hold upon this main spring Of
Industrial life than Wheeling.
AS We pass down the Ohio river sOuth
Sard from Wheeling, the Pittsburgh cOat
gradually approaches the river, and finally,
about one mile below BenwoOd, sinks BE-
| meath its bed, and the southwark dip con
| linuing the coal is carried to nearly 10
feet below the Ohio in the vicinity Of
MOundSvillP. where it is mined by shaft
ing on the Ohio side OF the river, aud found
at a depth OF % feet. II is probably l0' 20
deeper on the West Virginia side a.
M%oundsvIlle since the dip Is quite rapiG
IN 'he east and soutn. The Dor ngs iOr gas
| and ell in The vicinity OF MDundSyilie re.
port the PijtsbIrsh coal ~ q dept OF 49,
| 40 feet, and another one Il feet thick u
$40 feet below the former. This last
would Of course he the upper Fce"pa9'
| ial or shn sauna .r.. fhat /. GnaFYatS fNr al