IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) /. Va \\J |50 "' I.I 1.25 28 IIM 1.8 1-4 IIIIII.6 V] <^ /i // VI c^l > 'V > o 7 ///. ^^I^^\"^6'' n> ». ^./^ CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques 1980 Technical Notes / Notes techniques The Institute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming. Physical features of this copy which may alter any of the images in the reproduction are checked below. L'institut a microfilm^ le meilleur exemplaire qu'il lui a 6t6 possible de se procurer. Certains difauts susceptibles de nuire A la quaiiti de ia reproduction sont notis ci-dessous. 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Les images suivantes ont 6t6 reproduites avec le pJus grand soin, compte tenu de la condition et de la nettet6 de I'exemplaire film6, et en conformity avec les conditions du contrat de filmage. The last recorded frame on each microfiche shall contain the symbol —^-(meaning CONTINUED"), or the symbol V (meaning "END"), whichever applies. Un des symboles suivants apparaltra sur la der- nidre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbols — ► signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbole V signifie "FIN". The original copy was borrowed from, and filmed with, the Icind consent of the following institution: Dana Porter Arts Library University of Waterloo Maps or plates too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: L'?xemplaire filmd fut reproduit grfice d la g6n^rosit6 de l'6tablissement prdteur suivant : Dana Porter Arts Library University of Waterloo Les cartes ou les planches trop grandes pour dtre reproduites en un seul clich6 sont filmdes d partir de Tangle sup6rieure gauche, de gaurhe d droite et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images ndcessaire. Le diagramme suivant illustre la mdthede : 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 ^ "Rut r & ^ »i PROFESSOR CHAPMAN'S REPORT 03sr COLLINS COAL AREA OAPE BRETON, 1873. f .N^i-^ PROFESSOR CHAPMAN'S REPORT olsr COLLINS COAL AREA CAPE BRETON, 1873. ISLAND OF CAPE JIKETOE Oyi^ JVt^rl/i. \ 1 r':^'^-"' • • • ••• ? .♦. •• •• » » -, • • «» • • •« • • • R EPORTT ON THE COLLINS COAL AREA, CAPE BRETON In pursu.ance of instructions to examine and report upon the coal property in Cape Breton, known as the Collins Coal Area, I visited the spot and made a careful examination of the ground. The results of my examination, including a sketch-plan and section, and analyses of the coal from two of the outcropping seams upon the propertj^ are embodied in the following statem nts : 1. Site and general description of the Property. — The Collins Coal Area, 700 acres in extent, lies on the east bank of the Little Bras d'Or, close to the southern entrance of the latter. It is bounded on its eastern side by the property of the General Mining Association, including the well-known •' Sydney Mines," and on the south by the Ingraham Coal Area. Both of these properties extend to the west shore of Sydney Harbour, distant about a mile and a-half from the Collins Area. The western and northern limits of the ai'ea range along the east bank of the Little Bras d'Or throughout a distance of about a mile and a-quarter ; and a. depth of about twenty feet of water is found at this point close to the shore. The ground rises inland in a. series of \ I steps or undulations; \U highest elevation at the eastern boundary being about 13C feet above the ordinary level of the " lake," the term by which this arm of the sea is com- monly designated. Several good seams of coal, referred to in detail in the following section, outcrop on the shore of the lake, and the outcrop is easily followed, in the more impor- tant seams, in a curved direction running roughly north and south throughout the property, as shewn in the accompanying plan. 2. Goal seams on the Property. — The three principal seams of coal which outcrop on the Collins Area, are known, in descending order as the Edwards seam, the Three-feet seam, and the Collins seam. These are followed by five other seams at present of undetermined thickness, but probably in no case exceeding three or four feet. Another seam apparently exceeding five feet in thickness, and consequently of good workable dimensions, ciops out a few yards beyond the south-western limits of the area; and as all the seams here have a general easterly dip or underlie, it must neces- sarily extend beneath the entire property. The Edwards seam, the highest and most easterly of these |: seams, is said to average 5 feet in thickness but in one of the trial pits, in which I measured it, the thickness wa-s nearly 6 feet. It dips easterly at an angle of from 5 to 6 degrees, equivalent to 1 in 10. Between its undulating line of out- crop and the eastern boundary of the property, a space of about 155 acres is included. Taking the specific gravity of the coal, as found by my trials, to equal 1.268, and assuming the average workable dimensions of the seam to equal 5 feet only, the amount of coal in the portion of the seam underlying the property will be equivalent to 1,205,680 tons. The Three-feet seam is at present entirely undeveloped, but it can easily be traced across the property, and it is thought to be identical with the Matheson seam on the other side of the Bras d'Or. The area between its outcrop and the eastern boundary of the property, towards which it dips, is I I I probably not fur sliortof 250 acres. It must contain, there- fore, within those limits about 1,160.786 tons. The Collins s(^am varies from 5 to nearly feet in thick- ness, and may fairly be assumed to equal 5 feet. It underlies, from its more westerly position, a much larger proportion of the property than either oi the above seams, and includes at a fair estimate about 380 acres. It must contain, thereforei 2,955,858 tons of coal. Like the Edwards and other seams on the property, it dips towards the east at a genera i inclina- tion of 1 in 10. A shaft has been sunk in connection with this seam to a depth of between 70 and 80 feet, at about 10 chains within its outcrop, close to the outcrop of the Three- feet seam ; and a slope has been carried from the outcrop about 100 yards in the direction of the shaft. From this slope, a considerrble quantity of coal (stated at 25,000 tons) was extracted and sold in Boston and other markets. The seams which lie ' eneath the above, and outcrop upon the property, will not probably be found of any great account, at least until the stronger seams come to be worked out in the course of yosirs ; but the comparatively large seam of 5 feet or more in thickness which crops out just beyond the south-westerly limit of the Collins Area, and passes entirely under the property, must contaie nearly five and a-hallf millions of tons, or strictly, 5,445,000 tons. This seim is probf,;)ly identical with a five feet seam which strikes the shore of Sydney Harbour a few chains north of the North Bar. 3. Quality of the Goal. — The coal from the above seams is an ordinary bituminous coal of good quality. The only samples at present obtainable are merely outcrop samples but these shew good resalU on analysis, and it may be fairly concluded, therefore, that when the seams are worked at lower depths a very superior coal will be produced. The sample from the Edwards seam, submitted to analysis, I took from the bottom of one of the trial pits sunk close to the outcrop ; and the sample from the Collins seam I col- 6 lected from the ond of an old level or slope which has been driven upon the seam to a length of about 100 yardH to connect with a nhah .lunk to a depth of 70 feet at some distance east of the outcrop of the seam. Whilst in this slope, I examijH3d the sides and pillars every here and there with the lamp for the detection of pyrites, but saw very little. The coal from trial pits on the Edwards seam (one of which isdownabouc 20 fe(?t) appears also to be very free from pyrites. Both of these coals burn with a \or\cr flame, and yield a semi -fused a^jrlutinated coke, amounting to between G3 atid 64 per cent, of the weight of the air-dried coal. The following are the results of my analyses: (1) From the (2) Prom the Edwards seam : Colling Mnm : ep. gr. l,2tJ8. Bp. gr. -= 1.271. Moisture 1.82 1.63 Volatile Combustible Matter 84.94 86.12 Fixed (Carbon 66 97 67.10 Sulphur trace. Ash 6.97 6.06 100.00 100.00 4. Mode of winniiiff the Coal upon the tropertt/. — Tlie greater portion of the ^oal in the Edwards seam, and a large portion of that in the Three- feet and Collins seams, might be removed by means of levels driven from the high bank of the Bras d'Or ; but a i^iore satisfactory mode of winning the coal, and in the end, I think, a cheaper mode, would be to sink a deep shaft near the eastern boundary of the property, and to carry, from this, slopes along the rise of each of the workable seams. All the water could be led into thj sump of this shaft ; and from the mouth of the shaft a iouble tramway of 40 chains in length might be easily constructed to connect with the short tr;).mway already on the ground, by which the loaded cars could be run down by gravity to the wharf, and the empty cars drawn up simultaneously. Whilst the shaft was in progress, it would be advisable to utilize the present, shaft and slope in getting out coal from the higher portion of the Collins seam. A depth of 20 feet of water occurs quite : close to the slioro. The proposed new shaft wonM strike the Edwards seam at a deptli of about 90 feet, the Three-feet sea'.n at about 150 feet, and tlie Collins sonni at from 260 to 270 feet. These depths in coal mininpr are comparatively insignificant. When onne the shaft was established, and proper lifting and pumping gear connected with it, a very large annual output from the threo seams might be safely calculated upon. If sufficient labor could be obtained, there shoidd be no difficulty in raising at least 125,000 to 130,000 tons from the combined seams. 6. Shipping facilities. — Probably few coal properties in Cape Breton offer better facilities for shipping than the Collins Area. All the coal could be conveniently run, either from adits or from the proposed shaft described in the pre- ceding section, to a wharf on the Bras d'Or, where vessels of twenty feet draught could be alongside and load. These vessels could then round the southern extremity of Boulardrie Island, and so pass down the Great Bras d'Or into the Atlantic Ocean ; or they might sail up the Lake, and pass by the St Peter's Canal into the Gut of Canso, directly. A shoal near' the mouth of the Little Bi'as d'Or prevents vessels drawing more thp'i nine feet from passing into the Atlantic by that passage, but a Government grant for dredging this entrance has already been obtained. The combined cost of mining, raising, and loading the coal of the Collins Aiea, ought not certainly to exceed a dollar and a-qiiarter per ton. 6. General Conclusions. — The leading features of the Collins Area may be briefly summarized as follows : — The property comprises 700 acres, and is situated on the east bank of the southern entrance to the Little Bras d'Or, with 20 feet of water immediately adjacent to its loading ground. Three woiLable seams of good quality coal outcrop upon t)ie property, and underlie a considerable portion of its area. These united seams carry very nearly 5| millions of tons They admit of being economically worked, either by adits, or since removed 20 feet water 8 by a main shaft striking the undercrop of each seam at a comparatively moderate depth, as explained in Sec. 4 of this Report. Five other seams, some of which, when more fully explored, may prove workable, underlie the above: and the entire area is underlaid -)y a somewhat deeper seam, not yet thorou^yhly explored, but estimated at 5 feet in thickness, and conse- quently containing beneath the limits of the property upwards of 5 millions of tons. As explained in the Report, the raised coal can be run down by gravity upon a short tramway to the water side and shipped with great facility. A sum of from $30,000 to $35,000 would be amply suffi- cient to sink the main shaft, provide hoisting and pumping machinery, complete tramway and wharf, put up loarding- house and forge, etc., and generally start the mine. The large output which must necessarily then result would soon repay this sum, and yield a large interest on the capital invested in the purchase of the ground. E. J, CHAPMAN, Ph. D., Professor of Mineralogy and Geology in University College, Toronto^ and Consulting Mining Engineer.