324 COAL-FIELDS OF UNITED STATES. 



in these, coal abounds in White, Morgan, Anderson, 

 Roane, Warren, Bledsoe, Rhea, Hamilton, Marion, 

 and Franklin counties. The coal is bituminous and 

 of an excellent quality, burning freely with much 

 smoke, and a white, bright flame, furnishing a good 

 coke, and containing about 70 per cent, of carbon. 



OTHER COAL-FIELDS OF THE UNITED STATES. 



We have thus briefly described the most impor- 

 tant coal-fields of our country which have as yet 

 been explored; there are known to exist numerous 

 others, which at no distant day will probably rise to 

 an equal degree of importance. Such are those of 

 Illinois, Alabama, Mississippi, and Indiana, some of 

 which are already worked to a considerable extent, 

 especially on the W T abash. We have, however, 

 stated enough to satisfy the reader that nature has 

 been most lavish in her distribution of this valuable 

 mineral over the surface of our country, and in 

 those very places, too, where it would seem to be 

 most needed ; and that no country on the globe can 

 boast an equal amount of coal deposites with the 

 United States of America. 



CHAPTER XXIX. 



MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE UNITED STATES — 



(Continued.) 



IRON. 



Iron. — Its importance in the Arts. — Iron in Maine— New-Hamp- 

 shire — Salisbury (Conn.)— State of New- York— Columbia — 

 Dutchess and Orange Counties. — The Stirling Mine. — Iron 

 in Franklin and St. Lawrence Counties.— Iron Ores of New- 

 Jersey — Of Pennsylvania and Ohio. — Dr. Hildreth's Report. 



Iron ore is the most abundant metallic mineral 

 in the United States ; and it is found in greater or 



