Low-Sulfur Coals Of Kentucky

WITHIN the last ten years Kentucky has become celebrated for its low-sulfur bituminous coals. Prior to this time, many investigators had discovered the abundance of this coal but the fact was unknown to the general public until the last extension of Kentucky's mountain railroads was completed. The coals of Kentucky are, broadly, separated into two geographic units-the eastern and the western coal fields. On a basis of their sulfur content these coal fields fall into three units, which are indicated on the accompanying map, by numbers, 1, 2, and 3. The area marked 1, the very southeastern part of the State, shows the lowest sulfur, all coals being averaged. In this field the maximum is 1.04 per cent. and the minimum as low as 0.68 per cent.-both averages and not individual analyses, which would of course show much greater variation. Included in this group are the following counties: Lawrence, 0.87 per cent.; Martin, 0.75 per cent.; Johnson, 0.73 per cent.; Magoffin, 0.S7 per cent.; Floyd, 0.88 per cent.; Pike, 0.68 per cent.; Knott, 1.04 per cent.; Perry, 0.77 per cent.; Letcher, 0.80 per cent.; Leslie, 0.70 per cent.; Harlan, 0.79 per cent.; Knox, 0.86 per cent.; and Bell, 0.92 per cent. The total average sulfur content for these thirteen counties is 0.82 per cent. Bordering the restricted low-sulfur field of eastern Kentucky is the No. 2 belt (slightly darker), which is commonly known as the western border of the eastern coal field. Here the maximum sulfur is 2.91 per cent. and the minimum 1.05 per cent. Again these are averages and not individual analyses. The counties in this group are: Greenup, 2.60 per cent.; Boyd, 1.67 per cent.; Carter, 1.07 per cent.; Morgan, 1.40 per cent.; Wolfe, 1.83 per cent.; Lee, 2.93 per cent.; Breathitt, 1.85. per cent.; Owsley, 1.09 per cent.; Jackson, 1.06 per cent.; Rockcastle, 2.30 per cent.; Clay, 1.09 per cent.; Laurel, 1.08 per cent.; Pulaski, 2.24 per cent.; Whitley, 1.05 per cent.; McCreary, 1.50 per cent.; and Wayne. The sulfur percentage average for this area including fifteen important counties is 1.65 per cent.