Beckemeyer Quadrangle

Mining in the Beckemeyer Quadrangle

The Herrin Coal was 400 to 550 feet deep in the Beckemeyer Quadrangle. The Carlyle Mine (index 2043) was abandoned in 1885, 1886 and 1887, producing 600 tons each in 1886 and 1888. Apparently, the financial difficulties of establishing such a deep shaft at that time prevented ever fully utilizing the coal resource available. This may be because by the time the mine was established, competition in the neighboring St. Clair County resulted in coal cheap enough to offset the advantage of a local supply. The Pure Mine (mine index 85) had a very thick (30 feet) black shale roof that tended to come down readily. The distribution of this roof type is not known, but the long operating time (from 1904 to 1946) indicates that the mine engineers compensated well for poor conditions.