The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1901-12-27

resources. especially in h hard woods'
are still extensive.
COAL.
According 20 n comprehensive survey or
the coal field ~ Indiana under the direr-
ton OF Prof. Rlatchley. the efficient state
eeoloeist-the first accurate geological
survey W the exact location 81 the
coal deposits If the stafe-there are about
100 square miles in Indiana underiaid
hy coal. This IL about the aggregate area
Of the coal fields Of Europe exclusive ~
England. The Indiana coal deposits are
confined TO the southwestern part OF the
state. There are between twenty ana
thirty horizons in which the coal occurs.
Of which Eve contain coal over
large areas. and mt least seven 9th@rs
contain coal over small areas
The workable coal runs from TREE -
ten feet in thickness The upper BEDS
known as 'sbffuminous" coal average be-
tween -four and FIVE feet thick. wniie Inc
lower or block ar "semi-block" coal
sea MS average three feet one inch. The
upper beds occur in large basins. often
hundreds Of miles in area. The lower
beds are usually in small basins from
a few acres TO several square mi'@- IN
these basins the coal is thick In the cen
ter and thins toward the edges A. the
Indiana coal field is n part OF the eastern
edge ~ the Illinois ..coai basin the cvas
beds have a general dip ard get deeper
toward the center ~ the Illinois basin
AZ "A point in souther Illinois on this
account only. the lowest coal bed IL FOUND
along the eastern edge 81 the Indiana
coal field. The east edge 81 the re'i M
cludes the eastern parts OF tount'in'
Parke and Putnam counties. the s,s'-
err four-ffths 81 Greene. Martin. DUBOIS
49, -.. ard she Wa4f-
ern PARTS ~ Orange and Crawford ccun-
ties. Going westward this coal measure
descends or dips az the rate - twenty
four feet per mile. and Gradually the
other beds set in until. along he Nanss
river. the lowest bed. which nutc-ors
through owen and Martin counties. may
be son feet below the surface. or below
sea level. But as many as sixteen ether
beds have been found above II IN n Grill
al vincenne= with n total or
coai there 81 thirty-four feet In very
few localities can more than n or two
beds he worked at h same point
Through the middle regions three or moro
beds are being worked at a single point
None ~ the lower beds can nc scrkeu
In the western part 81 the held ~ ac-
count ~ their derth. What Is known
as coal e. and coal g." tie block coas
Of clay and Parke. and coal 4 " Lin
ton. Greene county. H. too deep TO wo-k
IN Sullivan and Knox. on account q the
wentv-four-foot per mile dip southwark
at least under existing conditions.
Location Of Beds.
In the eastern edge Of the Indiana coai
field workable coal IS found in a limited
quantity. Practically. there are no work
able coal deposits In Putnam. range and
Crawford. There is workable coal in two
townships I'm Owen West 81 this lower
coal belt is another belt from ten TO TWEEN
~ miles wide. where the coal deposits are
still shallow. the mines seldom reaching
100 feet In depth. This belt reaches west
ern Fountain and Greene. central farke
and Clay. central Daviess and eastern
pike and warrick counties- The country
Is fiat and rolling The coal Is found In
deposits. but block or semi-block Is large
IL workable. The Brazil block coal and
Parke county block and Linton semi
block coal is mined In this belt On ac-
count ~ the bIocky character Of the coal
mining operations have been more extern
sIve in this belt than in the higher belts
The third belt west 81 this. which COW
ers vermillion. southwestern Parke. west
ern clay and Daviess. eastern Sullivan
and Knox. western Daviess and vigo. Pike
and Warrick counties. In from ten to
twenty miles wide. The upper Goals are
near the outcrop and extensively mined.
The Goals ~ the second belt east ~ this
are too deep here 10 mine. except In Few
places. Most Of the mines Of Indiana are
IN these two belts-thc second and third
The fourth belt west 81 this. which ex-
tends into Illinois. comprises the counties
az Gibson. Narderburg and Posey. and
western sullivan and Knox. The drill
there reveals all the coal seams found in
the state. some sixteen in number. -
lower Goals here are below the sea level
and thin and not workable. The upper
Goals are OF workable thickness. hut on
account OF their depth-1D 10 100 feet
development here has been retarded. cap
ital having been attracted TO the shall
low er Goals IN the middle belts But IL
Is only a question Of time when these
deeper coal seams which comprise the
greatest deposits Of the Indiana sd will
be extensively worked.
The regions where the most active oper-
atoms In mining are being carried on arc
Greene. Sullivan. clay. Nigo. southern
Parke and vermiiiion counties. Linton in
Greene county l. growing TO be the great
coal center OF the state.
The block coal deposits Of lay county
begin 10 show signs Of exhaustion. but
the other coats Of Clay will not he ex-
hausted for many years TO come Farke.
Sullivan. vigo and Greene counties seem
To contain the largest area Of workable
coal at shallow depth. but their deposits
have hardly been touched. Gibson. Knox
Fountain and varderbure contain large
areas ~ undeveloped coal lands.
There Is q fine vein Of coal t.coal 50
outcropring or near the surface through
Pix and Warrick counties. which is ~
more than average thickness. and which
has hardly been touched. Davisss cot:n-
~ has been. and Is vet a great producer
~ coal. and there are still large areas 81
good workable coal. The western Part Or
Greene Is all underlain with workable
coal. Except M Linton. where coal min
Ing IL now conducted on a large scr 10.
this field remains practically intact.
There ARE limited areas ~ unmincd block
coal IN the southeastern part OF Parke
county and the western part NJ Clay
county. and In Owen county near Pat
ricksburg. In Fountain county there are
numerous hasins or workable coal. which
have never been worked. hut they have
been suficientiy prospected TO establish
their existence IN workabie quantities.
Forty Billion Tons.
Prof. Blatchiey estimates that there
nre ss.on. 80. oo tons NJ coal IN Indiana. cf
which one-hftR or s.oc.ocn.o on are essi-