inclination of the vein, wide enough for a double-track railroad, upon which the loaded cars are hauled to the top of the mine. The Miners' Journal says, (in 1842)—

The colliery of Potts and Bannan is one of the most interesting of the kind in the region; and will well repay the trouble, and we might add the fatigues, of a visit. The colliery is better known as the Guinea hill, or Black mine, and is one of the deepest in our coal basin. The depth of the slope is 400 feet, which, at an inclination of 40 degrees, would give a perpendicular depth of 252 feet into the very bowels of the earth. The pitch of the vein, as soon as it loses the influence of the hill, is very regular; and the coal becomes of a purer and better quality, and is found in greater masses between the slates. The colliery is worked with two steam-enginesone of fifty-horse power, and the other of twenty. The former is used in pumping the water which accumulates in the mines, and the latter in hoisting the coal in cars to the mouth of the slope. The pump used in the colliery is of cast-iron, 12 inches in diameter, and extends the entire depth of the slope-400 feet. The column of water brought up by the engine, at each lift of the pump, is equal in weight to about 8 tons.

At the depth of 200 feet of this slope, a tunnel has been driven 90 yards south to the Tunnel vein, and 70 yards north to the Lawton vein-both through solid rock; which enables the proprietors to work three veins, with the present engines and fixtures. As the visitor leaves the slope, and finds himself, lantern in hand, groping his way through the gangway into the heart of the mine, he is half bewildered and startled, as the almost indistinct masses of coal, slate, dirt, &c., fashion themselves into something bordering upon a dark, dusky, and even forbidding outline. It seems as if you had fallen upon a subterranean city, buried by some great convulsion of nature; and the illusion is still further heightened by observing workmen busily engaged, apparently in excavating the ruins. Or, if you are highly imaginative, and have read the Odyssey, you might readily fancy the feelings of Ulysses, that "godlike and much-enduring man," when he paid a visit to the infernal shades, for the purpose of ascertaining the shortest and most direct cut to his beloved Ithaca. Homer, however, does not inform us whether or not the shades carried lamps in their caps, without which the pick would be of little use to our miners.

PORT CARBON, (which must not be confounded by our readers with MOUNT Carbon,) is a very busy and thriving village on the main branch of the Schuylkill, two miles northeast of Pottsville, and at the head of the Schuylkill navigation. This place is happily located, surrounded almost by lofty mountains, well stored with the mineral wealth of the region, which can be conveyed to the landings with great facility. The town was laid out in 1828 by several enterprising individuals; the lots adjoining the landings by Abraham Pott and Jacob W. Seitzinger: Lawtonville, adjoining to the westward, was laid out by Wm. Lawton, Esq.; and Rhoadsville, on the continuation of the river Schuylkill, by Daniel J. Rhoades, Esq. :-the whole of which constitute Port Carbon. Mill creek enters the Schuylkill here, and a railroad along its valley brings down the produce of the mines in the vicinity of St. Clairsville and New Castle. The Schuylkill valley railroad, with its numerous lateral intersections from the various openings in Mine hill, brings in a vast amount of coal. This road passes through the small villages of PATTERSON, MIDDLEPORT, NEW PHILADELPHIA, and TUSCARORA. These villages were laid out about the year 1828, and have increased more or less according to the mining business near them.

MINERSVILLE is beautifully situated, 4 miles N. W. of Pottsville, in the bosom of a valley through which meanders the western branch of the Schuylkill. It is the most important town on the West Branch. It contains a flouring-mill, steam saw-mill, foundry, car-manufactory, two or three neat churches, and 1,265 inhabitants. The West Branch railroad passes through the place. Nearly all the towns in Schuylkill co. were laid out by several different speculators, each preferring their own hill or valley, or landing-place, as the case might be, and each starting with a little cluster of frame houses. Consequently all such towns are like Washing

ton city in one respect, cities "of magnificent distances." Minersville forms no exception to the remark-it consists of three or four once distinct settlements, now nearly merged in one. It was laid out in 1829, and in 1831 was incorporated as a borough. Its early growth was remarkably rapid, as will appear by the following from the Miner's Journal of Dec. 1830:

A little more than a twelvemonth ago, the present site of the town dwelt in all the loneliness of uncultivated nature, since whicn its aspect has undergone a wonderful change in improvements and population. Along the margin of the stream the West Branch railroad extends, and terminates at Schuylkill Haven, distance seven and a half miles from Minersville, affording an easy and expeditious mode of transportation. The principal street bears the name of Sunbury, on which are situated all the stores and public buildings. It was formerly the old Sunbury road, communicating with the rich valleys in the direction of the Susquehanna. The northern portion of the village is of firm, dry soil, gradually rising, and affording a southern exposure of favora ble character for private dwellings. Seven large houses have already been erected during the present season on this spot by Messrs. Bennett & Gilmore, together with a number of small buildings in the same quarter. Last spring there were but six dwellings in all, since which there has been an increase of forty-nine substantial houses. The place contains six taverns, in any one of which are to be found respectable accommodations, eight stores, well supplied with every article for country consumption, six blacksmith shops, one saddlery, one bakery, two tailors' shops, and two butchers-all seeming to be in a thriving way. The population is estimated at 500 inhabitants. On Thursday evening, the 9th inst., a concert was given at Minersville by the diminutive songstress, Miss Clark, at which a numerous audience attended. Her warblings, a year ago, would have found an accompaniment in the uninterrupted solitude of a wilderness, instead of being listened to with marked pleasure by an animated and numerous assembly.

On the West Branch, about two miles west of Minersville, is the little village of Llewellyn, which obtained its name from the Welsh miners employed in the vicinity. Two and a half miles northwest from Llewellyn is the immense tunnel of the New York company now in progress, under the superintendence of Mr. Deforest, the company's agent. This tunnel, which is wide enough for a double track railroad, and has already been driven about 900 feet directly into Broad mountain, is opened for the purpose of cutting the coal veins at right angles to their range. From the tunnel drifts are made at right angles to it into each vein of coal, and by means of these drifts the miners work out the breast of coal. But perhaps the reader who is a stranger to the anthracite region may not comprehend these terms. A tunnel among the miners is what has been described above. A drift is a passage barely wide enough for a horse and car, or man and car, to pass,-entering generally at the edge or end of a coal vein, and following its range nearly on a level. The coal veins in the anthracite region are generally inclined at angles varying from 30 to 60 degrees with the horizon, and usually crop out, or reach the surface of the hill, at a greater or less height. Sometimes they bend over the hill-or saddle over, as the term is-without coming to the surface at all. The height between the water level and the place where the vein reaches the upper surface of the hill, is called a breast; and a vein is said to have more or less breast according to its height in the hill. The first practice in mining coal was by quarrying, as at Mauch Chunk ; or by opening vast caverns, with columns of coal, as at Carbondale and Wilkesbarre; or by sinking shafts from the top of the hill, and hauling up the coal, as at first in Schuylkill co., and as still in use for mines below the water level; but all these modes have yielded to the easier and cheaper mode of drifting. The gorges of the small streams through Mine hill and Broad mountain offered the best sites for drifts. But many

of these veins have been exhausted above the water level, as far as the owners on the streams have a right to work. Those who have no accommodating stream to cut through their land for them, are therefore obliged to adopt the mode of tunnelling. The lateral drifts are generally let out to clubs of three or four miners in each, at so much per ton. These men drive their car in along the drift. One of them with his pick digs out the breast above the car in the shape of a broad chimney, letting his lumps fall against some rails placed at the foot of the breast; when a load is thus accumulated, the miner below draws one of the rails-the coal falls into the car, and is trundled out into the world. The miner thus keeps working upward till he reaches the out-crop. To prevent the mountain falling in where the coal has been taken out, stout props and cross-pieces are placed at intervals along the drift and the breast. This propping requires an immense quantity of timber, and the hills around Pottsville have been consequently despoiled of their original forests. When a mine has been long exhausted and abandoned, these props decay, and the earth caves in. Lines of these unsightly holes begin to appear in many parts of the region about Pottsville-some of them for half a mile continuously.

On the West Branch, about three miles above Minersville, is a little miner's hamlet called Coal Castle. A little west of this place, at the "jugular vein" in Broad mountain, a coal mine took fire in the winter of 1838-39, and has since defied all attempts to extinguish it. It has even roasted the rocky strata of the mountain above it, destroying every trace of vegetation along the line of the breast, and causing vast yawning chasms, where the earth has fallen in, from which issue hot and sulphurous fumes, as from a volcano. The mine was ignited by a careless miner, who, to moderate the temperature, placed a hanging grate at the mouth of the drift. The fire communicated to the props, and then to the railroad, and such a heat was soon caused that it must have cracked off lumps of coal to feed the flames. It seems scarcely possible that the compact vein itself can be on fire, although such may be the case. Two unfortunate miners perished in the mine. The lessee, Mr. Dougherty, after trying various expedients to extinguish it, abandoned it, with a heavy loss.

NEW CASTLE, on the Sunbury turnpike, was laid out on the opening of the coal trade, and such houses as it has are substantially built of stone; but it has increased very slowly.

SCHUYLKILL HAVEN is situated on the left bank of the river, four miles below Pottsville, and immediately below the junction of the West Branch. Fertile farms and very picturesque scenery surround the town, and the bright river here meanders among the broad meadows as if delighted with being unrestrained by the rocky precipices of the coal region. This place was laid out in 1829, by Mr. Daniel J. Rhodes and others. The West Branch railroad here communicates with the Schuylkill Navigation, and the transhipment of the coal has created a business, upon which the town has thrived. It now contains two or three churches, schools, a weigh lock for canal boats, a grist and saw mill, and two bridges across the Schuylkill. The population may be estimated at about 700. The county almshouse, one mile east of Schuylkill Haven, is a spacious brick edifice, with a fine farm attached, which does great credit to the county.

At Scollop hill, three miles below Schuylkill Haven, the canal passes through a long and expensive tunnel. The West Branch railroad brings in the product of many rich mines. It has been constructed in a substantial manner, and of such dimensions that the heavy cars of the Reading railroad, with which it here intersects, may run upon it. What effect this circumstance may have upon the welfare of Schuylkill Haven, by dispensing with the necessity of transhipment, remains to be determined. In the annexed view, part of one of the churches is seen on the left-in

the foreground is the river and basin, with its numerous boats and railroad tracks, and a little beyond, on the right, is the bridge of the Reading railroad.

TAMAQUA was laid out in 1829, by the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Co., on the Little Schuylkill river, 17 miles above its junction with the main stream, and 15 miles east of Pottsville. It lies in a deep valley, shut in by the Sharp and Locust mountains. It is now quite a smart village, with some half dozen stores, several taverns, two churches, a car and coach manufactory, and 465 inhabitants. It depends for its support upon the mines that surround it. Like the other coal towns, it is built on a scale of magnificent distances. There are several detachments, or regiments of houses, on the main road, up the river, down the river, and on the hill. Above the village, on a high eminence, stands the Catholic church, bidding defiance, as it were, to the Lutheran or Presbyterian church, which looks down from another eminence. The annexed view was taken at the western entrance of the street, on the Pottsville road. On the hill east of the village, the large mansion erected by Mr. Burd Patterson, and now occupied by Mr. Franklin, makes quite a conspicuous appearance.

The Lehigh Co. own large tracts of coal-lands in this vicinity. A continuation of the Little Schuylkill road, to connect with the Quakake and Catawissa railroad, was projected; but the Catawissa road has not been made. A stage-road connects Tamaqua with the Mauch Chunk rail

west.

PORT CLINTON is a thriving place, laid out in 1829, at the mouth of Little Schuylkill river. It has grown up by the shipment here of the product of the mines around Tamaqua.

PINE GROVE is situated on the right bank of the Swatara creek, in the valley between the Kittatinny and Second mountains, about 14 miles west of Pottsville. A branch of the Union canal has been extended to this place; and a railroad extends up the Swatara, four or five miles, to the coal-mines on Lorberry creek, and the main branch of Swatara, above Sharp mountain. About 20,000 tons of coal were shipped from this region in 1841. A forge has been established here since 1828. This region, before the coal-trade commenced, was settled by a few scattered German farmers and lumbermen, from Lebanon co.

SOMERSET COUNTY.

SOMERSET COUNTY was taken from Bedford, by the act of 17th April, 1795. Length 38 miles, breadth 28; area 1,066 sq. miles. Population in 1800, 10,188; in 1810, 11,284; in 1820, 13,890; in 1830, 17,741; and in 1840, 19,650. The county is composed of a high and rather level table-land, between the Great Allegheny mountain and Laurel hill. It abounds in what are called glades-level wet lands, about the head-waters of the numerous streams that rise in this county. The climate of this elevated region is too cold, and the summers too short, for raising corn; and the land is generally too wet for wheat. Oats, rye, hay, and potatoes are the principal crops, for which a ready market is found among the numerous drovers and wagoners crossing the mountains by the "glades road." This road, not being macadamized, affords a softer path to the tender feet