The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1910-05-05
COAL AT GAINESVILLE
First Vein in Shaft Found just as
the Log in the Prospect Drill q.
ing Showed it to be.

GAINESVILLE is greatly elated oVeF
their coal shaft, as the shaft diggsr9
have struck the first vein of coal just
as the log of the prospect drilling
showed it. The vein is 10k inches
thick, and samples which were taken
out and burned proved that it was
of good quality. Work is being push
ed on the shaft and the chances are
that Leon people will have the op-
portunity of burning GAINESVILLE coal
| next winter. The GAINESVILLE News
| of last week has the following to
say in regard to the progress being
made by the shaft:
On last Friday afternoon coal was
uncovered in the main shaft at a
depth of 1913 feet about what the
log made by the core drillers show
ed. The vein was about 101a in
ches thick and of fairly good quality
The announcement that the vein
had been uncovered created quite a
little excitement and during the aft
ernoon and evening quite a number
OF our people went down to the shaft
and carried off quantities of it to try
it in their stoves. 1t is said that
it burns finely.
AAS aAASONSl iiiSo VI ll1o fclA SSIS
at rest all doubts and speculations
as to the correctness of the log of
the core drillers and is matter of
great satisfaction.
The next vein, according to the
core driller's log, is an 18 inch vein
and should be uncovered at depth
of 265 to 27O feet, the quality is
supposed to be slightly better than
the first vein. The company will
not make any use of these veins.
In Mr.. McPherson's department
the work has gone along very nicely,
indeed, and he has just completed
the foundation for the mammoth en-
gine which will be used to hoist the
COAL
This foundation is a modest little
piece of concrete % II feet long by
21 Y wide and feet in thickness.
Anchored in this concrete are num-
Der OF inch bolts which will fasten
the base of the engine to the founda-
ton.
The base of the engine covers the
entire foundation, and it is, perhaps,
the largest and most powerful en-
gine of the kind in use in the middle
west. 1t is of the latest design and
has a maximum hoisting speed of
1000 feet per minute. 1t is manu-
factured by the Touhill Iron works,
of Scranton, Pa, and was selected
by Mr.. w. d. Altheuse, Gen. Mangr.
of the Coal Company, because of
its great superiority over any other
hoisting engine 1t has two conical
drums, one end 6 feet and the other
end 8 feet in diameter, which are
fastened solidly to 12 inch steel
shaft, and is what is known as first
motion or direct connected the OBJ
ject of which is to give high speed
to the drums. This, of course, ne
cessitates large steam cylinders to
furnish the power required. There
are two steam cylinders, each of
which rs % inches in diameter and
36 inches long. A special steel / Il
inch cable 600 feet long will be
used, attached to the drums in such
way that as one cage is being
holsted the other cage will be low
cred. This equipment is the best
known and is in keeping with the
equipment in other departments.
Mr.. Mcpherson has received or
ders from the Roberts & Schaefer
Company the contractors, to erect
the engine house which is to house
the hosting engine described above,
and in all essential features as to
design and size will be like the pow
er house already erected. This work
will keep Mr.. McPherson's crew
busy for several weeks.
At the shaft the Dowell boys keep
things moving right along. 1t is the
same old story day after day-drill,
blast and clean out-and there is
nothing new to tell except the depth
OF the shafts. On Tuesday night
the main shaft was 21O feet deep
and the air shaft 180 feet deep.
An immense amount of earth,
broken stone, shale, clay including
streaks of fire clay, etc., is being
taken out of the shafts, and day after
day the dump from the main shaft
craWls little nearer town. 1t is
following the line for the switch,
and the dirt in the dumps will be
used in making the fill necessary in
building the roadbed for the switch.
Dedication of Grand River Church.
The building used by the Disciples
of Christ at Grand River, this coun-
ty, will be dedicated on Sunday. May
15, 1910. The building is of annie