The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-11-03
pocAnoNrAs coal.
From London Fairplay.

From London FairplaY.
Until recently it has boon commonly
believed that in no part OF the w0rla
could any steam coal DO produced OF
such quality as to compare with thae OF
Cardiff-the product of the Rhoudda
Valley. 1t seems, however, that the
Pocahontas coal, now being mined in
Southwest Virginia. u. $. A., will in
future form q formidable competitor TO
tho Cardiff coal. The Pocahontas coal
field is situated on the property owned
by tho Flat Top Coal Land Association
of Virginia, which controls more than
300 square miles, say some 200, 900 acres, 4
OF coal lands, most of which is
underlaid with veins of coking coal OF
remarkable purity and uniformity. and
the various analysis which have been
made of the coal by leading experts in
this country, and the States show it to
contain a percentage of S6.51 of pure
carbon and only some 1}9 per cent. Of
ash, which appears to prove that a
sieam-producing fuel is equal if not SUI
perior, to any description hitherto dis
covered in the world. The first work
ings of the Pocahontas coal, which is
brought down to the seaboard at Lam
bert's Pier, Norfolk, Va, over the Nor
folk and Western railroad, were OBJ
tanned in 1883, in which year $4,000 tons
were shipped. The output has since
gone up rapidly; last year it had
reached volume of 100000 tons.
This enormous extension is attributed
to the favor with which this coal has
been received in every market whore it
has been introduced.
In 1880 the United States Navy De-
partment issued an order to the CON-
mandants of different navy yards that
Pocahontas coal should BIO used whom
ever prccurable in the steam trials of
all the new ships of the American navy.
MessrS. William Cramp & Sons, ship
builders of Philadelphia, in order to
produce the maximum rate of speed for
the United States cruiser Baltimore,
built in their yard, brought several
hundred tons of the coal to Baltimore
for the purpose, at a cost nearly double
| that of the ordinary steam Goals in use
| at that port, with the result that they
| were able to procure from the govern
ment the maximum premium for speed
in their contract, and reported that
| they had found it superior to any coal
| they had before used. A further testi-
mony in the same direction is the fact
! that the White Star Line has recently
contracted to be supplied entirely with
| Pocahontas coal at price considerably
above what they have heretofore been
paying. with the result that their
steamer Teutonic has, with this coal,
on two occasions beaten the previous
Eastern records with the American coal,
completing her last passage on the I'd
instant in days 81 hours.
In view of these facts, and consider
ing the resources of the Pocahontas
coal field are practically unlimited,
there can be little doubt that this coal
will In future take leading position in
the coal trade of the Western Hemis-
phere, at any rate, and that it is only a
| question Of time when it will become
the main supply of all coaling stations
on the American Continent, North and
South. Our English Miners Associa-
lions will do we'll to bear in mind that,
in the event that any stoppage of sup
plies from Cardiff or our other home
coaling ports taking place, the Poca
hontas coal will not improbably find its
way into markets in which the English
and Cardiff Goals have hitherto held the
monopoly.