History of Washington County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 95

Author: Crumrine, Boyd, 1838-1916; Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Hungerford, Austin N
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia : H.L. Everts & Co.
Number of Pages: 1216

USA > Pennsylvania > Washington County > History of Washington County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 95

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In the great uprising of the people of the North during the war of the Rebellion, in the display of patriotism, the women of the land contributed their full share and shone conspicuously, and in Wash- ington County large results were due to their zealous and unflagging efforts. The Ladies' Aid Society of Washington County contributed large amounts of money and supplies of medicines and clothing, and rendered important services to the armies in the field. It was organized in the early months of the war. Mrs. Joseph Henderson, of Washington, was its presi- dent, and Mrs. John L. Gow was treasurer, seconded and aided by many other noble-minded, large-hearted, and patriotic women of Washington and of the various townships as officers and members of important com- mittees, who gave their time and money freely to the work. The treasurer received large stores of clothing, medicines, wines, hospital appliances, etc., subject to the disposal of the society, and was commended for the efficiency and executive talent displayed in the discharge of the duties of the office. Scores of large double store-boxes were packed with donations of various kinds, entailing much labor and responsi- bility, under the supervision of the officers of the

were filled with clothing of all kinds suitable for the sick or wounded, together with lint, bandages, pads,

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dried fruits, wines, cordials, etc. Not least in im- portance in the earlier years of the war were the woolen stockings which were sent from Washington County. So great was the need of them that the quartermaster-general of the State was compelled to appeal to the women of the Commonwealth to supply this pressing need. A plan was devised whereby the women of the several counties were to furnish woolen socks to the State at the rate of twenty-five cents per pair, and the funds arising therefrom were to be paip to the county treasurers of the respective counties, to be applied and distributed by these officers for the relief of the soldiers' families at home, thus mate- rially relieving the weight of taxation from the people, who were already burdened with the heavy demands incident to the war. More than three thousand pairs of woolen socks were knit by the women of the county for this society alone, and forwarded by it; and it is a gratifying fact that the treasurer of the organization received an acknowledgment from the quartermaster- general of the State congratulating the women of the county upon the fact of their taking the lead in the work, and stating that no other county in the Com- monwealth had equaled her contributions in this respect.

CHAPTER XXXII.

GEOLOGY-MINING.1

STRUCTURAL FEATURES-ECONOMIC GEOLOGY-COAL- MINING IN THE COUNTY.

THE geology of Washington County presents but little variety when compared with some of its eastern neighbors. It rests within the subsiding folds of the mountain chains to the east. Five of these folds or waves are found to cross the county in a southwest and northeast direction, parallel with the mountain range, and parallel in a general way with each other, each successive wave becoming lower and less distinct as we recede from the mountains to the west. These folds are undoubtedly a part of the mountain system, with which they are similar in every respect except as to size and sharpness of folding.

The axis of the Waynesburg anticlinal2 crosses through the eastern end of the county, and is the second fold west of Chestnut Ridge. It enters the county one mile above lock No. 4, on the Mononga- hela River, passes through the townships of Fallow- field, East Pike Run, West Pike Run, East Bethle- hem, near Centreville, and crosses Ten-Mile Creek

in the neighborhood of Clarksville, from whence it passes on into Greene County.

This anticlinal is about eight miles wide, and its axis dips to the southwest at the rate of twenty feet per mile.

Along the bottom of the synclinal trough at the eastern side of this anticlinal we find the Mononga- hela River flowing in a northeast direction from a point at Millsborough, near the mouth of Ten-Mile Creek, to a point at Allen Port, in Allen township, a distance of eighteen miles by the river. This trough is called the Lisbon Synclinal. From the summit of the Waynesburg Anticlinal to the bottom of this syn- clinal there is an average dip of about seventy feet per mile in an east-southeast direction.

The Pin-hook Anticlinal is the third persistent and well-marked fold west of Chestnut Ridge, and follows a course nearly parallel with the Waynesburg Anti- clinal. It crosses the southern line of Allegheny County, into Washington, near the northeast corner of Peters township, passes through the townships of Nottingham, Somerset, West Bethlehem, near Vance- ville, Amwell, near Amity, and leaves the county at the southwest corner of the last-named township.

This anticlinal elevates the Pittsburgh coal seam to a convenient height for mining for a distance of three miles up Peters Creek from the county line, and the only place where the crest of this anticlinal brings that seam of coal to the surface within the county. This coal seam is one hundred and eighty-five feet higher at Finleyville than it is at Coal Bluff, on the Monongahela River, the distance being about two and a half miles. The Waynesburg Synclinal lies between the Waynesburg and Pin-hook Anticlinals.

The Washington Anticlinal is the next fold of im- portance to the west of the Pin-hook Anticlinal, and is named for the town of Washington, which rests nearly on the line of its summit. It enters the county at the north near the east end of Cecil township, and follows a southwest direction up the valley of Char- tiers Creek, passing near Canonsburg and Ewing's Mill. It is crossed by the Hempfield Railroad about one mile west of Washington, thence through the southeast corner of Buffalo township, passes near the village of East Finley, and leaves the county at the southwest corner of East Finley township. It brings up the Pittsburgh coal a short distance below Can- onsburg to a convenient elevation for mining, which it retains for about five miles up the creek. The Nineveh Synclinal constitutes the trough or basin be- tween the Pin-hook and the last-described anticlinal. About five miles farther west we find another fold called the Claysville Anticlinal, which comes into the county near the northwest corner of Cecil town- ship, passes a mile west of Venice, thence along the eastern line of Mount Pleasant township, through Hopewell and Buffalo townships about a mile west of Taylorstown, and is crossed by the line of the Hempfield Railroad at Claysville, and from thence

1 By J. Sutton Wall, C. and M. E., of Monongahela City.

2 For the sake of harmony, and convenience in description, we have taken the liberty of using the names given to the anticlinals and syneli- nals by Prof. J. J. Stevenson, in his able report on the geology of the counties of Washington and Greene, recently published as part of the series of volumes of the Second Geological Survey of Pennsylvania.

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

it follows a southwest direction until it crosses the State line into West Virginia.

A shallow trough called the Mansfield Synclinal separates the Claysville from the Washington Anti- clinal.

At Bulger Station another fold, called the Bulger Anticlinal, is observed crossing the Panhandle Rail- road. The entire line of its axis is not yet definitely ascertained, but it is known to follow a direction ap- proximately parallel with the last-named anticlinal. A very shallow and indistinct trough, called the Bur- gettstown Synclinal, has been noticed at the western base of the Bulger Anticlinal.

The stratified rocks exposed at the surface in this county belong to the coal measures; and are found to occupy a place nearly, if not altogether, at the top of the carboniferous system. This portion of the system is subdivided by geologists into lower productive, lower barren, upper productive, and upper barren coal series.

The lower productive coal series, reaching from the top of the seral conglomerate to the top of the Mahoning sandstone, contains several valuable seams of coal, such as the Freeport, Kittanning, and others, that are quite extensively mined in counties farther north. All of this series lies about six hundred feet below the Pittsburgh coal seam, and at least four hundred feet under the lowest strata found at the surface here. Recent careful examinations go to show that nearly the whole of this series underlies the county at the indicated depth.

The lower barren series, reaching from the top of the Mahoning sandstone to the base of the Pittsburgh coal seam, is brought to the surface at many points, especially along the Monongahela River, at Finley- ville, on the line of the Pittsburgh Southern Railroad, in the vicinity of Canonsburg, and in the north- western part of the county, amounting to about six hundred feet in thickness. This series includes the Morgantown sandstone, two or three thin seams of coal, and but little limestone. It includes the green crinoidal limestone, which serves as an excellent guide for determining geological horizons in districts where the accompanying sandstones and shales are not distinctly defined. This limestone is found at two hundred and fifty feet below the Pittsburgh coal. Is is about four feet thick, highly fossiliferous, but of no economic value.

The lowest point exposed in this series occurs at lock No. 4, on the Monongahela River, where about two hundred feet of it is brought to view. This is the lowest point geologically reached within the county. The base of the Morgantown sandstone is but a few feet above high-water mark at this place. It has been quarried for ballast on the railroad and other building purposes. At the top of this sand- stone we find a thin stratum of limestone, on top of which rests the little Pittsburgh coal seam. It is too thin for economic purposes, seldom reaching one

foot in thickness. About thirty feet higher, and at the top of the series, we find the Pittsburgh lime- stone, usually from four to six feet thick. It rests but a few feet under the Pittsburgh coal seam, and is a very valuable stone for the manufacture of iron. It is used as a flux, and contains some iron.

The upper productive coal series reaches from the base of the Pittsburgh seam to the top of the Waynes- burg sandstone.

The Pittsburgh coal seam is the most important member, economically speaking, of this series, both on account of its uniform thickness and its conven- ient elevation for mining along the Monongahela River. Commencing at the line between Allegheny and Washington Counties, we find this coal cropping out at an elevation of about one hundred feet above the river, and it remains above high-water mark until we reach a point about one mile above the town of California, where it is under the river. At West Brownsville it is about forty feet under low water, and six miles farther up the coal is above water again. From this point to Millsborough it is above the river. It is from nine to ten feet in thickness, including all its members, and averages about five feet of merchantable coal. This coal is mined very extensively for fuel and gas purposes, and has been found to produce a good article of coke.

The Redstone coal seam is about sixty feet above the Pittsburgh seam. It is four feet in thickness, and makes a good fuel coal. It has been mined for domestic purposes to a limited extent.

The great limestone rests about one hundred and twenty feet above the Pittsburgh coal seam, and is a very important member of the series. The lower members of this seam are well adapted to the manu- facture of iron, and make an excellent lime for fer- tilizing and cementing purposes. It is used largely wherever accessible in the county. It is eighty feet in thickness.

The Uniontown coal seam is found at twenty feet above the top of the great limestone. It has been mined for domestic purposes in some parts of the county.

The Uniontown sandstone is quarried largely in many places for building-stone, to which purpose it is well adapted. It is quarried out in large blocks, and weathers well. It is quite soft when first taken from the quarry bed, is easily dressed, and hardens on exposure to the atmosphere. It rests on top of the Uniontown coal seam, and is forty feet in thick- ness.

The Waynesburg coal seam rests one hundred feet above the Uniontown coal seam, and is the highest coal of economic importance in the county. It is six feet in thickness, and is mined in many parts of the county for house fuel, especially at points several miles from the river or railroad. This coal is too soft to stand the necessary handling in transportation to market.

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MINING.

Economic Geology .- The first coal mined in this county for market was taken from the Pittsburgh seam, on the Monongahela River, in about the year of 1830. This was previous to the construction of the slackwater improvement, when mining opera- tions in this end of the State were conducted on a very limited scale. In the years 1830 and 1831 we find that John Jenkins, Enoch Cox, Samuel French, Jesse Bentley, and a few others were operating coal- mines at Limetown. Each of them owned a coal lot containing from one to three acres. They would have the coal dug through the winter season, carted or wheeled out of the pit by hand and stocked on the river bank, ready to load into boats when the first freshet or rise in the river would come. They would usually get the coal off to market in the following spring, but sometimes not until midsummer. The boats used for loading in and conveying the coal to market at that time were mostly called French Creeks,

They derived this name from the fact that many of the bottoms were built at French Creek, on the Alle- gheny River, loaded with pig iron, floated down to Pittsburgh, and sided up at various points along the Monongahela River. The coal was screened or rather sorted in the mine with an iron or steel coal rake, and loaded into the boats by wheelbarrows run by hand on a gangway plank. Two boats called a pair would be loaded at a time, lashed together by ropes, and when ready to leave for market would each be pro- vided with a steering oar, gouger, and two side sweeps, and a crew of one pilot and sixteen men for both boats. The boats were floated to market, and required about eight hours to reach Pittsburgh on a good stage of water. Mr. H. H. Finley, who has had a long ex- perience in coal-mining, says that during the month of May, 1841, he loaded a pair of boats at Limetown, holding six thousand bushels each, started for market, lost one on the way, sold the other at Cincinnati in the month of August at five cents a bushel for the coal, and realized a profit of eighty dollars after pay- ing all expenses.

This method of conveying coal to market was soon supplanted by one more convenient and expeditious, that of tow-boats something like those of the present day. The first tow-boat for towing coal was called the "Traveler," and built in 1842. There were also a few small mines in operation farther up the river at an early day ; one at Whitesville and another at Green- field. The coal business on this part of the river did not attain any special degree of importance until after the erection of dams No. 3 and 4 in 1844. Since then it has been increasing rapidly, until now it has be- come the most important industry of the valley, on account of the great demand for it as a fuel and gas coal, and the increased facilities for transporting it to market. It is now mined on a more extensive scale and in a more systematic manner. The coal is hauled out of the mines by mule and steam-power in wagons

holding about one ton each. Tipple-houses are built on abutments at the river or railroad, containing machinery for hauling and screens for sorting it into three grades, lump, nut, and dust coal, while it is being run into the boats or cars for its reception. The lump coal is weighed by scales located in the tipple- house, and so constructed as to indicate the weight in bushels, seventy-six pounds being allowed to the bushel by law.

According to the reports of the Monongahela Navi- gation Company, there was shipped by water from pools No. 3 and 4 in 1845 seven hundred and forty- eight thousand seven hundred and two bushels of the Pittsburgh coal, and in 1881 twenty-nine million five hundred and ninty-six thousand nine hundred bushels of the same coal. More than one-half of this came from mines in this county, besides a large quantity now annually transported by rail.

Coal-Mines on the Chartiers Railroad .- The En- and would hold from three to seven thousand bushels. | terprise Coal-Mine, owned by V. Harding, leased and

operated by T. H. Simmons, is located about two and one-half miles from the town of Washington. A branch railroad connects this mine with the Pitts- burgh Southern Railroad, and another branch road connects it with the Chartiers Valley Railroad. The coal is reached by two shafts, each one hundred and fifty-five feet deep, one of which is used for hoist- ing the coal out of the mine, and the other for ventila- tion. The air-shaft contains a staircase for the use of persons entering and leaving the mine. About forty miners are employed in the workings. This coal is shipped by rail to the Pittsburgh, Waynesburg, and Wheeling markets, and a large part of it is used in Washington.

The Allison Coal-Mine is owned and operated by the Hon. Jonathan Allison. It is a drift opening, and located on the line of the Chartiers Valley Rail- road, about five miles from Washington by rail.

About five thousand bushels of coal are taken from this mine daily. The coal is shipped by rail to Wash- ington, Waynesburg, and Pittsburgh. Fifty miners are employed.

The Locust Grove Mine is situated near Canons- burg, and owned by Shoaf & Co. This is a new mine but recently opened up. The coal is shipped by rail, and largely used as a steam and fuel coal at Canons- burg.

The Cook Coal-Mine is owned and operated by H. Cook. It is located at Canonsburg. This coal is mainly used in the town for domestic purposes. About twenty miners are employed at this mine.

Coal-Mines on the P. C. and St. L. R. R .- The Brier Hill Mines are operated by J. D. Sanders & Co. The coal is transported by rail. The old workings are nearly exhausted, and new ones are now being opened. They employ seventy miners.

The Primrose Mine is operated by the Robbins Block Coal Company, who ship by rail. Drainage is effected by shaft and steam-pump.

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

The Walnut Hill Mines are operated by S. B. Rob- bins & Co. The present workings are about ex- hausted, and the company are arranging to develop a new tract lying to the west of the old mines. Coal is mined here on a pretty extensive scale. They give employment to two hundred and fifty miners.

The Midway Block Coal Mines are operated by G. W. Crawford & Co. These mines consist of two sep- arate workings that are not connected underground. A new shaft has been sunk and a steam-pump put in, which also furnishes the motive-power for ventilation purposes. About ninety men are employed here.

Coal-Mines on the Pittsburgh Southern R. R .- The Union Valley Mines are located two miles north of Finleyville by rail. They are owned by Jacob Legler and operated by Florshim & Young. The coal is shipped to Washington. They employ about twenty men.

The Anderson Mine is owned and operated by Dr. David M. Anderson. It is located two and a half miles west of Finleyville. It is a drift mine, and employs twenty miners. The coal is transported to Washington by the Pittsburgh Southern Railroad, where it is reshipped and carried over the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad to Wheeling, and sold for the manufacture of gas, for which purpose it is said to be well adapted.

Coal-Mines on the Monongahela and Mononga- hela Div. P. R. R .- The Shireoaks Mine is situated near the line of Washington and Allegheny Coun- ties. It is owned by William Hodgson, and operated under lease by Stone, Robbins & Co. The coal is run on a tramway to the river, where it is loaded into boats and shipped by water to the Southern and West- ern markets for gas and fuel purposes. These mines have been in operation since 1864, and employ about eighty miners.

Banner Mines Nos. 1 and 2 are owned and operated by Gamble & Risher. The coal from these mines is transported by both water and rail. They have two separate tipples, one for loading into cars at the rail- road, and the other for loading into boats at the river. They employ one hundred and seventy-five men.

The Cliff Mines are owned and operated by Scully & Co. They ship by both river and rail, and have been in operation for over thirty years. This is a drift mine, ventilated by a furnace. One hundred and thirty men are employed.

The Old Coal Bluff Mines were owned and operated by William and Samuel Bossley, who sold them to J. K. Logan and Capt. Dorman. They continued to operate them until 1846, when Dorman sold his in- terest to Logan. The coal of this mine is now about exhausted. New mines were opened up adjoining the old ones, and both mines are now owned by George Logan. James K. Logan is still in charge. The coal was shipped by river until after the completion of the railroad in 1873, and since that time it has been trans- ported by rail entirely. The mine is operated by the

double entry system, and is ventilated by furnace- power. The main entry is nearly one mile in length from the pit mouth to the head of the workings. The coal seam here rises at the rate of sixty-four feet per mile in a northwest direction from the front. This is one of the oldest mines on this part of the river.

The Cincinnati Mines, owned by the Fifth National and Tradesmen's National Banks of Pittsburgh, is operated under lease by Jordan S. Neel. It is a very old mine, having been worked for nearly thirty years. The double entry system is used, and ventilation is produced by furnace-power. The coal is shipped by the river. The output amounts to one million bushels annually.

The Buffalo Mines are owned and operated by J. A. Steitler. Superintendent, W. J. Morgan. These are drift mines, and the coal is transported to the North- ern and Western markets by rail. They have a ca- pacity for running ten thousand bushels per day. This is also a very old mine. Ventilation is produced by a Champion fan, run by steam-power.

The Garfield Mines are owned by Holmes Brothers and J. S. Neel, and operated by J. S. Neel. This mine was opened up during the last year, and the coal is shipped by water. A furnace is being constructed for ventilating the mine, and a new tipple is being built. Arrangements will soon be made for extensive operations.

The Black Hills Mine is owned by John Byers, John Scott, and J. B. Miller, and operated by J. B. Miller & Co. It is a drift mine, and the coal is run by rail. The coal is nearly all worked out. The run per day amounts to two thousand bushels.

Courtney Mines, located at Courtney Station, owned by John L. George & Co., and operated by the Court- ney Coal Company. These mines were opened up in 1878, and the product of the mines is run by rail. Ven- tilation is produced by furnace-power. It is a drift mine. They run about four thousand bushels daily.

The Mingo Coal-Mines are owned by Lloyd, Black & Co., of Pittsburgh. These mines were opened about twenty years ago, but have not been in opera- tion since 1873.

New Eagle Mines are owned by the Hon. James H. Hopkins, of Pittsburgh, and are operated by Lind- sey & Mccutcheon. These mines were opened in 1863, and the coal is transported to market by water. The coal is hauled from the pit mouth to the river by means of a stationary engine and wire rope. About seventy miners are employed. The mines are venti- lated by furnace-power.

The Dry Run Mines have been in operation for over twenty years on a moderate scale. The coal was formerly run to the river trade; but since 1879 the mines have only been operated to supply a local de- mand. They are located in Monongahela City, and were originally owned and operated by Biddle & Tower, since then by Joseph Haigh, and at present 1 by the Holmes Brothers, of Pittsburgh.

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Catsburg Mines. The old mine was owned by Rev. John Kerr and William McClure. It was opened up by H. H. Finley in 1857, under lease from the owners, and operated by him until it was sold to Anderson & Dravo, in 1864, the present owners. The new work- ings are owned by Louis Staib, and were opened in 1879. Both mines are operated by Louis Staib, and the coal is shipped to the Southern and Western mar- kets by water. The coal from both mines is run over one and the same tipple. A furnace supplies ventila- tion to the mines. Adam Keil is the general super- intendent. They have a running capacity of ten thousand bushels per day. Situated in Monongahela City.

Warne Mines, owned and operated by James Jones, are situated in Monongahela City, and were opened in 1862 by Crowthers, Coulter & Warne. This coal is run to the river by means of a stationary engine and wire rope. They are also arranging to ship by rail. Ventilation is produced by furnace. They were formerly owned by Joseph Warne, and have a present running capacity of ten thousand bushels per day.

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History of Washington County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 95

Author: Crumrine, Boyd, 1838-1916; Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Hungerford, Austin N Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Philadelphia : H.L. Everts & Co. Number of Pages: 1216

Author: Crumrine, Boyd, 1838-1916; Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Hungerford, Austin N
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia : H.L. Everts & Co.
Number of Pages: 1216