The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1866-06-23
WAYNE COUNTY, Iowa, Jane Is, 1866.

NAfAE CotsTft IOWA. Jdne 10, 1000.
Eps. HAWK EYE The geology Of Appa-
moose County may, for my present purposes
be summed up in these few words 1t lies
wholly within the best part of the great Iowa
and Missouri coal field the coal, hmestones,
sandstones, and clays Of which, underlie
drift deposit Of varying depth. from twenty TO
lands upon which the beautiful and fertile
soil is spread, and through which the streams
have eroded their way down to the sA,es Of
coal measure rocks Just mentioned.
As explained to you personally, my plans
will not now permit me to make detailed
examination of your whole country, but
hope to do so at future time.
The immediate vicinity ct Centreville is
geologically very interesting, because il shows
good development of the coal measure
series Of strata, and also because it furnishes
an abundance Of excellent coal and building
rock.
am under grea. obligations to several of
the citizens Of Centreville who kindly point
ed out to me the geological features and cb-
jects of interest in their vicinity, and must
say that have seldom found men in posses
sion of so correct ideas as they in relation
to the geology Of their own neighborhood.
Coal has been mined in the vicinity Of town
in many places, and although examined
many samples, saw none of . poor quality.
quality of which is not excelled by any coal
have vet seen in Iowa. Mr. Talbot explain
ed to me the method by which he arrived at
the conclusion that his mill was underlaid by
bed of coal, which is precisely the same as
that adopted by the practical geologist and
consisted in that case Of using certain layer
of fhmestone-which is uniform in its charac-
ter, and is seen cropping out in the slopes to
the valleys over q considerable part Of the
country, where the streams occur--as hori-
zon from which to estimate the depth to the
coal bed below assuming, which is usually
proper, that the beds Of coal, stone and
shaie are nearly parallel in their horizontal
extent. and follow each other in their eleva-
tons and depressions.
1t is gratifying to know that these methods
of the geologist are being better understood
by the people, and the subject is being strip.
ed of the mystery with which the uninformed
are prone to regard that which they do not
understand.
| AS to the existence of another bed Of Goa
| below the one now worked in the vicinity o.
| Centerville, my examination would not justify
an unqualified opinion; but certainly do no
think It unreasonable to suppose that one, o.
| even mOFc may C1iets ouUulu = Htnvy uCu VI
camel coal Of good quality exist at consider
able depth, it is possible that small amount
Of petroleum may be found in connection with
it, but have elsewhere expressed an opinion
averse to the probability Of finding petroleum
| in paying quantities in Iowa.
1nspassing through this county could no
help femarking how free it seems to have beer
from those impediments to the material pros
| perit of our State, nonresident land holders
The whole soil seems to be owned, judginl
from the character Of the improvements, b.
those who till it, and will contribute largel
to the business Of any railroad which may b
built through it.
The advantages afforded BY the coal 4rount
Centerville, the excellent and abundant ston
along Cooper's Creek "a its mouth and tn
good supply Of timber and water in the sam.
vicinity render It : very desirable route 70
the Iowa 4 Missouri Railroad to reach th
prairie to the westward.
G. A. WHITE,
State Geologist.