Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-03-16
Coal Has Been Found on POpham
Beach for $50 Years--Rep0rt
MadebyExpertsfro Washington

So much coal is being washed up
this winter on Popham Beach, at the
mouth of the Kcnnebec that unusual
interest is being shown in the solu-
ton of the mysterious source. The
Bath Times of March 10 said:
The Times man heard Tuesday of
an S0-year-old resident of Phipps6urg
who recalls the picking up of coal in
his boyhood on Popham and Small
Point beaches and of hearing that his
father did the same thing when he
was boy. In those far away days
no coal was sent in vessels along the
coast of Maine and there were no
steamers. Moreover the kind of coal
washed ashore costs too high for the
ordinary marine furnaces or cabin
CRATES to burn. Again, why is not
the coal washed up on other beaches?
This coal has been washing ashore, ac-
cording to our local legends, for at
least $50 years. Some junks have
barnacles on three sides and are
smooth and shiny on the other where
the junk has been broken off some
outcropping ledge of the nearby sea.
Government investigation on the spot
might discover the deposit there"
Another article in the same issue
gives an interesting report of the Unit
ed States Geological Survey experts,
who do not credit a mine, but do find
two kinds of coal and a quantity of
black tourmaline. The article fol-
lows:
Some time ago specimens of the
ore from the RockIedge cliff blasting
operations were sent to the Geological
Survey together with other samples
of coal which, in Jumps from the size
of an egg to that of a football and
even larger have been washed on the
sands of Popham and Small Point
beaches for more than 150 years and
have been used in old time blacksmith
FORCES as fuel and in stoves of resi-
dents along the Phippsburg shore and
have been gathered III considerable
quantities by others who have kept
them as souvenirs of Popham.
The samples sent for examination
by the Survey experts We're those
handed in to the Times and shown in
the windows of this establishment. The
publisher of the Times forwarded the
samples to Washington and has re-
ceiyed in return this week the follow
ing correspondence, which is of great
| interest, but is hardly convincing that
| there is no coal at Popham, in view
of the large amounts of the same kind
of coal which all these years have
| been coming ashore. If the Survey
people are correct. there has been GER
| tainly unusual activity among firemen
and commanders at sea in throwing
! overheard good fuel and this waste
| has been going on for from $50 to 200
years aboard vessels, mostly steamers
passing the mouth of the kennebec.
| The explanation given by the Survey
! is the old explanation in new language.
1t is planned to send other and
/ larger specimens of the coal on to the
/ Government experts at Washington,
fragments which are more convincing
to Maine men that they have been
! broken from some outcropping ledge
| in the sea close to the two beaches at
the south OF the mouth of the Kenne-
bee. The letters follow
Washington, ID. c., Mar. 6, 1914.
f. B. Nichols, Esq,
Bath, Maine.
My dear Mr. Nichols:
| ndnU you neTeWltn letter udIeu
the 5th inst, from Hon. George Otis
Smith, the very capable director of the
United States Geological Survey. with
reference to the samples of minerals
you recently sent me.
Mr.. Smiths report is fully self-ex-
| planatory, and / note with regret
that it does not give us hope of find
ing deposits of bituminous coal in the
| State of Maine.
1t will always give me sincere pleas
ure to be of any assistance in mat
! tiers involving the welfare and con-
venience of the citizens of your neigh
! borhood, and / wish you to feel free
to call upon ME at any time without
| hesitation.
Yours very truly,
| d. j. MoGILLICUDDY.
| Washington, d. c., Mar. 5, 1914.
Hon. Daniel j. McGillicuddy.
| House of Representatives
Ny dear Mr.. McGillicuddy:-
| The package of specimens, forward
ed in accordance with your letter of
| Feb. 81, was received and the contents
have been examined. The larger frag-
ment of coal was broken in transit so
that corner was crushed and con-
seouently has been rejected
The black mineral in the specimen
of the coal blasted from ledge at Rock