Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1871-02-02
The Geology of Ohio.
Ohio's Portion of Earth g Crust
What the Survey has
Proved---Description of the
Various Formations. "a

What the Survey haI
Proved---Description of th.
Various Formations. "a F.
The first official report of th'
progress of the last geological sur
-yey of Ohio has just made its ap
pearance. tits document of grea
Importance to the people of this
State, and will attract general atten
ton throughout the country. I'm
der this survey of the mineral and
agricultural resources of Ohio have
been more carefully studied and sys
tematically elaborated than during
all the previous years of our history
The extent and value of our differ
ent mineral belts exceed the mos
sanguine expectations of geologists
Not, only has economic geology beer
enriched by the labors of the sur
vey, but a series of valuable facts
have been accumulated in the de
partment Of theoretical geology, and
for the first time in the history Of
this science Ohio's place is definite
ly known. The stratifed rocks have
for the first time been brought into
relation and harmony with those Of
the surrounding States.
The first geological survey OF
Ohio was made in 1887 under the
direction of Prof. NIather, Col
Whitlesey, Prof Briggs, Drs. Kirt-
land and Locke. The present sur
vey is made under the direction OF
Prof. ]. s. Newberry of, Columbia
College, n. Y, Chief Geologist;
Prof. Ed. Orton of Antioch College,
Prof. Z. B. Andrews of Marietta
College, the Hon. j. H. Klippart Of
the Ohio Agricultural Society, and
corps of assistants. The chemi.
cal work of the survey is instructed
to Prof. Wormley of the Ohio Med
ical College. sss-ts4. d.
The first duty was the accurate
determination of the geological
structure of Ohio. This was the
necessary prerequisite of all subse-
quent work. During the years that
had elapsed since the first geologi-
cal survey Of 1887, similar surveys
had been made. in New York, Penn
sylvania, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois
and Missouri. Arkansas Kansas,
iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan and Can
ada. The observations made by
geologists in those States had pre-
sented discrepancies that had given
! rise to much discussion. Owing to
these theoretical differences, the sur.
vey of Ohio has been looked for
ward to with great interest, hoping
that it would settle the controversy.
1t was supposed that Ohio formed
the keystone in the geological arch,
reaching from the. Alleghanies to
the Mississippi. 1t is demonstrated
by this survey that all the forma-
tons of Ohio, with the exception OF
the beds of clay, sand and gravel
grew in succession beneath the wa.
ters of an ancient sea. This sur.
face formation was deposited upon
the floor of the Gulf of Mexico
when its waters were supposed to
cover to great depth the whole OF
the Mississippi Valley. The beds
of sand and clay that constitute
the superficial covering of all the
rich formations of the State were
themselves deposited in water.
THE LIMESTONE FORMATIONS.
The lowest and Oldest of the rock
formations comes to the surface in
the southwest corner of the State,
and occupies all the aera of the fol
lowing counties: Brown, Clermont
Hamilton, Butler and Warren; and
portions of Adams, Highland, Gin
ton, Green, Clarke, Miami, Mont
gomery and Preble. 1t is known to
geologists as the "Hudson River
group, and is designated in the ge-
illogical survey as the Cincinnati
group. 1t is Familiarity known as
the "blue limestone formation,
from the character of the rocks
which compose the system. Five
hundred feet in thickness of this
series is exposed in the Cincinnati
hills. So 70 -l .-vE~&
The "Cllnton" formation of the
geologists follows the "blue lime
stone" in ascending order. 1t oc-
ours in those counties only already
named, which are partially occupied
by the "Cineinnati" group. 1t is
also limestone, but differs from the
"Cincinnatin group in color, text
ure, chemical composition, and fos-
sill contents 1T is acrystaline, erin
odial limestone. 1t is more uneven
ly bedded than the "Cincinnati''
group, and its economic value is
much less. In color, however, it ex-
GELS the aCincinnati'' group, the
former being dull and dark, while
the latter presents many shades of
gray, yellow, pink and red, which,
when skillfully combined, afford the
happiest architectural effects. The
new chapel of the Soldiers National
Home in Dayton is built of this
stone, Its chemical composition is
as follows; S4 per cent carbonate Of
lime, il2 per cent. of carbonate of
magnesia.s rE ~ o. rla.a
The Niagara limestone next sue
ceeds. This group can be traced in
an almost uninterrupted stretch
from Niagara Falls-where it de
rivcs its name--through Canada to
the south shore of Lake Erie; thence
through Logan, Shelby, Drake,
Champaign, Madison, and Fayette
dividing also with the Cincinnati
and 'Clinton" groups the counties
Iof Preble, Miami, Montgomery,
Clarke, Greene, Clinton, Highland,
and Adams. The lowermost beds
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