The Deoghur Coal Fields, hy Theo. W. H. Hughes, F. G. S., Asso- 

 ciate Royal School of Mines, Geological purvey of India. 



The opening up of the country north of Ranigunj by the chord- 

 line of the East Indian Railway _, has broug-ht into some prominence the 

 outlying coal measures in the neighbourhood of the Adjai river, situate 

 in the Sonthal Pergunnahs, and to the east of the Kurhurbari coal- 

 field which is in the Hazaribagh District. 



The Geological Survey in 1853 first demonstrated the existence of 

 these coal measures ; but owing to the poor prospect of any of the 

 areas yielding coal of such quality as to make them profitable centres 

 of mining enterprise, they were not considered of much importance. 



The increased facility of communication with Calcutta and the 

 provincial towns afforded by the construction of the line of Railway 

 from Sitarampur to Lakki Serai, suggested the possibility of advanta- 

 geously working the coal; and, in May 1867, Mr. Sandys of Bhagulpur 

 issued a prospectus, in which he explained the position and the quality 

 of the coal, and pointed out the facilities that existed for its transport. 

 The position of the coal-field, he thinks, "will naturally command the 

 market for coal in the north-western direction when both chord and loop 

 line work together,^^ and he has " little doubt that in a few years, all the 

 coal that can be raised in such a position, whether east or west of the 

 chord-line, will be in full demand.^^ 



With these sanguine views of Mr. Sandys, we are unable to coincide ; 

 an examination of the rocks having proved that, however favorable the 

 position of the outliers, they will never be of much importance owing to 

 Mem. Geological Sui-vey of India, Vol. VII, Art. 5. 



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