Monongalia mirror. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1855, 1853-07-16
For he Mirror.
GEOLOGY Of WESTERN YERGlNlA'
NO. l.
or he lError.

tating the carriage by means OF kn'Iroaus,
Canals, improvement of Rivers &c'' o""
by frs, opening u7 all the natural reson''
ces, which may give us better ability 10
direct our Improvements properly nave
thought it might be well, through your
widely circulating paper, 10 pa'ticu'a'lzc
On wha, has been correctly said respect
ing the mineral resources and the general
geology Of the Valley Of the MonongaleIa
first, and then carry out our views lit
tie further. While engaged in the geo
logical survey Of Virginia more particu-
larly examined this valley and tho aa-
joining mountains.
I Twill first give general view of this
great western coal field, CT basin, be sec
,ions, which will enable US better TO un.
dcrs,anl tho subject. The centre Of this
great coal field or basin is about the mouth
of Big Mill Creek, Jackson county, Va,
OIL the Ohio river. In this field there ore
contained abou, thirteen coal beds, or
strata, Of various sizes, all Of which ore
beneath the bed Of The Ohio river at the
mouth Of Big Mill Creek F.; and the first
stratum under all the coal beds is that
noted heavy bed Of ccng!omcEa'e sand.
rock that crops and saddles the Laurel
Hill. Those coal beds are separated into
two groups by heavy bed Of sand rock !;
the lower group containing one large
working seam and several small Ones
This great bed Of conglomcn,c sand rock
tina, lies under all tho coal-bcds, is be.
tween twelve and fourteen hundred feet
under the bed Of the Ohio river OF the
centre Of the basin. IN South Eastern
direction from the centre Of the basin, the
stratum has considerable incline, form
ing small rolls and basins alternately crop.
ping on, and dipping in, and finally crop
ping on until many thousand feet OF tho
ores, is thrown up in succession before
we reach the Eastern shore. The last Of
our greet conglomera,e rock, with the
coal, is thrown on, a, the Fast side Of the
Cumberland basin.
1t is the usual mode Of making ont geo.
logical sketches, to begin at the bottom
and work up, by numbering the strata as
we ascend; bu, think in this case can
give moro satisfactory view By begin
ming at the top strata and working down,
as the strata develop themselves as they
crop in their asccut Eastward.
We will now' commence our survey, and
take up The principal strata ms they come
up: setting our first stake at the mouth oil
Mill Creek aforesaid, and ascending tho
Ohio river, we find the first and top work
ing bed Of coal ascending from under tho
river, about the Flats Of Grave Creek, and
is worked all tho way along the River up
to Pittsburg. There we find it some 2oO
fec, above the river, while tho two larger
beds Of the upper group arc some distance
under the river. The greu; cong'omeralc
rock being about eleven hundred feet
under Pi.tsburg. Ascending the Monon
gahela to Brownsville, we find the stratum
dipping Eastward till the coal comes down
10 tho river. Brownsville is situated a.
bout the centre Of considerable basin,
while Pit,sburg is situated rather on the
East side Of large broad roll, which will
place the great conglomcrate rock about
$50 feet lower under Brownsville than al
pirsburg. We will continue our meon'
dering excursion up the River. We find
this upper seam Of coal running with the
River. Some distance above Mlllsboto
we find i, rising considerably in the hill,
and leaving the River and cropping ncros:
Fayct,e county, Pa, in North East di'
rcciion; and leaving the River some dis
lance and cropping across through Greene
county, Pa, and Nlonongalia county, Va.
crops near the river at Jimtown; cropping
ucrOss the country to the Big Bend, a shor
distance above NIorgantown.
We will now step back and take W
tho first appearance Of the two large
working beds Of coal Of the upper group
as they rise from under tho bed Of the ri
yer some miles below Geneva & Green's
boro. The lower one, being the muil
seam, there are about 20 feet between !
and the next one above it: while the up
per seam, which is tho Pitisburs ant
Brownsville seam, is some $50 feet above
We sec those two under seams spreading
through the country ENTHUSIASTICALLY; ant
from s 10 l2 feet under this min bed o
coal VIC find rich bed Of Iron Ore, from
which there has been so much taken il
Faycltc county, Pa, and Of which Mr.. IL
Oliphant is now, and has been for mum
Der Of years, working altogether at hi
extensive Works, making tho best iron
Without particulurizins, suffice il to say
that this noted bed of rich orc runs palui
lei with this main bed Of coal, meundcr