Monongalia mirror. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1855, 1853-02-26
Fur he 1lOaOasalia Mirror.
Mineral Wealth of The MonOngahela
Valley.

rs the reason SOIIC VI "u'
removing from our country 10 '"e
wcstl Do they expect ,oIi"l bet,
ter country country richer III "n
the elements of wealth. II So l
think they will be mistaken, With
out enumeraring all the valuable pro-
perties aud elements of our glorious
"Monongahcla Valley" | will notice
in this article, only a few OF the most
important minerals.
Do any Of those who, dissatisfied
with our country, are cmlgralIng 10
the West, know that they arc leaving
the richest mineral region in the world!
leaving the materials OF more'suo'
s,antial and enduring wealth than IS
afforded by the best "sold digglngs
in California Doyour readers know
that there has been geological sur
vey of our Valley, by one of the most
scientific and competent gentlemen IN
the United States, William B. Rogers,
late Professor of Natural Philosophy
in the University of Virginia.
Allow me to offer to your readers
a few extracts from that gentleman's
Report Of the Geological Survey OF
Virginia fer the year lS4o. On pages
s6-s7 of that Report, under the cap
ton
"UrpEG Coal GRoup," find the
following interesting information:
Coal-main scam Of tic Upper
Group,-consilered in regard to its
thickness, and the quality of the coal,
as well as the extensive area over
which it is found, and the facility with
which it can be mined and conveyed
to market, this is unques'ionably the
most valuable seam in the coal mea-
sures, either in Nrgiaia or Penasyl-
rania. BY careful tracings conducted
in both States, this seam, extensively
exposed in the Walley, Of the Monon-
gahela, from poin. some distance a.
bove ClarksJsrg, tothe State Line,
has been shown to be identical with
that which is SO largely developed in
the Northern part of the same Valley
in its prolongation in Pennsylvania,
and which is disclosed SO extensively
in The vicinity of Pizsburg. . y
The most eastern out.cross of this
scam is about a mile and a half South.
eastward of Morgantown, where 1t
lies ut height of between four and
FIVE hundred feet above the Mononga-
hela River. Dipping very gently to-
ward the North West, its height at
Morgaatowa is about 400 feet, and at
the mouth of Scott's Run, three miles
further North West, is reduced to a.
bout ITO feet, making an inclination
of about rs feet TO the mile.
shear Morgantown the thickness
Of the scam varies from 81 TO s feet.
Between this place and the mouth of
SCOTS Run, the hills on the East side
have not sufficient height to include
the coal, but those OH the opposite
side contain il at Granville, where it
has been opened, as well as at other
points.
cat Boycrs' mine, near the mouth
of SCOTS run, the main coal Of this
seam attains the great expansion OF
nine and a huff feet, aud is accompa-
MED by other layers, as exhibited in
the following measured section in the
ascending order:
ist. Main coal stem, Q feet 6 inches,
Cd, Black bituminous shade, foot,
Sd, Coal, tolerably good, foot,
4 h, Blush shulc, foot . 'ncilcs'
5th, Coal, . Inches,
9th, Thin land Of btuminous shulc.
The limits of this article will not
allow many extracts as long as this
but cannot forhear to make the fol-
lowing. After nvlicing and describ-
ing the various strata Of coal and
limestone, disclosed in This section OF
his survey, professor Rogers makes
the following most interesting sum.
mary:
"From what has already been sta
ted in regard to the mutability of the
strata, as prolonged from place I"
place, the above scc,fnn cannot he
looked upon as indicating exactly the
thickness and character Of tho differ
,,,;,,,1 COO