the fruits, exclusively, of the labors, contracts, and investments, of the Cumberland Coal and Iron Company, we have not sought any advantages over neighboring coal companies of the region, but have left them to enjoy the benefits equally with the Cumberland Coal and Iron Company."

CAPACITY OF TRANSPORTATION.

The Cumberland Company estimate that when all their boats are completed, and on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, with the aid also of transient boats, they can send to market by this avenue, 300,000 tons per annum.

"The coal transporting capacity to tide-water at Baltimore, of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, after the cars and power provided by the loan from this company are placed on the road, will not exceed 547,200 tons per annum. Three hundred thousand tons per annum will be required, under the contract with that company, by the Cumberland Coal and Iron Company alone."*

The expenses incurred for the productive power of the region, the carrying trade, and so forth, are estimated nearly as follows:

Chesapeake and Ohio Canal,..

Baltimore and Ohio Railroad to Cumberland, and equipments, .

Washington Branch Road,.

Cumberland Coal and Iron Company,..

Other investments by Companies, and individual operators,.

$15,000,000

10,096,571

1,500,000

1,650,000

450,000

$28,696,571

This does not include the Railroad of the George's Creek

66

166

50

*The following is the present condition of the coal carrying power of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. It is necessary to premise, that the average time each car is employed in making the round trip from the mines to Baltimore and back, including loading and unloading, is three days. The power comprises 74 ten ton iron hopper cars, capable of transporting, per diem, 446 tons; 311 seven and one half ton iron and wooden hopper cars, capable of transporting, per diem, 777,5 tons; 360 nine ton old gondola cars, and 180 nine ton new gondola cars, capable of transporting, per diem, 1,629 tonstotal 2,853,1 tons per diem. Estimating the working days of the year at 300, it will be seen that the present maximum coal transporting power of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad is 855,900 tons per annum. The gondola cars, however, are frequently used for the transportation of other commodities, as well as for the special wants of the company. Those not thus employed, are devoted to supplying the coal stations of the company, the way sales of coal, and the local Baltimore market. After deducting their capacity, therefore, from the total, 1,224 tons will be shown to be the present per diem power of the coal transportation to tide-water-equal, for three hundred working days, to 367,200 tons per annum.

The above, of course, is exclusive of the 180 ten ton iron hopper cars, provided for by the funds of the Cumberland Coal and Iron Company, which will transport, annually, to Baltimore, 180,000 tons.

Coal and Iron Company, from Lonaconing to Westernport, eight or ten miles in extent.

The aggregate yield of Pennsylvania Anthracite last year, was 5,018,346 tons, and the extent and cost of most of the canals and railroads connected with that trade, and the transportation of that article, is as follows:

550,000

Danville and Pottsville Railroad (44 miles unfinished),.

30

680,000

Mount Carbon Railroad,.

7

155,000

Mount Carbon and Port Carbon Railroad,..

21

120,000

Schuylkill Valley Railroad,

14

300,000

Mill Creek Railroad,..

Lykins Valley Railroad,

Wisconsisco Canal,.

12

370,000

Swatara Railroad,

4

20,000

North Branch Canal, and Extension (unfinished)....

Dauphin Company's Railroads (unfinished),

52

1,500,000

Railroads, by Individuals (estimated),

120

250,000

Railroads, underground (estimated),.

200

250,000

Railroads, proposed or under way in the Coal regions,.

100

300,000

Union Canal (estimated for Coal trade),...

1,000,000

Total length, and cost,........1400

$42,034,268

To the above must be added $25,000,000, the estimated cost of the running stock and fixtures, on these several works, besides the cost (at least $5,000,000, for coal trade) of wellknown works, omitted in the above table.

But it is not at Baltimore or Alexandria where the transportation of the Cumberland coal ends. We must follow it still further on its passage to a market. From the best sources of information within reach, it appears that during the year ending on the first day of January last, there were cleared from the port of Baltimore, loaded with Cumberland coal, nine hundred and seventy-eight sailing vessels, five steamers, and one hundred and thirty canal-barges-in all, eleven hundred and thirteen vessels of all classes.

During the same period, there' were cleared from the port of

Alexandria, two hundred and eighty-seven sailing vessels, twentythree canal-barges, and one steamer-in all three hundred and eleven vessels. The whole number of vessels of all classes, employed during the past year in the transportation of Cumberland coal from Baltimore and Alexandria, was, therefore, fourteen hundred and twenty-four.

There are many other points connected with a commercial consideration of this article of fuel, which we must at present pass over. Our aim is rather in this article, to notice some leading particulars relating to the Cumberland coal mines, and convey some adequate idea of the wealth invested in the development of those hidden treasures.

The Report of the Phoenix Mining Company which is before us, thus describes their operations on the vein and the works in the vicinity:

"The two openings in the vein are each 11 feet six inches in height, and eight feet in width, after leaving an upper seam of coal, measuring two feet six inches, for the roof. The first opening has been driven in 300 feet, and the second fifty feet. There are already about 1000 tons of a superior coal taken therefrom, which are piled up on the hill-side of the mine, ready to be sent to market, as soon as the company's inclined plane is completed, to connect the company's works with the George's Creek Railroad.

"This inclined plane is 2050 feet in length, on a descent of 700 feet. The coal will be let down this plane by a self-acting power, worked by a wire rope and iron pulleys, passing around two drums, brakes being attached to each. The plane has a double track its whole length, laid with a T rail of thirty pounds to the yard. The capacity of the train is sufficient to let down. ten tons of coal every fifteen minutes; so that by working ten hours per day, 400 tons may be brought down daily, which amount may be very materially increased by an extra application of the ordinary mining force.

"The distance from the foot of the incline to the junction of the George's Creek Railroad, including the company's bridge over the George's Creek, of 75 feet, is about 280 yards and from this point of connection of our works with the George's Creek Railroad to that of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad at Mount Carbon, or Piedmont, is one and seven-eighths of a mile.

"The company have already erected eight houses on the Pleasant Hill property, which are at present occupied by about 100 workmen and miners; and two others are nearly completed -one of which is intended for the superintendent and the company's office.

"These works were commenced on the 10th day of January

last, and will certainly be completed and ready for business by the end of May, at a cost not exceeding $14,000.”

The report of the Cumberland Company thus describes their own: personal perty and improvements :

"In addition to vast primitive bodies of heavy timber, the surface embraces sixteen large and productive farms, most of them well fenced and in a high state of cultivation. Several of the farms are not excelled in point of agricultural value, by any of similar extent in the State. They are provided with seventeen dwelling-houses, some of them large and commodious brick and frame structures-with all the requisite outhouses, including sixteen barns. Three saw-mills, capable of supplying all the lumber necessary for the works of the company, and a carding-mill, are located on streams that are as unfailing as those usually found in mountainous regions. Our locomotive road connecting the mines with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, at Cumberland, is 72,306 feet in extent, equal to thirteen and four-fifth miles, including the sidings, and branch road to the canal at Cumberland. It is laid with heavy rails, and is in good repair. There have been laid inside the mines, 26,285 feet of tramway, or horse-track railroad, and outside the mines, 17,067 feet, equal to eight and one-fifth miles in

extent.

"The company owns three first-class coal-burning locomotive engines, and two of the second class, and 41 horses and mules. The equipments of the roads comprise 442 mine cars, 4 truck cars, and 68 from seven to ten ton, iron hopper, gondola, scow, and passenger cars.

"There have been erected on the lands of the company 152 dwelling-houses for miners; two churches, one of stone; one large brick school-house; a handsome stone dwelling and outhouses, for the residence of the engineer; six large stables, three granaries, one large machine shop, five blacksmith shops, three carpenter shops, six offices, one large storehouse, one large lumber house, two engine houses, five weigh houses,—sand, wood, and lime houses, as well as weigh scales, and scale houses; coal shoots, water stations, and, in short, all the fixtures, tools, and appurtenances requisite for the operations of the company.

"The farms, and miners' dwelling houses, store, &c., will yield a very handsome annual rental.

At the head of the slope gallery, at the Eckhart mine, a large stationary engine has been erected, capable of affording all the power necessary for the mining operations at that opening. Seven mines have been excavated, and are in a workable condition, at various points on the company's lands. Combined, they are capable, at present, of a daily production of at least 2000

tons of coal. Six are entered by horizontal drifts, or galleries, made through the great vein, and the seventh is approached through a 'slope gallery,' which follows the dip of the coal, towards the axis of the basin."

ART. VI.-REPORT ON THE COPPER MINE OF THE NORTH CAROLINA COPPER COMPANY.

Ir has long been known that copper pyrites, or the yellow sulphuret of copper and of iron, is found associated with the iron pyrites of the gold veins of North Carolina; but it was not known until the present year, that the copper ore occurred in sufficient quantity to authorize operations expressly for its extraction.

Through the enterprise of a few gentlemen now associated with the North Carolina Copper Company, the first proper copper mining operations were commenced, and their labors have already been crowned with great success.

The mine owned by the North Carolina Copper Company was originally opened with some success as a gold mine; but the copper pyrites was soon found to form so large a proportion of the vein as to warrant Mr. Fentress, the original proprietor, to offer the mine for sale in New-York as a copper mine; and it was purchased by several members of this company for the purpose of working it for copper.

The unparalleled success of the first mining operations-the production of a profitable cargo of good copper ore from the first shafts sunk, and before any regular levels had been excavated or grade work begun, is certainly quite unusual success; for it is very seldom that the preparatory operations of mining are repaid by the mineral raised in those operations; but more frequently assessments are called for on the shares to pay the cost of the work. Not only has your mine been worked without any call upon the shareholders for money, but a considerable profit is understood to have been realized from the sale of copper ore raised from the shafts constructed in the opening of the mine.

On the 25th and 26th of April last, I made a thorough examination of this mine, surveyed the vein, and measured it in all accessible places where it was exposed.

I found the rocks of the "country" to be a soft, bright, yellowish green talcose slate, very analogous to serpentine rock, overlaid by a variety of gneiss having hornblende in the place of mica-a rock sometimes called hornblende gneiss-and under