Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1902-11-06

Work has just been started en- what
il probably the most important mining
venture undertaken in Western Penn
sylyania in years. Guffy and Queen,
the well-known oil producers, asso-
ciated with the old Carnegie Steel
Company interests, have formed the
Great Lakes Coal Company, with ~, 600
600 capital; have acquired $4,000 acres
OF coal near Brady's Bend; have begun
the opening Of ten large mines and will
open five more, giving them daily out
put OF ~, 900 tons II IL the intention
of the company to enter aggressively In
the Great Lakes coal trade during the
coming spring, and preparations have
already been made to stock the coal this
spring and ship it at the opening OF
navigation to Conneaut Harbor over the
Pittsburg, Bessemer & Lake Erie rail
road
Over 1000 men have been put to
work constructing Is miles Of what will
be 50-mile line from Red Bank to New
Castle. thoroughly opening the monster
tract. 1t Is the expectation that this
road, known az the Western Allegheny,
will become an important link in the
Pennsylvania system 10 relieve the
freight congestion of the Pittsburg dis
trict.
1t is the execution In part Of scheme
originally planned by Edgar Thompson,
when President OF the Pennsylvanla. 10
relieve the main line. The line will give
the big coal company not only an outlet
10 the Bessemer and 10 the Lake Erie
but will also permit its entrance into
one Of the busiest industrial districts
west of the Alleghenies.
Options were taken on the coal early
last summer when charter for the
company was procured by Knox 81
Reed Since then the details have been
perfected and the coal purchased out
right. The Western Allegheny, which
IL entirely owned by the coal company;
was located and recently contracts were
awarded to Contractors Bennett and
Smith Of GreensbnrR. Ryan & Hesset
and the Broadhead Contracting Com
pany for the construction Of the line 10
connect IL with the Bessemer ~ Lake
Erie.
The road will start from Kaylors,
near Bradys Bend, on the Allegheny
river, and will completely divide the
big tract. From Kaylors IL follows the
valley OF Sugar creek TO Kepples Corn
ers. piercing the hill upon leaving the
valley with n tunnel / 900 feet long. IL
Crosses the Pittsburg IL Western rail
town and runs down Muddycreek Ia
the Bessemer by way Of Buena Vista
and Middletown.
The line has been built at great ex-
pense and with far more important
object in view than the mere carrying OF
coal. No expense has been spared II
for the first ~ miles, which are rhe
toughest, IL little less than 40 feet u
the mile. At one point just west Of the
Pittsburg 81 Western the new road will
cross stream with steel viaduct SOC
feet long and 125 feet high. Surveys
have already been made for the location
OF tho remainder of the line 10 New
Castle, the grade 10 the west being OK.
cedingly small
The big tract contains three good
veins Of coal-the Freeport vein, -four
feet thick and suitable for coking; the
Upper KittannIng six feet thick, and
the Lower Kittanning four feet thick,
both said TO be splendid steam Goals.
All OF these mines are 10 be worked by
drifts. and they are 30 located on the
hills that coal will be mined from the
three and loaded upon the cars from
one steel tipple.
Recently ~ cars from various points
on the tract were wagoned out 10 the
Edgar Thomson Steel works and the
Homestead Steel works Of the Carnegie
Company, and tests for steam purposes
were said to have been beyond cxpecta-
tions. Some of the coal has also been
been coked. and IL Is the intention Of the
company TO erect coke ovens on the
property In the future, and ship TO the
fnrnaces Of the Shenango and Mahoning