The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-03-14

Vein of Coal at a Depth of 1880 Fee
From the Surface-Small Stratas ar
Found for Fifteen Feet-The Coal is of
Light Bituminous Variety, judging
From the Samples Brought Out-Man.
Air Castles are Built When, another Dis
covery is Made.
1T never rains but it pours in Kan
sas" is a saying that has stood without
denial in the chronicles of the state
since the visit to Kansas by Signor Cor
onado in the spring of 1892,
Ii seems TO be holding good as 10
Wichita, for no sooner had the new po-
lice commission got in their work and
fairly driven hypocrisy in to its den
and ". 2. Campbell had thrown up the
sponge and meekly and lamblike retired
TO his corner wearing a crown Of graf
tude from every honest man in the city
than the ponderous drill at the prospect
well began going down at a 2:4O gait
and did nothing else than discover a
vein of coal. 1t is a remarkable coin
cidence that w. p. Campbell signed and
mailed his resignation at o'clock and
a. 9:15 the drill discovered its first vein
Of coal.
Coal was reached at a depth of 1880
feet from the surface, the first vein ex-
tending for one foot. Then came a
stratum of slate which lasted for four
teen inches and the second vein Of coal
was reached which was sixteen inches
in thickness. This was followed by
slate one foot in thickness when coal
OH
ches thick. The largest vein found
in solid compact was something like
thirty-two inches thick, and this coal
and slate was found alternately until
depth OF ITO feet was reached.
The coal is what might be called
light bituminous and is not a first-cla So
article, but yet is not what is termed
Ignite as was found in Kechi township
some weeks since, but it is not a heavy
solid coal as found ait Canon City.
Hundreds of estimates were made as
10 the probable depth of the coal and
some estimate that with the stratas of
slate thrown out there would be from
six to eleven feet Of coal found in the
distance of thirty-five feet from which
1t was first found until the end. 9th
ers made even larger estimate but the
exact thickness of the veins could not
be determined accurately as the drill
seemed to show no difference whether
It was working in shale, slate or coal,
and on account of the choppings being
so small when brought up in the sand
buckets the only way the estimates
could be made was by taking the per
cent Of coal found In screw length
five feet-from the slate which was
with it
The coal taken from the well burns
readily, but as stated, the shavtngs ap-
peared 10 make the coal found Of a light
variety and some fear that it was too
light for engines having heavy draught
but this was only on judgment taken
from the pounded slack, and proba bly,
when a shaft is sunk and the coal takes
out in large quantities it will be found
much better than now judged.
There IS no mistake about one thing
and that is that coal was found and
Shat at the bottom Of the prospect well
a the corner OF Fifteenth street and
Lawrence avenue. How valuable the
find IS or the exact thickness of each
stratum between the slate can not be
definitely stated.
Specimens Of the coal can be seen
at the city engineers office and DOUBT
less today This office will be thronged
coal found beneath the city of Wichita.
OF course there was great rejoicing
over the discovery last night and dur
Ing the afternoon and many bright air
castles were erected by enthusiasts,
but that was not the best of the find
yesterday. Like a well regulated meal
the desert is saved to the last and 50
with the well
There was no doubt about the coal.
II was like the mans fine horse, it show
ed for itself, but here was the old trou-
BILE with which Wichita has had to con-
tend with since its infancy-an outlet
for its products. X could not be doubt
ed that Wichita would soon be filled
with factories, as the question of fuel
has for years stood in its way. Like
the great cribs of corn which line the
railroad tracks for miles we would I'M
doubleday have manufactured articles
ready to be sent to other markets, but
by the conspiracy Of the railroads all
was shut off. There now no longer re
mains q doubt but what upon the sum-
mer skies would glisten the reflection
of kilns which would be built to utilize
the great bed Of potter's clay already
found. The finding of coal had solved
all This. Salt wells would now spring
UP. Plow factories would be started
and some even went so far as to inquir-
ing how long Joe McMahan's lease on
the Gilbert plaw works would extend.
Wichita would boom again if it was
not for one thing and that was an out
let for her products.
Here was poser which arose as a
black cloud upon the horizon of pros
perity which had begun 10 dawn, which
had closely followed in the wake of the
other blessings which had come and a
bitter feeling was beginning to
wrangle in the breasts Of the men who
few minutes before were so extremely
happy.
But the drill was not done although
sven the operators were in ignorance
IF the great discovery which had been
made.
At the bottom of the last vein of
GOAL they entered a heavy stratum of
Colorado sandstone and had gone 10 the
Iull length of the screw when the sand
bucket, which is eighteen feet in length
was lowered for the purpose of taking
up the debris that q discovery was
made which may mean a solution of
The vexed question which has so long
confronted the people Of the southwest
I; was an outlet leading in the direc-
ton Of New Orleans and what was bet
Ter stiu il was an outlet with which
The railroads cannot pool. and may de-
velope in Wichita being placed upon
the railroad maps. not as an inland city
hut as one which is upon a water course
or one thai can be easily developed into
one ana the uAnr1a Of Kansas will have