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Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Atra reproduit en un seul ciich4. il est film* i partir dft I'angle supArieur gauche, de gauche i droite, 9i de haut en baa, an prenant la nombre d'Imagas nAcessaira. Las diagrammas suivants illustrent la m*thode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 i^. Mj ft?',". ■i'f ^ '<■ > l ii . i . ilii . - ..* Ji t.,>j , ^r!i J. I .I, \' •*ffi ',".iH ■ .'..■•.>L-»*rr ' L'"uir, .■* THE HISTORY OF THE DISCOVERY OP ANTHRACITE' COAL - AT •<?j».- ; LEPREAtlX, NEW BRUNSWICK. COMPILED Vmm RELIABLE SOURCES AND PEK«ONAt OBSERVATIONS By ROBERT ROBERTSON,. Jr., Esq. yKFlEMBER, 1877. ST. JOHN, ^. li: JrISTJBD at ift^ BAItY tlSJ^GHAPH ''STKAM JOB «0€318. rlM ilrtiriii illMliu|«iliii>aft SSSSS^ sssipsffi 1 ■F<f4^- '*^ >^'^ '«';i3iJ|*'J'""''^Wi!P"* i">» .' "^ A.' i r i It J)o3*-'^ THE HISTORY OF .1 1 THE DISCOVERY 1 r !i OF ANTHRACITE COAL AT LEPREAUX, NEW BRUNSWICK. COMPILED FROM RELIABLE SOURCES AND PERSONAL 0BS1-:RVATI0NS By ROBERT ROBERTSON, Jr., Esq. SEPTEMBER, 1877. ST. JOHN, KB.: PRINTKD AT THE DAILY TELEGRAPH STEAM JOB ROOMS. • 1877. vat.'''*' i The Object Ton wh.eh this History of the Discovery or Anthnacte Coa, i„ Hew Brunswic. is written is to give i„ as conc.se a ro.™ as possible, ai, information on the sul t "uoh or Which CO.. not be wei. given in the Prospectus ' THE HISTORY OF THf] DISCOVERY OF ANTHRACITE COAL AT LEPREAUX, NEW BRUNSV\/ICK. In the year 1872 Mr. Gideon K. Hanson, one of the proprietors of the lands situate at Lepreaux, on which the coal deposits have been discovered, whilst digging sand on the shore, for the purpose of fertilizing the- clayey soil of his farm, turned up, in excava- ting, a quantity of black material, the nature of which w^is unknown to him. Its peculiar lustrous appearance attracted his attention and aroused his curiosity as to its exact composition. For the purpose of ascertaining this he took a quantity of it to Mr. Geo. Mathews, an official of the Custom House in St. John and a gentleman of con- siderable repute in geological matters, asking him for an opinion on it. It was pronounced to be a variety of anthracite coal, and he stated that he had found small seams of it in that locality some yeai-s previously. Becoming imbued with the idea that there was coal on his orounds he began "prospecting" for it after his own fashion, but as his ideas of the proper w^ay of conducting such an operation v/ere vague he did not meet with much success, and for the most part his labor was in vain. During the next season Mr. Harvey Stickney, purchasing agent of the Eastern Railway Co., in Boston, and a connection of Hanson's, came to Lepreaux for the purpose of spending his holidays, avoiding the heat of Boston, among the log bound cliffs and coolness of the sea shore of the Bay of Fundy. He became much interested in the plans of his host, and spent some time in endeavoring to prove the; combustibility of the pro- ducts of the deep pits which had been d; g here and there in the ground. Fin.ally he concluded to cast his lot in the enterprise and t:.::'^tr, -rr: ■'''»'»•■- -^ "-^ -> wmc. ,.„ ,„„, tide. eomin:a!it:S;, ';;:':;:•, "'^'•'^, '';'^'' -" --«- the the .narks of tlu.,.- Ibo^ "'>?" ^™1' 7»''«1 ^™y ami obliterated -..e.>«.i„.^^^^^^^ tions. Still they pcraoverod in their well meant l.nt fnf,'! tv \ \ .success did not atton,! f1.. .. i r. "^"^''."^^"^ '^"^ tutile efforts, but proper, ,j„:i'r°,t\:::s,ttr "^'*" "'^•- -' « • 4:e:::r;i:v:i:,!:-s^^^^ tr- .. ..„.„, many notable m-oi,.,.t« in ,!"""'" '"-^" 'ntnnately connected with CaldLll, K.!r i^, 1;" H ^7*"^?"' -- ■" the office of J. A. ofNew York. a.Kl .JZ^\C^J^T^^T^"'] "^^'^''=''^ theres any quantity of stuff like fhnf T ', |^nowAviiere T?ii . '^ ^ '^"^^'^- J^s it worth anvthinrr?" -Kobertsons answer "Vmi ^li..^,. , . '"lytning ? .subsequently inter telrt Sot ' 7^1^ ™"" '"™ ^- Avith the roma-1- "S , V ' '™'"-'"'«'l '"'»>*''« at this time report of tW ' ' "" """ ■''"•=""«"'^' ^^ ^ «hall give you a hamr'tf'' '"•"''■^ "laped-and the promised specimen came to hand. It came „, the shape of a medirnn sized ball of apparently • Ijlack mufl. Ho was engaged at this ti".ie as Chief Engineer and Superintendent of the Merriniac Silver Mines, at Newburyjort, Mass., and the specimen was nanded over by him to Prof. Steinbach, chemist and assayist to the mine, for analysis. Tt was pronounced to be fifty per cent, pure anthracite ; but in view of all the facts of the case, how it had been taken from the shore, and the locality, and also as it was commingled with mud, and had evidently been affected by salt water, he stated that his opinion was, that some time in the past an anthracite coal ladened vessel had been wrecked on the coast, and her cargo had been washed ashore, mixed with the mud, and hence the delusion. Satisfied that this was the correct conclu- sion in regard to its presence, Robertson dismissed the subject from his mind. Meeting with Stickncy at a subsequent date, he was interrogated in regard to the result of the analysis. The opinion, as stated above, was given, with advice to be guarded against even unintentional hoaxing in the future. Stickney well knew that, in the memory of the oldest inhabitant, no vessel had ever been wrecked on that part of the coast, and also that, uidess the tortuous windings of the channel were followed, it would be impossible for a vessel to come over the shoals that lie for miles to seaward of the pla^e, even if she were driven before a ship-wreckin'g Southwest gale. Convinced by these statements, and with the fact, that fifty per cent, of pure anthracite was found in the specimen that had been analyzed, Robertson was forced to give a certain credit to the idea that a ndne really might exist. Sanguine of success, and hopeful of results, his interrogator endeavored to get him to visit the scene of the deposit at once. This he could not do at the '^time, and it was not till later, in che spring of 187C, when circum- stances called him to the Provinces, that he was enabled to make the promised inspection. In company they travelled to St. John, and from thence took the route to Leprcaux. On the road down — the St. Andrews road — Robertson jestingly pointed out the granitic nature of the rocks and hinted rather freely his doubts of finding anything more than the imported article. When, however, they had diverged from the main road and taken tlie one that leads to Lcpreaux, his attention was arrested by a change in the surface indications. Olive colored shale sprang up under notice, and a number of peculiarities, familiar to the practised u ii the .siH.ei„H,„ that l,..! C.l ,t illTT' ''^*^' P''"" ^^■''™» thcousl, oxa,„inatio„ of tLr"' it ' If '"™ '"''r'' "■"' ^^■'^"" » hi» an»w«- to tl,e nuestion WW > ",".'"™ '""' ''™» '»'"'«. tho.e i. no anth,.aer:!;a7,ur tt: Ht l"" t "' ""' ^■''^•- "" of it." Afto.. tl,i, opinion had 'bT e4p,«, Ttr'^'""'"'!"" "ndcTtake the dovelopn.ont of T T v \P";>;'"f .■■'P^'«''''«™' to tive. ^ "• " ^-^ 'l«"l«l in the artirnia- hI':::;. thnr:;::!!^;?' •^■'' ^'^^•^■™ ^f-- ««'-> and o...... iand. in the nei * o „ '^f If °'' '"'•'"''>'<" ~ of all the and Stiolcnoy on !h " p^t thaTt, '"",• ""'' *""■ ^"^*--'-" f«vni.h n,ea ,- and devot atte nt'' / T" ^'^"' S''"*'^'"'"" ""'"'"'l a n,e>.chantaUe »ta Wh^" •" " the «„Jin,, of the article in equally participate in „1 tlu ', acc„n,pl,.,he,i, they should ^tan.Ii„g ,vork ,va. be , „ R , ^ ^^P"''^'^' "''* ""» "nder- thithe., he engaged the . v f f a 'L^S::/:' ""• "'T'"'"' Jnn, „,th a .nail g„„g. to n.ake th^i ul^^t ;"";;■' ^"' P'-«> of a proper p-ospeetin.,- shaft constriicti.m fove." Even those who aftentad:? '?'•"" '"' ""^ "'--»>- and spirit, and who we '^ „! to,';""''; ^T'" '*""'' ™*''»---™ covering of it, aln.ost by C^^^^^f "'"'■ "'^"^^ '" "- Ji- of the earlier stages of the worr Wh , "T"" "" P^^"'"'^'™ at la.t arrived at the period w en 'Imf f T' -^ P^'-^overed. and of circnnstances, tlJintll'^^.^ t^ftt"'^, TTf°" son vere enlisted in the cause ^'^' ^- ^^^^^i'<^- Jr:LrtSh~:ir ^^^^^^ -"r:' ^-' - ^-^ -^f'- ^oot their faith and j^ nf Zy t:ant:" "-"'^"- **»te to gmdually coming over them which ZZ^^l ;^"'T , " '^^""« lucieas.ea ni niagnitiide until it might l)e likentMl to i cloud encompassing and enveloping them About. It was the tolling of positive succe»s to lie realized in the •early future. Many and various were the opinions expressed upon the nature •of the exhumed product. By >ome it was designated ''Plumbago," " Graphite ; " in fact so many names were given to it, that one listen- ing to them all would fancy that it contained some of the dis- tinguishing marks of nearlyeveiy known sultstance. Of such is the generally thoughtless judgment of men. The sinking of the first shaft was connnenced in the month of May, 1876. Mr. Robertson having had the offer of Superintendent of the "Denbo Galena Mine," near Eastpoi-t, Me., resigned his situ- ation on the " Merrimac Mine," and came East in order to be near the spot that was beginning to be so interesting to him. When he first settled in his own mind the opinion that it was a valuaV- de- posit, he was eager to get a substantial interest in it, and even though he fully believed that three hundred feet, an<l more, of earth and rocks intervened between the surface and the coal basin, and also that a considerable sum of money would be required to effect a passao-e through to the merchantalile article, yet he clieerfully undeitook the speculation, feeling assured that at last he would be rewarded more than many fold. The first shaft was located directly on the shore at high water mark, and on an outcrop of shale which can be readily discerned, at intervals, for more than a mile, following the line of the shore. The conclusion why the shaft should be sunk at this particular spot was arrived at tln-ough the grades of sound syllogistic reason- ing. The shore, from Mace's Basin to Point Lepreaux, is nearly a straight line, and presents in many places bold and abrupt cliffs, showing a cross section of the geological formation of the countiy. By taking a boat and sailing along the shore, there can 'be easily traced the different strutas, and a definite conclusion can be arrived at in regard to their positions. Two miles South of Mace's Basin an up- heaval has taken place among the rocks Avhicli form the point of land known as Point Lepreaux. By following the shore to the Northward the stwitas are perceived to take a more upright position, and within a shoi-t distance of the prospecting shaft the mountain Ihnesione can be distinguislitcl overlying the Devonian rocks, it in its turn overlaid by the mill stone grit, or grey rock, as it is called in Pennsylvania. 8 111 Upon this again comes the strata of coal shale. If these were found in the positions resultant from the upheaval they would form a high mountain extending to the Southward of Mace's Basin, but glacier action, which is clearly perceptible on all the rocks, has washed the upper formations seaward, and laid bare the Devonian as it appears just beyond the Southern shore of the Basin. Tracing the formation inland the grej/ rod: is found overlying the coal measures, and three miles further to the NorthAvard the neiG red sand stone is perceived, taking again a more horizontal position, thus placing it in its pro- per geological place— the carhoviferoits era~a.nd showing clearly and conclusively that the coal basin lies to the North of the shaft. So on this shale which dljjped to the Northward, and on the very edge of the water, which extends Southerly, the first shaft was begun. For fifteen feet naught was brought to ligh^^ but coal shale, save now and then small lumps of crushed coal, ^vhkh seemed to have found their way above tlieir natural bed. Then began the crushed coal, and the seam to widen, and for ninety feet, and more, the shaft was sunk, showing a gradual increase in lustre and consistency. When this point had been reached a more encouraging article was found, that showed that gradually, though surely, they were progressing to' the El Dorado of their hopes. It is probable that if this better quality had not been reached the history of the enterprise Avould have ter- minated at this stage of its existence. For it appears tiiat the fore- man, in sinking the shaft, had not taken sufticient precaution in ''timbering," and for days there could be distinctly heard, at intervals, the crushing and falling of the earth and coal about it. The soft nature of the seam, through which it had been sunk, ren- dered it necessary that extra care should have been taken to make it secure, and to guard against the surrounding earth crushing it in and destroying it. The sounds became more and more ominous, and the miners began to feel that working under these circumstances was attended with tuicertainty and danger. One Saturday night in September, &fter work had been done for the day, and operations were delayed until the next night, the final crush took place, and with such force that the strengtn of .-^he tindjers was insufficient to resist, and the labor of months was relentlessly swallowed up in a few hours. A telegrarr; sent to Mr. Robertson, who was at the I^ibc brought him by boat from Eastport, fearful that the loss of If up in a M ** 1 ^^ > Mine,, m ^^ money \'erc found rm a high •ut glacier mshed the it appears formation and three perceived, n its pro- ig clearly the shaft. the very as begun, save now Lve found <he(l coal, ihaft was . When IS found, •essing to v quality have ter- the fore- Lution in leard, at about it. mk, ren- to make ing it in lous, and nstances night in )er'ations ace, and icient to up in a )o Mine, ' money 9 had been ^ supplemented by the loss of life. His fears, however, were groundless; no lives had been sacrificed; but as he gazed upon the ruin of this first regular attempt at scientific i^yospectinr), his heart sank within him, and he departed for a time, until, with a bet- ter organization, he could pro,:eeute the search. Installing his fore- man in the place held by him on the Galena mine, ho went to New York and there spent the winter of 1870 and 1877. The information and specimens that had been brought to light by this first shaft were very encouraging, however, and having his theory of the crushed coal, and the place beyond it where he expected to find the regular Anthiucito coiToboi-ated 1)}^ several gentlemen of experience from the coal regions of Pennsylvania, ho resolved in the early Spring to prosecute the search with redoubled vigor. Mr. Stickne^i^ who had been building hopes of the future being bright, as from time to time news reached him in Boston of the suc- cess that vras attending the efforts of his partner, now began to feel a despondent reaction, his belief in the prescn'^'^ of the coal did not diminish but the idea thai it Avould involve more expense ' than at first c(}lculated wat. his hetc. noir. He remembered though that at one time in the sunmier, when tlie shaft was between sixty and seventy feet deep that some samples, which were but crashed coal however, had been forwarded by Mr. Geo. i!.IatheAVs, of St. Jolin, to Mr. D. B. Harringtor , Mineralogist and Chemist to the Geological Survey of Canada, for tlie purpose of having them anal^^sed. Months had roiled on and the statement of the analysis had not come to hand. His curiosity in regard to it was aAvakened, and after some corres- pondence on the matter, the post brought him the following from that gentleman : "Analysis by Slow Ci;kii!g of Crushod Coal taken fmni the moasures at Mace's Bay, Nuw lirunswuck : Hygroscopic Water, 1.25 Volatile Conibnstible Matter, 4.38 Fixed Carbon, 57.49 Ash, 3G.8S 100.00 The amount of " fixed carbon " in this analysis was not large, and the amount of ash was far in excess of what it shoidd be, but re- membering the fact that it was only crushed co(d that had been ottered, the result was satisfactory in the extreme. Mr. Robertson was but waiting until the cold Winter of New Brunswick would 2 I 10 begin to mellow in the lap of Spring, when lie intended to follow up his theories and convictions in regard to the locality of the mer- chantable article. His return to the scene of his labors was in the the month of May, in the present year, 1877. A new shaft was started about one hundred feet to the Westward ol the site of the unfortunate one, and it also was placed directly on the shore and upon the outcroj^ of coal shale, to which reference has before been made. ^ He himself gave up his positions on other enterprises, and de- voted his personal attention to the work and construction of the shaft. The same experience that had marked their downward progress in the first shaft was repeated in this one— coal shale and crmJted coal~on\y they worked down the hanging vjall of the seam, and at nitervals drifted into it. At forty feet the first drift was made, and It was found that at this point the coal still was crushed. The theory that the manager had in regard to its being in this state instead of being hard, and exactly of the same 'nature as the Penn. anthracites, was tliat in the upheaval of the edge of the hasln the coal had been crushed by the pressure'of the surrounding rocks among which it had been turned and force. I up. Another j-eason for its softness has been given at a later date, to which reference shall be duly made. However, he has the theory, and still holds to It, that when once the hasln of the deposit is touched— when once the upturned edge of the seam has been followed down until it resumes its hori.'^ontal posi don— then shall the coal be found in its normal purity and (vxcellence, and this theory has been verified by the experience that has been gone through with in many mines. " Everything worked in harmony with his predictions, gradually a, better quality of this soft hard coal was obtained, and enthusiasm once more held sway in the breasts of those whose hopes had been dashed down and shattered from the high pinnacle on which they had placed them. _ Following down the hanging wall of the seam they found at sixty to sixty-five feet, an article equal to that folmd in the first shaft at ninety. At (>ighty feet a drift was cut into the seam, and it was here discovered that the breadth of the same was sixteen feet. The coal taken from here kindled readily and burned freely in an open grate, and without a forced draft; it, however, though not y^.riis.wd coal exactly, was yet of a soft nature and would not bear being handled much in export. Mr. llobwitson had become a. lintcd with quite a number of the people of St. John, which city is situate but a distance of twenty-six miles from the scene of opei'ation, and the theme of having an anthracite coal deposit so near became quite a subject of conversation and speculation among the inhabitants. The fact of it being there was not generally known until May and Jui^e, and then was discredited for the roost part ; but the repoi'ts of those who had visited Lepreaux, and who Ivid not only seen the coal hoisted up from the pit, but had handled it, and had also seen the performance it gave as a combustible, became more widely circu- lated, and a greater inquiry into the facts of its presence began to take place. Visitors came to inspect both by land and water, and it became a favorite route for those who wanted a day's " outing." Tug-boats and steam yachts doing the duty of carriage by water, and on the land pleasant little parties of four or five behind a fast span of horses, soon rolled over the intermediate distance tliat lay between the city and the mine. On the ever to be remembered 20th day of June, that " black Wednesday " for the people of St. John, quite a large party had departed, in the oirly morning, on a tug-boat for Lepreaux. The sun shone brilliantly out of the heavens flecked with fleecy clouds ; the wind blowing coolly from iue; North west, dispelled the heat of the day from the party pleasure bent. Tlio bow of the little steamer dashed the water, meeting it, merrily aside, and caused a cheerful sound of progress to be heard. The white crested tips of the wave- lets lingered for a moment and then vanished in the circuurfluent green. Tlie sea gulls soared on high on breezy pinions, and all nature seemed to lend its influence to make the day one of pleasure. The mine was Leached, inspected and admired. Those who de- scended the shaft gave testimony to the thickness of the seam, and of the appearance of the prospect hdoio. Then came the hour for departuj'e. Before leaving some one's attention was attracted by the dense clouds of smoke that arose in the direction of the city, but the reason " flre in tlie woods " seemed to satisfy any holding doubts as to whether the smoke did not emanate from flames nearer their homes. The pai'ty steamed swiftly homeward, and joke and ]p„ngh passed lieartily nnx.iug the passengers, though stdl tlie smoke rose liigher and denser <>\'er the city, unheeded for a time; but grave conjecture began to usurp the place of light speculation. i m [III 12 Wlioii at last, witli roundino- tlio point that brought the doomed city, clotlied in its shroud oF ilauu s and sniolvc, in view, tho awful trutli l>nist upon tlu>m ; tlio hearts of all woro filled with terror for an instrnt, and tlu>n an overpoworin*,' desire to fly to the rc'scue of loved ones and home eair.e over tlunn. The eahunity that had befallen the eity so (!nn;rossed the atten- tion of its poopl(! that.eoal mines and other schemes were for<^'()tten for a time, yi«t still the work was bcin^- pushed rapidly on, and the results of tlu'ii- Iabt)rs wcw. becomin<^- mv)re sati.'i'aetory. At one hundred and ten feet the eoal assumed a better appearance and seemed to api)r(>ach the ri^ht ai'tiele, with an inereasiui,^ ratio. At one hundred and twenty feet the shaft was snidc into the Hcaiih, .still goin<^- downward, and still ilipplvg to the Ncu'th. A word about tlu^ iudimt/ioH of the seam. It has been .stated that hoiKjlnij ,r,?//* had been followed in sinking the shaft. In following it, it was innuediately noted that it dlpi)ed to the North- ward, eon,se([U(^ntly the shaft (/'ijipnl towards the North also. Fif- teen degi-ees was about (he angle of the dlj> at the start. This clippiuif MWH observed to increase its angle ns progress was made <lownward, anil this stvenj.?;theni>d tlu^ theory of i'eachin<r the eoal bitsin in a certain length, and escaping from the crushed or soft coal into tho hard. As stated before, tlu> .shaft was made to diverg-e frt)m the Juiiiglng v'(dl into th.e s(>am at one hundred and twenty feet, and a largo <(;'//? was cut across it, disclosing its br(>adth to be twenty feet ,six inches, sixteen feet of wliieh was fairly hard coal. A descent into th.e ^haft at this stage was particularly reassuiing. The iollowing, taken from the Glohe newspa})er of the 27th July, gives a fair description of the appearance of the lands above and hclow: — " !''or luiiiiy years tliu outiTops and coal imlicatioiis in tlie neighborhood of Mas- quash and Point Lcproaux havo givon foundations for tlic belief that tliis vahiable articlo existed in quantities in tlio^e hiealities. Hut owing to no exertions having , been made to determine the truth of its existcnee, beyond merely digging deep holes in the ground, no satiafaetory oonelusion was arrived at, although some of the old inhabitants state that burning coal was obtained in small quantities from the outcrops as long ago as sixty years. Within the last two years, however, tho proprietors of land iu tho noighborhoad of I'oint Leprcaux havo been sinking a prospecting shaft. *Tho hnnying xmdl is tho upp.T surfiico of a soatn tliat i/i/w or inclines. If it were iwrpcndicular there •would be no haiijing or foot walls, Ijut botVi would bo tho snaue, \\z ; vcrtiotvl walls. 13 Jicular tbera md an invit/ition having l)oen oxtou.le.l uh to visit it, v/c iiccopto.l of tho Hani« and havo hiul our cxixictations u'ore than cxcoodwl l>y what we saw. " It haa been generally bolicvod tlmt the Hurface in.licationB .lo not in.lientu the earho- niforoua period of geological frjmiation in this locality, hut thiH i« n(.t true, for shales, san.lstone, conglomerates and linio-".tones ahoiind, ar.d foBwilii of leaves and vegetable matter havo been found in the name in i,rofusi..n an.l it is acknowledged that theao un(h)niably indicate tho true carboniferous fornuttion. "The situation of the shaft is on the North side of tho arm of Maee's Bay into which the little l^eprcaiix river em])tic3. The formation r,f the land t(. tho Southwanl across tho intervening watei-.iias the aia-earanco wluc.h characterizes the Devonian penod, and it .Ui.M downward and underlies tho land to tho Northward, and this a-am is another proof of the (uirbonifen.us fonnati..n of tlie land tlmt is being prospected, for it {.'ives itn proiier gi'-dlu/icil [xisition. •'' Having anive.1 at tl.o mouth of the shiif t we i.repared for descent by donnuig over- hauls to protect our ch.tldng fn.m the .Irip and dirt iMeident to such an undertaking, and under tho gnidanc,- of the alVablo manager, Mr. Hugh U. Robertson, we Ht<i, on to the ladders and begm. Tlie first leu to liftoen fe.,t is through dialc and the upper crust overlying the Beam, from tlionco begins the crushed coal which crum},les m the hand when brought in contact with tbo air. So.m all light is siiut olf fn.m tho mouth of tho shaft by a slant that it takes to the Northward, and we are .lei-cn.Uvnt for light on tho iitfid gleam of the oil lamp that is canied in the hat of (mr guide. After a few turns fr<nn onte side to the adjacent on tho lad.lers we are told tl.at wo havo descended forty foot, and arc at the mouth of the lir.t drift that has been made. It exten.ls but a few feet from the wall and defines the brea.Uh of the seam. At this point au exami- nation shows that we have pas.se.l through tlic crushed coal and that the seam is assuming tho appearance of a true Anthracitb. Aiiothcr descent of forty feet ami we are at the mouth of another drift, eighty foot from the surface of tho ground, ihe seam hero is broa.ler an.l the coal, though not an pivo a. it will be when the shaft has been sunk well into the bed, i:* a merchantable article. "Aminer detachea a bucketful to be taken to tho surface arid burnt under <mr nispec- tioii We went down thirty f.^et furtlie)- but our lamps going out we ascended to the surface and prepared for a descent to the bottom of the pit in the «'tub," which tra- verses the other section of the shaft. With (me foot in an.l one out wo are lowered away, one hundred and eighteen feet, and when wo regain our siglit wo Im.l that the "black diamonds" on every si.le in a solid wall .,re sending back in gl.aneing KcintiUations the rays of die lamp. Here the coal is almost a pure Anthracite an.l the indications are that tho supply is unlimited. We are struck by the line appearance of the four solid walls that surnniml us and cannot resist the feeling that is forced upon us that tho future market of supply for tho Dominion of Antliracite coal is New iirunswick. "Stepping int.. the tub a few moments brings us to the light and heat of tne sun. Tho coal when burning had all tbo .lualities of the or.linary Pennsylvania Anthracite, having a light blue ilame r.nd biraing very freely in an ordinary grate Its heat- giving .pialitlcs are large, and it V. vca a regxilar ash. When first kindled the odor of sulphur marked the presence of pyrites, but it soon passed -away. his is ,lue to the fact that the samples burnt were taken from tho upper surface of the seam and from a close proximity to tiie crushed coal. There is no doubt i.ut that this wdl not be a-.jpa'-n'it i" tho conl from tho heart of tho seam. ' ' Time was now dovotf;.! to excavating and bringing to the sui-face the coal from this depth. It was of a much superior quahty to any Hi III 14 that ha,l precetel it, thou^* for' forty feet im.necUately above, the coa that had been sent up had burnt well and given a good renort of Itself It was used in the forge for heating iron for welding, 'and the blaeksnuth boasted that he could get a welding heat quiekor than with charcoal, and it would produce heat enough to weld iron and steel together, and he talked in an interested manner about its many good qualities-in his eyes it hadn't a bad one. One of the first Jays in August wa.s devoted to a visit and a day's sa.1. The. steam yacht "Effort" was chartered for the occasion. It was the first trip by water since the 20(1, June, of unhappy m.n,- ory and as .t has been chronicled by one of the leading gentlemen m the medical profession who helped while away the pleas^t hours his vei-sion, as it appeared in ih^ D„a,j Tdcp-oph of the 4th Auo-„,t' IS nci'o given : — " r^2'nL:^tlZt'T''7^ " r'' '''':''' f *^^^ '""'^^^^ ^^ *^- ^^'^-^ *« --^ the Hanson lull buicht of the sea. She pegged away a.s if she meant to be in a luirry but Lcle any ai,tJir.Kit<, ooul,! l,e. Tl,„3 ,„ ^, j„f„i„ .jcvo, and with a moderate drvft tl,. wiueuea to 16 feet. Ihe appearance and liardiiem nf tjia ■no.- i- I"- V - f fo'htr™ °"°='""'"^» "-" FobaMy Wne 10. friatieand bet^: ^^t^d 11 15 above, the jood report elding, and sat quicker > VvTeld iron r about its nd a day's ^asion. It ppy mom- gentlemen ant hours, bh August, ■ the Hanson ioinpjiiiy the y, but made ne filled the 311S time, as ! sweltering made up in started the At mid-day rvalkijig the iomacli try- e Dominion n the l)uild- lander who our Avharf iss of black tever name. r springing- ise. g brightly, no decep- oor closed, as clear aa draft, the ot as any leptli has 5 that of r adapted "An Amerienn is now developing this New Brunswick property, the value of wliich ,«hould be ca'refully tested. "Before leaving we had three barrels put on board and two were used to help us steam back to town. "The night was lovely and as twilight deepened, the evening hour was pleasantly passed with songs which under such conditions partake of the sentimental. It may be, because the brain active all day naturally drops into the dreamj quietness of rest, and like the flowers exhales its sweetness as the daylight passes. I will not say what hour we reached our homes. I have my suspicion that some of the delay arose from one or two of our numljer who preferred being 'rocked in the cradle of the deep' to rocking the cradle 'at our house at home.'" Prospector. Some of the coal, as stated by him, was taken from the dump, screened, and used to steam home with. It did its woik only fairly Avell, and did not evince that steam generating power that was after- war('ls produced by it on board the steamer " New York." The reason of it acting in this way is that when anthracite coal is used for steaming purposes, it is necessary that the grate bar sui-face be broad and expansive, and also that the fire be kept shallow in orde-r to burn freely and well. The "Effort" has a vertical cross tubed boiler, and the furnace is contracted and deep, and not at all adapted to burn anthracite. . One barrel that came up to the city in the "Effort" was reserved for future experiment, and was handed over to Mr. Levi Young, the enterprising proprietor of the New Brunswick Bolt and Nut Fac- tory, situated on Waterloo street. This trial was made on the 7th day of August, in the presence of quite a number of the leading citizens, professional gentlemen both of the medical and legal branches being present. It was noticed in the colunms of the Tele- Uraph the following morning, as follows: — "A trial of the coal recently discovered at Mace's Bay, was made yesterday in the Bolt and Washer Factory of :Mr. Levi H. Young, Waterloo street. The test was purely practical, and established the fact that in heating and clear-burning qualities, the samples in question were equal to any American anthracite l)rought to this city. Its appearance in the furnace was identical with that of first class anthracite, and Mr. Young expressed himself fully satisfied with it in every way. The proprietors of the •find' are having the coal put to a series of tests to ascertain its smelting and steam generating value°as compared with other hard coals ; and positively .^sert that it is nothing more or less than genuine anthracite." Mr. Young was much surprised, and in an agreeable manner, at the perfornrance of the article. His report, which is strong and conclusive, and which emanates from a clear-headed, and practical man, is subjoined : — 16 "Mr. Hugh R. llobertsou, niiinager of the coal mine at Mace's Bay, requested me to make a trial of aomo of the coal taken from that mine. Having sent a barrel of the same to my factory, on Waterloo street, on Wednesday, 7th August, I tested the same in regard to its qualitica as a Avelding and forging coal. "A fire was started in the bolt funiace, a small quantity of wood was first lighted and several large pieces of this coal placed upon it ; with a gentle draft it kindled readily, and when in full blast it gave proof of its clear-burning qualities. ".Several bars of iron, bolts, &c., thiust into the furnace, were brought to a white heat, in scarcely more time than it would take the Lehigh coal to accomplish the same thing. "A decided proof of its licating capacity was noticeable, in the fact that after the fire was well under way, and had increased in size, it began to melt the cast iron front of the funiace, and the drip of the melted iron could be easily distinguished as it descended into the ashes. "Another quality, v/orthy of remark, wa:^ its durability ; the fire was kindled about four o'clock, p. m., and after burning with a forced draft for nearly two hours, was allowed to die down ; at six o'clock the next morning the smouldering ashes were again forced into a flame, by bringing the draft to bear upon them, and this after aii intermission of twelve hours. The coal left considerable ashes, mixed with a brownish- red clinker. In conclusion I would state, that I was much surprised that the coal sent me evinced such remarkably good qualities., for its appearance was very much against it, it being softer than the usual Anthracite and more easily broken. The most of the lumps, however, had that Ijright appearance -which characterizes that kind of coal. Mr. Ilobertson wished me to understand that ho did not ofl'er this coal as a final sample of the mine, but irerely as a sample of the coal taken from the shaft that. he is sinking down to the^coal basin. Ho is sanguine of reaching a harder and better article wiicn the sliaft has been sunk to the depth of SOO or 400 feet. If he does so, he v.'ill have a coal unsurpassed by any ; as these imperfect samples b.avc given a Avon- derful performance, giving more boat than any coal I have ever used." L. H. Young. When testimony sucli as this, coming from a man of uniuipeacli- able character, and whose successful bu^nness career is only an index of his general ability, is, it might be said, demanded by the natui e of the article itself, little more need be said except that in order to convince a doubter of its merits, it would only be neces- sary that the tests take place under his personal inspection. The month of Augast had been nearly reaped by the harvester of time when another practical trial brought fresh and valuable evideuce of its povf ers as a heat giving and valuable combustible. Over one ton and one half had been headed up in barrels, and sent to a discerning any practical Scotchman, a man of all men who would cannilly "stick to his opinion, and whose opinion would be based purely upon the merits of a case, and who would not allow the sopldstry of any extraneous matter to deceive him into a wrong. 17 , requested me a barrel of the , I tested the IS first lighted raft it kindled 33. ght to a white [)lish the same that after the cast iron front iguisiied as it kinelled about vu hours, was ig aslies were . this after aii h a brownish - that the coal as very much broken. Tlie izes that kind this coal as a ;hc shaft that . ler and better [f he does so, H. Young. nil n peach - 5 only an anded by sccopt t]iat_ ' be neces- n. liarvestei" 1 valuable mbustible, 3, and sent men who would be not allovr'- a wrong. i conclusion. The gentleman referred to is well known in St. John and in the engineering world. Mr. Andrew Taylor, chief engineer of the steamer "New York," of the I. N. S. Co. He tells his story in his own quaint way, and his impressions of what he saw at the mine, and his report of the test of the coal in the furnaces of the steamer, both bear the stamp of honest conviction: — " On Saturday, August 18th, an opiiortunity was offered me to visit the coal seams at Mace's Bay. •'On arriving at high-Avatcr mark, uidioations of coal were to be seen all over the North side of the bay. "The seams of coal and shale lie dippii'tf to the North and crop out on the surface, washed by the tides. The searas can be plainly traced along the shores of the bay at many places for more than a mile in length. On arriving at the exploring shaft, sunk by the miners, I found they had selected the middle one of three seams for their starting point and sunk their shaft there. I was desirous of descending the shaft, and through the kuidness of Messrs. Robertson and Hanson I was allowed to do so, and fitted out with every necessary for the trip. Before going down I took a good look round to see what kind of tackle was going to lower me down and get me out again. I found the motive power to be a good white horse, whose power to lower me down and hoist me up I doubted not, for Tam O'Shanter's good mare Meg need not have been ashamed of any relationship that might exist between tliem. On a vertical shaft of wood there is a wheel built, with a very broad rim, around which the rope winds— on at one side and off at the other— and to a horizontal arm of the shaft the horse is hitched, and as the horse travels round the rope is wound up on one side and paid out on the other. This rig is called a Miner's Ciin. It is a gin, but there is no Holland about it. I had now doimed the suit of clothes, examined the horse, the gin, and the rope. Mr, Robertson assured me it was all right and witli that assurance I was willing to proceed. I took a good hold of the rope and stepped into the tub. I heard the words, ' git up thare,' and saw the v.'hite horf>e get a prod in the ribs with the end of a stick, and the next moment the earth rose up above my head. Twenty or twenty-five feet down and the bottom of the tub took the side of the pit and turned partly up. I found from the tub grinding on the side of the shaft that I was not travelling downwards in a vertical line, and wishing to keep some reckoning of mj geographical position in the earth, I took a look upwards and came to the conclusion that if a very large dog was standing facing South I was sliding down his hind leg, for the miners, when construct- ing the shaft' had ignored the law of the plumb and followed the rock on one side of the seam. A few more angles passed, and I was at my journey's end. "At the surface the seam was about one foot in thickness, and at the bottom of the shaft, one hundred and thirty feet down the seam, had obtained a thickness of about twenty-one feet. At the surface the coal had a crushed, soft and wet appearance, and atthe bottom of the shaft the cnished appearance had not diminished, but the coal was harder and much drier than near the surface. The crushed appearance was probably caused by the upheaval As far as I sav/ the seam it was still dipping to the North. About eighty feet from the surface there is a drift cut through the seam to determine the thickness at that point. The seam is about fourteen feet thick. From the eighty foot level, 1 brought away "' nt half a bushel of the coal and ascended to the surface. Messrs. Robertson & xs ..mi sent about one and a half tons of the 18 coal he liad saved on Ijoani the steamer Xew York to Ije liurnt in the furnaces of the boilers as a trial of its merits as a steam coal, and on Monday, August 20th, it waa used in one of the furnaces from the time the fires were lit at 4 a. m. until the steamer was near Eastport at noon. When the coal was first put in the furnace on top of the wood it took fire veiy rapidly, was of a very free Ijurning nature, and burnt like An- thracite coal, with a bluish flame without any smoke, and for some time gave a great heat. The furnace was fired with that coal until such time as the ton and a half was used up, when the furnace was cleaned out. There was a good deal of partly con- sumed coal in the furnace, mixed with a thin red clinker. The other specimen I burnt in an open grite, and I thought it burnt even better there than it did in the furnace. The furnace had a strong draft and partly melted the coal ; in the grate the draft was much more moderate, and tlie combustion slower, under which circumstances it did not melt together so much. Upon the whole the coal performed as well as I expected to see a surface coal do. ' ' If the main coal basin was reached, I expect there would l^e just as much difference in the coal as there would be in the lumljer taken from the top or the but of a tree, —one almost worthless, the other of excellent (juality. "The coal is undoubtedly of the Anthracite class, and that there must l)o a large quantity of it is plain from the seam thickening up as it does, over 18 feet in about 125ieet in depth. -The field for operation is on a nearly level peninsula, one side of which is a good harbor and deep water ; the side the prospecting sliaft ia on is a shal- low bay, but with very little expense schooners could load at the pit head. "I hope those interested in the enterprise will push it along. They are already partly rewarded, for tlicy have a i/rate coal which l)urns very well, and which is im- proving in quality as they go doMU. Good Anthracite is frequently found at depths varying from 500 to 1000 feet below the surface. The question may be asked, Well, Avhat do you think of it ? .Since I have seen the chance there is to strike something better than they have, I think the seam should be followed down until it was defi- nitely ascertained what was below, and for tliat purpo ;e I have personally subscribed to the sinking of the shaft."' Andrew Taylor, Chief EiiQineer SUamcr New Yorlc. Mr. Robertson accoiupanit.'d the coal on this trii^, and was an eye witness to the method in which it was treated. Arriving in Bos- ton, he proceeded froin thence to Newburyport, in the same State, and there found Mr. John C. Karsten, in the position of 'jenei-al Superintendent of the Gilbarg- Silver Mining Co. Mr. Karsten was well known by repute to the manager. He had been officially employed in more than one of the large anthracite mines of Penn- sylvania, and his opinion on such matters is valuable. He was persuaded to accompany him back to New Brunswick to inspect the mine and report on it. This he did. His report comes semi- officially, and he presented it as follows: — 19 r New Yorlc. mes semi- "To H. R. Robertson, Esh., CLicf Engineer & Sii;K"nntcndci>t Lepreaux Coal Miuo. ««,SXR,— I herewith have the honor of suhniitting to j )U and others interested in the 80-c:illetl ' Lepreaux Coal Mine,' my report of examination of it :~ " 1st. After a thorough and exact, aa well aa practical, examination of the formation surrounding yoitr shaft : of the general inclination of the ground :' of the appearance of the •■^tmta on botli the East and West sides of the said shaft, as well as the vegetation now upon the lands, and also tho <U,> ol the veins, I can conlidently assert that in almost every particular they agree with tho fonnation in the Anthracite regions of the State of Pennsylvania. The rocks that have been cut through give clear conclusive evidence that the region abounds in pure Anthracite coal, of tlio same nature as tliat which is mined hi Pennsylvania. "2nd. The shaft situate on Mace's Basin and now )?.0 feet deep, slunvs evidence of a gradual increase in quality, and every foot sunk will, in my opinion, give further eviduuce of this gradual increase to a better (piality. ".3rd. The coal, that lias been and is now being taken out, is of a pure anthr.icito nature, has a shining lustre, and has the fracture and cleavageof anthracite coal, and equals it in weight. It is of a partly soft nature and is covered with a coating of a black compound which reseml)lcs graphite, but which still in my opinion is or has been caused by tho chemical action of tlie salt water for the past ages upon tho carbon of the said coal, and alth(jugh it ha« tins imperfection, it to-day burns freer and briglitor, and gives a greater heat tlian poor ordinary anthracite. "4th. Having made two thorough trials of its burning (lualitics I am convinced that it is a pure anthracite coal. "The tirst test was made on the open hoartii at the blacksraitlfs shop, and I found that after a small quantity of wood had been consumed the coal ignited easily and burnt freely. After the interim of twelve minutes from the time of kindling, the fire was burning bright and clear, \\\i\\ no clogging or coking. A fresh supply was then T)ut on and in lifteen minutes afterwards I distributed the tire and found the coal clear and but very little burnt. The tire wms again heaped tog"ther, and when one hour and one half had elapsed was again disturbed, when no slate, or clinkers, or coking couhl bo found, but merely a red ash and partly unconsumed coal. " The scccjnd test was made in a large open front stove and gave the same convincing e\'idence of its being good and pure anthracite coal. The heat imparted by this coal is live per cent, in excess of that from tlic States, and the trials were in a most general manner satisfactory. "5th. The fossiliferous formation near the bed of these scams is of the grandest that I have seen North of the State of Pennsylvania, and bears a strong resemblance to that of the Middle States. Some fossils found of splendid fenis, leaves and stenis and grasses, now'in my possession, pU evince the anthracite formation. (The analysis of the coal I have taken with me I shall submit at a future date.) "6th, What is most needed now is depth, and at the distance of three hundred feet I feel sure that you will be rewarded for your faith and perseverance by striking the hard and unaflFected anthracite coal. I would suggest that as your shafts are situate too near the margin of the river or bay, and in consequence the action of the tide upon the Southern wall or bank is very dangerous, and may cause a serious inconve- nience in the future, that you start your working shaft either to the North of your present prospecting shaft, say 100 to 12.') feet, or else on the second or third vein. This would, no doubt, be more expensive in the commencement, but in the end would be the cheapest. so •i , '"\\ "III concluaioii I tcudor you my best wishes, aiul trust that your entorijrisc may lie rowarded. If the work is inodorately pushed, l)y Si)ring I feel sure you will he jible to produce 'black diamonds,' mined in your own country, and unsurimssed by thoso from abroad. "Lot mo again wish you success, and reujaiai, gentlemen, your obedient servant," John C. Karstex, Gtaer^A Sup*, of the Gi'.bein Siloer Mining Co. August 2, 1877. Mr. Karsten is a gontlumcn who has had great and varied expe- rience in the niinin-,' world, wlio is now liolding a very responsible position in a large mining enterprise, and whose reputation is at stake in making a report of a partly developed deposit. His re- port, as published above, has no uncertain sound, and is reliable in every particular. His theory of the coal Ijeing covered with a "coating of a black compound which resembles gi-aphite" agi-ees with the report of Prof. Steinbach which was given about tv/o yeai-s previously, viz: "that It ■/« tlic chemkdl ddlon of the salt water upon the carbon of the coal." Prof. Steinbach noticed that the mixed specimen of mud and crushed coal which he analyzed had been in contact with the salt water, and hence his theoiy of the wrecked vessel and the distribution of anthracite along the beach from her cargo. Mr. Karsten thinks that Avhen taken froni a position to which the salt water has not penetrated, the coal Avill be found un- affected and free from any delel ^rious compound either as regards (piality or appearance. Dr. Bailey, who occupies tlie chair of natui-al science at the Uni- versity of New Brunswick, has stated that a very small quantity of graphite could be found in the coal, causing it to "rub off" and rendering it softer than is usual with anthracites, aiid yet not affect its burning qualities, nor its value as a combustible. Fe r marked that the opinions of scientific men on the subject »>oxv; but secon- dary to its giving a good account of the qualities that were sought in it, and a practical opinion regarding a test was more valuable than any theoretical one could be. In other words, if the coal can do the work V :,.t is claimed it can, it of itself demands and occupies a position il^.r lo ' heory can give it. Regarding the reports of Messrs. Young, Taylor, and Karsten, there is a singularity in the unity of the testimony of the burning and heating qualities of the coal, and this singularity is redoubled 81 when it is noted that these gentlemen are unknown to each other foi-the most pai-t. and could not hy any possibility have exchanged ideas on the subject. The next phase in which to view this discovery, providing that the foregoing reports arc reliable, and tliat the existence of the article is^'not a myth, is in the position it assumes as a 'product of Canada. Wo have in years past been exchanging that representative of wealth— inoJit'?/— with our American cousins for anthracite coaL The exact amount that has been paid over yearly, for this one article, cannot at this moment be stated, but an estimate that reaches among the upper hundreds of thousands, towards the mil- lions, cannot be an exaggerated one. Think then, for a moment, of the vast amount of money that will be kept in the countiy by our possessing a supply, within our own confines, of that which hereto- fore has-been supposed to be a monoply to Pennsylvania and the adjacent states. In her present position New BrunsAvick' has but few articles of export. There are but few commodities that we can exchange for the wealth of other countries. The discovery of anthracite coal has given us another article of barter, and Ave are in proportion so much the wealthier as to the size of the deposit. Judging from the breadth of the seam at the distance that the shaft has been sunk, its prob- able breadth when the coal basin is reached, and also the fact that its upturned edge can be distinguished at intervals for more than a mile along the shore, there is sufficient data on which to base a calculation whidi will give eight to ten millions of tons in a circumscribed area, without taking into consideration the probability of its ex- tending some six to seven miles back -to where the granitic forma- tion commences. With these facts prominently in view it becomes— one might almost say— the duty of every well meaning citizen of sufficient means to lend his aid in a substantial manner to the developing of this— it might be called— national resource of w^ealth. In so doing he not only assists to the increasing of the importance and standing of the community, but he also benefits himself in a material manner. It is understood that the proprietors are now about placing the properties in the hands of competent and well known men who will 22 be empowered to sell a portion of the same. The money obtained from ,':ueh sale will be guaranteed to be expended in developing Ihe mine. In a short time a 'prospectus will be issued, which will fully explain the intentions and plans of the Stock Company about to be formed. If this discovery hacl been of bituminous instead of anthiucite coal, it would bear no comimrison in value to what it is. Simply because bituminous coal mines mio-ht almost be desiccated as beino- a glut in the market. As it is, it is the first discovery of anthracite in any country over which the "Red Cross of old Englg.nd" waves, and, as such, should bo met with an "All hail " echoing from every heart. I t //. 7i Si 80 fe ovei' .4 V ADDENDA. V Alburtes, Pa., Sept. 1st, 1877. //. It. liobertivn, Esq., Gensrcd Sapenntendent Xeio Brunsvnch Anthracite Coal Mining Co., St. John, X. B. , Sir, — Subjoined i)lease find Analysis of Samples of Coal taken from the 80 feet and 130 feet levels, Tiiat of tlie latter indicates a valuable inci-ease ovei' the former. SO IFEEIT XjE'VEL. Moisture, 1.27 Volatile Combustible jNIatter, 3.78 Fixed Carbon, 73.52 Impixrities, 21.43 100.00 ISO :feet le^vel. Moisture, 1.32 Volatile Combustible I\Iatter, 3.60 Fixed Carbon, 81.36 Impurities, 1 3.72 100.00 Yours most i-espectfully, JNO. C. KARSTEN. ir:-,.-.