coal seams on each side of the valley or synclinal axis; those on the Sharp Mountain or south side, being nearly vertical. Fig. 8. Transverse Section of the Schuylkill Coal Basin at Tamaqua, looking towards the West. But it is especially interesting on account of its containing in the Sharp Mountain, a coal seam which is no less than seventy feet thick, nearly vertical. This valuable coal area was illustrated, in 1835, by an article in the Transactions of the Geological Society of Philadelphia, accompanied by a "petrographical map and section," by Mr. Koehler.* These illustrations exhibit a transverse section of the entire coal-field at that place, and the position of thirty-two workable coal seams, of three feet thick and upwards. It does not appear to have been suspected at the time, by the author, that this number represented duplicated seams, arranged in synclinal form; and that, consequently, the true number represented was not more than the one-half of his supposed series, which embraced a total thickness of many feet of coal, the largest seam then known, being twenty-eight feet. The anthracite of Tamaqua is less indurated than that near the Lehigh. An investigation into the nature of this coal and its ashes had been previously instituted by Professors Bache and Rogers.† The Tamaqua Mines sent to market via Little Schuylkill.‡ Passing by Tuscarora, and by several mining villages that have sprung up within a few years, we reach Pottsville and a circle of colliery establishments in its vicinity; the focus wherein is concentrated an enormous amount of productive and manufacturing industry, such as has few parallels in the new world considering the short period since the origin and development of its resources. The magnitude of the mining business of the Pottsville district will appear from the tables which we shall furnish in another place. Numberless are the documents, reports, maps, and statistical state Trans. Geol. Soc. of Pennsylvania, Vol. I., p. 326. † Ibid. Experiments on the ashes of anthracite, Vol. VII., pp. 158-162. Little Schuylkill Report. ments, published and unpublished, that have contributed to give celebrity to this district. A transverse section of this coal-field, in the meridian of Pottsville, has been for some years in every body's hands. It appears to have resulted from the combined observation of many local explorers, practical operators, and mining engineers and surveyors. The same mistake was made here, as we have mentioned at Tamaqua, in reference to the repetition of beds by means of undulations in the strata, and by the recurrence of several alternate axes of elevation and depression. In 1836, the supposed consecutive series of coal seams numbered in Mr. Wilde's section, seventyeight, which had an aggregate thickness of four hundred and fiftyfour feet of coal. Several years afterwards, this number had been increased to one hundred and eight, and the total thickness was augmented in the like proportion. Of late years, the accuracy of opinions so confidently expressed by merely operative persons, without the intervention of geological investigation, gradually began to be doubted, by those geologists who had acquired experience in unravelling the intricacies of districts of complicated structure, and in studying, on an extended scale, the effects produced by disturbing agencies of great power. We are unable to say, with precision, with whom these new and correct views originated. Like most subjects of this nature, they were, doubtless, the result of gradual development, as facts and illustrations accumulated. Even now, many details have to be collected, ere all the phenomena of this district, the bouleversements of its mineral beds, and the repetition of its groups, shall be thoroughly elucidated. Our own views, in this matter, entirely coincide with those of the State geologist, and we perceive also, that Mr. Logan, provincial geologist of the Canadas, who has examined the Schuylkill coal-field, adopts similar opinions. All recent investigations tend to confirm these conclusions, and to show that the series of coal seams in the Pottsville section, which were formerly considered to be so numerous, and to embrace an astounding thickness of anthracite, ought to be reduced to one fifth, in certain localities, on account of the repeated flexures within the general coal area, which occasion many recurrences of the same seams. * The necessity for revising all the old statements which may be found, regarding the local topography of the anthracite country, and which have been transferred into works of standard repute, both in America, and in Europe, will appear from a very few examples; but, at the same time, owing to the remarkable subdivision of the groups, it becomes no easy task. A description of the mines of the southern coal region was officially published some years ago; wherein it was stated that there were at the Room Run mines fifteen beds of anthracite, whose aggregate Proceedings Geol. Soc. of London, Vol. III., "On the coal-fields of Pennsylvania," by M. E. Logan, March, 1842, p. 707. The author adverts to the stigmaria beds in this field, associated with the coal, and by them he was enabled to detect the inverted position of the strata. thickness was two hundred and forty-two feet. Like most of the early reports, which were generally made by unscientific perso ns, this contained glaring errors and exaggerations; by reason of counting the same seams two, three, or more times over. Another report, from the same quarter, announced the total thickness of coal in nine proved beds, on the north side of the basin only, at one hundred and eleven feet, and ninety feet on the south side; being two hundred and one feet in the aggregate. This is no otherwise incorrect than as relates to the doubling of the series. * At the commencement of operations at Beaver Meadow, in 1836, the present writer was informed by the engineer, Mr. Wilde, that he had proved three hundred feet of coal there, but it appears to be admitted, now, that about forty feet constitute the principal working series, in that quarter. A report to the legislature of Pennsylvania, by a committee appointed to examine the Swatara coal mining district, in 1839, announced the presence of seventy veins there, of from three to more. than twenty feet in thickness each, then known, and many others were supposed to remain undiscovered. No accurate transverse section has yet been made, across the field, in the meridian of Pinegrove; but from what we already know of that region, it is probable that at least eight repetitions of the same series of coal seams occur there, and the number of actual and distinct seams is, consequently, lowered to a comparative few. We shall quit this branch of our subject, for the present; merely observing, by the way, that a clear insight into the actual arrangement of the coal-fields, respectively, can only be completed after the construction of more authentic maps, sections, and diagrams, and by more actual admeasurements, for the purpose of geological elucidation, than are now at hand. A very large and, apparently, very valuable portion of the aggregate area, remains, still, in nearly its original obscurity. The local maps, which have been issued in a coarse and cheap form, for the temporary requirements of parties having local interests, are somewhat numerous; but they have very little scientific merit or artistical pretension. Illustrations of a far superior character to these are now called for; and the augmented value of mineral property here, would render the cost of such a work, a comparatively light burden upon the owners. June, 1854. The following statement upon a subject of increasing interest in coal statistics, has been kindly furnished us by a gentleman accustomed to the scientific examination of coal deposites. An account of recent shaftings and borings through the coal strata of the Southern Coal-Field near Pottsville, Pennsylvania. "For some years past there has been amongst land-holders, coal * Report of the Lehigh Company, January, 1844, p. 24. Report to the Legislature, by H. K. Strong, 1839, p. 29. operators, geologists, and others interested in the development of the coal region, a growing sense of the importance of exploring the deeper lying veins, which geology taught us to believe must exist near the bottom of all the coal-basins. These explorations became the more imperative, as our mines near the surface were being exhausted. Of course the shafts or borings intended to develop the lower coal strata were generally begun upon those estates where a point could be selected near the outcrop of the lower large white ash coals. As in other situations, these veins are not brought sufficiently near the surface by the anticlinal axis or rolls of the strata, to make them particularly valuable for present operations. The first shaft was commenced by Alfred Lawton, Esq., in 1845, on the west side of Mill Creek, not far south of Mine Hill, upon the lands of Henry C. Carey, Esq. Near this point the Mammoth White Ash vein is extensively worked above water level. This shaft was sunk 72 feet, then a boring commenced and penetrated to the depth of 122 feet, into the Primrose vein, after which it was abandoned and remained thus until 1851, when E. W. McGinnis, Esq., resolved to prosecute the exploration by sinking the shaft to the Primrose, and then boring to the Mammoth vein. The success of this enterprise was so decided, that it was immediately determined to continue the shaft (10 by 18 feet) down to the Mammoth vein. The following table exhibits the total thickness of various kinds of strata found during the process of boring, and indicates the depth from the surface at which some of the layers were found: But to preserve the order of time, we should observe that before continuing the enterprise of Mr. Lawton, Mr. McGinnis had prosecuted an extensive boring operation on the East Norwegian Creek, upon the lands of the Delaware Coal Company. This exploration begun in 1850, by a shaft which was sunk to the depth of 170 feet, when the search was continued by boring to a total depth of 656 feet. The following table shows the results obtained: This boring terminated in slate. Being located farther south from the outcrop of the Mammoth vein, than the first mentioned shaft, it was necessary to penetrate deeper in order to reach that vein. It is, however, likely that, at no very distant period, the Delaware Company will be justified in continuing this shaft to reach the large White Ash vein. The third deep boring was undertaken by the North American Coal Company, who employed Mr. P. W. Shaeffer, late of the State Geological Survey, to direct the operation. After careful exploration of the surface, he located upon the Company's land in the valley of Crow Hollow, just below the celebrated Primrose vein. This boring was commenced in October, 1852, and finished in 1853. The following table shows the results: These are but the beginning of a series of enterprises for the development of our lower large coal seams, which must undoubtedly form the chief source of supply for future demands. CAPITAL EMPLOYED IN THE PRODUCTION OF ANTHRACITE COAL. The Statistical Return to Congress, in 1840, exhibits the amount of anthracite raised, of men employed in mining it, of capital invested, Tons. 859,686 2,977 $4,334,102 Like most other returns on this branch of industry, made at this period, this is evidently below the mark. It was shown, in 1839, |