The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-02-28

Probabilities Of Coal I'm Mlnnssota.
from Communication by JAMES W. TAYLOR, ESQ.,, Of
81. Paul. in the ss Pew Advertiser q NbrsTy si.l
Labrador and the basin of Hudson's Bay,
are an immense developement of primary
rocks East Of the great lakes, this granite
district extends into New England and Nor
thern New York, but thence southwardly,
we find an ascending series of sedimentary
rocks, the various sections of silurian and
carboniforous formation, until in Pennsylva-
MIA, not far below its northern boundary, we
reach the Allegheny coal field, Of which Ohio,
Kentucky. and even Illinois and Iowa are an
extension. II al. g" '"' ''''''
/ In similar manner the primitive forma-
| ton of Minnesota, spurs; enthusiastically
| from the Labrador region; and although bro
ken and tossed in its course by the volcanic
upheavel and mineral infusons of Lake Supe-
! rior. we can trace its belt of granite across
the Mississippi above St. Anthony Falls, on
the Upper Minnesota, near Fort Ridgley and
the Sioux Agency, and it is also apparent at
the Pipe Stone Quarry and the Falls of the
Sioux river. Thence, with a general direc-
ton of south east, the bluffs of the Mime
sofa and Mississippi reveal the silurian strata
of New York, and after passing into Illinois
and Iowa, we reach the carboniferous forma-
ton which sustains the coal measures. The
analogy to the geological interval between
the granite peaks of the Adirondack in Nor
thern New York, and the coal bed of the
Allegheny range, has been satisfactorily es-
tablshed by the survey of Owen, nor is the
distance greater--about 200 miles on an air
line in each case.
Let US push our geological analoges in
other directions. The primitive formation
of Minnesota has already been ascertained
to descend southwest from the basin of Hud-
sons Bay in the form Of a wedge, disappear
ing at the Falls of the Sioux in latitude 49,
30. How is it north and west? South and
east, we have risen to the chambers of coal,
on longitudinal line of not more than 200
miles from st. Anthony's Falls; and
would be reasonable to expect a similar de-
velopement in an opposite direction. Such
is the fact In the direction of Ottor Tail
Lake, and on the upper rapids of the Red riv-
er of the North, Prof undiscovered ledg-
es of limestone in place, containing fossils
which he identified with the Lower Silurian
rocks of New York and the magnetism lime
stone of the Mississippi bluffs near ST. Paul;
while below Pembina, other limestone rocks
revealed fossils of still later epoch, two de-
grees higher in the scale of Owen than the
limestone lodges at ST. Paul. "About twen-
ty miles below north of the mouth of the
Assiniboin, near Lower Foit Garry" Ow-
en- informs us, ga considerable amount O.
rock has been quarred, containing fossils
identically the same which occur in the low
er part of F. 3 in Wisconsin and Iowa 1.-THE
bluffs at the mouth of the Minnesota are F.
l on the Professors SCALE in the blue lime
cfOna IF Ind Oh;o
nessee, and also in the Lower Silurian of Eu-
rope. The Coscinopora is precisely the same
as the coral whichis particularly character
istic of the lower beds of the Upper Magne-
sian Limestone Of Wisconsin" With these
at no distant point, of coal formation, be-
comes highly probable; and, indeed, it is now
well ascertained that the valley of the Sask-
atchewan, in the same northwest direction.
developes coal field of three hundred miles
in diameter 1t will not be surprising, Ell
Their, in view Of these geological observations,
II the alleged discovery of coal near the Lake
of the Woods, and south of the international
boundary, should be confirmed.
But how do these premises bear upon the
probability of coal in South western Mime
sota-in the Coteaux which embrace the ex-
IShuCU NduCy VI Tic CdIilcS river, described
in such glowing terms by Nicollet FL may
be asked. liz this wise. Let the reader
consider the geological facts, now conceded
by all explorers, that the valley of the upper
Minnesota at Fort Ridgley and Redwood, is
granitlc-a primary formation; and that the
ascending traveller ofthe Missouri river, finds
Its western bank in the same latitude, say
"A to 46e, of the cretaceous formation, the
latter being system Of rocks aJoce the coal
measures in the geological SERIES His first in
quiry will be for the Silurian and Carbonate |
rous strata, whose presence has been so in
variable in due succession, East and South
and North on this Continent. He would
confidently expect, as he progressed west
wardly between these points-the primary
and cretaceous formations find the inter-
mediate rocks. inclosing coal measures, and
l hesitate not to assert that their total alb
sence would be circumstance unprecedcnt-
ed in &c logical rhenomeua. All analogy
and discovery is against such an hypothesis.
My conclusion, therefore, is, that at va
rious points in the Corteau DIES Prairies or
the Coteau du Missouri, elevated as their
plateaux are abut $50 feet above the valley
OF the James, every probability points to
the existence of COAL and that such is the
fact, is avouched by the testimony of sever
al gentlemen who have explored the remote
region in question. With the organization
OF the Territory of Dakota, or an extension
OF the boundaries of the State of Minnesota
to the Missouri instead Of northward to the |
international boundary, unquestionably to-
biographical and geological survey will be I'M
dertaken and accomplished, which will dis
pei all doubt upon subject so vital to the |
future settlement of the valleys of the Sioux
and James rivers.
Wit and HumOr.