gkis wold.]         COAL    IN    BURGETTSTOWN    QUADRANGLE,    PA.  409 
lowest  point  in  the  basin,  and  thus  a  large  area  of  coal  on  all  sides 
of  the  shaft  would  become  available  for  economical  mining. 
At  Westland  the  coal  has  already  been  opened  by  a  drift  and  is 
extensively  worked.  The  mine  mouth  is  at  almost  the  highest  point 
of  an  anticlinal  dome,  which,  however,  is  so  broad  that  a  large  quan- 
tity of  coal  may  be  removed  before  any  serious  inconvenience  is  expe- 
rienced through  the  backward  dip  of  the  coal.  In  the  future  this 
area  will  require  shafts  for  the  economical  drainage  of  the  mines  and 
also  probably  for  the  delivery  of  the  coal.  A  shaft  mine  in  this  ter- 
ritory could  be  advantageously  established  at  some  point  along  the 
Wabash  Railway  east  of  and  within  3  miles  of  Hickory.  From  the 
bottom  of  this  shaft  entries  could  be  driven  south  up  the  slope  of  the 
coal  and  connected  with. the  workings  of  the  Westland  mines.  To 
this  shaft  all  of  the  drainage  of  the  mines  would  be  brought  by 
gravity,  and  to  it  the  coal  between  these  openings  and  for  a  consider- 
able distance  both  east  and  west  could  be  carried  at  slight  expense. 
At  the  same  time  it  would  permit  the  whole  output  of  the  mines  to  be 
shifted  from  one  railroad  system  to  the  other  as  occasion  demanded. 
The  drift  mines  operating  southwest  from  Westland  can  best  be 
drained  by  a  shaft  sunk  on  a  branch  of  Chart iers  Creek  west  of 
Millers  Schoolhouse.  At  this  place  the  coal  will  be  found  at  a  depth 
of  less  than  150  feet  from  the  surface.  From  this  shaft  all  of  the 
coal  to  the  west  and  east  is  accessible,  and  the  coal  can  be  carried  to 
the  foot  of  the  shaft  and  the  mine  drained  by  gravity. 
The  coal  in  the  synclinal  basin  at  the  south  edge  of  the  quadrangle 
could  be  easily  worked  from  a  shaft  at  Wilsons  Mill.  .  A  shaft  260 
feet  deep  would  reach  the  coal  in  the  bottom  of  the  synclinal  trough, 
and  workings  could  be  extended  to  advantage  in  any  direction.  Far- 
!  ther  up  the  South  Fork  of  Cross  Creek  other  shafts  may  be  located. 
These  would  reach  the  coal  at  shorter  distances  below  the  surface, 
but  at  higher  elevations  above  the  sea,  and  would  have  the  advantage 
of  surface  transportation  against  the  disadvantage  of  a  long  under- 
ground haul 
At  the  first  outcrop  of  the  Pittsburg  coal  in  Cross  Creek  Valley 
above  West  Middletown  station,  the  coal  is  now  being  opened  on  the 
north  side  of  the  railroad.  This  mine  is  well  located  for  drainage 
and  economical  working,  and  by  extending  the  main  drift  on  a  true 
bearing  of  N.  45°  E.  the  coal  to  the  northwest  of  the  drift  would 
all  become  available  and  would  be  easily  drained. 
Pattersons  Mill  Creek  and  its  south  fork,  together  with  their  trib- 
utaries, constitute  one  of  the  best  fields  for  the  economical  develop- 
ment of  a  large  body  of  coal  to  be  found  in  the  quadrangle. 
Middle  Fork  has  a  general  course  almost  parallel  with  the  strike  of 
j"" - '""""" 
