Council Bluffs bugle. [volume] (Council Bluffs, Iowa) 1860-1868, 1868-12-10

eerning Northwestern loWa, anu
nothing has been published In rela-
ton to its geological character except
the brief description OF the Creta-
,,eous rocks near Sioux City, by Dr.
owen some twenty years ago. Hav~
inr spent the greater part Of the past
season examining twelve counties,
-four counties eastward from the
west boundary Of the State and three
from the northern boundary, am
able to correct the erroneous impress
sions that have to some extent pre-
vailed In relation to the genefai
character Of the country. l have
been often asked ifit Is not rough
and hilIy region, much more 80 than
amy other part of the State. 1t Ii lar
from 1t for 1t Is broad, gently I'M
dulating prairie region, with gen
tie approaches to the valleys In all
most all cases. The broadest prai-
ries TO be found in the State occur
here, and truth requires me to say
that these large prairies occupy ali
but small portion of the whole re-
gion. Its timber lands consist prin-
cipally of narrow and often inter
rupted beits bordering the Des
Molnes, Little Sioux and the lower
portions of Rock and Floyd rivers,
in addition to considerable bodies
around sgIr and okeboji lakes In
Dickenson county. Indeed with the
exception of small groves along the
creeks and near the smaller lakes,
this Is all. IN Dickinson county,
both eastward and westward of the
lakes few vallassbls Eaaak MARSHES
~s@~~ GDssssdy but westward nom the
dividing line between the Missouri
and Mississippi drainage, nodeposits
of this fuel have yet been discovered.
Indeed there is little indication that
much peat will be found westward
fram the Des Moineo river. In
neither OF the counties of Sioux,
OSceola, O'Brien, Cherokee, Dicken-
son, Clay, Ruena Vista and Palo
Alto has q single exposure OF rock in
place been found. The only rock
found at all in these counties consists
in the few bouIders scattered in the
soil. In the extreme northwest cor
ner of Lyon county, bat Occupying
only a few acres, considerable eX-
pOsureS of a hard red stone quartz
itet are found in their natural lcdgeS.
Ia the southwestern corner of Ply
mouth county, exposed 1T inteTYals
ia the bluffs Of the Big Sioux, some
Chalky limestone and Little sAud-
Stone may be found ami in the
eastern part OF Pocahontas county,
htfe-sss &-4ss-~-'a&tatII tsxT~e%Aaszas of lime
stone exist. These three points ne
the only places I'm sAsss -vvk4ssE@ ts.s.41Hx@a
counties that afford any rock except
what is found in the few scattered
bouklers of the drift. The structoral
geology of such region as this, ii is
plainly seen, cstn only be known by
inferences derived from the study OF
the regions adjacent to it, and III
which the underlying strata are
ind@ M less frequently exposed. IT.
thus Ueeame absolutely necessary to
extend my observations into the
contiguous parts of Dakota and Min
neSota, and with very satisfactory
results so far as an approximately
correct understanding Of the forIna-
tions which underiie the region Is
concerned. 1t has, however, led To
the unwelc0me conclusion that the
coal field ofIowa does not probably
extend so far north as 10 underlie
any part OF the region in question.
Asthin layer of coal, or rather car
bOnaceous matter lit is not true btu
minous coal has been found in the
CretaceOus strata before referred to
in Plymouth county, and is also
known to extend far to the north
east ward into Minnesota. These
have no connection whatever with |
the coal formation of Iowa, and new
er had any, but belong to much
later age in the earth's history. 1t
Is true that rocks of that age are
found to contain mnch coal IN Asia,
yet 80 rar as the equivalent fornla-
tions have been explored in North
America, it does not yet warrant the
hope that a workable bed of coal
win be found in them. Lumps of
coal have not unfrequently been
found in the drift of this region as
well as further east, In Northern
Iowa. These were doubtless derry |
ed from the thin layer in Minnesota,
before mentioned and were brought |
from there during the drift epoch by |
the glaciers at the same time they |
brought the bouiders | have seen |
at the mouth of the Redwood in |
that State, the coal layer In question, |
lying In such close proximity to, and |
upon the granite rocks, that gla- /
cier passing over the place would T
necessarily sweep of portionsof both |
formations together. Although fuel |
OF every Kind is at present 50 scarce
in this region taken as a whole, vet /
the timber before mentioned is quite
sufficient and cheap, for present in
and it is very far from be-
ing worthless or unimportant re
gion. Nay, more than this, the
time Is not far distant when 1t will
become occupied and cultivated as
completely as any part of the State
now Is.
An important step In this direc-
tion Is now being taken by the pro-
tected construction ofa railroad ffoln
Sioux City to Mankat0, In Mime
sofa, and which will traverse por-
tlons OF Plymouth, Sioux, O'Brien.
1sceoia and Dickenson countless
The railroad from st, Paul to Man
kato, being now completed, this gap
only remains to be filed to give df-
rect communication between the
great lumber regions of the north
and q large part OF the Missouri riy-