R K J ' ( ) ] rr ox THK VICTORIA COAL MINES, AT LOW POINT, SYDNEY, C. B. HENRY YOULE HIND, M. A., F. R. G. S. (r,ATE I'UOKKSSOU OK CHKMISTRY AND GEOLOGY IN THE CXIVKRSITV OF TRINITY COUiEGE, TORONTO.) . , i. Author of " Niirrativo of the Canudiiin Explorhi^ Kxpeditioii in Hiipert's Land," " ExploratioiiR in the Interior of the Labrador iVninsiiln," " Keport on tlie rSeology of New Hrnnswiek," &q., Ac, Ac. '•••is "•."-, • ■" 1 ■•'''>'•' '" ■'• »•»•• 'i ,; ' « .* • » - ■ t - i . < ' » » > • i 1 ' U I. . . HALIFAX, N. S. : PIUNTEP BY JAMEH IJOWES & SONS, HOLLIS STHEET, , - Junk, 1867. .■'( 'i .v-.aJwi^ 'i.i -i^,.'ii ? ■ ' • - Tfii ) \ ..,,i?i,, ,„ '; ) /. V'' 'V'i' ^^■sfll''. : "-^ ' ' Windsor, May 2lHt, 18()7.^ ' Gentlemen, > vT^iKaV'a ,.T«[lfr? w«,r 'TA '- -^' '•''"^ ' t" In compliance with your request, (latod Halifax, M.iy l.st, ,. 1867, 1 now beg leave to present you with my report on your 1^ mining areas at Low Point, Sydney, Cape Breton. I am, gentlemen, , ,. • ■ ' . ^' .11 . [ .; / fr «' Your obedient servant, av xi Messrs. Fkaser, Paint & Co. •'''^K'v -:?;;;i^^^?v..r ^o- '^^/u,?i , NoTE.-The Mining Areas in the following report are at present owned .•'ill)!'.' ''iiin'-i. vi'' ^' ■ .(| , I 1 1 ! -!ni:'f A'h-h (r. .qv /..; JM,.. ij f] p () JX T . ' " l!' ■' ■" f>'!' '"'■'■ 1,'''!). ■ M* 1 1. 1 ' tj (! ; , . ■ I lit : I ,■/ 'I'liKSE areas lie wholly within the limits of the productive C'arhoniferous l^aHiii, wliieh oeeupies a portion of the north- eastern extremity of the Ishind of Cape Breton, and is known as the Sydney Coal Field of North America. .,■ , <» .Aru The soul hern houndarv of the ureas is formed hv the coast line of the entrance to the Harbor of Sydney, for a distauei? of two and a half miles ; they then extend northerly under the sea. '!i,,,i .■- ;; !,■ i,. ... ■.' i.. ., ■:•,,.: , sr.- The rocks, with theii" associated l)eds of coal, form a shallow subordinate trough at the edge of a basin extending in a ' north-easterly direction of unknown extent. 'I'he whole of tht: lim of this basin on the coast of Cape Breton appeary to be broken bv icentle folds in the strata into a number of minor troughs, so as to resemble a roughly corrugated edge, the folds or wrinkles of which represent the different subordhiate coal ])asins of the northern part of Cape Bi'eton. The centre of the trough in which your mining areas lie may be 8uj)i)osed to be two and a half miles due north of the ' Ross \'ein, where it ap])ears on th<' coast. With this point approximately representing the deepest portion of the trough, the northern side will be found to have much less elevation than the southern boundary, in consequence of the anticlinal fold which separates it from the next succeeding trough or corrugation in the rim of the basin, being low^ in comparison with that on the south side. The effect of this difference will be to cause the measures to lie much Hatter and at much greater depth on the northern than on the southern side. The interests involved are of no. present importance, but it 57907 "-■i appears to have nn Important hearing on tlie ({uestion whether it would eventually he possihle with known appliances to work seams of coal at the depth tlu'V prohahly assunie within two and a half miles to tliree miles of the coast. Any specu- lations on this question arc, however, wholly unnecessary, for within one niile of the coast, and m ithin the limits of the area in question there are li)(),()()(),()0() tons of coal, ftdly one-half of which is avqihd)h\ The attitude of the rot;ks on the whole southern houndary of the area shows no disturhance, and a g<'nth', uniform, hut very slight variation of dip. 'J'herc does not appear to hv any reason for apprehension with regard to the existence of faults or fractures, no evidence heing \isihle on the south coast, although there are slight and prohahly wholly unimportant disturbances apparent on the north-westerly coast of the harbor. '^'•' ' .■ ''" ! f >\ihi >i't in i)>j'«<>n -ftLif >>}■ > <.i.'^ m The dip of the rocks is nigh 40 to 44 degrees, but it diminishes rapidly, and at a depth of 200 fvct on the slope at the Koss Seam it lessened from 43 degrees to 38 degrees. The dip of the Fraser Seam is al>out ''2H degrees, showing a slight undulation between it and the Koss Seam."'' :'♦ -'!''"; The following table )ei>resents the number of seams which have been discovered on these areas and the thickness of each seam, also the quality of the coal as far as ascertained. ' " ' ' NAMK. THICKNK.SS. KKMAKKS. 1. Carr Seam : 4 feet. Good Coah:, .ft .d^wir/wji 9. Paint " •'••" 1. Cftfp ;,^J:;, i ,,, ,j. 2. Paint 6,%i^,000 ,,; „^. '' 4. Lyie ...'.if'' 3,200,000 ^ ''''"""" '♦« ' !'.Hi'i': ).! 6. Rog8 ; 6,969,600 .(t^) -jA')' ./;.. •L'»J»..M ., «. ^Villle Fraser .....1 3,200,000 * ,; ,,,,,, ., 7. No. .M ' 4,978,285 ; Mir Murrrn y^ ir. McGiUvray .3,982,«20 ' " ^*''" '^^^ riiiliM*) -..Mi;) 9 1 ^'' Hiii'ii 10 , , ,,.. 11. Fraser ! 6.969,600 ; 1 1 ^ 1 ■. 1 1 . ' *':''i'i 'i '"" ;i''«r Total 45,230,610 tons in one square mile, or upwards of 135 million tons on the three square niil(»8 owned at present by the eompany. - ; W^l'^-Ti The questions relntiui^ to the character and thick ncsVdif^tK^ roof between each seam or any set or grouj) of seams are very important, and in the present instance entirely satisfactory. The vertical distance between the Paint and Oandall Seams is 17 fathoms. .. •.- Between Crandall and Ross 104 fathoms. ** Ross ,ind Willie Fraser .56 " ' " Willie Fraser and McGillvray 15 " "" * McGillvray and Fraser 149 '* 'J'he surface measurements from whiclr Oiese thicknesse were deduced were made by Mi-. Ouseley, Provincial I^and Surveyor. v. The rocks between the seams are heavy bedded sandstones, with intercalated bands of shale. The sandstones are miiform and persist{;oj5 i '.'(ihp »h*ale& art^ J ^Vpqueiia;!;^ arenaceous and compact, and thfcl-b 'b ii6^'evKlen(?e> thlit'^dahgers or difficulties may arise ivbrii' wbphmi? anf 'of tht^ stk\k^ \n\doY the sea differ- ^iPP ■:'■ u u go ug»«oO fl*«co- ent from tlionc to wliicli iiilnii(i (••►IlicricM arr somrtinics m\h- jectcd, aiul whicli cjin be rciuUly overnnnc. . ;i»in ;ji»v*';* The tojio^niphical flctnilH of thr accoiuimnyiii^ map an- taken from the Admiralty Surveys. 'I'lie well kiiovMi capa- bilities and advantages posHessed by Sydney liarbor render any allusion to the situation of tbe an^as in relation to liar))or aeeonnuodation superHu(»us. ♦ . The objeetions which at the Hrst blush mii^ht appear to Bome in eonsequenee of the necessity of mining' under tbe sea, are m holly inuiginary at present and must so remain for many years to eome unless unforseen and improbable contin- geneies oecuir. N\ ben tlie workings ext( lul so far under the ocean as to render ventilation a serious ((uestion. it will he time to eonnider the means to be adopted ; but iis there is accessible coal within a third of a mile from the sliore, suf- ficient to siij>i)ly 1()0,0()() tons ])er annum for one hundred years, the subject may well be left till the future. /I.. ..,». I, •...•,(.; \ery respectfully yours, ; , ;,!■ i ,.•)' ' !i,i .. 1 , ■ . ,,; ■ , If \' r mv ;.•'*( •\h ■ . 1 '.. t '•'M . , • Kn< 1 )»;;;; .!;-).-:lp >•!/ : t '7 ^ ,♦ «»». • * . », a ' '' • .0'' "> '• • . , • ., ,11, • / '» •• J J .* • .♦. .' / ') ■^■. s .■'.',; , ■,' ■ ^ .-V