Wabash express. [volume] (Terre-Haute, Vigo Co[unty], Ind.) 1841-186?, 1860-04-04
The Mississippi valley Physically

ogy a rich raineral field for exploration
The gorges and deep ravines made by the
Ohio and its tributaries afford access to iis
various strata, and the cuts made by ca
nails and railroads have given additional
access to the neither earth.
Let US take our stand on the top of the
Allegheny Mountains, and look westward
Our stand points in the midst of unstrati-
fed Granite, which crowns the mountain
top, and lies in wild confusion, clearly
indicating an upheaval from the depths
below-that they were not made there
As we advance Westward. in the line OF
Pittsburg and Richmond, Ind, and thence
through Indianapolis to the Mississippi,
we will find above the Granite bed
l. The Gravake.
9. Lower Silusian, blue Limestone.1
3. Upper silusian, (Cliff Limestone
4. Old Red Sand Stone.
5. Carboniferous Group.
6. Drift, (clay, sand. gravel, potters'
clay, blue clay, boulders, &c.)
The carboniferous group, embracing the
mountain lime stone. soft sand stone, three
or four coal seams, new red sand stone,
compact lime stone, shale, fire clay. ETC.,
OVERLAND by drift.
This will, perhaps, be found general
outline of The stratified structure of the
Mississippi Valley. twill be found much
disturbed in many localities. and in por-
tions of thi. line but few Of these strata ap-
pear.
Aswe leave our stand on the mountain
top and go Westward. We will find these
strata dipping into the sarth-that is, cror
ping out Eastward, and at the surface,
successfully giving place to each other. in
the order above Their angle with the
horizon diminishes as we advance. aud not
far west Of Whseling they find level, and
then gradually rise and excessively crop
out, until oil the coal Fl Id becomes lost &
little West Of the Sciota.
As We cross the meridian Of Cincinnati
in the vicinity of Eaton, we find ourselves
upon the Lower Silusian lime stone, (blu'
lime stone.) filed with a congeries of in
Vulnerable fossils, 10 which coral, orthoce
ras, the cyathophilum. atropa, DC, DC
are profuseiy embedded in the same tomb
and exhumed 10y time, to tell the observe
of the wonders that lie hid among thu
rocks, as record of ages that are past.
Here evidently is the top Of an upheaval
but not sufficient to Iake mountain
rauge-or, if at the time sufficient, the
granite that lies embe ided beneath was no
permitted to break through, and leave al
indestructible covering, which will no
wear away by the powerful agencies use'
in the operations Of nature.
As we advance Westward We find tn
Upper Silusian or Cliff lime stone appear
} ing East of Indianapolis, followed by th
old red sand stone, which gives place t.
the mountain lime stone in the neighbor
hood of Greencastle, and as We enter Park'
county, Ind, we re find the lost coal seams
sand stone, shale. iron ore, fire clay, DC.
&c, that were lost in Ohio, uuderlaid b,
a salt bed-all dipping Westward at tn
rate of about forty feet per mile, passing
under the State Of Illinois, and raisiu!
west of the Mississippi. The surveys " es
of that river have shown their Western
terminus very imperfectly. The noun
tain limestone appears in Kansas, and
is probable that all the stratificd rock
crop out in Western Iowa and Nebraska
Let the reader next survey this grea
Western coal basin. Starting south of tn
mouth Of the Ohio, and moving eastward
on the south of Green river, Ky. and cross
ing over to the Mammoth Gave, thence t.
the falls Of the Ohio at Louisville, Ky.
thence into Indiana by Salem and Green
castle, and N. W. TO Kankakee river. Hi
noi<, the nee west to Rock Island on tn
Mississippi. aud sweeping round by Kan
sas TO our starting point, We will hav
travelled round the great coal basin Of tn
West. az naked out by the mountain linn
: stone. This stone is light grey, ant
makes an excellent quarry. 1t is remark
able for "sink holes" and often stream
dive under ground into it to appear in re
mote places. Springs break out trem
large enough, often. to turn mill. Th
, character of the Mammoth Cave is vel
kuown, and one OF similar dimensions an
more gorgeous in it's halls is found il
; Southern Indiana. These halls display
+ beauty Of finish that surpasses every thin
above ground. One Of these in the Ind
ana cave is said to be an elipse 400 fee
, long by 100 feet wide. 1t has stalagmit
''Enounfaia" in the middle, 145 feet high
and surrounded by natural pillars.
concaye roof rises sc feet above this noun
tain top, from which profusely hang sta
lactites. beautiful as icicles and of eUsr
r color, which renders the cave, when WEI
> lighted, splendid beyond description. 1t
explorations extend l6 miles.
From the circumference of this great ba
sin the strata all dip to common center
which is probably some where in centra
southern Illinois; and there lies hid in o.
this great region an inexhaustible suppl
of combusiible and other mineral wealth
which the industry of all coming time ina
not appropriate.
Often we find in the same locality. as
the case in Parke county. Ind sand stone
coal measures of good workable thickness
FIRE clay, from " hich stone ware is made
clay shale, bands Of kidney, black band ant
tone iron ere, lime stone, fire stone, an,
what is not usual in mineral regions, tn
whole is covered by superior soil on
bed OF drift. When the capitalist shall
place his forge here, he will find manu-
featuring and agricultural region happily
blending into one. The future lies hid o
this great coal field. Over large portion
of it soil Of many feet thickness has beel
| kxorobt from remote regions cOntainiDl