The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1858-02-06
The Coal Flelds of lilinOIs-..Dr. Nor.
woods Report.

We have before US the proof-sheets o.
pamphlet Of about one hundred pages OF
the Coal Fields of Illinois. 1t is u part ot
DIR. Norwood's Geological Report, and l.
published in advance by order Gov. BiSs.l
1t contains large amount of informs mation,
most OF IL conde sed III tabular form, which
viii prove highly acceptable to those who
desire to post themselves with regard 10 the
immense resources of our State Coal beds
are found III all the counties, as appears
from the accompanying map, above W i.!iam-
son, Pope and Hardin, with the exception
of narrow strip of country along the Mis-
sissippi as far north as Bureau, La Sale
and kankakee.
In refvreuce to the immense coal fields,
DIR. Norwood says:
Illinois is not one "great coal field" as
has been represented in maps and geological
reports made previous to the commence
ment of the State Geological Survey. While
it contains within its borders more coal
shan any other State in the Union, with,
perhaps, the exception Of Pennsylvania, the
coal does not rest in one great basin. So
far as the State survey has thrown any light
on the subject it has been found that the
rocks beneath the coal measures, instead of
showing nearly horizontal section from
east to west, as was formerly believed by
some of our geologSts, have been in reality
as much disturbed by internal commissions
as those of any volcanic district in the o..
States. The beds of the lower formations,
including the mountain limestone and mill
stone grit, are found, at various localities,
displaced and tilted up at every angle from
few degrees, 10 the vertical. These dis
placements are not coufned to any one sec
ton. They occur in every district, from
the northern limits of the coal beds, to the
southern border of the State. In the ire
gular valleys and basins formed by these
disturbances, our lower coal measures We're
formed. Subsequent to that period, the
then existing coal beds were displaced, and
eroded, forming new valleys and new basins
which have been filed with new deposits of
coal, and SO on up to the termination Of the
carboniferous epoch. An outline of these
basins and valleys, so far as ascertained,
will be given in the geological report. 1t
must, however, remain imperfect for years
to come, as every re-examination of "a coal
field develops new facts, which no reasoning
from previous data could have brought to
light.
The report contains a statement Of the
coal beds in each county, with an analysis
of the workable veins and their relative
value. Also the thickness of the different
strata of the adjoining rocks, with their ge-
illogical characteristics is carefully noticed.
The report contains a great amount Oh iin'
portant information, and We douot not II
will be found of much value in the d'nerent
sections of the State which have been the
subject of DIR. Norwoods Investigations. 1t
will also satisfy strangers that Illinois has
AN exbaustless supply Of coal, which, with
her acknowledged richness of soil, must
place her within the next decade, both an
ealrh and population, in the front rank of
the States Of the Union. Hence the infiu-
ence of the report, brief as it is, must prove
highly advantageous in promoting emigra-
tion to Illinois, and in bringing capital to
our State to develope her untold riches,
The pamphlet was printed at the Office oi