The Kansas herald of freedom., 1859-03-05

bottom formation.
No. 8. The high prairie formation con-
sists of, First, From one to four feet Of
rich black soil, suited to any of the crops
raised in this climate. 1t is improved very
much by subsoiling. Second, From three
to forty feet of clay, which usually con-
tains many minute seams and cracks,
which serve admirably for draining the
superintendent soil.
There are sometimes few feet of sand |
underlying the above.
The stratifcation of the preceding for
nations does not conform to each other,
or to the underlying strata.
No. 4. Is gray limestone, about eight
feet thick, tolerably pure; will make good
lime, and dresses well for building stone,
(when not too cherty) for which purpose
it can usually be obtained in large blocks.
This rock crops out on Pilot Knob, near
Leavenworth, and is the highest rock
on that eminence it is also the highest
rock on the high divide about twelve
miles south of Lawrence, and also of the
high prairie west of Lawrence. 1t crops
out in many places between the SacAgency
and Aurora.
No. 5. Consists of six feet of dark blue
shale, underlying the preceding rock.
No. 6. Is hard blue limestone from
six to forty feet in thickness; it is very
poor building stone, on account of the diff
ficulty in working it. 1t gives forth a
metallic sound, when a small piece is held
in the hand and struck with hammer.
1t will probably make good lime, but will
be hard to burn for that purpose. The
only fossil which l have seen in this rock
is small round bivalve, about three
fourths of an inch in diameter, and re-
sembling a cookie, somewhat, in shape.
This rock crops out in the same places as
No. 4. The we'll at Aurora is sunk into
it, about thirty-fve feet. I think that the
blue ebert, so common in the vicinity Of
Marysvllle, is formed by the disintegration
of this rock.
No. z. Consists of about fifteen feet OF
shale.
No. 8. The Dread limestone is the
principal building stone used in Lawrence;
it is a gray or buff colored limestone
, usually of light iron rust color, where
/ exposed to the weather. 1t is from six to
fifteen feet in thickness; some of the beds
f of this rock cut very well, but hardly as
, well as No. 4. The most of the lime
used at Lawrence is made from this lime.
stone. This rock contains great variety
, of fossil bivalves, univalves, and encrinites
/ The Dread limestone forms the highest
rock on mount Dread and the Blue Mound.
/ 1t crops out at Pilot Knob, and in most
places, where No. 4 and No. 6 crop out
/ about five miles west of Lawrence. This
rock is quite cherry and good for neither
lime or building stone.
: No. 9. Consists of from thirty to one
hundred feet of purple shale, indurated
clay, and hard blue shale. The purple
shale, after being disintegrated by the
action of the frost and ground, or washed
makes a very good article of paint
resembling the celebrated ''Ohio mineral
: fire proof paint" Large quantities Of il
can be obtained on the slopes of mount
t Dread and underlying No. 8 in most
places where it crops out.
No. 10. This is hard, ,,gray, impure
limestone, about three feet thick. Il
underlies the whole Of the city Of Law.
renee, cropping out along the levee. Mos
of the wells in Lawrence are sunk to thil
! rock, and some of them are sung through
it. This rock thins out towards the Neosho
! and also towards LeavenwoIth.
1t is neither valuable for lime or build
ing stone. The fossil contents of this arr
> nearly the same as No. 6.
No. IL. Is ferruginous sandstone, from
ten to fifty feet thick. It is found under
lying No. 10, and also crops out in tn,
streets of Leavenworth, at the place wher'
the Topeka and Marysville road crosses
the Red Vermillion. in many places OF
. the roads from Lawrence to the Missouri
:, river, and in many places between Law
renee and the Sac Agency; and it ais
caps the bluffs in the neighborhood o
Burlington, where it makes a very gooc
building stone; but in the other place
mentioned, it is usually too friable for tha
: purpose. 1t will not stand fire well, anC
is, on that account, unfit for building fur
naces, arches, &c. There are many specie
of fossils contained in this rock, the mos
of them are bivalves, having very thi
> shells. It contains also few specimen
|. of encrenites, but they are very rare.
:. think that this rock thins ont few mile
west Of Lawrence.
" No. IL. Thirty feet Of grayish shall
v underlying No. II, and containing foss
IS reeds, ferns, and large thin shelled bivalvel
Is it also contains thin scales of sulphuret .
rs iron.
No. 10. Consists Of from four to twelv
N inches Of bituminous coal. This is th
p coal sold in Lawrence by Mr.. Hughson
'. twenty-five cents bushel. The wells I
n Messrs. Wilder, Totten, Earle, and Rid
D, nour, are sunk through this vein. 1t
IL mined at Blue Mound, Washington cree
or Willow Springs, and in the neighborhoc
y of Centropolis. 1t is very good artic
" Of fuel, but sometimes contains too NUT
ofl sulnhur for bIaek smithss fIea