Since then28,700,015 tonshave passed through it, of which 1,010,171 tons were shipped in 1871. The first railway built in the United States, except one of three miles at Quincy, Mass., was a gravity road from the Lehigh quarry at Summit Hill to the canal at Mauch Chunk, a distance of 9 1/2 m. This was used from 1827 to 1872 for the transportation of anthracite; but on the completion of the Nesquehoning tunnel through the Locust mountain the old gravity line was abandoned as a coal road, and is now devoted to pleasure excursions, for which it has long been famous on account of the novelty of the ride and the picturesque grandeur - sometimes beauty - of the rapidly changing scenes. The view from the top of Mt. Pisgah, which towers over the waters of the Lehigh, is remarkably wild and grand. The numerous railroads built as feeders to the Lehigh and Schuylkill canals and the principal trunk lines will be found in an accompanying table. The Philadelphia and Reading railroad, opened from Pottsville to Philadelphia in 1841, had transported 62,128,735 tons of anthracite up to 1872, of which 4,584,450 tons were shipped during 1871. The Lehigh Valley railroad was opened from Mauch Chunk to East on in 1853, and transported 2,889,074 tons in 1871, and a total of 22.981,252 since its completion.

This line has since been extended through the Wyoming valley and into the state of New York, on the line of the Susquehanna river. The Lehigh and Susquehanna railroad, opened from the head of navigation on the Lehigh into the Wyoming region in 1846, was extended to Easton as a great trunk line in 1867, and during the next year 1,058,054 tons were transported over it. The term " Lehigh coal region " originally designated only that portion of the southern anthracite field which extended from Tamaqua on the Little Schuylkill to the Lehigh river; but since the completion of the Beaver Meadow and Hazleton feeders to the main line of canal the name has been applied to all the small middle basins, of which there are six, though three of these - the Little, Big, and Lower Black Creek basins - are on a tributary of the Susquehanna, and cannot properly be termed Lehigh basins. They produce a hard, dense, amorphous coal, resembling the original Lehigh coal in both feature and character. The geology of these small basins is similar to that of the E. end of the southern and middle anthracite fields. They are long, narrow, canoelike troughs, nearly parallel in strike with themselves, and with the larger fields to the south, north, and east.

The upper productive coal bed in these small basins is E. No. 3 in the preceding analytical table represents the general type of these basins. The small percentage of ash, however, is an exception. - The number of collieries in these anthracite regions in 1871 was 437, and their entire production, including home consumption (not in the tables), was 17,000,000 tons; and 52,227 men and boys were employed in and about the mines.

Table Of Anthracite Production In Pennsylvania

(From Bannan and Ramsey's "Coal Trade Statistical Register.")

YEARS.

Schuylkill.

Wyoming and Lackawanna.

Lehigh.

Lykens Valley.

Shamokin.

Trevorton.

Aggregate.

1820............

..............

..............

365

..............

..............

..............

365

1821............

..............

..............

1,073

..............

..............

..............

1,073

1822............

1,480

..............

2,240

..............

..............

..............

3,720

1823............

1,128

..............

5,823

..............

..............

..............

6,951

1824............

1,507

..............

9,541

..............

..............

..............

11,108

1825............

6,500

..............

28,393

..............

..............

..............

34,893

1826............

16,707

..............

81,280

..............

..............

..............

48,047

1827............

31,360

..............

82,074

..............

..............

..............

63,434

1828............

47.284

..............

30,232

..............

.......

..............

77,516

1829............

79,973

7,000

25,110

..............

..............

..............

112,083

186,059

7,000

166,131

359,190

1830............

89,984

43,000

41,750

..............

..............

..............

174,734

1831............

81,854

54,000

40,966

..............

..............

..............

176,820

1832............

209,271

84,000

70,000

..............

..............

..............

363,871

1833............

252,971

111,777

123,000

..............

..............

..............

487,748

1834............

226,692

43,700

106,244

..............

..............

..............

870,636

1835............

839,508

90,000

131,250

..............

..............

..............

560,753

1830............

432,045

108,861

148,211

..............

..............

..............

684,117

1837............

523,152

115,387

228,902

..............

..............

..............

862,441

1838............

433,875

78,207

213,615

..............

..............

..............

725,697

1839............

442,608

122,300

221,025

..............

11,930

..............

797,863

3,218,019

846,832

1,31,.963

11,930

5,210,685

1840............

452,291

148,470

225,318

..............

15,505

..............

841,584

1841............

585,512

192,270

143,037

..............

21,463

..............

932,312

1842............

541,504

252,599

272,546

..............

10,000

..............

1,076,649

1843............

677,312

285,005

267,798

..............

10,000

..............

1,240,710

1844............

840,373

365,911

377,002

..............

13,087

..............

1,596,453

1845............

1,083,796

451,836

429,453

..............

10,000

..............

1,975,085

1846............

1,286,582

518,389

517,116

..............

12,572

..............

2,284,659

1847............

1,588,374

583,067

633,507

..............

14,904

..............

2,814,852

1848............

1,052,835

685,196

670,321

..............

19,356

..............

3,027,708

1849............

1,605,126

732,910

781,656

25,325

19,650

..............

3,164,661

10,253,740

4,216,253

4,317,749

25,325

146,937

18,954,673

1850............

1,712,007

827,823

690,456

37,763

19,921

..............

3,287,970

1851............

2,229,426

1,156,167

964,224

54,200

24,899

..............

4,428,916

1852............

2,450,950

1,284,500

1,072,136

59,857

25,846

..............

4,893,289

1853............

2,470,943

1,475,782

1,054,309

69,007

15,500

..............

5,086,391

1854............

2,895,208

1,603,478

1,207,186

107,500

63,500

..............

5,876,872

1855....................

3,318,555

1,771,511

1,284,113

117,221

116,117

..............

6,607,517

1856............

3,258,356

1,972,581

1,351,970

102,926

210,518

73,112

6,896,351

1857............

2,985,541

1,952,603

1,318,541

121,739

266,517

110,711

6,644,941

1858............

2,860,449

2,180,094

1,380,030

127,815

242,579

106,686

6,802,967

1859............

3,004,953

2,731,236

1,628,311

138,712

305,043

124.290

7,808,255

27,192,388

16,961,725

11,951,276

936,770

1,291,040

414,799

58,333,469

1860............

3,270,516

2,941,817

1,821,674

178,860

300,256

90,143

8,513,123

1861...........

2,697,489

3,055,140

1,738,377

172,380

290,928

49,477

7,954,314

1862...................

2,890,598

3,145,770

1,351,054

177,121

864,865

63,223

7,869,408

1863............

3,483,265

3,759,610

1,894,713

141,282

337,136

62,200

9,506,006

1864............

3,642,218

3,960,836

2,054,669

129,973

889,779

56,301

10,177,475

1865............

3,735,802

3,255,658

1,822,535

136,900

484,257

27,095

9,435,152

1866............

4,633,487

4,736,616

2,128,867

219,913

610,809

53,648

13,829,692

1867............

4,334,820

5,328,322

2,062,446

293,036

533,815

48,118

12,552,439

1868............

4,414,356

5,990,813

2,507,532

380,383

911,787

38,728

13,834,182

1869............

4,748,909

6,068,309

1,929,528

384,749

974,015

45,612

13,651,747

37,801,521

42,243,951

19,311,440

3,151,352

4,897,391

534,550

106,883,488

1870............

3,720,403

7,554,909

2,990,878

453,818

1,025.515

67,847

15,274,029

1871...........

5,124,780

6,481,171

2,249,356

481,328

1,213,096

14,965,501

Totals.....

87,501,909

78,308,841

42,306,793

4,121,843

8,585,909

219,981,040

Canals Built Exclusively Or Chiefly For The Transportation Of Anthracite

NAMES.

Length in miles.

Cost.

Schuylkill Navigation.................................

108

$13,207,752

Lehigh Coal and Navigation.......................

43

4,455,000

Delaware Division...................

60

2,433.350

Wyoming V alley....................

64

2,000,000

Delaware and Hudson...............

108

7,164,420

Union...........................................................

77

5,907,850

Susquehanna and Tide-water......................

45

4,857,104

Pennsylvania.............................................

151

7,000,000

Wicinisco.................................................

12

512,000

Total.........................

673

$47,537,470

Capital Invested In Mining And Transporting Anthracite

Coal lands, 300,000 acres, at $250 per acre.......

$75,000,000

Collieries, 437, average $100,000 each...........

43,700,000

Canals. 673 m.. average cost $70,000 per mile...........

47,000,000

Railroads, 2,290 m. single track, $56,000 pr. m...........

128,000,000

Total..................................................................

$293,700,000

Railroads Built Exclusively Or Mainly For The Transportation Of Anthracite

NAMES.

LENGTH IN MILES.

Cost.

Sidings and

Branches.

Double Track.

Main Track.

Philadelphia and Reading (total length, including leased lines, 1,266 m.).............................

158

151

260

$38,677,075

Delaware, Lackwanna, and Western.....................................................................................

23

65

115

18, 825,000

Delaware and Hudson Canal Company's Railroad..............................................................

26

32

45

3,384,306

Lehigh and Susqueanna..........................................................................................................

3 1/2

75

105

12,041,731

Nesquehoning Valley..............................................................................................................

2 1/2

......

16 1/2

1,152,968

Trescow...................................................................................................................................

1

........

6

160,500

Lehigh Valley (including branches. 440 m.)..........................................................................

125

86 1/2

101

19,230,730

*Central Railway of New Jersy (approximated).....................................................................

?

?

75

8,000,000

*Morris and Essey (approximated).........................................................................................

?

?

83

8,000,000

Pennsylvania and New York.................................................................................................

10

15

104

5,231,883

Danville. Hazeltoa. and Wilkesbarre...................................................................................

2 1/2

.......

45

1,350,000

East Mahanoy.......................................................................................................................

3

........

7

391,608

Little Schuylkill....................................................................................................................

19

........

28

416,187

Mill Creek and Mine Hill.....................................................................................................

9

3 3/4

3 3/4

323,375

Mine Hill and Schuylkill Haven..............................................................................................

100

29

29

3,905,600

Mount Carbon...........................................................................................................................

2

7

7

2 03,259

Mount Carbon and Port Carbon..............................................................................................

9 1/2

2 1/2

2 1/2

282,615

Pennsylvania Coal Company's Railroad..................................................................................

10

47

10.0

2.000,000

Schylkill and Susquehanna......................................................................................................

9

......

54

1,283,490

Schulkill Valley Navigation Railroad..................................................................................

3

5

11

576,840

Shamokin Valley and Pottsville...........................................................................................

4 1/2

....

28

1,569,450

McCauley Mountain Railroad..............................................................................................

......

........

5 1/2

160,500

Totals............................................................

520 1/2

538 3/4

1,281 1/4

$128,167,912

- The New England anthracite field, embracing the Portsmouth basin in Rhode Island and its continuation, the Mansfield basin in Massachusetts, is greater in area than all the Pennsylvania anthracite fields, but its value for commercial purposes bears no comparison. The general formation of the beds resembles that of the lower irregular beds or pockets in the southern Pennsylvania held below A; and the impure, graphitic character of the coal is the same. In both the coal exists in "nests " rather than beds, sometimes 10 and even 20 ft. thick, but often not as many inches, and frequently they disappear entirely. In the Pennsylvania anthracite fields the palaeozoic sedimentary strata, between the coal measures and the igneous rocks, are between 5 and 7 m. in thickness; while the sedimentary strata below the New England field are comparatively thin, and so highly crystallized or metamorphosed by heat as to have been mistaken by the early geologists for the gneissic rocks. Dr. Edward Hitchcock, however, maintains that the whole region, embracing not less than 500 sq. m., is a true coal field, which has experienced more than ordinary metamorphic action both mechanical and chemical.

He says: "The mechanical forces seem to have operated on the strata containing the coal in a lateral direction, so as not only to raise them into highly inclined positions, but also to produce plaits or folds. . . . The chemical metamorphoses which these rocks have experienced consist mainly in such effects as heat would produce." Prof. Silliman, Prof. Jackson, and Dr. Hitchcock have given favorable opinions in regard to the probable future productiveness of this field and the commercial value of the coal. The developed coal beds are three in number. Their dimensions are variable, but may be averaged from 3 to 7 ft. respectively, when in their best condition. At Portsmouth the principal bed has been mined by a slope of 6OO ft. in length, inclining at 30° to 35°, to a vertical depth of 300 ft.; from the bottom of which gangways were driven 1.000 ft. in length on the strike of the bed, which increased and decreased from 16 inches to as many feet. Mining operations have been attempted in many localities in this field, but all have ended in failure, owing to the disappearance or faulty character of the coal beds. The amount of coal mined from the field has been insignificant, and no trustworthy statistics have been recorded.

The product, however, when pure and solid, compares favorably with the Pennsylvania anthracite, though usually the best of it contains more water, graphite, and earthy impurities. It is probable that deep and well conducted mining operations will eventually develop this field in a remunerative manner. The diamond drill can now be used before incurring the cost of pits and mining operations, and it may reasonably be anticipated that purer coal and more regular beds will be found at greater depth. - The Virginia anthracite field, which may be appropriately termed the New river coal field, in Montgomery and Pulaski counties, in S. W. Virginia, consists of two narrow, parallel basins on Price's and Brush mountains. Price's mountain is a narrow, short synclinal ridge, which rises in the Silurian limestones of the great valley range, and is part of the watershed between the James and New rivers. In this ridge the coal is enclosed as a narrow trough or basin, with an eastern dip of 30°, while the true western dip is inverted and dips E. at an angle of 80° or 85°. Thus the bottom slate of the lower bed is the roof of the upper bed, and the basin may be generally represented by an Italic capital V; but the force which tilted and folded the strata in this inverted manner distorted the coal measures and crushed and ruined a large part of the coal, while slips and other forms of fault render the operations of mining in this basin uncertain and precarious.