Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-08-17
Report Of Geological Survey OF
Marion GOunfy--COntinued.
BN- w. Z. FOX, GEOLOGIST.

ular rotation, we strike Sec. >. The
western portion of the $. T.. I of the
\. T.. / Of Sec. ,, -, 10 is without
doubt undcrlaid with heavy deposits
of coal. This deposit would consti-
tute all of two workable veins or
beds-namely, the ID and 3d, count
ing from the top down,-the lst be-
ing gone. On the small creek or
slough on the north side of this land,
at its base, the hydraulic rock and
the coal crop out. We dug into this
outcrop in several places, aportion
of which has been metamorphosed
by great heat into camel coal. This
camel coal will undoubtedly lay on
the top Of the 2d bed of bituminous
coal after penetrating the high body
of this land. The eastern portion OF
this 40 acres is also heavy coal land.
Here the coal Of the 2d bed has been
dug into and exposed, being from 3
to feet in thickness. The camel
Goa! also lays on the top of the btu
minous coal at this point. By sink
ing shaft back on the hill at poiut
given, some - or 10 feet, the solid
body of this bed of coal could be
proven and worked. We should say
that the coal will make from four to
six feet in thickness at this point.
This coal must necessarily prove an
excellent quality, from the fact that
the rock and the camel coal cropping
out all along the base of this land,
satisfies us Of this fact. Besides, the
land lies regular, and is high and
commanding. We could give our
principal reasons; but this report
must be cut short. All our reasons
will appear in due time, in articles
by themselves. This coal will be
capped or rooted by hydraulic rock.
The roofing of coal has everything to
do with the purenesS of it. The Sd
bed OF coal must underlic the "a on
this land. The dip Of strata here
bears TO the east and southeast. This
land is about a mile north Of the
line of the \. X. q ID. II. r., and is
owned by Wm. Momyre.
On the $. T.. Of the =. T.. | Of the
same Section, also belonging to Mr..
Momyre, Il superb article Of lime
stone crops out, which will make M
excellent quality Of lime. Mr.. Mo-
myrc has proved this rock to n thick
ness Of some four feet, and il still
/ thickenS az the side hill IS penetrated.
There is quite a ledge Of this rock
here, which will pay heavy to work
! for its lime. On one corner Of this
land is some very fine iron ore crop
ping out, being from - to 30 per
cent. Also underlying the southwest
portion of this 40 acres is without
doubt good bed Of coal. This land
j. close to the K. X. line. 4 shaft
can be sunk here to good advantage,
where the heavy deposit of this coal
can be proved and worked. From
/ this Section we took zigzag course,
crossing the English to See. | / again.
| BY following up the English we
| find that the Southeast of the north
west and the northeast ! Of the
/ southwest OF See. ! il undcrlaid
with heavy deposits Of coal. st the
creek the 2d bed Of coal IS exposed
which covers the bed Of the creek for
some 900 yards in length. Here we
took the pick or mattock and dug
! out blocks of this coal, and found By
absolute demonstration that the
whole bed Of the creek at this point
j. solid mass of coal. We traced
this coal to the bank, whore it runs
under the high land. This is the
ID bed or vein Of coal. We did not
dig through it to ascertain its thick
ness; hut it must run TO very heavy
/ bed under the body Of this land i.
+ This coai on the creek lies bare with
the execution Of the water passing
over it in places. Thousands Of
bushels of coal can be blasted ont
here without removing either earth
or rock. BY going back from the
creek n short distance and sinking n
shaft, this heavy body Of coal could
be easily worked where the proper
place would be In open coal bank.
The coal IL excellent. There are no
washes or faults to cut out this coal.
ON one portion of this land the lst
vein will also pay to work. Under
this portion there ARE three workable
veins of coal. Roofing Hydraulic
slatr-rock and soapstone slate. Here
are excellent places for working this
coal. where it can be easily shipped
hv running switch TO the a X. &
ID. n. II. for little over } mile.
There are also heavy ledgcs of
sandrock on the southeast | Of this
Section. where Guarries could he
opened to rood advantage. This Will
make fine building rock. by season
ing after quarried. This body Of
land belongs to Alexander Freeman.
We thank Mr.. Freeman for a,ron-
panyingi i,s to various places Of in
interest in his neiglborbOod. These
,1,n.o ,,n will cnnak af af aoct her