Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-05-11
GREAT In MAGNITUDE.
HOW MUCH COAL LBS IN TIKI UPPER MON
ONGAHBLA FIELDS.
Professor White Estimates 1t st Five Hundred
Million Tons Wheeling Will bs Able 10
Get Cheaper Ooks-What the Iron
Men Have to Say.

Nearly twenty years ago a line of rail
road from Washington, Pa, direct TO the
COnnellsville coke fields was projected, the
building Of which would have reduced the
distsr &c to Wheeling TO about eighty miles
When the panic of '73 came on the pro-
ect was abandoned, the b & o. Railroad
devOtiug its money to development in
other directions which then appeared to
be more promising As n consequence the
coke required for Wheehng's furnaces has
been for years carried by way of Pittsburg.
Indeed for time II was carried to Cum
berland aud then over the Grafton division
10 this city. AT all events the iron men
were compelled to pay about forty cents
per ton more than their Plttsburg competi-
tors had to pay for freight charges Oh this
coke.
This condition of affairs has existed for
years, aud il prevails to-day. The pres emit
| freight rate on coke is 81 80 to Wheeling,
and So cents t. Pittsburg.
When it is remembered that it was on
account Of this 50 cent rate that Andrew
Carnegie so vigorously assailed the Penn
| sylvania railroad company recently, it is
the more surprising that the Wheeling
iron interests have been so patient under
the excessive coke rates to which they have
been subjected.
But the day of deliverance appears to be
at hand. With the opening of Senator
Csmden's new railroad, which will probs-
bly, occur within six months. Wheeling
will be less than 80 miles distant from q
coal field predicting coke equal in physical
and chemical structure to that from the IA
nous Connellsville region. This coke, the
Senator declares, will be delivered in
Wheeling as chesply az the Connellsville
coke is carried to Pittsburg.
Now as to the magnitude and extent of
this immense coal field.
Geological surveys have established the
fact that ii is simply continuation Of the
COnnellsville coal extending almost I'M
broken from the Pennsylvania State line
southwest to Clarksburg
Between FairmOnt, which is 70 miles
from Wheeling, to Clarksburg, along the
west fork of the upper Monongahsla
river, a distance Of over 80 miles, the most
extensive and accessible deposit of coal
is to be found. This coal with a maximum
thickness OF 5 to 8 feet is above water
level ON both sides of the river.
Even yet You haven't much idea about
the magnitude of tire field.
This coal bed extends over $4,000 acres
in Marion and Harrison counties. Pro-
fsssor White, the well-knOwh geolOgist of
the State University, states that, allowing
Tor the usual waste in mining the entire
basin will average 1900 tons of merchan-
table c0al to the acre. By simple opera
ton in mental arithmetic the immense
resources OF the field can be more wildly
cOmprehended.
Il is a grand total of FIVE hundred mil
hon tons OF coal.
Major LOring, of the BenWOod mills,
was asked by REGISTER reporter as TO
the effect the opening of the new field
would have on the Wheeling mills. The
Major replied;
well, IL is true that We have to pay
more freight for our coke than the Pitts
burg folks. This is caused by the greater
milesge-the distance from Pittsburg to
Wheeling being between so and 20 miles.
From what have learned the coke pro-
duced in the new fields is equal 10 that
from the Connellsville regions. If this
should prove true, and the B. x D. would
make a favorable rate, there is no reason
why we shouldn't he able to have
coke delivered in Wheeling As chesply as
in Pittsburg IL would certainly be an
advantage that would be immediately APP
preciated and improved So far as know,
however, no test OF this new coke has been
made here. The product of the Montana
miues, believe, has always been shipped
10 Chicago, competing successfully with
the Connellsville coke. The coke seems to
be all right. The only thing now Is,
whether the B. & o., v hich will alone have
sccess to the field, will make Us good
rate
Mr.. CulbertsOD, of the Riverside works,
WAS seen AZ HE Office. Said he:
81 really haven't given the subject much
attention. Wheeling has to pay more for
her coke because il has to be carried IN a
roundabout route through Pittsburg l
SEE it stated that President Mayer, OF the
b. Il o, prouOunces the coke equal to that
from the Pennsylvania regions, and the
chemical analysis shows that 1t does not
differ much from the COnnellsville coke.
IAN analysis, however, is by no meas
conclusive For instance, ;he Steuhenyllle
coke is even purer than the Connellsville,
and yet it Is not at all adapted, and cannot
be used. for our purposes. Should TINS
rev coke prove to have the firmness OF
structure required, the opening Of the ne"
field ought to be of advantage TO Wheeling
and will be ii the B u o chooses TO make
a favorable rate Ii not, presume we will
continue to use Conuellsville coke, and the
other will likely continue to be shipped to
Chicago, where it seems to find good
market.