The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1910-01-14
RESOURCES.
Minerals Of the Big Sandy
Valley
Treated Al Length in Kentucky Geo.
logical Survey Report BY
Norwood.

G. ]. Norwood, director OF the Ken
lucky Geological Survey, has Just
issued an account of the States
mineral resources. lie deals large
" with the coal fields of the Big
Sandy valley. and from what Mr.
Norwood says in this connection the
NEWS publishes the following;
The total tonnage Of workable
coal. counting a bed OF three feet
as workable--and In the eastern
field a number OF commercial mines
are carried in seams OF thirty inches
the high quality OF the coal render
ing Il possible 10 do so at profit
even In region OF thicker seams
has not been determined for either
field, and II cannot be until the
mapping OF each field Is completed
and the outcrops OF the principal
beds laid down, this being one OF
the objects aimed at in the map
ming that is now being carried on
IN both fields. Estimates OF the
tonnage have appeared from time
10 time, hut they are necessarily
gueases only and OF doubtful utility.
The most that now should be said
Is that II is enormous, rising into
20 many billions OF tons that II Is
beyond the minds power 70 grasp
the total. How great must be the
total Is illustrated by the fact that
IN the eastern field one coking coal
IL estimated TO be alone capable oil
yielding, over an area OF 400 square
miles (only minor part OF Its ac-
tual extent as thick coaD, not
less than 1900, 100000 tons net,
enough to last 12O years II extract
cd at the present annual rate OF
aggregate production OF all the
mines now operating In the State
The Big Sandy embraces about 1000
square miles south OF Louisa, In
which ten or more workable Goals
occur.
Kentucky's Coking Coal.
coking coal OF excellence ttwo tc
four beams) occurs in the larger
number of counties embraced In the
eastern field; in eight of them as
high grade cokins coal is found al
Is known In this country. while the
Goals for steam and domestic use
are not excelled BY those in an!
other field. The most notable cokint
beds are in the upper and lower
"Elkhorn, the former being the on'
10 which the name originally applied
coke made from the "Elkhorn" Il
unquestiopably equal, and in SOM
respects superior. to the best Con
neilsyille fuel. This fact has beef
demonstrated time and again. ant
has recently been verified by car
load tests OF the coal made In th'
Connellsville region itself. The larg
er areas OF the Elkhorn beds II
their best development lie within
the Big Sandy region, and that larg
cooking operations have not been es
tablished there before now has beel
a matter OF regretful comment, sine
Il seemed pity for any OF tha
splendid coal to be sent to domesti
markets. II is with satisfaction
therefore. that note may now b
psade that the building of ovens ha
begun, and upon scale that doubt
less marks the beginning of Ken
tucky's predicted career as grea
coke-making State. The Mitchell
Coke Company. successors to tn
pike ooilleries Coal & Coke Com
pary, at HELLER, is engaged in tn
rfellminary work for the erection o
400 ovens; the Elkhorn Consolidate
Coal & Coke Company, also at Hel
lier. has staked off 200 ovens, an
the preliminary work Of construC
tion is in progress, and the Marrow
bone Coal & Coke Company, a
Lookout. has ten ovens burning, ha
plans for forty more. and is shiT
ping coke. All these ovens are !
Pike county.
Notwithstanding the various el
forts to improve the making of COX
out Of inferior coal, It is still tru
that the best coal makes the bes
coke, With the fact demonstrate
that the Elkhorn coal field Of PIX
county, KY, is capable Of producin
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