Mine Index 2167 Big Creek Coal Company, Big Creek No. 24 Mine

Mine Index Number: 2167

Company Name:	Big Creek Coal Company
Mine Name:	Big Creek No. 24 Mine
Start Date:	1881	End Date:	January 1921
Type of Mine:	Underground
Total acres shown:	357
Production Indicated Acres:	350-430	General Area of mining acres shown:

Shaft, Slope, Drift or Tipple Location(s)

Type	County	Township-Range	Section	Part Section

Main shaft

Fulton

6N 4E

22

NW SE SE

Air shaft

Fulton

6N 4E

22

NW SE SE

Shaft

Fulton

6N 4E

26

NE SW NW

Geology

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

Springfield

87

4.5

5.33

4.67

MRP

Geological Problems Reported

The 1885 Coal Report stated that the roof was fragile and let in water when it came down. The source maps show areas marked “caved & gobbed” in the northern part of the mine. The interval between the limestone and the coal increased to the south, and the limestone thickened in the same direction. The limestone was thinnest where the bottom contact with the shale was smooth. Generally, the contact consisted of limestone with a rough lower surface and limestone knobs that protruded down into the clod. The main haulageways were brushed (cleaned up by removal of layers that would fall) up to the limestone, because the black shale would come down inconveniently if not removed in a purposeful manner. The roof was black shale, with the lower 2 or 3inches being “draw slate” or clod that stuck to the coal. The coal was not well developed, with dirt, charcoal bands, a pyrite layer (0.125 to 0.25 inches thick), and pyrite balls. A persistent blackjack or clay band was noted near the floor, which was 1.0 to 1.5 inches thick. Every room had at least one pyrite ball of 1.5 by 6 inches diameter. Horsebacks were noted, and the rolls in the floor were generally associated with the horsebacks.

Production

Company

Mine Name

Date

Production (tons)

Edward Williams (add)	Williams No. 1 (add)	1881-1883	51,000

Taylor Williams (add)	Williams No. 1 (add)	1883-1891	268,433

Whitebreast Fuel Company (add)	E (add)	1891-1907 Idle 1894-1901	977,995

Big Creek Coal Company (add)	Big Creek No. 4 (add)	1907-1911	611,437

Big Creek Coal Company (add)	Big Creek No. 4 (add)	1911-1921	1,570,951 Production after map date

Big Creek Coal Company (add)	Big Creek No. 24 (add)	1919-1921	247,210 Production after map date

Total Production: 3,727,026

Production Notes

Coal Report production (if available)

Sources of Data

Source Map

Map Date

Original Scale

Digitized Scale

Map Type

Microfilm, document 351570

4-1911

1:1200

1:2648

Not final

State archive, MSHA_1298

1912

1:1200

1:1200

Not final

State archive, MSHA_1298

12-24-1904

1:2400

1:4469

Not final

Microfilm, document 351685

12-18-1937

1:1200

1:1490

Secondary source

Microfilm, document 351685

6-1-1942

1:6000

1:6000

Secondary source

Annotated Bibliography (Data source - brief description of information)

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

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

Microfilm map, document 351570, reel 03136, frames 346-348 - Shaft locations, mine outline, mining method, geologic problems

State Archive, MSHA_1298, courtesy of Robert Gibson, IDNR - Mine outline (southern portion).

Microfilm map, document 351586, reel 03136, frame 373 - Mine outline (western side of northern part of mine)

Microfilm, document 351685, reel 03137, frame 50, map of Schaffer & Monroe Mine (mine index 2169) - Mine outline (SW 26-T6N-R4E).

Company map, Coal Section files, 1-32-47, map of Buckheart No. 17 Mine (mine index 705) - Mine outline (southeastern general area of mining).