Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1916-10-06
The Development Of
the Coal Industry in
Iowa-by RolDe

lowa's greatest wealth lies not only in
the culture of her rich soil, but also in
:, the development Of the geological for
nations underlying that soil, of which
the chief product 10 coal.
! Iowa's rank among all the states Of
the nation In 1914 was tenth in output
and ninth in value. Considering lhe
states west Of the Mississippi, she 10
second in. both output and. value. The
distinction OF being first in the western
states from 1910 to 1873 was held by
missouri. Iowa then came to the front,
! where she remained until 1909 when
Colorado surpassed her. Colorado still
leads. Iowa following in the second
place with the production OF 7,6l4,143
tons In 1915. with value Of $1S, SIT sos.
The state census for 1910 shows the
Following facts. concerning coal min
all the mining industries of Iowa, and
That 91.4 per cent come directly from
the mining of bituminous coal; also
that out OF the 1S,S04 people employed
IN general mining. S2.1 per cent are en- /
gagged in coal mines. Another interest
ing fact Is that one-fourth the mining
wage earners are employed In six large
mines which give work to more than
hve hundred each. In 1902, the bitumin-
GUS industry was valued at $3.50, 2S7
ana In 1910 was placed at $l2,eS2,1Oo,
making an increase Of 1875 per cent
The coal beds of Iowa are lenticular
in arrangement and the more important
ones vary from thirty inches to seven
feet In thickness with four feet as the
average. The coal fields are nearly all
rather local, many covering less than q
rev hundred acres in area.
Iowa is the northernmost extension
OF the great interior coal fields OF the
United States. with only the southern
third OF the state occupied by It, The,
1c nSyn ,nv,t~ - o.nl v
square miles and runs from the north s
west to the southeast, following the Des
Moines river from Fort Dodge to Keo-
kuk and extending west through the
southern counties. .fSs
The geological name for the most inn
portant coal bearing beds Of Iowa is the
Des Moines stage or the lower coal
measures. These beds are divided int
three general divisions known as the !
cherokee, Appanoose and Pleasanton.
however. there Is no clear dividing line
but the divisions are derived from GER
tain characteristics OF each formation. /,
From eighty to ninety per cent OF
our coal is obtained from the Cherokee
division which is In the very center OF
the local region and follows the Des
Moines river from Webster county to 4
Van Buren, county, including Boone,
Polk. Jasper Marion. Mahaska, Wapel-
10, Monroe, Lucas and Jefferson coun-
ties. An important DIVISION economical
~ Is the Appanoose 80 called from APP
panoose county and besides Including
the counties of Warren. Guthrie, Dallas
Madison and Wayne. The chief coal
seam of this division is the Mystic seam
which underlies 1900 square miles in
Appanoose and Wayne counties. It Is OF
regular structure and although only
thirty inches thick. its persistency en-
ables It to be extensively and easily
mined
The Pleasanton Is the upper division
II the Des Moines stage and Is not Ut
much Importance in Iowa. Above itfare
he strata OF the Missouri stage or the
upper coal measures which include
Page, Adams. Montgomery. Mills. Free
mont and Taylor counties. and contain
| few thin seams OF coal the most Inn
,ortant OF which is the Nodaway. about
'ixteen inches thick. ,4s
The majority OF the mines In Iowa
work quite near the surface, the deep b
st shaft going $40 feet. The original
'oal supply of Iowa was 2S,160,000. 900,
ons. while the coal exhausted between
$40 and the end of 1915 was approx
nately 3O0,000.00O tons Including Q
waste of half a ton for each ton mined
According to the rate of production for
915. which was 7.6l4.143 tons, Profess
or George F. Kay. state geologist. says
hat the coal still available in Iowa is
bout 2S.s63, 900. 900 tons. and that there
viii be coal for at least $500 years to