Birmingham state herald., 1896-01-19
WARRIOR RIVER OPENED EventfuI Day in the History Of
 TuSkaIoosa. A BARGE VOWED THROUGH The Locks The Gulf and the Coal Fields at Last United and the Problem of Cheap
 Fuel Given in Answer
Tuskaloosa Gazette.

Tuskaloosa Gazette.
 Since the memory of man runneth not to the contrary have the Tuscaloosa peo- pie lived in the hope of seeing the War rior river opened up to the coal beds that crop out on it's very banks. Men have grown gray looking for this consumma- tion of youthful dreams, and people had even begun to regard the usefulness of the rivers, barges, coal mines and every thing else as mythical matters. Some scarcely believed in any good when those splendid structures of stone rose near the south banks of the Warrior and be- gan to look like the locks one reads about. But all doubt is now past. The most obstinate pessmist going has now reconsldered his decision, and since Sun day at least has the town been joyful beyond eXpre ssion
 When the whistle of the towboat Bal tmore sounded down the river Saturday night 1t dspeled the last cloud of doubt or fear, and when the little steamer push ed the barge under the recently com pleted draw bridge and took nights s rest, as it were, safely anchored between the walls of Lock No. 1. the Tuskaloosa people realized that our day of inactivity is past and that Tuska1oosa has already begun to make those forward strides that will all the more entitle her to the proud name of the Plttsburg of the south.
 The people watched for the Baltimore all Saturday afternoon, and when she arrived about 9 o'clock there was big crowd to meet her No stop was made until the first lock was reached, and there the steamer was boarded by large and interested throng. The news rapidly spread that the locks would be passed early Sunday morning, and an eager as- I.1x ha lock to see the momentous sight. The owner of the boat, Col. R. P. Knox, of Demopolis. kindly allowed all who cared to make the trip up the river do so. His permission was taken advantage of by small-sized army of citizens of Tus- kaloosa and Northport-old and young, black and white, men, women and chill dren. The first lock was cleared about S:30 a. m and the other two were passed as quickly as possible afterward, and the boat steamed up the river hitherto unrippled by such a craft.
 The barge the Baltimore lowed up to the mines is a huge affair 75 feet long and 20 feet wide and feet deep. It is built to carry 250 tons of coal, and just as soon as 1t is loaded will be lowed down to Mobile. It was left at the mines on Sunday and the Baltimore, as soon as it took on a sufficient quantity of coal for its own use, returned down the river It
 
 un1oaded it's human freight, which con sisted of as happy and as hungry a set of mortals as 1t would be possible to find anywhere All three locks held immense crowds of people when the boat arrived and the bridge was literally alive with interested humanity.
 After a stop of only a few minutes at the lock the Baltimore then steamed on her return journey to Mobile. She will return for the barge In week or ten days.
 Nine barges are now in process of con- struction, and will soon be put in use. The Baltimore will carry three barges each loaded with 250 tons of coal, each trip she makes, and 1t can be readily seen what an immense advantage the open ing of the river has given Tuskaloosa as coal center.
 There are thre mines now in active operation on the river. The trip Sunday was to the Tide Water company's mine which is owned and operated principal ly by Tuskaloosians, the stockholders being Messrs. George A. Searcy, R. c McCalla, Jr, J. Manly Foster and Hon Richard H. Clarke of Mobile The su. perintendent of this mine is the wei known and capable coal operator. MT Archie Durie. This mines entrance which is 10 feet wide and high enough fol a medium-sized man to stand upright, is only Al feet from the waters edge, bu, aDOVe nlSn water. 1ne opening IS Wna is known as a drift" in distinction iron a "slope" or shaft" The coal from the mine can be run out and dumped from it's chute directly on the barges In the river below. The seam being worked al present is the top one of three, which lie one above another about 30 feet apart This seam Is about 4 feet thick, and the ~coal is of a very fine quality. The Tide Water company owns about 7l0 acres Of valuable land about nine miles from town. This property fronts on the river one and one-half miles, and runs back about one and three-eighths miles.
 Nearly opposite the Tide Water mines on the north side of the river are ths mines of the Blair company. MT. F. F Blair a recent valuable addition to Tus kaloosas citizens, is president, and MT s. w. Morris superintendent The Blai company owns about 500 acres of some O. the most valuable land in the coal dis trict The seam which is being worked at present is between and feet thick.
 Just above the third lock, about tw, miles from town, is the shaft of the Mil Ter mines, which are owned by w. ant M. Miller of Ohio. MT. w. Miller Is presi dent of the company and MT. J. B. Nor ris the superintendent.
 The seam they are working is the sam as the asylum seam and is uneXcelled fo grate use or for steam, coking or gas The shaft is feet by IS, and is 51 fee deep. This mine is almost in town, ant on that account probably more interest ing even than the others to our people.
 Those three mines already employ large number of men, and Tuskaloosa i beginning to enjoy the consequent re sults As the mining proceeds the large will grow the wage roll and the nor benefit will Tuskaloosa derive. Trul the scale has turned and Tuskaloosa i moving onward and upward
 The ODpn river for ten miles abOVp Tins kaloosa Is a great blessing. and when tn other two locks are completed won't W show the world a thing or two? Tn minimum depth of the river for ten mile up now is feet, and there is a depth O 21s feet further on. The next two lock will make the river navigable owe
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