The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1915-08-11
COAL FIELDS Of
WESTERN SECTION
OF Kentucky and Their
Boundaries.
STATE GEOLOGICAL REPORTS
Give Full History-Mining
Leaves Much Coal In
the Ground.
KENTUCKY COAL ECONOMICAL

A new volume of the Kentucky
Geological survey. dealing with the
West Kentucky coal field, besides
the economic feature of the terri
tory, contains an interesting geolog-
ical history of Western Kentucky
from the time when it was under
sea, through the glacial period down
to the present. 1t deals with the
Nortonville quadrangle including
portions of HOPKINS. Christian,
Muhlenberg and Todd; the brakes
boro quadrangle, including portions
of Southern Muhlenberg and North
ern Todd and Logan; the Dunmore
quadrangle, including portions of
eastern Muhlenberg, northern Logan
and southern Ohio county and the
Little Muddy quadrangle, including
portions of Butler, northwestern
Warren and a few miles of northern
Todd county.
The Nortonville quadrangle takes
in Nortonville, Crofton, Morton's
Gap, White Plains and Graham.
There are three mines in this quad
rangle, employing modern methods;
but pick mining and shooting are
common in a large number of small
err mines and all the mines employ
some modification of the room and
pillar method of operation, by which
80 to 40 per cent. of the coal is left
in the ground. "The operators say
they find it does not pay to pull pill
lars and ribs. The coal left in the
mines-35 to 40 per CENTS con-
sidered lost beyond recovery"
Greenville is the largest town in
the Drakesboro quadrangle, which
contains eight large mines, three
being operated throughout the year.
Depoy, Luzerne, POwderly, Hillside.
Bevier, Elk Valley, Drakesboro,
Browder and Bolton are smaller min
ing towns.
Aside from four small mines in
the vicinity of South Hill, Dunbar
and Mining City, agriculture is the
principal industry of the Dunmore
quadrangle, the valleys of Green
river, Mud river and Muddy creek
affording an unusually large area of
fertile farming land; but now little
more than fourth of this valley
land has been reclaimed for cultiva-
ton. Less than l per cent. of Mud
river bottom land in Muhlenberg
and Butler Is cultivated. The lock
in Green river at Rochester is just
below the mouth of Mud river. the
idea being to make the latter stream
navigable. and subjects thousands
of acres of fertile farming land to
overflow, making it unavailable for
agricultural purposes. And Mud
river is abandoned as far as naviga-
ton is concerned. The old Mud
River Mine is abandoned and the
stream is choked with logs and drift,
used only for floating logs to mill in
season of high water in its tributa-
ries.
Apples of fine quality are raised
on the hill sides and the survey sug-
gests more attention to this indus
try.
The Little Muddy quadrangle ex-
tends from Providence, in Webster
county, to a few miles east of the
confluence of the Big Barren and
Green rivers. Morgantown and
Woodbury. are the principal towns.
The occupation chiefly is agriculture.
A few mines are operated on a small
scale within four miles of Morsan-
town. with Green river as the only
means of transportation. The near
est railroad is thirty miles distant.
While Western Kentucky coal is
inferior to the coal of Pennsylvania.
West Virginia and Eastern Ken
lucky, ii can be furnished at SO much
lower cost in Louisville and south
west from there to the Gulf. that
compared as TO the number of heat
units a dollar will buy. II is the more
economic fuel In its own vast terri
tory, the report says.