Mine Index 0654 Sparta Coal Company, Florida Mine

Mine Index Number: 0654

Company Name:	Sparta Coal Company
Mine Name:	Florida Mine
Start Date:	1902	End Date:	September 1950
Type of Mine:	Underground
Total acres shown:	1,206
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

Randolph

4S 5W

10

SW SE NW

Air shaft

Randolph

4S 5W

10

NW NE SW

Geology

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

Herrin

186

5.5

6.5

6.0

RPP,MRPsome MRP

Geological Problems Reported

The immediate roof was up to 3 feet of black shale that stuck to the coal or limestone where the black shale wedged out. In some places, up to 2 feet of white top was seen above the coal. The limestone cap rock was a nodular argillaceous rock that required heavy timbering and fell without warning even then. It appeared to consist of limestone nodules 4 to 8 inches across embedded in calcareous shale, and more closely resembles a bastard limestone than the typical Brereton Limestone. Concretions were present in the eastern part of the mine in the uppermost bench of coal, which thickened up to 2 feet thick when the concretions were present. Thin plates of pyrite were present, as well as 1/16 inch thick band of plates that was about 18 inches below the roof. Another band of pyrite plates and / or clay was present about 18 inches above the floor. This band in the lower part of the seam averaged 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick, and ranged up to 2 inches thick. The blue band was about 12 inches above the floor and contained some streaks of pyrite. Bands of mother coal were fairly persistent in the mine.

Production

Company

Mine Name

Date

Production (tons)

A. E. Powell (add)	Consol (add)	1902-1904	35,220

J. A. Greim (add)	Consol (add)	1904-1905	39,617

Coulterville Coal Company (add)	Consol (add)	1905-1907	67,631

West Mine Coal Company (add)	Consol (add)	1907-1912	136,841

Underwood Coal and Mining Company (add)	Consol, West (add)	1912-1914	60,438

West Side Coal Company (add)	Consol, West (add)	1914-1919	281,559

St. Louis Coal Company (add)	Florida (add)	1919-1940 Idle 1932	2,896,031

Florida Coal Company (add)	Florida (add)	1940-1945	1,895,198

Sparta Coal Company (add)	Florida (add)	1946-1950	1,657,781

Total Production: 7,070,316

Production Notes

Coal Report production (if available)

Sources of Data

Source Map

Map Date

Original Scale

Digitized Scale

Map Type

Microfilm, document 353357

6-1-1950

1:2400

1:4800

Final

Annotated Bibliography (Data source - brief description of information)

Coal Reports - Production, ownership, years of operation.

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

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

Microfilm map, document 353357, reel 03142, frames 354-357 - Shaft locations, mine outline, mining method.