The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1896-07-25
THE RICHEST IN
THE KNOWN WORLD
That is the Coal Field Of
the Great
MON0NGAHELA VALLEY.

M0N0NGAHELA VALLEY.
Thirty Feet Of Good Coal Under
the Hills
Surrounding MorgantOwn- And the
Greatest Gas Field Yet Discovered
Which Insures a Bountiful Supply for
a Half Century--No Other Spot So
Favored by Nature.
BYI. C. WHITE.
The Monongahela River drains
the richest coal field in the known
world. In the number, purity and
thickness of the coal seams, no other
portion of the great Appalachian
coal region can surpass the immedi-
ate vicinity of Morgantown.
That richest mineral deposit ever
discovered, the celebrated Pittsburg
coal seam, caps all the highest sum-
mits around the town, and on the
West side of the river stretches
away toward the Ohio in an unbro-
ken sheet, s to 10 feet thick, while at
40, and 100 feet above it come two
other seams, viz:-tbe Redstone and
Sewickley beds, respectively and 6
feet thick; so that along the Monon-
gahela River within two or three
miles of Morgantown the hills con
tain 20 feet of merchantable coal
above water level and all within a
vertical interval of only 100 feet.
The Indiana Anticlinal passes
near Morgantown, and two miles
South of it brings the Upper Free
port coal to the bed of the river at
the Eureka Pump Station, where it
has a thickness of to 5 feet while
at only $50 feet under the same, the
Lower Kittanning Coal; or Newburg
Shaft seam is encountered, with a
thickness of 6 feet. We know that
these two Goals exist here because
many years ago the one Upper Free
port) was the chief supply for the
town, while the other was drilled
through in boring made for gas on
Deckers Creek, few hundred yards
above its mouth. So that around
and under the Morgantown region
not less than 30 feet of good, mer-
charitable coal is known to exist, not
counting several smaller and less
important beds.
No other portion of the great APP
y, .. L.. oh cna1 hadit, With hiob a
writer is acquainted can excel or
even equal this showing;
OF these several beds, the Sewiek-
ley and Redstone are excellent for
steam and general fuel purposes,
while the Pittsburg, as is well
known, is unrivaIed for steam, gas,
coke, or general use.
The Upper Freeport and Lower
Kittanning are splendid coking and
steam Goals, and hence where cheap,
and exhaustless coal is an object, no
location in the world can surpass
the Morgantown region.
But in addition to limitless coal
fields, Morgantown has at her doors
the greatest natural gas field yet
discovered in America, and her citi-
zens will still be burning this price
less fuel when it is a mere memory
in other regions. This is due to the
great thickness, number and depth
of the producing gas sands, and the
consequent pressure. Up to the
present time the Dunkard, Salt Sand,
Big Iniun, Gantz, $50 foot" Gordon,
and Fifth Sands have proven pro
ductiye of gas in the region adjacent
to and accessible to Morgantown,
though only one, the Big Injun'
has been drawn upon to any extent.
1t alone will continue to supply the
region for many years to come with
the cheapest gas sold any where in the
country, since the source of supply
is now only Z miles away, and is
known to exist in boundless quanti-
ty much nearer the town. But when
the gas from this one sand shall
have been exhausted, the supplies
from the six remaining horizons may
be counted upon for long period of
time, and hence there is every prob
ability that the days Of cheap natur-
al gas for the Morgantown region will
not be over before 25 to 80 years,
and when that time arrives the BIZ
product coke oven which is now re-
placing the wasteful beehive pat
tern, will from our richly bituminous
Goals, still continue to yield to our
citizens and the factories located
here, fuel-gas quite as cheap, and
nearly as rich in heat units as the
natural article itself.
Situated as Morgantown is with
all this wealth of coal and gas at her
very doors; with her beautiful river
which as long as water runs to the
sea, will ever insure her cheap trans
portation, no factory located here
will ever move away to get cheaper
fuel or power. Hence investments
made here in real estate must con
stantly increase in value, and secur-
ity, as the years go by, because ma
ture has given the region such an
advantage in the way of cheap fuel
that factories must come here and
prosper: and with them our popula-
ton must increase, and spread out
over our charming landscapes ere
ating a demand for building sites
and causing every foot of land ac-
cessible to the town constantly to in
crease in value. Ben Butler one Of
the shrewdest financial geniuses the
country has ever produced, gave this
advice to young friend who asked
him as to what he should do to gel
ON in the world: ''Invest in real es
tate in growing towns No one has
ever regretted investing in real es
tate in Morgantown, and no one ever
will, because it's growth is natural
substantial, and certain to continue
with accelerated rate.
|
MANY of the usual local features O.
the New DOMINION are omitted this
week. 1t is always our aim to show
the advantages of Monongalia county
and Morgantown as a place to reside
and place to make profitable ani
safe investments. This issue is large
| ly devoted to that idea and while &
number of the business and other in
situations of Morgontown are referred
to- many attractive points are moi
mentioned. II you are not familiar
with the place and copy of this is,
sue of the NEW DOMINION falls int
your hands, read it carefully and Wis