GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CIRCULAR 363

COAL RESERVES OF THE 

PITTSBURGH (NO. 8) BED IN 

BELMONT COUNTY

Prepared in cooperation with 

the Ohio Geological Survey
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Douglas McKay, Secretary

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

W. E. Wrather, Director

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CIRCULAR 363

COAL RESERVES OF THE PITTSBURGH (NO. 8) BED IN 

BELMONT COUNTY, OHIO

By Henry L. Berryhill, Jr.

Prepared in cooperation with 

the Ohio Geological Survey

Washington, D. C., 1956

Free on application to the Geological Survey, Washington 25, D. C.
CONTENTS

Abstract.................................

Introduction .............................

Summary of reserves.....................

Methods of preparing estimates of

reserves............................

Classification according to characteristics of the coal..................

Rank..........................

Weight.........................

Thickness.....................

Overburden....................

Classification according to abundance 

and reliability of data...............

Measured reserves ..........

Indicated reserves....... ......

Inferred reserves..............

Distinction between original, remaining, 

and recoverable reserves..........

Methods of recording data and

making calculations................

Page

1

1

1

Comparison of past and present 

estimates .......................

Location of Belmont County.........

Topography and 

drainage........................

Transportation 

facilities........................

Settlement and

industry ........................

Description of Pittsburgh coal bed in 

Belmont County............ ......

Area! extent...................

Stratigraphy..................

Regional structure............

Thickness....................

Character. ...................

Roof rock....................

Quality......................

History of mining.............

Selected bibliography...............

Page

11

ILLUSTRATIONS

Page

Figure 1. Map of Belmont County, Ohio, showing the outcrop and the probable thickness range

in inches of the Pittsburgh coal bed................................................ facing 1

2. Index map of Ohio showing the location of Belmont County and the area of

coal-bearing rocks.................................................................... 6

3. Index map of Belmont County, Ohio, showing the location of main towns, streams,

and railroads ......................................................................... 7

4. Diagrammatic sections showing the character of the Pittsburgh coal bed in

Belmont County, Ohio................................................................. 8

5. Outline map of Belmont County, Ohio, which shows by line pattern the generalized areas in which

the Pittsburgh coal'has been largely mined out............................................. 10

TABLES

Table 1. Classification of coals by rank............................................

2. Estimated reserves of bituminous coal in the Pittsburgh bed in Belmont County.

Page

2

4

iii
10 Miles

_J

Figure 1. Map of Belmont County, Ohio, showing the outcrop and the probable thickness range in inches of 
COAL RESERVES OF THE PITTSBURGH (NO. 8) BED IN 

BELMONT COUNTY, OHIO

By Henry L. Berryhill, Jr.

ABSTRACT

Remaining coal reserves totaling 1,929 million tons have been appraised in the Pittsburgh 

(No. 8) coal bed in Belmont County, Ohio. Of 

these, 508 million tons are classified as measured 

and 1,421 million tons are classified as indicated. 

All the coal has less than 1,000 feet of overburden, and most of it is of high volatile A 

bituminous rank.

This estimate is based on field work by 

the United States Geological Survey, supplemented 

by data from the files of the Ohio Geological 

Survey and from mine and drill-hole records provided by mining companies.

INTRODUCTION

The U. S. Geological Survey and the Ohio 

Geological' Survey have cooperated in preparing 

this appraisal of coal reserves of the Pittsburgh 

(No. 8) bed in Belmont County, Ohio. The 

appraisal is based on field work by the U. S. 

Geological Survey, supplemented by a study of 

data on the Pittsburgh coal bed available from 

the publications and files of the two organizations and from mine and drill-hole records provided by mining companies and individuals. A 

forthcoming report, Geology and Coal Resources 

of Belmont County, will contain more detailed 

information on the Pittsburgh coal bed than is 

included herein, and will describe all other coal 

beds in the county.

In terms of quality and quantity of reserves, 

the Pittsburgh bed is the most important coal 

bed in Belmont County. The presence of comparatively large reserves of coal in the Pittsburgh bed makes Belmont one of the most important coal-bearing counties in the State. This 

report is designed to make information on the 

reserves of coal in the Pittsburgh bed available 

as quickly as possible.

A total of 300 measured coal sections were 

used in the preparation of the coal-bed thickness 

map (fig. 1). The writer measured 221 sections 

from outcrops and mines during field investigations and obtained descriptions of 79 sections from 

the files and publications of the U. S. Geological 

Survey and the Ohio Geological Survey.

A map showing mined-out areas and mine elevations of the Pittsburgh coal bed in Belmont County was 

prepared by the Ohio Geological Survey. The use of 

this map in preparing the estimate of reserves increases the reliability of the figures for remaining 

reserves as calculated for the report.

The writer appreciates the cooperation of the 

members of the Ohio Geological Survey, particularly 

William H. Smith, chief of the Coal Resources section, 

who gave freely of his personal knowledge of the Pittsburgh coal bed; and Russell A. Brant, J. A. Fagerstrom, 

and Russell Lehmann, who compiled the map of the minedout areas. Most of the 63 coal sections taken from the 

files of the Ohio Geological Survey were measured by 

Wilbur Stout,1 former chief of the Ohio Geological Survey. Acknowledgement is hereby extended to Mr. Stout 

and others for the use of data collected by them. Thanks 

are also due to the officers and representatives of the 

various coal companies in Belmont County for permitting the collecting of data from their mines and for the 

use of mine maps. Without their aid, preparation of 

this report would have been severely hampered.

Many individuals kindly contributed data which 

materially assisted in preparing this report.

SUMMARY OF RESERVES

The original reserves of coal in the Pittsburgh 

bed in Belmont County totaled 2, 756 million tons, of 

which 1, 335 million tons is classified as measured 

and 1, 421 million tons as indicated (table 2). Included 

in the 1, 335 million tons of measured coal is 827 million tons of coal mined out and lost in mining, leaving 

remaining reserves of 508 million tons as of January 1, 

1953.

Remaining measured reserves of 508 million tons 

plus the indicated reserves of 1, 421 million tons give 

total remaining reserves of 1, 929 million tons as of 

January 1, 1953.

METHODS OF PREPARING ESTIMATES OF RESERVES

Any estimate of the coal reserves of an area must 

be based on assumptions as to thickness, area! extent, 

correlation of the coal beds, and weight of the coals.

1 Stout, Wilbur, The Monongahela Series in eastern Ohio: Ohio Geol. 

Survey Open File Report No. 1., 1953.
Table 1 - Classification of coals by rank*

Legend: F.C. - Fixed Carbon. V.M. - Volatile Matter. Btu. = British thermal units.

Class Group

Limits of Fixed Carbon or

Btu. Mineral-Matter-Free

Basis

Requisite Physical 

Properties

I. Anthracitic

1. Meta-anthracite.

2. Anthracite.

3. Semianthracite.

Dry F.C.. 98 per cent or more 

(Dry V.M., 2 per cent or 

less)

Dry F.C., 92 per cent or more 

and less than 98 per cent 

(Dry V.M., 8 per cent or less 

and more than 2 per cent)

Dry F.C., 86 per cent or more 

and less than 92 per cent 

(Dry V.M., 14 per cent or 

less and more than 8 per 

cent)

Nonagglomera ting t

II. Bituminous4

1. Low volatile bituminous coal....

2. Medium volatile bituminous coal

3. High volatile A bituminous coal

4. High volatile B bituminous coal.

5. High volatile C bituminous coal.

Dry F.C., 78 per cent or more 

and less than 86 per cent 

(Dry V.M., 22 per cent or 

less and more than 14 per 

cent)

Dry F.C., 69 per cent or more 

and less than 78 per cent 

(Dry V.M., 31 per cent or 

less and more than 22 per 

cent)

Dry F.C., less than 69 per cent 

(Dry V.M., more than 31 per 

cent); and moistc Btu., 

14,000* or more

Moist6 Btu., 13,000 or more 

and less than 14,000*

Moist Btu., 11,000 or more 

and less than 13,000*

Either agglomerating or 

nonweathering-f

III. Subbituminous

1. Subbituminous A coal.

2. Subbituminous B coal.

3. Subbituminous C coal.

Moist Btu., 11,000 or more 

and less than 13,000*

Moist Btu., 9500 or more and 

less than 11.000* '

Moist Btu., 8300 or more and 

less than 9500*

Both weathering and 

nonagglomerating

IV. Lignitic 1. Lignite....

2. Brown coal.

Moist Btu., less than 8300 

Moist Btu., less than 8300

Consolidated 

Unconsolidated

0 This classification does not include a few coals which haveunusual physical and chemical properties and which come 

within the limits of fixed carbon or Btu. of the high-volatile bituminous and Subbituminous ranks. All of these coals 

either contain less than 48 per cent dry, mineral-matter-free fixed carbon or have more than 15,500 moist, mineral-matterfree Btu.

6 If agglomerating, classify in low-volatile group of the bituminous class.

e Moist Btu. refers to coal containing its natural bed moisture but not including visible water on the surface of the 

coal.

d It is recognized that there may be noncaking varieties in each group of the bituminous class.

' Coals having 69 per cent or more fixed carbon on the dry, mineral-matter-free basis shall be classified according to 

fixed carbon, regardless of Btu.

' There are three varieties of coal in the high-volatile C bituminous coal group, namely, Variety 1, agglomerating 

and nonweathering; Variety 2, agglomerating and weathering; Variety 3, nonagglomerating and nonweathering.
An estimate, therefore, is of value only to the extent 

that the definitions and procedures used in its preparation are explained and understood. In addition, 

estimates of coal reserves, in order to have maximum 

usefulness, must be arranged into categories based on 

the characteristics of the coal and on the abundance 

and reliability of the information used in preparing the 

estimate. The criteria used in preparing this report 

and the categories into which the estimate' is divided 

are described below.

Classification according to characteristics of the coal

Characteristics considered in calculating coal 

reserves are the rank of the coal, the thickness of beds, 

and the thickness of the overburden. The weight of the 

coal, an essential factor in computing tonnages, is 

largely a function of the rank and ash content.

Rank

American coals are ranked in accordance with 

the standard classification of the American Society for 

Testing Materials (reproduced as table 1). Most of the 

coal in the Pittsburgh bed in Belmont County is high 

volatile A bituminous in rank. At a few places in 

western Belmont County, the coal is high volatile 

B bituminous in rank.

Weight

The average weight of bituminous coal of low to 

medium ash content, as determined by many specific 

gravity determinations, is 1,800 tons per acre-foot 

(Averitt, Berryhill, and Taylor 1953). This weight 

has been used in calculating the reserves of coal in the 

Pittsburgh bed.

Thickness

In order to provide as much information as possible on the distribution of reserves, the estimates 

prepared by the U. S. Geological Survey are usually 

divided into three categories according to the thickness 

of the coal. These categories are termed "thin, " 

"intermediate," and "thick." Coal classified as thin 

is 14 to 28 in thick; coal classified as intermediate is 

28 to 42 in thick; and coal classified as thick is more 

than 42 in thick. These thickness categories are based 

primarily on the following mining practices: 14 in is 

approximately the minimum thickness of coal mined 

by hand methods; 28 in is the minimum usually considered for machine mining and hand loading; and 42 in 

is the approximate minimum thickness required at 

present for completely mechanized mining. Results of 

this study show that throughout much of Belmont County, 

the Pittsburgh coal bed is either just a little more or 

less than 60 in thick. Therefore, another category 

was added in order to show the reserves of coal in the 

Pittsburgh bed in Belmont County more than 60 in thick.

Overburden

The usual procedure foUowed by the U. S. Geological survey in classifying reserves is to separate the 

coal into categories based on the depth of burial or

amount of overburden. The thicknesses of overburden 

considered are: surface to 1,000 ft, 1,000 to 2,000 ft, 

and 2,000 to 3,000 ft. Nowhere in Belmont County is 

the Pittsburgh coal buried as deeply as 1,000 ft. Indeed, 

the Pittsburgh coal bed can be mined by stripping methods 

throughout much of the western part of Belmont County.

Classification according to abundance and 

reliability of data

According to the abundance and reliability of data 

upon which the estimates are based, estimates of coal 

reserves prepared by the U. S. Geological Survey are 

divided into three categories termed "measured," 

"indicated," and "inferred."

Measured reserves

Measured reserves are those for which tonnage 

is computed from coal-bed thicknesses revealed in 

outcrops, trenches or prospect openings, mine workings, 

and drill holes. The points of observation are so closely 

spaced and the thickness and extent of the coal so well 

defined that the computed tonnage may be considered 

to be within 20 percent of the true tonnage. Although 

the spacing of points, of observation necessary to 

demonstrate continuity of coal varies in different regions 

according to the character of the coal beds, geologic 

structure conditions, and other factors, the points of 

observation are, in general, about half a mile apart.

Indicated reserves

Indicated reserves are those for which tonnage 

is computed partly from specific measurements and 

partly from projection of visible data for a reasonable 

distance on geologic evidence. In general, the points 

of observation are about 1 mile apart, but they may be 

as much as 1-1/2 miles apart in beds of known geologic 

continuity.

Inferred reserves

Inferred reserves are those for which quantitative 

estimates are based on a broad knowledge of the character 

of the bed or region and for which there are few, if any, 

measurements. The estimates are based on an assumed 

continuity for which there is good geologic evidence. 

In general, inferred coal lies more than 2 miles from 

points of observed thickness. The many data on the 

Pittsburgh coal bed in Belmont County clearly show the 

continuity and uniformity of thickness of the coal. 

Therefore, none of the reserves of coal in the Pittsburgh 

bed in Belmont County are classed as inferred.

Distinction between original, remaining, and recoverable reserves" 

Coal reserves are further classified as original, 

remaining, and recoverable. Original reserves are 

the reserves in the ground before the beginning of mining 

operations.

Remaining reserves are the reserves in the 

ground as of the date of appraisal, and for large areas 

such as States, these figures are usually obtained by
Table 2. Estimated reserves of bituminous coal in the Pittsburgh bed1 in Belmont 

(in millions of short tons)

Township

IWTciQf^ ^^

Pultney 

Richland 

Smith 

Union 

Ynr»k ___________

Fteri t-.nf.nl _ __

Original measured reserves

In beds 

14 to 

28 in 

thick

In beds 

28 to 

42 in 

thick

15-79 

.43 

.57

.45

-\t^ oo

In beds 

42 to 

60 in 

thick

52.26 

5.48 

19.27

14.15 

6.62 

50.99 

78.96 

28.94

157.74

-^c^h. In

' In beds 

over 

60 in 

thick

157-20

1.45

160.94 

145.52 

145.81 

219.54

2.02

26.98 

 75

126.95

oAR ill

Total 

A

157-20 

46.05 

706 

19.84 

160.94 

145-52 

145.81 

255.69 

6.62 

50.99 

80.98 

28.94 

26.98 

1.18 

157.74 

126.95

1 "^li 7V

Original indicated reserves

In beds 

14 to 

28 in 

thick

4.19

ll.TQ

In beds 

28 to 

42 in 

thick

5.70 

4.75 

4.50

6.24

14.86

 *li ry*

In beds 

42 to 

60 in 

thick

55-72 

67.47 

69.52

5.80 

124.06 

45.72 

109.45 

124.50

63.29 

15.85

£ce *£

In beds . 

over 

60 in 

thick

120.72

50.17

100.16

158.76

194.55 

112.66

51.15

Tyj QC;

Total 

B

57-42 

192.92 

74.02 

50.17

105.96 

154.49 

182.48 

109.45 

124.50 

194.35 

190.81

15.85 

51.15

i ko~\ c^-z,

o

r

Within eachofthe thickness categories shown

on the map (fig. 1),a weighted average thickness forthe coalwas obtained byusing allmeasurements fromoutcrops, mine anddrill holes. Thefigures used are the actual thicknesses ofcoalminus partings,

The exposures of thePitsburgh coal bed were 

located inthfield byplanetable andalidade, sur- veying altimeter, or hand leveland tape;the lo-cations were plotted on topographic maps covering Belmont County. Thelateral extent ofthecoal was determined bytheoutcrop and drill-hole minedata. Awork map was prepared fromthe topographic maps. All measured sections, drillholes, mineinformation, andother data pertinent tohe bedwere 

plotted on thework map, and outcrop of bedwas drawn. Isopach lineswere then drawn on the basis oftheplotted information, dividing coalin- to four categories according theprobable thickness: 14 to28in, 4260 and more than 60 in.Other lineswer drawn, dividing thebedinto measured andindicated categories on thebasis of

spacing ofthedata.

Methods ofrecording dataand makingcalculations

O <q

CD 4 

C3 O
except where the partings exceed half the total 

thickness of the coal bed. Where this occurs, 

the coal is not considered to be of commercial 

value and, therefore, is not included in the 

estimate.

The areas outlined on the map were measured with a planimeter to obtain the acreage 

underlain by coal in the different thickness and 

reliability categories. The tonnage was calculated 

by multiplying the number of acres by the weighted 

average thickness of the coal to the nearest tenth 

of a foot by 1,800 (the weight of bituminous coal 

in tons per acre-foot). The figures were then 

tabulated by townships and placed in categories 

according to thickness and reliability of information (table 2). For convenience in arranging the 

table, the tonnages are listed in millions of short 

tons.

COMPARISON OF PAST AND PRESENT ESTIMATES

Two previous estimates of the coal reserves 

in the Pittsburgh bed in Belmont County have been 

made. Clark (1917) estimated that the original 

reserves of coal in the Pittsburgh bed in Belmont 

County totaled 2,690,000,000 tons. In preparing 

his estimate, Clark used 59 inches as the average 

thickness for the bed, and he assumed that 475 square 

miles in Belmont County was underlain by the Pittsburgh 

coal bed.

Ray (1927) estimated that the original reserves of the Pittsburgh coal bed in Belmont County totaled 2,191,200,000 tons. For his estimate, 

Ray used an average thickness of 66 inches for 

the bed and assumed that 415 square miles in the 

county was underlain by the Pittsburgh coal bed. 

Ray excluded all coal less than 32 inches thick 

and used an assumed weight of 1,500 tons per 

acre-foot for the coal. This weight is very low 

for bituminous coal in the ground.

In the field study made preliminary to the 

preparation of this report, 491 square miles in 

Belmont County was found to be underlain by 

Pittsburgh coal having a thickness greater than 

14 inches. Instead of assuming an overall average thickness, as was done in preparing past estimates, 

four different thickness categories, and a number 

of additional categories were employed as previously discussed to increase the accuracy of the 

work. The present estimate of original reserves 

is larger than either of the two previous estimates. Clark's estimate was smaller primarily 

because he assumed a smaller area underlain 

by the Pittsburgh coal bed. Ray's estimate is 

smaller for two reasons: he assumed a smaller 

area underlain by the Pittsburgh coal bed, and 

he assumed a weight of only 1,500 tons per 

acre-foot for the coal.

LOCATION OF BELMONT COUNTY

Belmont County is on the eastern edge of 

Ohio midway between the northern and southern 

boundaries of the State and comprises a rectangular area of 535 square miles distributed over

sixteen townships (fig. 2). The greatest linear 

dimensions of the county are 27.65 miles from 

east to west along the northern boundary of the 

county, and 21.15 miles from north to south at 

a point midway between the east and west boundaries.

The County is bounded on the east by the 

Ohio River, which separates it from West Virginia, 

on the west by Guernsey and Noble Counties, on 

the north by Harrison and Jefferson Counties, and 

on the south by Monroe County (fig. 3).

TOPOGRAPHY AND DRAINAGE

Belmont County is in the Kanawha section 

of the Appalachian Plateaus physiographic province 

(Fenneman, 1938). The surface of the county is 

hilly and consists of broad, rounded ridges and 

V-shaped valleys. The valleys are deep and 

narrow along the Ohio River and its tributaries, 

but become shallower headward near the drainage 

divides. Slopes that are steep and precipitous 

along the main streams become gentle and rounded 

in the divide areas.

The streams of Belmont County are a part 

of the Ohio River drainage system. The eastern 

three-fourths of the county is drained mainly by 

Wheeling, McMahon, and Captina Creeks which 

flow eastward into the Ohio River. The drainage of the western fourth of the county follows 

a circuitous route west and northwestward along 

Stillwater Creek and the tributaries of Wills Creek 

into the drainage systems of the Tuscarawas and 

Muskingum Rivers before entering the Ohio River. 

The streams flowing east are separated from those 

flowing west and northwest by a divide which follows a sinuous course across the western part of 

the county (fig. 3).

TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES

A well-developed network of Federal, State, 

and county highways makes all parts of Belmont County accessible by motor vehicles. Rail 

outlet to most of the northern half of Belmont 

County and to all of the eastern part of the 

county along the Ohio River is afforded by the 

lines of three railroads: Baltimore and Ohio, 

Pennsylvania, and New York, Chicago, and 

St. Louis (Nickel Plate Road). Water transportation is possible on the Ohio River, which flows 

along the eastern edge of the county.

SETTLEMENT AND INDUSTRY

In 1950, Belmont County had 87,740 inhabitants. Density of population is greatest in 

the Ohio River valley along the eastern edge of 

the county. The principal towns in the county 

are Martins Ferry, Bellaire, Barnesville, Bridgeport, Shadyside, and St. Clairsville, the county 

seat.

The economy of Belmont County is based principally on agriculture, coal mining, and manufacturing. Agriculture is fte leading activity in terms
MICHIGAN

'HEELING

Area of coal bearing 

rocks in Ohio

10 0 50 Miles 

l I I I i I I

Figure 2. Index map of Ohio showing the location of Belmont County and the area of coal-bearing rocks.
8I°00'

40°00' 40°00'

8I°00'

Figure 3.-Index map of Belmont County, Ohio, showing the location of main towns, streams, and railroads.

of numbers of persons engaged; but coal mining, 

in terms of income from sales, exceeds both 

manufacturing and agriculture combined.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PITTSBURGH COAL BED 

IN BELMONT COUNTY

Area! extent

The Pittsburgh coal bed crops out along the valleys of Stillwater Creek and the tributaries of Wills Creek 

in the western part of Belmont County. It is above drainage along Wheeling Creek from the northwest corner of 

Wheeling Township to the Ohio River and along 

McMahon Creek from southeastern Richland Township 

to the Ohio River. It is exposed along the Ohio River 

from the northeast corner of Pease Township to the 

northeast corner of Mead Township where it dips below 

the level of the Ohio River. A slight doming of the 

rocks brings the coal bed above drainage for .a short 

distance along Captina Creek in central York Township.

Stratigraphy

The Pittsburgh coal bed was originally 

named and described by H. D. Rogers in 1839 

from its exposures at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

In Belmont County, the Pittsburgh coal bed was 

locally known as the Bellaire coal bed along the 

Ohio River and as the Lower Barnesville coal 

bed in the southwestern part of the County until 

1878 when John J. Stevenson (1878) correctly 

correlated it with the Pittsburgh coal bed of 

Pennsylvania. The name has been in use by 

the Ohio Geological Survey since that time.

The Pittsburgh coal bed is the basal unit 

of the Monongahela formation of Pennsylvania 

age. The Monongahela formation consists of 

sandstone, siltstone, shale, clay, limestone, 

and coal and ranges from 230 to 260 feet in 

thickness in Belmont County. It overlies the 

Conemaugh formation of Pennsylvanian age and 

is overlain by strata of Permian age.

Regional structure

The strata comprising the Monongahela formation lie nearly flat. They dip to the southeast at an average of 18 feet per mile. Locally, 

however, the dip increases to as much as 70 feet 

per mile, where small flexures or rolls cause 

slight variations in the regional southeast dip. 

The base of the Pittsburgh coal bed is 1,220 feet 

above sea level near the northwest corner of
BELMONTCO. 4

2'n 1

EXPLANATION

Coal

Siltstone Limestone

Figure 4. Diagrammatic sections showing the character of the Pittsburgh coal bed in Belmont 

County, Ohio.

Belmont County in sec. 31, Flushing Township. 

In sec. 7, York Township, 37 miles to the southeast, the base of the Pittsburgh bed is 545 feet 

above sea level at the bottom of the slope to the 

Powhatan No. Imine.

Thickness

Uniformity in thickness and regularity in occurrence of certain partings characterize the Pittsburgh 

coal bed over most of Belmont County (fig. 4). In the 

eastern two-thirds of the county, the bed averages 

60 to 64 in. in thickness, with only a few local variations. In northeastern Washington Township the bed 

is more than 72 in thick and is reported by mine 

operators to be 84 in thick in a narrow belt trending 

northeastward through Pultney and Pease Townships. 

At a few localities, mainly along Wheeling Creek in 

Wheeling and Colerain Townships, the bed is slightly 

less than 60 in thick.

In the western third of Belmont County, however, 

the Pittsburgh coal bed is more variable in thickness, 

ranging from 8 to 60 in. The part of the bed shown on 

figure 1 in the 42- to 60-in thickness category was 

found to average about 50 in. in thickness, and that 

part in the 28- to 42-in thickness category was found 

to average 38 in. Core-hole drillings in southwestern 

Goshen and northwestern Wayne Townships indicate 

an area of coal less than 42 in thick. In the southwest 

corner of Belmont County in Somerset Township, the 

bed thins abruptly from 42 to less than 12 in. This is 

the only area in Belmont County where the Pittsburgh 

coal bed is too thin to be mined.

The above thicknesses do not include the upper 

bench, or "roof coal," of the Pittsburgh coal bed.

Character

Generally, there are three to five clay stone, 

bone, or pyrite partings present in the Pittsburgh coal 

bed (fig. 4). In the eastern three-fourths of the county, 

the most extensive parting is a clay stone commonly 

termed "draw slate" by miners. This parting, which 

ranges from a few inches to as much as 3 feet in thickness, separates the bed into two benches. In a few 

isolated localities the parting is absent. The two 

benches of the Pittsburgh coal bed are dissimilar in 

character. The lower of the two benches forms the 

main part of the bed and contains all of the mineable 

coal. The reserve tonnages and bed thicknesses in this 

report are based entirely on the lower bench. The 

upper bench of the Pittsburgh coal bed is usually thin, 

variable in thickness, and poor in quality.

At most places the lower bench of the bed contains 

two or three thin partings of clay stone, pyrite, and 

bone which are remarkable for their regularity of occurrence. Two of these partings, which are usually 

spaced from 2-1/2 to 6 in apart, are almost always 

present near the center of the lower bench of the bed 

(fig. 4, no. 2). They are usually from 1/2to 1-3/4 in 

thick and consist of carbonaceous claystone impregnated 

with pyrite (Fe32 ). In some places, the lower of the 

two closely spaced partings is a paper-thin layer of 

pyrite. The two partings locally consist of bone or 

impure coal. A third parting is often found from 12 to 

18 inches above the base of the lower bench. The third 

parting is generally a pyrite layer ranging from 1/8 to 

3/4 in. in thickness. In a few places, a zone of pyrite 

discs as much as 18 in. in diameter and 6 in thick are 

found at the position of the third parting. Occasionally, 

a 1/4- to 1/2-in bone layer is present about 12 in below 

the top of the lower bench.
In addition to the extensive partings, "clay veins" 

are present in the lower bench of the Pittsburgh coal 

bed. Clay veins occur where the clay stone separating 

the Pittsburgh coal bed into benches thickens downward 

and takes the place of the upper part of the lower bench. 

Locally the entire lower bench is replaced. The clay 

veins range from a few feet to a few tens of feet in width. 

Their presence may be a result of differential settling 

or they may indicate the position of stream channels 

which traversed the coal swamp during the period of 

plant accumulation. Many of the clay veins are fillings 

of vertical cracks in the coal bed. The lower bench 

of the Pittsburgh coal bed is underlain by impure clay 

stone which grades to a plastic clay at some places.

In the past when hand cutting tools were used, the 

following terminology, based on the partings just described, was applied to the Pittsburgh coal bed:

Upper bench

Lower bench

roof coal

draw slate

breast coal

parting

bearing-in-coal

parting

brick coal

parting

bottom coal

The upper bench of the Pittsburgh coal bed is 

usually 14 to 18 in thick but ranges from a fraction 

of an inch to 30 in. in thickness. Several irregular 

clay and shale partings ranging from a fraction of an 

inch to several inches in thickness are commonly present. The upper bench of the Pittsburgh coal bed is 

absent in the western fourth of Belmont County.

Roof rock,

Clay stone several feet thick overlain by argillaceous limestone forms the roof of the Pittsburgh coal 

bed throughout the eastern two-thirds of Belmont County. 

The clay stone, which softens very quickly upon exposure to air, is a poor roof material. At most places 

the upper bench of the Pittsburgh bed is left in place as 

the roof support; hence its common designation as the 

Pittsburgh "roof coal. " At some places, the upper 

bench of the coal bed is absent, which increases both 

the hazard and expense of mining.

Clay, sandstone, and shaly siltstone overlie the 

Pittsburgh coal bed in the western third of the county. 

The upper bench is absent, and the overlying rock lies 

directly on the lower bench. Li most places, the coal 

is overlain by a few inches to several feet of soft shaly 

clay or shaly siltstone, which is in turn overlain by 

more massive siltstone or sandstone. In the western 

part of the county sandstone cuts out all of the upper 

bench of the Pittsburgh coal bed and in places also cuts 

into the lower bench. Where the sandstone replaces a 

part of or all of the lower bench, it forms what miners 

call "horsebacks" or "faults."

In strip mining, the clay and limestone overburden 

is easier to remove than the sandstone, which locally 

forms a massive stratum as thick as 30 feet.

Coal from the Pittsburgh bed is high volatile A 

bituminous in rank throughout most of Belmont County. 

There is some variation in rank, however, from east 

to west across the county, the coal from the east being 

slightly higher in British thermal units, or heating 

value, and slightly lower in ash content. Some of the 

coal in western Belmont County is high volatile B 

bituminous in rank. The average "as-received" value 

for the Pittsburgh coal bed in eastern Belmont County, 

based on 17 analyses, is 13,081 Btu. The average 

"as-received" value for the coal in western Belmont 

County, based on 12 analyses, is 12, 659 Btu.

The following analyses represent the typical 

chemical characteristics of the Pittsburgh coal bed in 

the eastern and western parts of the county:

Analysis from the D. E. Mclntyre mine, SE 1/4, 

sec. 21, York Township (Bownocker and Dean, 1930, 

p. 221-222):

Proximate analysis

Btu 

As received

3.11

1H. 81

lv7.7lv

7 ^k

100.00

3.^5

13A52

Moisture 

free

0.00

^3.15

1^9.28

7-57

100.00

3.56

13,57^

Analysis by the U. S. Bureau of Mines of a sample 

from the H. E. Tickhill mine, NW 1/4, sec. 20, Warren 

Township:

Proximate analysis

Ash 

Btu 

As received

2.50 ia. 20

t?'.7u

10. IK)

100.00 

^.60

12,950

Moisture 

free

0.00

1^2.30

it7 nn 10.70

100.00

IK 70

13,280

History of mining

Exposures of the Pittsburgh coal bed are so 

numerous throughout Belmont County that its presence 

doubtlessly was known to the earliest settlers. Early 

mining was confined to small openings and stripping 

operations along the coal outcrops and was carried on 

mainly by local land owners who dug the coal for home 

use.

Coal from the Pittsburgh bed was first shipped 

out of Belmont County about 1830, when an underground 

mine was opened by John Fink on the south bank of
0 10 Miles

_J

Figure 5. Outline map of Belmont County, Ohio, which shows by line pattern the generalized areas in which the Pittsburg
McMahon Creek at Bellaire (Winegerter 1912). Between 

1835 and 1840, other mines were opened in the vicinity 

of Bellaire by Heatherington, O'Neil, Lake, and others; 

and by 1845, river shipment of coal had become an 

active enterprise (Bownocker, 1908).

The first railroad mine in the county opened on 

McMahon Creek one mile west of Bellaire about 1858. 

About 10 years later another railroad mine was opened 

at Franklin Station, 8 miles west of Bellaire (Bownocker, 1908).

Completion of the Cleveland, Lorain, and Wheeling 

Railroad in 1876, and extension of this railroad to 

Bellaire and Martins Ferry in 1888 opened all of northeastern Belmont County to direct rail connections with 

lake ports and markets to the northwest. Consequently, 

mining of the Pittsburgh coal bed in the Wheeling Creek 

field developed rapidly. The Cleveland, Lorain, and 

Wheeling Railroad is now a part of the Baltimore and 

Ohio Railroad.

By 1888, the Pittsburgh coal bed was mined for 

locomotive fuel along Leatherwood Creek southwest of 

Barnesville. The Captina mine, located on Captina 

Creek three-fourths of a mile east of Armstrong Mills, 

produced coal from the Pittsburgh bed for shipment 

along the narrow gauge Bellaire, Zanesville, and 

Columbus Railroad, later called the Ohio River and 

Western Railroad. This railroad is now abandoned.

Mining of the Pittsburgh coal bed increased 

steadily after 1888, and by 1905 Belmont was the 

leading coal-producing county in Ohio. With the exception of 1914, it has maintained first place in Ohio 

coal production.

Mining activity in the Pittsburgh bed has been 

concentrated mainly in eastern Belmont County. As a 

result, the Pittsburgh coal bed is largely mined out in 

this area (fig. 5). Considering the county as a whole, 

however, it is noteworthy that even though commercial 

mining of the Pittsburgh coal bed began more than 

100 years ago, 1,929 million tons or 68 percent of the 

original reserves of the bed still remain to be mined. 

Most of the remaining coal is present in the southwestern 

half of the county where comparatively little mining 

has been done. In addition, blocks of unmined coal still 

remain within the mined-outarea shown onfigure 5.

Total reported production from the Pittsburgh 

coal bed in Belmont County to January 1, 1953, was 

326,548,799 tons.

Before World War II, Practically all of the coal 

from the Pittsburgh bed was removed by underground 

mining methods; strip mining, the digging of coal by 

first removing the overburden, was confined to very 

small operations. Since World War II, however, strip 

mining has increased yearly. With large acreages of

strippable coal present in the northern and western 

parts of the county, removal of the coal from the 

Pittsburgh bed by stripping methods doubtlessly will 

continue at an increased rate.

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Averitt, Paul, Berryhill, L. R., and Taylor, D. A.,

1953, Coal resources of the United States A progress

report: Oct. 1, 1953, U. S. Geol. Survey Circ. 293. 

Bownocker, J. A., 1908, Coals of the Monongahela

formation of upper productive coal measures: Ohio

Geol. Survey,'4th ser., Bull. 9, p. 13-43. 

Bownocker v J. A., and Dean, E. S., 1930, Analyses

of the coals of Ohio: Ohio Geol. Survey, 4th ser.,

Bull 34, p. 204-224. 

Brown, C. N., 1888, The Pittsburgh coal seam in

Jefferson, Belmont and Guernsey Counties, in Report

of the Geol. Survey of Ohio, v. 6, Economic

geology, p. 605-623. 

Clark, F. R., 1917, Original coal content of the

fields, in Bownocker, J. A., The coal fields of Ohio:

U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 100, p. 88-96.

(Reprinted, 1929.) 

Condit, D. D., 1912, Conemaugh formation in Ohio:

Ohio Geol. Survey, 4th ser., Bull. 17. 

_______1923, Economic geology of the Summerfield

and Woodsfield quadrangles, Ohio: U. S. Geol.

Survey Bull. 720. 

Eavenson, H. N., 1942, The first century and a quarter

of American coal industry, Pittsburgh, privately

printed. 

Fenneman, N. M., 1938, Physiography of the eastern

United States, p. 279, New York, McGraw-Hill

Book Co. 

Fieldner, A. D., Campbell, M. R., Cooper, H. M.,

and others, 1923, Analyses of Ohio coals: U. S.

Bureau Mines Tech. Paper 344. 

Fieldner, A. C., Taylor, D. A., Toenges, A. L., and

others, 1952, Analyses of Ohio coals: U. S. Bureau

Mines Bull. 499. 

Koenig, R. P., 1950, Economics and technique of strip

coal mining in coal and metal mining: Colorado

School of Mines Quart., v. 45, no, 2B, p. 27-39. 

Ray, F. A., 1929, The Ohio coal supply and its

exhaustion, in_ Bownocker, J. A., and Dean, E. S.,

Analyses of the coal of Ohio: Ohio Geol. Survey,

4th ser., Bull 34, p. 329-341. 

Rogers, H. D., 1839, Third annual report on the

geological exploration of the state of Pennsylvania. 

Stauffer, C. R., and Schroyer, C. R., 1920, The

Dunkard series of Ohio: Ohio Geol. Survey 4th ser.,

Bull. 22. 

Stevenson, J. J., 1878, Geology of Belmont County,

in Report of the Geol. Survey of Ohio, v. 3, Geology

and paleontology, pt. 1, Geology. 

Winegerter, C. A., 1912, History of greater Wheeling

and vicinity, p. 352-353, Chicago and New York,

Lewis Publishing Co.

11 INT.-DUP. SEC., BASH., D.C. 80 863