Coal Mines in the vicinity of Richmond, Va. *'s 
English company are expected out to put these mines under 
work—the water being kept out, so that they can be put in 
working operation at any time. On the Maidenhead tract, are 
two deep shafts, the one in which the explosion took place, — 
about seven hundred feet in depth, and the other completed du- 
ring the Jast year, about six hundred feet deep. The coal from 
these mines is of good quality, averaging thirty six feet in thick- 
ness, and the two shafts can produce two million bushels of coal 
perannum. On this estate are all the buildings, engines, and 
other machinery necessary for a large business, with a railroad, 
the property of the company, ‘leading from the pits to James 
tiver, and passing through the tract of land owned by said com- 
pany, called Sallee’s, containing a valuable deposit of iron ore, 
which it is presumed will -shortly be worked extensively and 
profitably, as the ore is in the midst of the coal mines, intersect- 
ed by the company’s railroad, within a mile of James river, and 
not more than about twelve miles from Richmond. Explosions 
occurred several times in the Maidenhead pits, prior to the great 
explosion. On these occasions several men were killed and burn- 
ed. At that time the art of ventilating coal mines was imperfect- 
ly understood here. Since that period, much greater, if not’ entire 
security, exists under the ventilation by Newcastle gas-men. 
On the north of these works lie the mines owned by Thomp- 
son Blunt, now under-a lease to Col. Heth, and best known as 
the ha ie ‘teow ee & Co., of whom Col. Heth purehased the 
nat these ‘Mines; at the bottom of the shaft 
th ined pla ae one worked by mule: power and the 
other ora steam, | These slopes Ss increase ‘the depth about three 
hundred feet more; a’steam e ‘is in operation over the pit. 
A force of about ve: hinds is employed, including those at top 
and bottom and the cartmen; these pits being about two miles 
from the coal railroad leading from Manchester, which is the ship- 
ping point on tide water to most of the mines in the vicinity. 
The coal, which is about thirty feet thick, is of superior quality 
for smitheries, and the product about four Heridred thousand bush- 
els per annum. Several accidents by explosive gas occurred in 
these mines during the last year and preceding years, by which 
om lives were lost, and several men severely burnt. They are — 
Ww ght safely, under the management of Newcastle ven+ 
