Mine Index 0012 Western United Gas Coal Company, Big Muddy No. 2 Mine

Mine Index Number: 0012

Accessible description: Mine Name and Data Summary

Company Name:	Western United Gas Coal Company
Mine Name:	Big Muddy No. 2 Mine
Start Date:	1906	End Date:	April 1925
Type of Mine:	Underground
Total acres shown:	202
Acres after map date:	Less than 1	General Area of mining acres shown:
This mine is connected underground to Gartside No. 4 Mine (mine index 0014).

Shaft, Slope, Drift or Tipple Location(s)

Type	County	Township-Range	Section	Part Section

Shaft Type	County	Township-Range	Section	Part Section
Main shaft (8 X 12 ft)	Jackson	8S 2W	32	SW NW SE

Shaft Type	County	Township-Range	Section	Part Section
Air shaft	Jackson	8S 2W	32	SW NW SE

Geology

		Thickness (ft)
Seam	Depth (ft)	Min	Max	Ave	Mining Method

Seam	Depth (ft)	Thickness Min	Thickness max	Thickness Ave.	Mining Method
Murphysboro	120-129	2.0	3.0	2.5 (top coal)	MRP

Seam	Depth (ft)	Thickness Min	Thickness max	Thickness Ave.	Mining Method
Murphysboro		2.67	4.0	3.5 (bottom bench)	MRP

Geological Problems Reported

Numerous slips and some horsebacks were noted, but their effect on mining was negligible. The slips and horsebacks were more common in the northern and western parts of the mine, and some were of considerable size. Water from a drill hole near the shaft was troublesome for a while, but the problem was corrected. Only the lower bench was worked in the much of the mine. In the eastern part, the upper bench and a 3 ft shale were taken. In another part of the mine, the upper bench was left as a roof, while the shale parting was pulled down. The parting was thin bedded gritty shale, ranging in thickness from 1 to 14 ft. The lower half of the shale flaked and came down readily with weathering, and it was more efficient to take it down rather than having to continually clean up slaking shale. Disseminated pyrite was seen in the discontinuous dirt bands, and some pyrite occurred in plates along joints. The lower bench of coal contained 0 to 8 inches of bone coal.

Production

Company	Mine Name	Date	Production (tons)

Company	Mine Name	Date	Production (tons)
Gus Blair Big Muddy Coal Company (add)	Big Muddy No. 2 (add)	1906-1919	484,594

Company	Mine Name	Date	Production (tons)
Western United Gas Coal Company (add)	Big Muddy No. 2, Blair (add)	1919-1925	418,219

Company	Mine Name	Date	Production (tons)
Western United Gas Coal Company (add)	Big Muddy No. 2, Blair (add)	1925-1925	2,706

Company	Mine Name	Date	Production (tons)
Total Production: 905,519

Production Notes

Coal Report production (if available)

Sources of Data

Source Map	Map Date	Original Scale	Digitized Scale	Map Type

Source Map	Map Date	Original Scale	Digitized Scale	Map Type
State archive, IL_2058_03	3-1925	1:1200	1:1200	Not final

Annotated Bibliography (Data source - brief description of information)

Bibliography
Coal Reports - Production, ownership, years of operation.

Bibliography
Directory of Illinois Coal Mines (Jackson County) - Mine names, mine index, ownership, years of operation.

Bibliography
Mine notes (Jackson County) - Mine type, shaft location, seam, depth, thickness, geologic problems.

Bibliography
State archive, IL_2058_03 - Shaft locations, mine outline, mining method.