The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1861-02-02

For the Pree Trader.
Geological Papcr--No. 3.
TIE CARHOSIFERoCs sysTEN


GeoaoSirai Papcr--No. 3.
The CAEHoEIFERoUs sysTry
This group derives it's name from tho
great quantity OF coal found in il. and con-
sists OF irregular beds of clay. shale, sand
stone, coal. and limestone. The limestone
abounds in organic remains cf the differ
ent species Of shell.ish, stone lilies, and
corals and is traversed by veins of calca-
reOus spar This Limestone is finely deve-
ioped on the Yermilion. Ascoal is simply
vegetable matter altered by chemical means
we may form some idea OF the exuberant
vegetation which prevailed during the
carboniierous era. from the vast extent of
the coal fields. In Great Britain, these
occupy All area ot 1900 square miles, and
it Is estimated tllat over 40,0OO0U0 of tons
Of Goals are consumed annually III that
country alone. IN the United States, the
coal fields extend over an area Of 10000
square miles, and in some parts the aggre-
gate thickness Cf the bed is 100 feet; so
that Whatever else may fail, our coal can
never bD exhausted. The coal field of IL
iuoI- occupies about twothrds of the area
Of the State. Its northern limit is found
il La sale county In the southern part
Of the State. the coal measures are rich in
iron and lead ores and copper is some
time found It has been supposed that
the rocks beneath the coal lay in a hori-
AoutaI position, and were never disturbed
by suhtergaueau movements, butit is found
that as wc descend they are displaced and
Tilted up III every direction. thus showing
that they have been as mucn disturbed as
those Of amy volcanic country. Many sad
mistakes have been made and fortunes
ruined from ignorance OF the geological
position Of the minerals and the strata in
wh.eA they are situated. Now geology
teaches u tuat valuable beds Of coal arc
neye. !gLad in the alluvial and tertiary
formations, nor in the primary and yolca-
n.c rocS-, hat in the secondary strata
alone; which sc eau clsIl ' recognize from
tie peculiar character of is rocks and fos-
I'll remains For Instance. il I wished to
determine whether coal, or any other
mineral existed in a particular locality, l
sAou.d first make a thorough eXlmiT:atiOn
Of the o3rtny materials in the vicinity, and
if found successive deposits Of iudurated
clay, and -hale, tii.ei with petsitied plants
and shells. should consider it an inlica-
ton Of coal Thus by an examination of
the Buffalo Rock. we would find that it is
destitute oi fossil relies, and must there
fore belong 20 the primary formation, and
that i there was coal il must D." ADORE the
sandstone. which : the case. Hence, we
see the Importance OF a good practical
knowledge OF geology ina community. 1t
.oac!.,. u, that certain rocks contain such
and such miuera,s. auI poln,s ont the
place where they may be mined with the
greatest alvantaz ze and profit. From want
OF this kuOwledse much money has been
thrown away; for proof OF which we need
only 10 notice the failure ot unskillul min
ing operations in the Lake Superior coun-
try and elsewhere. The organic remains
Of the carJouiferous system comprise nu-
nlerous species Of shells, reptiles, fishes,
trees. plants and fruits The shells exist
by mvyials in the sha.es and limestones,
and divided into various families and or
ders Beneath every Goa! bed there is al
most Invariably found a stratum OF tfra
clay. This Is filled with Stigmari@, and
other roots Of coal plants. The Stigmarie
are the roots Of trees which grew in the
coal strata. and are often twelve inches
round the trunks TO which they belonged
were fifty or sixty feet in length, and are
frequently found in an upright position
Nautell describes group Of forty Sigiild-
ria, which were found in the coal mea-
eures. standing slightly inclined, and only
three or four feet apart The roots per
megte the ,.r8-.yay, which answer TO our
modern aliuyial plains with their growth
Of trees and plants. The number of fossil
plants found IN the coal measures amount
, t. ,,nl. About two thirds OF these species
are ferns; the Is,t club-mcSses, and cone
hearing trees Of the pine and fir kind
Manv fossil fruits areiouud; some Of them
have been Identified as those Of the cocoa,
date and other tropical trees; but they
/ generally teiong 10 species unknown at
the present day. The Ca'omlts was GIL
/ cantic plant. the same in structure and
! form n the cattIR which grows in orr me-
rasses; tho only difference being in tho
size. While the latter are only two feet III
height. and half an inch in diameter,
those which formed so large a part of tho
coal often attained u height Of thirty feet,
and tw dive iuchc, in diameter. From the
formation Of the rocks and materials
which make up the Carboniterous System,
! We would infer that a warm climate pre-
vailed during tha: epoch: that an i'm
menSe vegetation lCugished; that the dit
fcrent species Of ino!lusca aud fishes exist.
ed in countless ulyriads in the waters; and
that all animate things were finally en-
tombed in the earth either 10y the Subsid-
ence Of the land, or the elevation of the
( beds Of the ocean. W. W. c.