Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-03-23
BOWIE.
state GeoIogist Cummins Makes 9
full Report on the Coal Mines
in Montague County.
aood coal FOUND, which Can 30 Ohshpiy
rnped-rhe Road wiil tse Buns ween
tho strike IS over.


the oitiho ~ NhtA.
special % the eazette. 4,
Row1g. Tx, March % Following u
the fnll report Of w y. Cammins, state
biologist, OF the coal mine owned by j.
n stephens, lge miles northwest u
Bowie:
M John II. stephens. herewith sub
NIT a brief report Of the geological torms-
ton Of the country surrounding aud uhe
coal bed worked by you This LAND Is
embraced within belt II COUNTRY kn9Wn /
A. the Nt'pprr Cross Tlribers,' q stiNp OF
country running from northeast tofoutn' |
west for some distance tttousn
No state. IL Is d welrknown |
fact that Tie slipper Cross Tim
hersn Selongs TO the carhouifcrous period
and am satis6ed thst the coal bed found
an fbr lard mentioned belongs to The
unper coal MEASURES The cnrDoniferous
farrat.on ia this pert Of the state ~ over
1aia on he.east bp the creuceOus and on
the west by the pemian. pac carbon
{iergus formation tOnnd here 10 coptln-
nstion az the sGr1c formation found IN the
Tpdiah Territory, where large amounts OF
coal has been taken out for the use OF the
perioug failr0kig and other purposes ~
the state. hage made personal exam
lnatlon Of the country from the coal mines
In The Indian Territory TO Montague
county aud knew the caroouiierous lorna
ton To be- continuous irOm one point 70
tIe other. Tie characteristic fossils OF
lhc carbonifeious period are found
ahundantly In many places IN this belt
OF country, and ia this immcdiete locality
such rs productus spirrier athyris plen-
rotoinaqa, fusulina cylindrical and others.
In the state Immediately connected WIN
the coal bed the well-known fossil plants.
arc found in large numbers, such as cal
aintgs. ueuropteris, cycloptcris, pecOp-
ferris and others Prof. s. b, Buckley IN
his report to the state geuogist ia 1874,
40 speaking Of the cafbonilerous forma-
ton M Montague county says; I'm
the southwest corner Of this
county on Sandy creek, ABOUT
four miles from Judge Marletfs
coal-bed extends elo2g the creek about
three hundred yards. ~ TINS place we
obtained Hue specimens Of calamltes and
ferns. The outcroppIugs of the coal here
are of an Inferior quality, but good coal
may abound farther into the side of the
Hill, 40 the base Of which Hes the coal
bed. About Il mile up the creek and Ugh
M iu the hillside is another coul-bed of
similar character" Again he says; "lhe
fern aud calamites OF Young and other
counties In the northern part Of the state
belong mostly 20 the upper coal
measures The following sections, taken
at the locality OF the coalbed, VIII show
the relative position of the strata a. the
top; I Sandstone, 20 feet; =. clay with
clay iron-stone, 10 feet 3. sandstone
10 feet; 4. blush clay, 10 feet; .. sand
stone, 8 feet; 6. slate 70 ieeti z. coal
10 inches; 8. slate, ] inch; o. coal,
inches; 10, slate, inchesi II. coal a
inches; -. fire-clay, 2 feet
At ZIG feet from the mouth OF the tun
mel the hill is ninoty'Eix feet high, anC
continues TO rise to the height of abou
$50 feet more in short distance. Their
has been Il tunnel driven into the hill
following the coalbed, TO the distance q
G5b feet The strata dips at YER
small angle, with the horizon not moi
than one foot IN 100 feet. The TUNE
driven into the hill Is six feet high and al!
feet wide. The coal VEN shows abou
the same the entire length of the shaft
being little better as the coal Is eXpose'
10 atmospheric influences. This Goa !
fine quality OF bituminous coal, wei
adapted to all purposes for which coal !
Csed. The slate everything the coal !
without fracture and makes good rooi
There Is not a single break In IL the Who'll
length Of the tunnel. The coal can b
mined as cheapy as any coal OF the sam
thickness. The coal outcrops in sewers
places within radius.of two miles OF th
tunnel. HI.2hatt sunk TO the depth {
sixty feet, about half mile north OF tn
tunnel, on the opposite side OF the hi
shows the same thickness of co
and a little better In qualit
IL Is more than probable th
the entire country for radius of se
eral miles is underlaid by this coal b
awaiting development. AS this bed
coal lies at the very top of the upper CO
measures, am OF the opinion that Mt
very great depth another coal bed will
found which will In all probability
thicker than the one now discovert
The bed now being prospected Is beyo
question sufficient In quality and quaint
to make the mining thereof highly rem
lucrative. AT no distant day expect
see large quantities OF coal taken from &
bed and shipped to the surrounding tow
and cities to supply their ever increasi
demand for fuel II reasonable rates
transportation car be had over the r;
roads the coal ought TO be put into
market at @ much less price than WI
we are now paying for coal. IL will o.
REQUIRE four and Il half miles of railrt
to be built TO connect the coal beds W
the Fort Worth s Denver City railro
and by that road with the other system
railroads In the state. THIS Is the m
Important and available coal deposit I
II has been my privilege 10 examine In
state, aud have seen nearly every par
the state, w. Il. CuMMiNa, Geologisi
Judge Green OF Bowie and w. r. NJ
rls OF Montague arrived home yesterl
from st Louis, where they had been
consult with Mr. Hoxle. They say
road win certainly be built as soon rs
present strike is settled. Gainesv
must now do her part