The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1888-06-15
The B,ackiick Coal Region.

a correspondent Of the Altoona Daily
Times on Monday last gives this interest
ing description Of the Blacklick coal fields:
ITO the southeast Of the quaint old Welsh
village OF E5ensburx-the county seat OF Cambria
couuty-there T. an extensive and more than
ordinarily attractive and valuable district OF
country, locally known tho BlnckIck coal
region. Hitherto from uncomfortable causes
chiefly no railroad development, the merited
Advancement OF this rich and elgibly located
mineral held-amongst the most desirable in
Western Pennsylvania-has been unavoldabIy
retarded and Indefinitely postponed Believing
that the position and natural wealth of this
region Is only partially known and. not clearly
realized, aud that intrinsiealIy It deserves moro
attention and wider knowledge than has hereto
fore been accorded it, / snail endeavor TO de-
scribe its typographical and geological features
and resources, and the certainty II will afford for
he safe and profitable investment OF cspitaI when
becomes better known 20 the general public as
assuredly viii in the near future. under the
mpuIsion of railroad development. Then viii it
SIN furrher advance in Interest and value, and
mquestionably attract deserved consideration
a,d the proper appreciation Of capital and enter
I pIse
'se territory to which refer cxtencs south
/ weterIy from near E5enshurz, on the head
wsers Of the south branch OF Blacklick creek to
/ equity. distance Of thirty miles OF more, and is
I embaced within the area lying between the
\ crest Of Laurel Hin and Chestnut Ridge ranges,
trendns northeast and southwest. For the most
/ part Is a Wild, unbroken mountain region, the
face the country 70 Il great extent being covered
/ by des forests Of primitive growth. Streams
Of greter OF less magnitude abound, cutting
/ throuen and exposing 10 view in many localities
! the vtrious stratas of minerals along theft
Z g-g.-.r al-~ aF
moth a,d south branches OF the BIackliek creek
the stirce OF the FIRST named being near Car
I rolltowt ten miles northeast Of Bloomsbury
! which vynd their tortuous courses along narrow
I valleys bunded on either hand by lofty hills,
: until thtr waters unite the old Ritter
I furnace, n Cambria county, some twelve miles
I southeast OF Ebensburg. Thence the decreased
: volume the stream lows onward. stiI in a
southwest-ly direction for upwards Of twenty
miles. Ultimately forming junction with the
. Conemaug river near Blairsville.
The hillsln either side of these contracted val
leys TEEN with mineral wealth. Bituminous
coal OF supeior quality for all the purposes which
that class Ocoal Is used crop out in strata above
. strata, irourvater level 10 the submits, measur-
I iug frem thrs and half TO six and half ieet
I in thickness Iron ores OF several varieties
I abound. the Wins ranging from twenty inches TO
three feet wtie IRE -clays. suitable for the man
] uiHcture OF 1e best quality OF ortck. nave oeen
! developed inlbeds measuring from three 10 six
feet in thickrss. Limestone likewise ab0=nds.
as does sandtsnd buiIding stone. in unlimited
/ supply The ttal thickness Of the coal measures
that hare beenleveloped On the south branch Of
Blacklick creei and which have been examined
and reported Jpn by an eminent geologist and
/ mineralogist q Pennsylvania, Is 81 feet and 1
inch. Iron ore exposed, Il feet and inches,
and hre-elays ME feet in thickness.
The seologistetc-, referred TO. who examined
several thousanaacres OF these Blacklick miner
al lands. in his leport upon them, makes the
following stateEl1t: "An idea OF the great
value of these lars nay ee had by the great
exhibition OF min-al strata cropping out in the
blum hills on the teek. which runs through them
These stratas lie horizonal position. Opportu-
mites occur rarelyn the bituminous coal forma-
tion Of the sIlezh es for examining so satisfacto-
rily such large q kness Of mineral measures as
are developed on Elaekliek a. above described.
The coal is OF a suE Erior quality for smith work
and for generatink steam It Is eIcsllent. II
makes the best OF CO q for manu- featuring purlos-
e., and il is beiieveeto be good gas coal. The
4 iron ores were formay mined on these lands, and
smelted in the Old chrooal furnace located al The
junction Of the noh and south branches OF
Blackliek Greek, am Il is claimed worked wen
4 mixtures with heeveral kinds OF ores found
on the lands, and lake an excellent iron
haze 10 reason 70 d0t this fact, as the ores are
CT good quality. L.Ht lone o. ssg1 quality Ia