The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1871-08-15
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY.
Prof Andrews and Assistant i'm
Monroe County.
Communication from ION, ]. 0.Amos,
Interesting Particulars of the Pro.
SCISSORS Researches.
WooDsFIELD, August IL, 1871.

EDS. SPIRIT: On the Sd of April, 1869
an act was passed by the Ohio Legisla.
ture to create Geological Survey ot
the State of Ohio. The object of this
law is to examine into the geological
structure of the State, including dip,mag.
nitude, number, order and relative posi-
tion of the several strata; their richness
in Goals, clays, ores, DC; to discover
their value, classification and advanta-
ges, together with the most beneficial
methods of preserving and fertilizng the
different soils.
In the performance of this duty, on
the 4th inst, Prof. Andrews, a member
of the Geological Corps, arrived in our
county accompanied by his assistant, Mr..
Gilbert, land spent one week in our coun-
ty, leaving to-day.
1t was my pleasure TO spend most OF
the time with them, and let me say just
here, what is generally known but sell
dom observed in mining in this county,
| that the Goals, limestone and ores in this
county lay in strata and can always be
found on the same level, making allow
ance for the dip or inclination, which is
to the Southeast
Coal is more wide spread and gene
rally diffused throughout the county than
it is supposed to be, and sufficient
amount for general and local purposes
can be found in every part of the coun-
ty.
Prof Andrews came ihto the county
from the West, tracing the coal field in
Noble County into Franklin township,
on the land of Isaac Murray, Esq. The
same coal is found on Clear Fork of
Muskingum, and also on Wills Creek
This | learned from him but did not see
it, 't
The coal in our county is known as
the lower worked vein, and the supply
Of coal at Woodslield is principally b.
tanned from this, from the mines of Ev-
ans, Pope, Morris and others on Sunfsh
Creek, about two miles North of the
town. A section taken from the Evans
mine to the highest hill North of w Gods
field, on the land of W. Okey, shows as
follows:
Coal, fifteen inches fire-clay or coal
shales, two feet; coal eighteen inches
sand rock and shale, ninety-fve feet, to a
coal blossom, thickness not known; (this
is known as the middle vein j then sand
rock and shales seventy feet to coal
blossom, thickness not know;) sand
rock forty feet to coal eighteen inches
thick; (this is known as the coal worked
between Woodsiield and Lewisville; y
above this IS red shale to the upper coal
vein six inches thick; red shales forty
three feet nodules of iron ore, thickness
not known red shale twenty seven feet
limestone one foot red clay shales twen-
tv-six feet; nodules of ore red clay shale
nine feet; nodues of ore on top of the
hill, where the road passes over the hill
North of Woodslield. There are other
veins of limestone, except the one noted
above, between these veins of coal, but
their relative position was not definitely
noted.
The veins of coal known as the uiddle
and upper veins, contain all the best quail
ity of coal; but it is uncertain whether
their thickness will justify mining. They
being softer and purer coal causes them
to be more worn away by erosion, and
they have been more difficult to find by
those who wish to find coal on their farms
than other veins.
Seventy five feet below the creek coal,
or lower worked vein, as it is called, is
vein of cement lime five feet thick, which
first makes it's appearance at the mouth of
Death Fork of Suntish Creek.
The fall Of the creek from the mouth of
Death Fork is much more rapid than the
dip of the strata of rock eastward until
you get within one mile of the mouth of
Piney Fork; consequently the coal and
cement is found further up in the hill.-
The cement rock from its light grayish
color and its bitterness is easily distin-
guished and can be found at almost any
point cropping out Any one who wishes
to find coal can readily do so by finding
the cement and then taking the vertical
height, seventy five feet.
From about one mile above the mouth
of Piney Fork to two miles below Came
ron, the dip of the rock is rapidly to the
East, and the cement rock passes under
the creek. Three miles below Cameron
the dip Of the rocks change to the West
and here the coal is not over forty feet
from the creek, perhaps not that. From
this point to Darlington the dip of the
rocks are about the same as the fall of the
creek the cement rock is here below low
water mark and the worked coal or creek
vein is thirty feet above the attempted
shaft the coal here has rapid dip to the
South. The creek coal in the vicinity of
Cameron and at Atkinson's Run, where
it is mined is much thicker than at either
WNn1,Hol1 an N, on6 nf botfor