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The mine summary sheet is arranged numerically by mine index number. Index numbers are shown on the map and in the mine listing. The mine summary sheet provides the following information (if available).
The last company or owner of the mine is used, unless no production was recorded for the last owner. In that case, the penultimate owner is listed. Mines often have no specificname; in these cases, the company name is also used as the minename.
The total acreage of the mined area mapped, is calculated from the digitized outline of the mine. The acreage of large barrier pillars depicted on the map is excluded from the mined-out acreage. Small pillars not digitized are included in the acreage calculation. If the mine outline is not based on a final mine map, the acreage is followed by an estimate of additional acres that may have been mined. The estimate is determined from reported mine production, approximate thickness of the coal, and recovery rates calculated from nearby mines that used similar mining methods.
Locations of all known former entry points to underground mines or the location of coal cleaning, tipple, and shipping equipment used by the mine’s facility are listed.
The location is described in terms of county, township and range (Twp-Rge), section, and location within the section by quarters. NE SW NW, for instance, would describe the location in the northeast quarter of the southwest quarter of the northwest quarter. When sections are irregular in size, the quarters remain the same size and are oriented (or “registered”) from the southeast corner of the section.
Approximate footage from the section lines (FEL = from east line, FNL = from north line, for example) is given when that information is known; this indicates a surveyed location and is not derived from maps.
Entry points are also plotted on the map and coded for the type of entry or tipple. Click here to see symbols used on the Map
A mine opening may have had many purposes during the life of the mine. Old hoist shafts are often later used for air and escape shafts; this information is included in the directory when known. The tipple for underground mines was generally located near the main shaft or slope. At surface mines, coal was sometimes hauled to a central tipple several miles from the mine pit.
The name of the coal seam(s) mined is listed, if known. If multiple seams were mined, they are all listed, although the mined-out area for each seam may be shown on separate maps. Figure 2 shows the stratigraphic section of the coal-bearing interval in Illinois, and the vertical relations among the coals.
The depth to the top of the seam in the vicinity of the shaft is listed, if known. The depth is determined from notes made by geologists who visited the mine during its operation or from drill hole data in ISGS files. Depth generally varies little over the extent of a mine; however, reported depths for an individual mine may vary. Depth for surface-mined coals varies, and is usually represented as a range.
The approximate thickness of the mined seam is shown, if known. Thickness also comes from notes of geologists who visited the mine during its operation or from borehole data in ISGS files. Minimum, maximum, and average thicknesses are given when this information is available.
The principal mining method used at the mine is listed. See the mining methods for a discussion of this parameter.
Any known geologic problems, such as faults, water seepage, floor heaving, andunstable roof, encountered in the mine are reported. This information is from notes made by ISGS geologists who visited the mine, or from reports by mine inspectors published by the Illinois Department of Mines and Minerals, or from the source map(s). Geologic problems are not reported for active mines.
Production history Tons of coal produced from the mine by each mine owner are totaled. When the source map used for the mine outline is not a final mine map, the tonnage produced since the date of the map is identified.
This section lists information about the map(s) used to compile the mine outline and the locations of tipples and mine openings. In some cases more than one source map was used. For example, a map drawn before the mine closed may provide better information on original areas of the mine than a later map. When more than one map was used, the bibliography section explains what information was taken from each source.
The date of the most recent mine survey listed on the source map is reported.
The original scale of the source map is listed. Many maps are photo-reductions and are no longer at their original scale. The original scale gives some indication of the level of detail of the mine outline and the accuracy of the mine boundary relative to surface features. Generally, the larger the scale, the greater the accuracy and detail of the mine map. Mine outlines taken from source maps at scales smaller than 1:24,000 may be highly generalized and may well be inaccurately located with respect to surface features.
The scale of the digitized map is reported. The scale may be different from that of the original source map. In many cases the digitized map was made from a photo-reduction of the original source map, or the source map was not in a condition suitable for digitizing and the mine boundaries were transferred to another base map.
Source maps are classified into five categories to indicate the probable completeness of the map.
Mine outlines depicted on the map are, whenever possible, based on maps made from original mine surveys. The process of compiling and digitizing the quadrangle map may produce errors of less than 200 feet in the location of mine boundaries. Larger errors of 500 feet or more are possible for mines that have incomplete or inaccurate source maps. Because of the extreme complexity of some mine maps, detailed features of mined areas have been omitted. The digitized mine boundary includes the exterior boundary of all rooms or entries that were at least 80 feet wide or protruded 500 feet from the main mining area. Unmined areas between mines are shown if they are at least 80 feet wide; unmined blocks of coal within mines are shown if they are at least 400 feet on each side. Original source maps should be consulted when precise information on mine boundaries or interior features is needed. The mine summary sheet lists the source maps used to determine each mine outline. The completeness of map sources is indicated on the map by a line symbol at the mine boundary. Source maps are organized in five categories. Final mine map
Not a final map
Undated map
Incomplete map
Secondary source map
Sources that provide information about the mine are listed, with the data taken from each source. Some commonly used sources are described below. Full bibliographic references are given for all other sources. Unless otherwise noted, all sources are available for public inspection at the ISGS.
sketches) of mining conditions and geology.
The accompanying map shows the location of coal mines that are known to be present in Illinois.
The mine type is indicated on the map by pattern color: green represents surface mines; red and yellow represent underground mines. The red patterns are used for areas of underground mining that are documented by a primary or secondary source map. A yellow pattern is used for cases where no map of the mine workings is available, but a general area of mining can be inferred from property maps or production figures. The patterns indicate the main mining methods used in underground mines. The methods are (1) room and pillar and (2) high extraction. The method used gives some indication of the amount and pattern of coal extraction within each mined area, and has some influence on the timing and type of subsidence that can occur over a mine.
See Mining Method for more info about Mining Methods
The locations of all known mine openings (shafts, slopes, and drifts) and surface mine tipples are plotted on the map. Tipples are areas where coal was cleaned, stockpiled, and loaded for shipping. Only openings or tipples are plotted for mines without source maps. If the precise locations of these features are unknown, a special symbol is used to indicate the approximate location of the mine.
Each mine on the map is labeled with the names of the mine and operating company, ISGS mine index number, and years of operation (if known) if space permits. A seam designation is given on maps where more than one seam was mined. For a mine that operated under more than one name, only the most recent name is generally given. When a mine changed names or ownership shortly before closing, an earlier name is listed. All company and mine names are listed on the mine summary sheet in the directory, under the production history segment.
