New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-12-31
THE GEOLOGY OF OHIO.
,ouro,s PORTION OF EARTH's CRUsT-WiIAT TIE
SURVEY HAS NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. of iih
VARIOIrS FORMATIONS.

COLUMBUS, o., Dec. H4-lhe hls' Vi'''"i
yeport OF tho progress Of the last geological tHrvey o
Otto has lust made its appearance 1t Is 'oculleht
OF great importance the people of this STATE ana W
attract general attention throughout the country Ohuer
.b,s survey the mineral ana agricultural resources OF
Ohio have been carefully studied ana sys'cn"N'
ov elaborated than during all the previous years VI o
history The extent and value OF our dhereht hnnoi
belts exceed tho most sangune expectations VI Eeo,o
cists Not only has economic geology been enrched py
Tho Iabors OF the survey hut series OF valuable lac'
have been accumulated in the department OF 'N'or''
geology and for the first time tho history OF TINS 81
snco Ohio, Mace is definitely known. The strained
rocks have the first time been brought INTO
aud harmony with those Of the surrounding staes'
The first geological survey Of Ohio was inaac ~ ZOO
,pacr the direction OF Prof Mathor, Col "hi'lesey
Prof Briggs DIS. Kirkland and Locke TIC Pf.son 9uI
-ev IA made under the direction Of Prof l. = Ne"peirV
of Columbia College, y. w. Chief Gcoogls'; froI' EuNu
orion of Antioch College, Prof L. b. Andrews % h"i
eta College, the Hon. J. II. Klippert OF inc ono ar
cultural Society and corps Of assistants lbe eheical
work NJ the survey is intrsted 10 Prof Worney OF the
Ohio Medical College. a.
The first duty the accurate determination VI '"o
geological structure Of Ohio TIis was the necessary pre-
requisite OF all subsequent work. During the years lha'
had elapsed since the first geological survey OF 1897 SIM
Star surveys had boon made in NewIork Pensy wanna
VeDtuckv Indiana Illinois Missouri. Arkansas Kansas,
iowa Wisconsin, Michigan, and Canada Ihe oOserVa-
lions made by biologists in those States had presented
discrepancies that had given rise TO much uscuSson.
Owing TO these theoretical differences, the survey OF
Ohio has been looked forward to with great interest,"
hoping that II would settle the controversy III was sup
nocd that Ohio formed the key stone In the oloGicai
arch reaching from the Aleghanies to the Ml' ssppi'
II is demonstrated by this survey that all the nations
Of Ohio with the exception Of the beds OF clay r. ID anu
gravel grew in succession beneath the waters OF an an
cient sea This surface formation was depo' Il upon
1he floor of the Gulf Of Mexico when its wa were
supposed TO cover to great depth the whole OF tie Mis-
issipp Valley. The beds Of SAM AID clay thai onsti-
tue the superficial covering of all the ncl formations
THE LIMESTONE FORMATIONS
Tie lowest and Oldest Of these rock form atoms comes
60 the surface in the southwest corner ofe state ana
occupies all the Of the following counties B'''n'
Cermont Hamilton Butler, and Warren and p ionsot
Adams Highland, Clinton, Greene, Clarke, Miami Mont
gomery and Prebe. 1t is known to geologsts as the
Hudson River group, and designated In the eeoogea
survey as the Cincinnati group luis 1auharN KNOWN
as the bluo limestone formation, from the oh Iacter
the rocks which compose the system. Five hundred
feet in thickness Of this series is exposed in the Cncin
natl hills.
The "Cuton" formation of the biologists 70 ows the
blu, in stone" in ascending order 1t occurs those
counties only already Named which are partially occu-
pied by the Cincinnati" group 1t is also lime tO =,
but differs from the Cincinnati" grOupin color texture
chemical composition and fossil contents. 1t crys-
saline Crinoidal limestone. 1t is unevenly Dedded
than the Cincinnati" group and its economic value Is
much less In COLOR however, it excels the "Cn nnati
group the being duh and dark while the latter
presents many shades of gray, yellow, pink, .4d red,
which. when skinfuly combined, afford the happest
architectural effects. The chapel Of the Soldiers
Rational Home in Dayton is built OF this stone Its
chemical composition is follows 81 per cent carbon
ate Of lime, 70 per cent Of carbonate OF magnesia
The "NiaFsra" limestone next succeeds. This group
can be traced in an almost uninterrupted stretch from
Tn la v1pra 4
Canada to the shore Of Lake Erie thence tr ugh
the Counties Of Ottawa Sandusky Seneca WyanGOte to
Logan, Shelby, DaTke, Champagne, Madison and
7ayete dividing also with the Cincinnati" and "Clin
ton" groups the Counties Of Preble Miami Montgomery
Clarke, Greene. Clinton. Highland, and Adams. The
owermost beds OF this formation constitute the cole
GRATED Dayton marble which Is regarded by Prof ton
the most valuable building-stone in the State AT
Dayton this stone sells, In the ground, at 7 30 per
square rod There quarres also OF this stone at
PiQua. Hernia, Centreville, Springfield Yellow Springs
HnIsboro, Eaton, and many other points In sOuth
Ngescrn Ohio.
In the districts occupied by the Niagara" forma on
is found some Of the best farming lands Of the State but
the rock the northern part Of the State is so deeply
covered beds Of drift" to prevent its affecting
-le soil in any perceptible manner
The water lime" formation comes next In ascen ling
order The rocks Of this age furnish hydraulic cement
The quarrcs of Rondout N. Y, and Louisville, Ken
tucky, belong TO this horizon.
The "carboniferous limestone" OF the biologists fol-
COWS benz separated from the water lime" gro BY
belt Of which has no economic value The car
oaferous limestone furnishes larger portion Of the
lime and stone Of the State than OF the vare
lies named The State Quarres Columbus from which
the State Capitol built belong to this series There
are also extensive Quares OF this rock at SandusBy. In
composition this rock is magnetism limestone Many
portions OF this series crowded with fossils and q
fact OF great interest has been demonstrated n rof
hold tho
mails that ave been met with In the rocks Of Oh ..
greatest thickness Of this rock is 90 feet 1t is ourd in
Franklin, Delaware, Marion, Crawford, WyaI lite
Seneca Saudusly, Erie Logan, Van Vert PauldlnP De-
sldnce, Haary. wood, and Lucas.
THE STATES AND LIMEsTONEs.
The "Hcron shales," Familiarity known as "b.ack
laes" follow the carboniferous lmestOnes in geological
are and order Beginning in Adams County, he
Ohio River they stretch directly nOrthward thrOug the
whole State TO the shore of Lake Erie with ave age
width OF miles, and average thickness of csc feet
eimar formation is found in the northwest corner OF
the state in what known the "back swamp" res Jn
Occupying be Counties of William and Fulton, and pOr
9ons Of Lucas Henry Defiance and Wood. These rocks
are devoid Of mineral wealth; the most solid variety OF
the states when exposed TO the weather crumbng into
ehae clay This formation contains about 10 per cent
Of buminlus substances Prof OTtOn ventures the opn
1on that the greater part Of petroleum is derived in pro-
OF slow dstlaOn from rocks OF the same general
age and character as the "Huron shaes." The agcul
tural characteristics OF this formation very marked,
except where buried too deeply beneath the "drift de-
pOslts II Yields in its decomposition light porous,
naturally underdraned soil, which shows itself naturally
adapted to many valuable forest trees. The chestnut
and chestnut oak entirely unknown upon the lint stOne
lands grow full force TO the edge of the shales. 1t
predicted that these shae lands viii furnish the best
frntgrowing region Of the state. The comments thus
far have been confined entirely 10 the west half Of {
State. II viii DC seen that this section is principa
composed Of limestone FORMATIONS. These limestones
outspread in nearly horizontal Sheets ana upon thee