Mine Index 0802 Sahara Coal Company, Inc., Sahara No. 7 Mine

Mine Index Number: 0802

Accessible description: Mine Name and Data Summary

Company Name:	Sahara Coal Company, Inc.
Mine Name:	Sahara No. 7 Mine
Start Date:	1944	End Date:	September 1986
Type of Mine:	Underground
Total acres shown:	323 in Herrin Coal, 531 in Springfield Coal
Acres after map date:		General Area of mining acres shown:

Shaft, Slope, Drift or Tipple Location(s)

Type	County	Township-Range	Section	Part Section

Shaft Type	County	Township-Range	Section	Part Section
Main slope	Saline	9S 5E	16	SE NW SE

Shaft Type	County	Township-Range	Section	Part Section
Air slope	Saline	9S 5E	16	SW NE SE

Geology

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

Seam	Depth (ft)	Thickness Min	Thickness max	Thickness Ave.	Mining Method
Herrin (1982-1986)	160-180			4.5-5.0	RPP

Seam	Depth (ft)	Thickness Min	Thickness max	Thickness Ave.	Mining Method
Springfield (1944-1957)	288-295 (305-355)			5.17-6.25	RPP

Geological Problems Reported

The Herrin Coal had a series of faults and rolls in the main north entries, most with displacements ranging from 6 inches to 7 feet. Several northwest-southeast trending faults cut through the mine in both seams, in some cases limiting development and in others not disrupting the pattern of mining at all. The displacement along these faults was often not noted on the source map. The source map for the Springfield Coal noted “bad top” along the east side of the mine. This probably prevented expansion in this direction, both for this mine and for Peabody No. 44 Mine’s (mine index 129) westward expansion in the same area. There is some faulting in this area as well.

Production

Company	Mine Name	Date	Production (tons)

Company	Mine Name	Date	Production (tons)
Bankston Creek Collieries Company (add)	Bankston Creek Collieries No. 7 (add)	1944-1950	1,452,052

Company	Mine Name	Date	Production (tons)
Sahara Coal Company, Inc. (add)	Sahara No. 7 (add)	1951-1957	944,735

Company	Mine Name	Date	Production (tons)
Sahara Coal Company, Inc. (add)	Sahara No. 7 (add)	1982-1986	874,926

Company	Mine Name	Date	Production (tons)
Total Production: 3,271,713

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_2580_01	12-15-1959	1:2400	1:2400	Final

Source Map	Map Date	Original Scale	Digitized Scale	Map Type
State archive, ms_31	4-11-1988	1:2400	1:2400	Final

Annotated Bibliography (Data source - brief description of information)

Bibliography
Coal Reports - Production, ownership, years of operation, depth, thickness, mining method.

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

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

Bibliography
State archive, IL_2580_01 - Slope locations, mine outline mining method, geologic problems (Springfield Coal).

Bibliography
State archive, ms_31 - Slope locations, mine outline, mining method, geologic problems (Herrin Coal).