1887.1 



79 



[Stevenson. 



Analj'ses of coals from several of the pits have been made bj' Mr. A. S. 

 McCreath, the accomplished chemist of the Second Geological Survey of 

 Pennsylvania. The results taken from his memoir on the Resources of 

 Virginia, are as follows : 



1. Guggenheim bank, Brush mountain, near head of Tom's creek. 



2. Smith bank, also on Brush mountain, one mile further east. 



3. Blacksburg M. & M. Co., also on Brush mountain. 



4. "William Perfator, also on Brush mountain. 



5. William Meyers, Price mountain. 



All of these are from Montgomery county : 



6. Altoona mines, Pulaski county. 



7. Stony Fork, of Reed creek, Wythe county, 2d bed. 



8. Same locality, 4th bed. 



The coal from several of the mines is in good repute. Much of that 

 from Tyler's mine near New river is used as grate fuel in villages along 

 the railroad west from New river. The Tom's Creek mines are worked 

 and the coal is carried in wagons nine or ten miles to Bang station, on the 

 railroad, whence, witli the Price Mountain coal, it is distributed to villages 

 in the vicinity. In spite of the great percentage of ash and the much 

 higher cost per ton, the Tyler and Price Mountain coals are preferred to 

 Pocahontas coal for grates, as they are practically free-burning, having 

 very slight tendency to coke. The Altoona coal is used at the salt-works 

 in Smyth county, and at the Bertha zinc-works in Pulaski. 



A comparison of the fuel ratios is interesting. Arranged in order from 

 northeast to south-west along the foot of Little Walker mountain we have 



No. 2 15 85 



No. 1 10 84 



No. 3 18 82 



No.4 16 84 



No. 6 19 81 



No. 7 29 71 



No. 8 30 70 



An analysis of the Tom's Creek coal is given in Prof Rogers' report for 

 1836, p. 17, which shows the ratio of 



Volatile 16 



Fixed 84 



