The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-07-29
RUMBLINGS OF THE RAIL.
FINE COAL FIELDS WAITING FOR
CONNECTION WITH MEMPHIS.
What the Memphis, Tuscaloosa and At
lantic Road VIII Do for This city-The
Rate War Observation-Disclosures Ex-
cursions-Personal-M isce llaneous.


immense coal-felds in the vicinity OF Tus-
caloosa to be opened up TO Memphis by
The proposed and soon to be recognized
Memphis, Oxford & Columbus railroad.
In compliance with request, Mr.. John
g. Kennedy, OF Tuscaloosa, perfect store
house Of information on the subject, has
prepared the following statement for The
APPEAL.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala, July q, 1883,
So the Editor Of The Appeal
Being familiar with the coal lands east
Of this city, on the line OF the old plank
road leading TO Birmingham, have been
requested 10 describe them TO your read.
ers. As secretary and treasurer OF coal
company organized in Scranton, Pa, IN
1872 by large number oil skilled welsh
coal miners, ! bought for the company
about 1900 acres OF coal lands IN thls
county.
These welchmen spent whole summer
here prospecting for coal and / bought
ruch lands as they selected. They found
many seams Of coal, and they reported
three distinct veins OF coal above the
water line, OF workable or mercantile thick
ness, and of'superior quality. One aver
sged three feet, one four feet, and the
other six feet OF pure coal, and these were
found in no many different localities that
they concluded they pervaded the entire
district between Hurricane creek and War
rior river. And these veins OF coal have
been open TO the inspection OF every one
ever since that time. In fact, many OF
them have been opened and coal hauled
from them TO Tuscaloosa for many years
The Tuscaloosa Coal and Land company
have opened, on their lands IN that region,
eleven miles from this city. a five foot seam
of fine coking coal. II took the premium
at the Atlanta exposition last year.
Passing on toward Birmingham you
come 10 Davis creek, twenty.six miles dis
tant. Here you seem 10 enter different
field. On the bank Of this creek, on the
farm of Mrs. Elias Kennedy, you find a
vein OF coal over seven feet thick. Taking
out tho slate you have over five feet oil
very fine coal. II cokes well. Many fine
rpecimens OF coke are vet TO be found near
the mine. This is in the same field, and
has the same covering and the same dip
~ We find in the De Bardelaben mines, on
the mineral road on Blue creek.
These latter mines are wonderful-have
opcnings over eight feet thick, and furnish
superior coking coal for the Bcssemer fur.
PAGES. The miners agree 10 mine that coa
for 40 cents per tons 10 20 cents cheaper
than the other neighboring mines. The
Alabama Connelsyille Coal company
claims TO have fourteen feet OF pure Goa
I'm one seam on these lands, and severa
others from i've TO seven feet IN thickness
These mines are not far from the DeBar
delaben mines, but | have never seer
them.
THE Buocros MINES,
half way between Birmingham and Tusca
Ioosa. are considered the most remarkable
nnd valuable coal mines in the south-re
- markable because being hard coal, ye
they coke as well a. the soft coal. lh'
roal is light in ash, large in carbon, yer!
free from slate, stocks splendidly, line graf
and steam coal. In every respect " u ~
pcrior 10 the pittsburg, and / think iulll
sounI 10 the celebrated Cumberland Goa
an the Baltimore 4 Ohio railroad. Neithc
Of these Goals will coke.
The Blockton mines have FIVE openings
average from five TO nine feet In thickness
Ihey are now raising 500 tons daily, AM
txpcct 10 take out $500 tons by Januar
next. They are using 800 coke oven
and building 200 more. They promise Z
deliver 100 carloads daily 10 the A. q. :
n. X. Most OF this goes 10 and u used b
Tho Morgan railroad from New Orleans
Houston, the said A. q. :. X. X, aud
The Mexican railroad. II Is said that Oh
A. q. s. II. r. received over $4,000
freight on coal from Blockton last year, an
r.pect 10 realize at least 5000, 900 freight o
,ane this year, equal 10 half the freight o
the cotton crop Of Alabama.
1 have seen all the coal seams aboS
,poken Of except those at Blockton, an
they have been shown 10 many prospc
ions, aud set them down As existing, patci
facts
now present the theory OF the coal
our county. DR.. L. A. Smith, our sta
gcologisi, In his report, says The co
measures Of this Tuscaloosa county o.
believed 10 be thicker than in any 9th,
mari of the Warrior field, or any other hc
al the known world. There are In the
measures fity-thrce seams OF coal, whi'
vary In thickness from about two inches
fourteen feet, and which have an aggrega
thickness OF 1875 feet Of pure coal.
"Oi these fity-three seams Of coal tive
ty.fyc are OF workable thickness and co
Tain eighteen inches and over Of pure COT
OF these twenty-five seams fourteen Ia
two feet six inches and over OF pure COT
III thesa fourteen seams nine have ov
four feet Of coal, and Of these nine seat
thrco have more than hr feet In thicknS
oi coal. Among these Goals q
20 be- found almost every variety Of BIT
>linous coal"
This "theory" Is we'll supported by {
facts In sight, as stated above.
Having had large commercial dealin
with Memphans before tho war In OF