Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1865-06-22
From the Louisville Journal
The Mineral Wealth or Southern
Kentucky.

There is probably no region of coun-
try within the limits of the United States
on this side Of the Mississippi so little
known and so little appreciated as that
section called the "Green River coun.
try. The stream referred to, by means
Of its locks and dams, is navigable at
all seasons OF the year to Bowling Green,
in Warren county, situated on Barren
river, q tributary of Green. For many
miles along the banks of Green river
there are evident signs that this region
at some period Of time reaching far be-
yond the memory of man, has been
subject to volcanic action. The indicia
of the earth's upheaval are manifest in
various places The stratAs Of sand
stone rock, the assures of which are
filled with spissated nAptha, evidently
the product of cnal oil or petroleum
thrown to the surface, and hardened by
the atmosphere and the suR, are abund-
ant; and large blocks of sandstone, sat
urated with petroleum, are found in
abundance on the surface, thrown up,
no doubt, by the same volcanic actions
which produced the specimens of nap
tha above referred to. That the region
Of Green river, commencing about thirty
miles from its mouth and extending for
some distance along that river, is richer
in mineral wealth than any other pors
ton OF the country from Pittsburg to
New Orleans admits of no question.
The finest quality Of sandstone for
buildiug-iron ore of superior quality
bituminous coal in beds of great thick
e l.. II
of the best kind, are found in great
abundance. That this "Green River"
section also abounds in petroleum" of
superior quality cannot be doubted,
and recent developments show that this
new and valuable article of commerce
will be found there as abundautly as on
the banks of the famous Oil Creek of
PENNSYLVANIA. Professor David Dale
Owen, in his geological survey of the
State of Kentucky, made in lS45 under
the direction of the Legislature, aud
whose work was published in 1856 in
three large volames, speaks Of the min
eral wealth of this section, and of the
sandstone, iron ore, bituminous coal in
veins Of great thickness, and also "pe-
troleum" or rock oil as found in this
urSeu htfeF scCAlou OL hentuCkys LEO-
fessor Charles A. Lee, formerly Of the
New York University, and one of the
most distinguished geologists of our
cosntry, in a work published by Har-
per & Brothers for him in 1858, and en-
titled Elements of Geology" speaks Of
the extensive coal beds IS found on
Green River, not City miles from It's
mouth, aud that salt water is also OBJ
tanned st The depth Of eighty feet, with
an abundance Of cdrburstted hydrogen
gas and petroleum"
These, it will be remembered, are the
statements of two eminent and distin
guished geologists made some ten year.
since, loag before petroleum wal
known as an article Of commerce, anC
whose product in PennsylvAnia Alou'
the past year amounted to the enoruou
sum of .forty,Jfre millions Of dollars
within few millions OF the eatire iror
in tersst Of that State. There is no rea
soa why, with proper Developments, th'
Green River section OF country shoul
not rival the oil territory of Pennsyl
vania; and the State Of Kentucky b
enriched as the former has been BY thi