The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-06-27
Our COAL Is MAL
nr. White Tells Facts About
It in Black Diamond
Article.

west Fork and TygGFt's Valley Rivers
unite 70 form the Monongehela."
writes Dr.. /. 4. White. state geologist
OF West Virginia in the recent issue
OF 'The Black Diamond, devoting 80
or 20 pages to the Fairmont region,
who iS pronounced by that trade jour
nil q the man best qualified IN
America to discuss Fairmont coal
'VeFy appropriately" continues Dr.
White, "the development was begun
By the father as well as the grand
father OF the persent generation OF
WatSOns, including Ex-senator, now
Colonel c. w. Watson, who made tbs
FaiFmont district known wherever
coal Is used commercially, and have
from small beginnings sixty odd years
ago, developed one OF the greatest
coal producing corporations Of the
world, the Consolidation Coal Compa-
ny, with extensive operations in the
states Of Maryland, Pennsylvania, West
Virginia and Kentucky. and whose ca.
Dacity, II shipping facilities could be
obtained, probably exceeds 100000
tons annually"
"This celebrated Pittsburgh coal
bed" continues DR.. White, upon
which the success OF the COnsolida.
ton Coal Company was originally
founded, undtNlies a vast area in the
FaiFmOnt region. extending in an un.
broken chain OF mines southwark
thirty odd miles along the West Fork
river TO ClaTksburg, in Harrison coun.
~. and northward along the Mononga.
hela river to MorgantoWal in Monon-
gala couNty, and beyond to the Penn
sylVaia line. two miles above Point
Marion at the mouth Of Cheat river
This great coal deposit whose West
Virginia development centers around
FairmOnt is probably the most valua-
Die mineral deposit in the world, being
IDEAL for steam and general fuel, un.
sXcelled for gas. coke and by-prOducts,
L undeTlies about 100000 acres.
principally in the northern half OF
West Virginia. having an average re-
cOVerable thickness of six to seven
elUIS 10 suOQ on GUBouoBId ql!A 1901
partings requiring elimination. So
rich IN volatile combustible matter
and consequently in by.products, now
90 greatly in demand. is this Pittsburg
coal IN the Fairmont or upper MonOn.
gahela river district, that interests
closely allied with the Consolidation
Coal Company are now erecting a
large by.product cOking plant near
FairmOnt, the first in West Virginia
10 utilize the wonderful values locked
up By this great coal bed. It Is sure
70 be only the forerunner OF numerous
other plants OF the same nature"
The general character OF this Pitts.
burg coal bed in the Fairmont district
Is shown by the average analysis from
ffty-One mines scattered from Nor
gantoWn to Clarksburg and carefully
made By Frank Haas WHEN he was
chief chemist TOT the Fairmont Goa!
Company which company was later
absorbed into the Consolidation Of
which Mr.. Haas Is now consulting en-.
glneer. which shows:
Moisture, 1.43 per cent.
Volatile matter, S7.47 per cent.
Fixed carbon, 3.s3 per cent.
Ash, 7.27 per cent.
Total, 10000 per cent.
Sulphur, $50 per cent.
B. !. u, 14.14 per cent.
The SeWickley coal, which lies IS
% l25 feet higher in the measures and
having q thickness Of FIVE to six feet,
until recently entirely neglected with
the exception OF one commercial mine
owned by the Parker Run Coal Com.
pany below Rivesville, I'VE miles from
Eairmont, Is analysed by the West
Geological Survey as follows:
Moisture, 1.47 per cent.
Volatile matter, 1884 per cent.
llEed carbon, 1888 per cent.
Ash. $40 per cent.
Total, 10000 per cent.
sulphur. 347 per cent.
3. I. o.. llOSl per cent.
The SeWickley coal has a little more
sulphur and ash than the Pittsburg
coal but has practically tho same
EFFICIENCY for steam and general fuel
pauposes. "Its richly bituminous Law.
efs are usually separated by thin Law.
eIs Of mineral charcoal" according TO
~. White. ''and thus II burns without
tlsing on the crate bars and as A do.
nestle coal is generally preferred 10
ne Pittsburg vein below. II comes
out In large blocks and bears handling
s1lto as we'll or oven better thnn fbe
PittsbuFg vein"
The RedStOnO Coal. the Waynesburg
boal, and the Upper Freeport coal are
also found IN northern West Virginia
which makes Il, according TO DIR.
wife, the richest portion OF the Ap.
pelachian Aeld. there being Eve beds
@ commercial sizO now undergoing
kctaai development, TO say nothing OF
20 lover Kittaning middle and upper
ilanlng beds Of the Allegheny series
eeosoiblo along the Tygart's Valley
river between Fairmont, Grafton and
lE.n1, ell Of which might be consid.
tea u the FairmOnt district"
~ Hhite practically defines the
Iallmont coal district the same as the
lf|9.nal order Of the Federal Fuel Ad.
alton, which indicated twelve
20 hail. counties, Marion. Harrison,
oloqoalia, Preston, Taylor. Upshur
illoolF, elmer. BFaxtOn, Webster
nd patt ~ NiehsIaG,