The Progressive West Virginian. [volume] (Williamson, W. Va.) 1911-1913, 1913-01-02
BIG SANDY RIVER
IMPROVEMENT.
Our Citizens Acting in This I'm
portant Matter.
Let The Good Work Proceed to a
Finish.

&
At a meeting of the business men
and citizens generally of the city OF
Williamson and Mingo county, held.
on the 2Sth day Of December, 1912,
which meeting was organized by
electing Wells Gocdykoontz chair
man Thomas B. Garner, secretary.
and Alex Bishop, treasurer, a coin
mittee composed of Everett Leftwich,
j. X. Anderson and ]. Levine, Wa.
appointed to prepare a paper or ae
dress to be presented to sub-com
mittee of engineers representing the
War Department of the U. S. Gov
eminent, composed of Col. Dan {
kingman, Col. Newcomer and Mai.
Rand at Catlettsburg, KY, on the
3Oth day of December, 1912; in COM
pliance with the request contained
ii. circular letter issued by Col.
kingman requesting information OH
the subjects treated in the following
paper which was prepared by the
orders of the meeting and presented
to the above named representatives
Of the War Department at public
hearing in Catlettsbburg as above
stated by Mr.. Leftwich, chairman.
Col. Dan G. Kingman, senior mem
ber of Board:
The undersigned committee begs
leave to- present to you and your
Honorable Board the following
facts. and figures regarding the prob
able tonnage Of freight that would
originate on Tug River as a conse-
auence of slack-water navigation.
Dear Strive have been inform
ed that the War Department OF the
United States Government is actual
" contemplating the discontinuance
OF the plans heretofore adopted to
look. and dam the two branches of
THIS river up to Williamson and
Pikeville respectively.
This condition Of things is hard
to believe And, such a state of things
it-see1ns to JUS could only exist for
want Of information regarding the
resources OF this REGION as the gov
ernment engineers have always re-
ported the scheme perfectly feasible
SO far as the matter of rendering
both the Tug and Leyisa Forks 'navl-
gable is concerned.
The original plan contempates the
construction of the upper dam on the
Tug Fork at Williamson. This means
nayigable water to Matewan, a dis
ta4lce of over 80 miles from 'Kenoya
and nearly so miles from Louisa.
1.-THE amount Of freight originating
between Matewan and Louisa at the
present and now being carried by
the Norfolk & Western Railway is
considerably more than ten thous-
and tons daily fully three-fourths Of
which lis coal. This region ships
about 200 cars of coal per day.
Careful reference to map OF this
region will show that only a very
small area OF the extreme upper por-
tlpn Of this territory is developed
and even that development is con-
taed to very narrow strip lying
4Npng the river.
GsTAste are seven distinct seams OF
coal that are found in commercial
condition in the region contemplated
even calculating on a basis OF rail-
road freight rates Water naviga-
tion would add at least two more
commercial seams to this, which
range in thickness from inches
down to 8 feet.
These seams dipping to the north
west take water or dip below the
river bed at different points from
Williamson west. These are the
very highest grades of splint coal
and are in good demand in our west
ern and Canadian markets, and are
from 100 to 800 miles closer to
these markets than any other Goals
which are shipped by water.
We have the same series mined
in the Great Kanawha field and in
at, least as.good condition here as
there, in fact our seams average
thicker than theirs
There is, ON Tug River and its
tributaries, from Matewan west to
the Wayne county line at least 49,
Q00 acres of undeyeloped coal terri
tory averaging three seams OF five
feet each in thickness. About half
OF this will be drift and about hall
shaft mining
This means coal tonnage Of one
billion, seven hundred and fifty r
lion, which is now lying undevelop-
ed In this region and we are only
calculating the territory where