New-York tribune., 1872-03-28
OHIO'S ROCK HISTORY.


THE cARBoNIrERoUs FoRMATIoNs-CoAL ANp
IRON MINING-MINERAL wEALTH-pIscoN
rRlEs IN PALEONToLOGY-A NEW SERIES
or FOSSIL FORMS. ,,-.
lFROM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT VI ND i''"'
COLUMBUS o., March Sit Is no" ~ soine"i''',
.,a ,too oars since the Legislature of Ohio passed
~, roy,ding for complete geological survey OF the
state Tho work Of study and investigation was a' oh0
begun and has been prosecuted Win energy e'oi si
,,n Tho summers OF 1869, 1870 and 1871 ON immense
,,,ou,t ,f labor has been performed IN tne heu' VIM"
during the seasons when outdoor work was suspehu'
,udv of the results the preparation OF freporsto
the State have gone with no less activity Inc hoP
of Progress for 1870 is before the public atnongn
yas prcsented 70 the last Legislature year ago. IL Isl
nandsoe octave volume of sec pages containing large
amount of interesting and important material p"rucu
ul,rly In relation to GOALS OF Ohio The correspond
ing report for the first year OF the survey 'V"sh
smaller volume was no less valuable III It's coh'ensi
while in those that TO be issued heiea'er' VIC n"'o
the promise OF yet richer material
More than third Of century back, In 1885, the Legs
,a,nrs ,assed directions and appropriations for geo.
,,Sca, suryey and the work was begun and carried on
for two seasons until the financial disasters OF 1881
caused the stoppage Of appropriations Thty-two years
,cp psssed before the enterprise resumed Mean
while however an immense change had taken piace III
the methods and principles of geology; the science naa
PASSED from feeble infancy to its present stage oi
cnersrtic youth and the work that could then ha'o
been prosecuted only slowly laboriousy, ana with com,
psrvey imperfect results can now I've pushed 1or"aru
to speedy completion. accurately and surely But
while this is the case II Is none the less true 'h"V 'ho
o, ~ suryev during all these years has been great
dsadvsntsgs TO the people Of the State lndi-
viduals and corporations have been eompeileu
10 have partial and local fnvesugauohs ire
ouently made, but the information thus derived Is
not always the sures-it is at best limited and rag
nenary and IL constantly liable TO be coored by ana
usd for the plans and purposes Of speculation Even
were otherwise, however, the amount spent III suv
rryate surveys great that required 1Or Puoo
one Indeed the present director gives 1t as his olio"
that during this 80 years interval more was pau lor
such investigations than would have served 10 eomeo
th work bec1p in 1885, The present survey Is under the
able charge OF DIR. John s. Newberry OF Cleveland IL
would be hard to find more appropriate head or scn
a work His geological researches have made MS name
known and respected among Of science. both here
and abroad his explorations with Government eApeu
tous I'm tho regions lof Arizona and NewMeXieo nave
gwen him wide acquaintance with some OF the loase
known geology Of North America; as son OF ono,
loyal 20 the Union he labored among the sanitary ana
Chrsan Commissions Of the West during the war; ana
+he great final report Of that work in the MISSISSIPPI
ya,lev has lust appeared under his name. Though his
home - in Ohio, he has become known TO New-Horkers
lat, n the Geological Professor in the School OF Mines
~ Columbia College. Dr. Newberry has connected Win
him very accomplished corps of assistants, of whom
the principal gentlemen are Profs L. b. Ah0fe"s' Eu
ward Orton. and ]. H. Klippart
The present volume contains the following series OF
reports There s first the general resume % 'ne eeo
ond years work the survey, by Prof NewDerry GOV
ering some 50 pages In this part presented inc iu
outline Of of the final report, WORK "cH
VIII be at least one Of the most complete an" "o'
entnc reports that has been issued Ill ths cou
try The subject Of fish culture is presented 10 'n'
Legislature as that both needs ana deserves lhcI
prnmpt and careful attention. 1T can easlly D
proyed SAYS the Professor, "that every acre oil wae
surface IA capable of doing much TO furnish food
our people as any acre Of abo ground; and yet now
our great water area is almost unproductiye' Aer "
lng the progress Of the large and detaliedm III
geological formations of the state, the Doctor concludes
with very extended general sketch OF the lower Goa
nea,urcs OF NORTHEASTERN Ohio discussing not only th
cals but the associated iron freclays ana ny
drauo Part Second the largest portion Oh 'h'
Volume consists of Prof Audrewss report or the LABOR
prrforne, in his district the southeastern quarter OF
the state during the year. Nearly two hundred pages
are occupied by Prof Andrews in detailed account ci
the geological structure Of this region, with especial
r,orcnce TO the coal which occupies most of that part OF
Ohio A large number of tables analyses, and sections
accompany ana Illustrate this report-m partici-
iar. I've large sheets of "gouped sections d"
very deliberately arranged and collated Part
Tnrl by Prof. OrOn. up in another fifty
piscs the geology Of Highland County, which IS
uIusra'al by sections and cOored map \ very fun
and interesting account given of the Niagara and Hell
drrherg lnestOncs OF this region. both as regards their
geological history, their fossil contents, and
their economic value. Part Fourth contains
ths Agricultural Report, by Dr. klppart, In
which ar described topography, drainage, soils,
foirsi-.rOgth and meteorology of tho northwestern
quarter " the State, known as the M0umee Valley
Mny -ul1able chemical analyses and tables of agrcu
turil here given. and much timely sugges-
1n thc necessity Of in regard 70 the destruc-
tor ~ oar forest timber. The Chemical Report, by DR..
WOruly. is Of the most remarkable parts of the
volume these pages presented fnll particulars
of The various proce employed iu the study OF the
cols Drcs 'mcstone,, and cays collected In the sur
So. The descriptions and tables Of anay attached
t. Or Wormley's report OF great intc-
r,.,. even 10 the general reader. ii be have
puy loura.ntaucc with chemistry. The de-
trrmir1 1u- Of the amolnt of moisture contained
IN ho iiarre- Goals their consequent heating oaIac
, thri- qa, ing adaptations for in the furnace the
ct,-worto. The seIm-engue; the amount and cOmpO
siloH OF tic ish g. de- give great insight into the
amount Of ,ccutdc skill and labor required for the
ufiou IF suc.i cmucuy practical problems. Few per-
wGJd imagine, save those who have had consdera-
bic Familiarity with matters Of this kind how great
part ii, borne by chemical ia stigations like
tLr,s may De Of interest 10 specify few OF the
leading point.
suuug with the fact that all coal was at first mass
" v table mat wood fber) and that it has under
to:c tat peculiar Kind Of decomposition which takes
place 90 tegctlble tissue when aowcd to decay slowly
nrdrr the water of swamps, any situation excluded
fr-u ne access Of air, Let what it, composition
b,oues Wood-Ihor may he generally said to consist Of
about half carbon and Onehalf oxygen and hydrogen
gf>es TIC change that goes when decay takes place
uudcr water consists In tine passing off OF these gases
combined with a part OF the carbon The volatile
i~rs which pass Of are Of three kinds, viz, oxygen
and hydrogen, forming the yapor OF water;
oxygen and carbon forming carbonie acid gas,
and carbon and hydrogen, forming "marsh gas"
. r