Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-11-12
GEORGES CREEK
PROMISES SOON TO BECOME The
CONNELLsVILLE OF
MARYLAND.
six Thousand Miners Are Now at
Work in the Big Veins, and Coke
Production Would Double the
Force.

Special to the Register.
CUMBERLAND, Md, November IL.
The great Georges Creek mining re-
gion will soon become the Connells-
willie of MARYLAND. Several years ago
coke was made at Barton with faTr
success the six feet vein being used.
AS that seam is very hard and con-
tains some slate, it was well nigh I'M
possible to get miners to work in 1t,
men generally preferring to work IN
the softer, cleaner big vein coal. Be-
cause of this and a limited market for
coke at the time, the project was
abandoned. Several years later an at
tempt to coke the Tyson vein near
Pekin was made by Superintendent
PARROT, of the American Coal Company,
but not being practically acquainted
with the process he failed to secure
good result. Now number OF capt.
talists have become interested in the
project and will erect ovens near Bar
lOQ anu LtSl GOdl 4iOLl pAA StAN
veins in the region. The three feet,
four feet and five feet and six feet
seams at Barton, Homecoming ana
GAINESVILLE, which is at the extreme
northern end of the valley, where the
New Central Coal Company has 300
acres of mineral rights, covering all
these veins and possibly some large
veins as well, will be operated. Prac-
tical men, we'll acquainted with mod
ern methods of coke making are at the
head of the enterprise. Should the
tests demonstrate that the coke thus
made is satisfactory, ovens will be
erected from one end of the valley to
the other covering distance OF TWEEN
ty miles.
There are six thosand miners in this
region now engaged in digging coal.
They are working on what is known
as the big vein. The starting up OF
the coke ovens would in nowise inter-
fere with the vein now being mined.
The veins which would be mined for
coke making purposes would doubtless
never be mined for fuel.
The prospects Of turning the Georges
Creek region into a new coke field
would, it is estimated, double the force
of men now at work in that region
besides necessitating the building of
a large number of houses and would
create one of the greatest booms this
section of the country has ever exper-
fenced. Over at Meyersdale, just
across the Pennsylvania line which is
part OF this district, the greatly in
creased business within the last three
years is attracting the attention of cap
ial to that section. The Consolidation
Coal Company has just purchased there
ten thousand acre tract of fine coal.
The land is in the northern end OF Som
erset county, Pennsylvania, and to
reach it fourteen mile extension will
be built from the B. & o. from Sand
patch, Pa, saving fifty miles haul to
market.
The Baltimore & Ohio railroad is
spending immense sums of money
double-tracking its line from this city
to lockwood, Pa, to enable prompt
handling of through freight now much
interferred with by the heavy and
growing coal traffic from the Salisbury
and lockwood branches. Some trouble
has been experienced with Sand Patch
tunnel, which lies along the route and
the company's engineers are said to
be searching for another route in or
der to avoid this tunnell. 1t is pos
sible that they will use the new coal
field branch as a part of their new
TOutQ