Mine Index 0155 Old Ben Coal Corporation, Old Ben No. 18 Mine

Mine Index Number: 0155

Company Name:	Old Ben Coal Corporation
Mine Name:	Old Ben No. 18 Mine
Start Date:	1917	End Date:	December 1935
Type of Mine:	Underground
Total acres shown:	940
Acres after map date:		General Area of mining acres shown:

Shaft, Slope, Drift or Tipple Location(s)

Type	County	Township-Range	Section	Part Section

Main shaft

Williamson

8S 2E

12

SE SE SW

Air / escape shaft

Williamson

8S 2E

12

NE SE SW

Geology

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

Herrin

261-270

7.0

11.0

9.0-10.0

RPP,HERsome HER

Geological Problems Reported

The mine map shows faults cutting through the northern half of the mine. A fault was noted 4000 feet from the bottom of the shaft; its displacement was from 3 to 32 feet, upthrown on the eastern side. The coal was shattered near the fault and many slips parallel to the fault were present. The light gray sandy shale roof (up to 40 feet thick) was full of slips and tended to come down without warning. Generally the roof held better in the east-west entries than in the north-south entries. Top coal was left to support the roof where possible, but sometimes the coal was too thin and did not provide adequate support. The coal bed had swags, and in one case the coal dropped 6 feet for a distance of 300 feet but remained full thickness. Pyrite and calcite stringers were present in fractures and as fillings throughout the mine and the full thickness of the coal. The floor clay varied from 6 inches to 4 feet thick, and heaved when wet. In some places, however, the underclay was a dark gray fireclay that made excellent floor.

Production

Company

Mine Name

Date

Production (tons)

Johnston City-Big Muddy Coal and Mining Company (add)	Johnston City and Big Muddy No. 2 (add)	1917-1919	513,589

Old Ben Coal Corporation (add)	Old Ben No. 18 (add)	1919-1935	7,107,058

Total Production: 7,620,647

Production Notes

Coal Report production (if available)

Sources of Data

Source Map

Map Date

Original Scale

Digitized Scale

Map Type

Company, Old Ben Archive Collection

7-1-1936

1:2400

1:2400

Final

Microfilm, document 353105

12-31-1935

1:2400

1:5628

Final

Microfilm, document 353106

7-5-1935

1:2400

1:5628

Not final

Annotated Bibliography (Data source - brief description of information)

Coal Reports - Production, ownership, years of operation.

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

Mine notes (Williamson County) - Mine type, shaft locations, seam, depth, thickness, geologic problems.

Company map, Old Ben Coal Company Archive Collection - Mine outline (south), shaft locations, mining method, geologic problems.

Microfilm map, document 353105, reel 03141, frames 318, 320, 321 - Shaft locations, mine outline (north), mining method, geologic problems.

Microfilm map, document 353106, reel 03141, frame 323 - Mine outline (northeast).