The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-06-10
Marion County Center OF Vast
Coal Fields. of Northern
West Virginia.
BEST RAILROAD FUEL i: |.
Coal Tonnage of State Now
Second to That of Key
stone State.

Producing soft coal is the chief
industry of Northern West Viz
ginia and Fairmont is the seat OF
the majority of the large coal
companies that operate in Nor
thern West Virginia.
In fact the Importance of coal
formations in West Virginia was
apparent from the formation of
the Mountain State in 1868, as the
designers of the great seal of West
Virginia in 1864, placed a miner
with a pick in the same category
as the farmer and with equal rep
resentation.
S9O,OOO,OuO Invested
Probably from Se0.000,O00 to
S1Oo,OOO,000 is invested in the
coal fields of Northern West Vir-
ginia. 1t is generality accepted
that the coal land of the state is
practically !. unscratched. Veal
after year the production has been
climbing until it's total annual
tonnage ranks second to the great
keystone State (Pennsylvania) in
soft coal production. 1t is est-
mated that $3.50 of an Investment
is represented in every ton OF coal
thern West Virginia.
$4,000 Miners Here
Thirty thousand or more miners
in Northern West Virginia. which
is composed of twelve and half
counties, find a livelihood in pro-
ducing coal. On April 1, it was
claimed by the United Mine Work
ers of America that approximately
$4,000 of these miners We're atfl-
lated with that organization Ihe
I coal fields of Northern West Vir-
sinla were non-union until the
World War broke out and then
operators here signed up an agree
ment with the union Up until
April /, the field remained In the
union column and leaders appear
ed hopeful that it will continue to
remain there.
Many Large Mines
Some of the largest mines in
the state of West Virginia are To-
Gated in the northern tier. Among
the largest mines are: Parker
Run at Rivesville, Fairmont &
Cleveland Coal Co.; Grant Town
mine of the New England Fuel d
Transportation Co. at Grant
Town; the Wendell operation OF
the Maryland Coal Co. at Wen
dell, Taylor County; the Simpson
Creek plant in Taylor County, and
Monongah plants of the Consoll-
dation Coal Co.; the Rachael mine
of the Consumers Fuel Co at
Downs; Plants No. s and 9 of the
Jamison Coal & Coke Co. near
Farming ton, the Barrackville and
Dakota plants of the Bethlehem
Mines Corporation (Beth1ehem
steel Corporation) as well as
as several of the corporations
plants along the Morgantown &c
Kingwood Railway in Preston
County.
The mine properties in Northern
West Virginia are being kept in
fine condition. The equipment of
the vast majority of the mines IS
of the most improved and the
greater portion of them are cleo
trically equipped Scientific min
ing has been practiced largely by
the big companies and annually
miners are taught first aid and
mine rescue work. AS asresult9 OF
the careful tim bering practlced IN
the mines in Harrison and Marion
counties in particular, the number
of mine accidents is very low, con-
sidering the number OF operating
plants and the large number. OF
men engaged in them.
Coal and It's Market
AS an al1-purpose coal Fairmont
fuel is difficult to duplicate It
stands up well and can be stored
to advantage. 1t is high grade
steam coal as well as gas fuel, and
enioysE an International reputation
as railroad fuel. Scientific tests
Il have proven that for driving a
locomotive it is without rival.
Both the Pittsburgh and SeWickley
seams are used for railroad fuel,
but the greater portion of the for
mer goes for that purpose. After
the war, the Fairmont region be-
came a great exporting coal re-.
gion. and Fairmont coal found its
way to Italy, France, Scandinavian:
countries. Egypt, South American,
countries, and, in fact, all parts
of the world. Some limited
amount of Fairmont. coai, which Is
low enough in sulphur content,.1s
utilized by steel companies. For.
years the q. G.1.%Co. Philadelphia,
has secured Fairmont coal to gem
crate gas in its big plants In the
Quaker City.
3715. Annual Tonnage
Tonnage figures normally run
from twenty to twenty-five mill
lions of tons of coal a year lin.
Northern West Virginia The peak
of production was reached in 1915,
when the World War was on ;, 1t
having gone to the twenty-four
million mark that year
workable Seams Here
The principal seam of coal that
is worked in Northern West Viz,
ginia is the Pittsburgh VEIN. IN
most sections this is located at a
I depth which makes coal easily
available. The ma jority of the
mines OF Northern West Virginia!
are of the drift and slope type,
although theresar a large mum num- Der Der
that are shaftsprop positions, among
I which are the largest IN the re.