Mine Index 0759 Decatur Coal Company, Decatur No. 1 Mine

Mine Index Number: 0759

Company Name:	Decatur Coal Company
Mine Name:	Decatur No. 1 Mine
Start Date:	1879	End Date:	1914
Type of Mine:	Underground
Total acres shown:	None A general area of mining on the accompanying map shows the size of the additional area needed to approximate the size of the two contiguous longwall mines. The Decatur No. 2 Mine (mine index 123) probably encompasses some area mined by Decatur No. 1 Mine.
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

Macon

16N 2E

14

NW NE NE

Air shaft

Macon

16N 2E

11

SE SE SE

Geology

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

Springfield

615

4.17 (4.0-5.0)

LW,RPRP in 1910 & 1911

Geological Problems Reported

An explosion of fire damp (methane) injured 3 miners in 1886. Another explosion in October 1887 injured 2 miners, so gas was a problem to some extent, especially in the early years. Presumably, better ventilation overcame that threat to the mining. (A 1905 mine fire killed 6 men, but the fire was the result of a cigarette starting a fire near the stables, not gas.) In general, mining conditions were good for longwall mining, with a sturdy shale roof and solid clay floor.

Production

Company

Mine Name

Date

Production (tons)

Decatur Coal Company (add)	Decatur No. 1 (add)	1879-1914 Idle 1886; production available only for 1883 and later.	1,782,084

Total Production: 1,782,084

Production Notes

Coal Report production (if available)

Sources of Data

Source Map

Map Date

Original Scale

Digitized Scale

Map Type

Microfilm, document 352324

2-1926

1:2400

1:5296

Not final

Company, 1-32-68

5-30-1914

1:2400

1:2400

Not final

WPA, T16N-R2E

circa 1934

1:12000

1:12000

Secondary source

Annotated Bibliography (Data source - brief description of information)

Coal Reports - Production, ownership, years of operation, mining method, geologic problems.

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

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

Microfilm map, document 352324, reel 03138, frame 427 - Shaft locations.

Company map, Coal Section files, 1-32-68 - Shaft location, mine outline (partial).

WPA map, T16N-R2E - Air shaft location.