The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1885-11-19
From the-Spnne6eldt Mass. } Republican.
kentucky Coal.

With the Southern fashion ofindnstri-
al exhibitions begun ut Atlanta, Ga, IN
lssl, the regions of undiscovered coun-
|try have been rapidly contracted. No
one can study the Southern displays nj
these exhibitions without'bcing impress :
ed with the Tact that so far as mere
wealth of forest, mineral deposit and
soil Is concerned, some parts OF the
south riNalthe Northern States ken'
Ifuclsy Is a ease In point. A State survey
has been going on for some Time In tlt
region drained by the upper watere Of
the Otinbe,land, Knlncky, Iickinc
mud Biz Sandy rivers. and the deVcl.
op,mcnl, have significance beyond the
borders of kentucky, since good cokng
ronl has been found in a region as ycl
heyond ihc reach OF railroads. Cokinp
coal i invaluable in tie reduction OF
iron gre The best coal for coking uos
being worked In the United States is al
Conncllsyille, Pa, Conucllsyillc coke i
sent 600 miles 10 the Chicago Hast farp-
S,and 55Omiles to the St Louis fur
naccs, In the tenth census report OF
iron and steel Is this passage .,rhe ave
rage distance over which all dome Il,
iron ore which Is consumed IN the bias
Furnaces dflhe'uniie1 States Is irau~e.s
e,lss Not less dian 800; aud IN average
distance over winch thc fucl which /.
nsed 70 .neltig istisnisporic] is.not les
than POO miles
Miners aud capitalists who have pros
pectcd In the South have not fdund tht
relative positlonor coal and ore any morr
encouraging. No coke equal 10 stand
lard Connellsviilc coke has ~ yet been
manufactured in the South in %,
birmingham (Ala) disriG tis manuis
rurr of coke + madcrlinirult hY tho pres
euce ofslatc. and Il viii never be ahl,
90 compete with Conncllsyilie II has
been known for years that there was
coking coal, IN the region Of the Cunr,
herlard mountains II tscalled tie En-
horn cooking coal, from local stSeam,
specimensof The Elkhorn coke
Prof. Shalcr Of Harvard college siys they
arr almost "ileutical with that from
Conuellsvllle. /, Prof John u. l'rttt ter,
director Of the Kentucky geological sur
yey, says in his last report that excellent
co.ing coal has aecn traced by h's a,sls-
tants over the region a tile htadNatcr.
Of the rivers Of Eastern Kentucky from
eight TO mine feet thick. ThIs.rortion II
the State Is not penetrated by railroads,
and includes some OF the counties whers
life Is often made unsafe on account Of
bloody fcuds aud hwles.ucss.
If tile word,of science mems anything
kentucky and the South have found 4
bonanza, but tue coal men and the rail
road men mustbc convinced before Con
lnellsyiIle can be said . BE- Ia danger OF .
rival. The. great beauty Of Elkhorr
lcoal, n ii can BE- used for blasting, Is H.
Situation. Says Mr.. Proctor;
+0n top Of the siibcaF,miiorqm Iine
stone brought up the goat Pine noun
tain fault there Is an excellent iron-on
near the Elkhorn coal. Along the Dor
der Of the State. ia southwest Virginia, I
tn extensive depositofthe Clinton or fos
silf iron orc--a very cheap ore only a few
kniles distant'from this, knItueky cdkini
coal, whilst there Is an Abundance q
hugh grade oresin tho valley of South
west Virginia, and in western Mott
Carolina j. an extensive deposit of wha
lis probably the best stecl-making ore i
4 America. During the census year ,ill
Isl tons OF ore were brought from tn
lake SuWoriordegion aud 400, 45l tor
from across the ocean, mainly TO lac use
liza the manufacture OF stecl--hatiled hun
dreds of miles on railways 10 the farna
Ices in the valley of the Upper Ohio
eISianding In southeastern Kentucky up
rIon the mountains containing the cokin
elcoal. and looking at the blue hills q
a North Carolina containing the gror
eIsteel-wa4ipg ores, | have realized that
glls only necessary to make the facts wei
;lknown toinsure the building of railway
to unite these great resources, anil ii
'tIconscqu-nt development ola great Ire
It and steel industry N our mSd't second
49, t.. A,.,a,.;no -