1839] 



Ji^ A R M E R S = REGISTER 



Willi a copilal of 700,000,000 dollars, could not be 

 kf^pt in nnotion without it: could iier 20,000 steam 

 rnixine?, that are continually cuilinrr, splittinp', saw- 

 inrr, liaminerino:, filinij, polishinij, iwistinir, screw- 

 iny, pumpiiiiT, roivini;;, propelling. deprep.siii<r, ex- 

 cavatinir, windinir, weavin<^, carding, ppinninir, 

 and a thousand other operations l)e carried on Horn 

 her Ibrests, unassisted by mineral coal? 1 should 

 suppose not ; (or ii would require hall" the popula- 

 tion ol this alobe, to move the various complex 

 machinery of England, wiiji the same force and 

 eii't^ct that is produced by the combustion of coals. 

 "The amount oJ' work done by macbijiery in Eng- 

 liind, has been supposed lo be equivalent to that of 

 between three and four hundred millions of men 

 by direct labor, and we are astounded at the influ- 

 ence of coal and iron and steam upon the late and 

 Ibriunes of (be human race.'' 



Sir J. F. W. Herschebin his Treatise on Natu- 

 ral Philosophy, page 59, says, "it is well known to 

 modern engineers, liiat there is virtue in a bushel 

 ol" coals proper!}' consumed to raise 70 millions 

 pounds weight. This is acttinily tlie averan-e 

 eifecl of an engine at fliis moment working in 

 Cornwall.'" Again lie says, the ascent of ir'Sont 

 Blanc, is the mos', toilsome f^at that a stronir man 

 can execute in two days. The combust-ion of two 

 pounds of coal will place iiiui on the suaimit,"' Ft 

 is now ascertained by the most experienced engi- 

 neers of Europe, tiiat the com!)usii()nof one bushel 

 of coals well consumed, will raise 100,000,000 

 pounds weight, which wonld require the (ijrce or 

 united exertion of one nnllion of laborers, sup- 

 posing each laborer lifted from the earlii 100 

 pounds. Let us suppose one bushel of coal weighs 

 100 pounds, according lo this estimale, one pourul 

 of coals properly consumed will raise one million 

 pounds weight, which would require the direct la- 

 bor often thousand men, or ibe combined slrength 

 and eii'ort of the whole populaiion of Cumberiiuid 

 county, each individual lifting as be.^jre. If this 

 calculation be continued, wc shall find that one 

 ounce of coal in a state ol" combustion vviil raise 

 62;O00 lbs. weight, which v.'ould require the direct 

 labor of 625 men liitin-r 100 lbs. ( acb. Marvel 

 not at this, for we all know thai the ex[iansive 

 Ibrce of" a few ihimbles lldl of confined power, will 

 burst a yun barrel of the best temper, and rend in 

 I'ragmenis the hardest rock of many tons weiirht. 

 Tiie United Slates has in siore immense fields of 

 this mineral; it is found at the head of (ide water, 

 and on ihe ions of her lofiy mountains ; there is 

 throughout the union, and I miirhl say liirouabont 

 the whole world, prools of desiirn in the various 

 dispositions of caibonii'^rous beds ; they are inva- 

 riably found in situations most liivorafile for the 

 comfort and convetiience of man. On ail our 

 navigable rivers, we have beds of coal, ready for 

 combuslion or transportation. Iron, copper, lead, 

 zinc, silver and sold, are treiisuied up in ibe vi- 

 cinity of coal fields, ready to he fused and moulded 

 by the hand of the artist. Wherever the forest 

 is wanting, bountiful nature has, at hanil, a substi- 

 tute in coals: antl moimtains of this mineral are 

 found in connection with our salt sprinirs. We 

 have then abundant reason to be tliaukiul lo lite 

 wise creator of the imi verse lor sucli singular 

 blessioLTs. 



In our own state these vegetable fossil rein:ni;s 

 are invaluable; from the falls of the Kanawha 

 river to its junction with the Ohio, a distance of 



100 miles or more, salt springs -ire found ; and her? 

 in a ciiain oi"mountains following the meanders of 

 this siream, we liave the most remarkable accu- 

 mulations of lliis vegetable production, wiiliin a 

 few rods of the salt works, ready for combustion. 

 In conned ion v/ith these moimtains of coal and 

 lountains of salt water, are inexhaustable beds of 

 iron ore, to be fused and wrought in pump rods, 

 or cast in boilers lor the purpose of making salt. 

 Here then, genilemen, is an astonishing instance 

 of wonderful design in this single group of mine- 

 ral resources. . When the .Tames river and Ka- 

 nawha improvement is completed, Richmond will 

 probably l)ecomc a large manufitcturing city ; her 

 walcr power is unequalled ; siie has the advantage 

 in being surrounded and supported by extensive 

 coal fields ; her fires are now coiisumirig this fos- 

 sil, from which she prepares her lood, and main- 

 tains her forges and furnaces: lamps in a few 

 years, will illume her streets and public halls, from 

 gas derived Irom coal, that lias been buried in the 

 dark recesses of the romantic liills of Powhatan, 

 from time immemorial: lofjfeiher with these ad- 

 vanlao-es, she will daily receive supplies of salt, 

 lime, iron, cofiper, lead, and other mineral trea- 

 sures through the western mountains. Her ma- 

 cinnery will be propelled by coal combuslion and 

 water power, and at some future day she is destined 

 lo becomethe Birmingham ol America — a wealthy 

 manufacturing emporium, wiiose steam engines 

 and water-works, will give employment to me- 

 chanics of the various trades; and the sound of 

 the bell, the file and the loom, will be heard in the 

 streets and dissipate gloom. "The smith also sit- 

 ting l>y tlic anvil, and considering the iron work, 

 the vapor ol" the fire wasielh liis flesh, and he 

 fighielh with the heal of liie furnace; the noise 

 of' the huniQier and the anvil is ever in his ears, 

 and his eyes look still upon the patlern of the 

 thing that he makeih ; he sellelh bis mind to fin- 

 ish his work, and vvalcheth to polish it [leifi-ctly." 

 We shall have abundant use Ibr coals, the United 

 States has become a wealihy powerfiil republic, 

 extending from ocean to ocean, between two and 

 three thousand nnles in length, her population 

 hourly in reasing, her numerous rivers, lontj and 

 wide, her lakes large, and sea foast exiensive. 

 Her waters are navigaied by steam engines, and 

 if we add to these, the steam engines on her rail- 

 roads, and those employed in the mines and va- 

 rious joint-stock, and other laboring departmeni.?, 

 we shall find that tljey will require a great demand 

 on our coal fields. Ifsieam cnsines, for one Ijuii- 

 dred years to come, should iiu'iease in the same 

 ratio they have in the last tliirty yenrs, there will 

 be in the United Stales, and on her waters, almost 

 a countless number ; and allhough the western 

 forest is wide and exiensive, tiiese engines must 

 ultimately be fed and propelled by coal combus- 

 tion. The Old Dominion, the mother of ihi.s great 

 republic, has partly exhausted her tbiest, and coal 

 is euijjlying its place. Let us then, if we regard 

 future sfcneraiions, hold fast the fossil remains of 

 vegetables, husband our resources, and have legis- 

 laiive enaclments probibiiinir tlie exportation of 

 coals, wliich u'e id! regard as sources of heat aiul 

 iighi and industry and u'ealih. 



Tliis earth is lo be destroyed by fire, and if I 

 am permitted to offer a sini^le conjecture on this 

 awful subject, it would be. that the most combusti- 

 ble matters will first become the immediate agents 



