The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1872-11-28
Geology Of Portage County
Its Deposits OF Coal.
AIrHoNso HaRr :

6uB ScSllOu Iuduc HnoH iucl sOu ~
Ravenna, 1 herewith send you few
notes on the result of my observations
on the Geology of your county which
may be of interest and possibly of
some practical value to some of your
constituents.
The point most important to be de-
termined in the geology Of, Portage
county is the line of outcrop Of the
lowest GOAL seam, that which is known
as the Briar Hill, Taiimadge and Mas
sillon coal, and which has proved a
source of so great wealth to the coun-
ties adjoining Portage on the east and
west. At present the Briar Hill coal
is successfully worked in only one
township Pslmyra) of Portage coun-
ty, and yet we have every reason to
believe that it nnderlies e4ssiif +
AT LEAST ONE HALF - isA
OF its entire area. 1t therefore be-
comes matter of great importance
to determine where it lies, what is its
thickness and quality, and how it may
best be reached. I have devoted con-
siderable time to the solution of this
problem both before and since the Or
ganization of the Geological Survey
and will give you very briefly . syn--
opsis of such facts bearing upon IL ,as
have come under my observation. 91al
COAL MARSHES. -. ~.
Let me premise by saying that the
Briar Hill coal, while one Of the most
valuable, is also one of the most ir-
regular and uncertain of al the coal
seams found in our State. Il yaries
greatly in thickness and quality in
different localities and Is frequently
wanting over considerable areas where
n might be looked for. This peculi-
arity is dependent upon two causes,
First, it accumulated in marshes pre-
cisely as peat accumnIates in the peat
bogs of the present day. Being the
lowest seam in the series ie filled, on
ly the lower portion Of the cid coal
marsh, and this marsh was very irreg-
nlar in its outline, its margin fringed
with ridges of higher land which pro-
jected into it; it area dotted with
hummocks or islands. As the coal
was formed only in the lower inter-
walls we now find it in local basins sor
channels bounded by the hummocks
and ridges to which have referred.
On these the coal rises and then out
up to the old water level where it ter
inmates. og 81! iH 1off ;! 4aIB9
THE COAL SEAMS. 80, - -
Second; after sufficient amount
of carbonaceous matter had aceamu-
lated in the old coal march, to form.
when greatly compressed, q coal seam
to 5 feet thick in its deepest basins
and channels, the whole was submer-
ged and covered first with fine mud,
now shale, and then, by more rapid
currents, with heavy beds of sand,
now the massive sandstone which
found above coal No. L. " S,'stai .
THE CURRENTS OF WATER ,Gs
Which transported this sand frequent
| ly cut away both the clay and coal
over considerable areas. Hence it is
not uncommon in working this coal
to find it cut out by "horsebacks" as
the miners term them, coming down
from the roof. By these horse-backs
the coal is replaced sometimes in mar
row lines, sometimes in broad belts.
For the reasons have given, the
coal is not unfrequently wanting at
its proper horizon aud many idisap7
pointments and heavy losses have
| been and will be experienced IN the
search Tor it. .s.sl-s.,.57,s5 .e3T fl
s THE BLOCK COAL. iaHlaG 1
The boundaries of the. area over
| which the block coal may be. found in
Portage county can be traced with
considerable accuracy although from
the fact that they are often covered
by heavy beds of drift, they have nm
| til the present time been very imper-
fectly known and in many localities
can as yet be only determined by care-
full and thorough exploration. Leav-
ing Trumbull country in, the south
east corner of Newton Township, the
line of Block coal passes northwester-
ly through Paris and Windhafn sweept
| around about mile west of CARROTS
vile, thence running nearly due
north into, 5Geaugaz The coal area
here forms narrow neck or peninsn-
la bounded on the west by the trough
| of the Cuyahoga- In Mantua,o > sas
AN ISLAND OF THE COAL MEASURES
Lies west, of, the Cnyahoga,y but the
coal is thin and of little value so far
as known. The same may be said of
the peninsula Of coal, rocks which
reaches from Garrettsville almost to
the center of Geauga county. .i'h7 -, z
Basins of good coal may be found in
this peninsula, but it is usually, toe
thin to be profitably worked. South
of the Mahoning railroad the coal area
a - " Er
becomes rapidly wider; except where
cut out in the valleys Of the stream,
| reaching from eRavennal nearly TO
Windham. Almost all the township
of Freedom lies considerably above
the coal bed. Rhinestone ridge in
the southwestern part OF Freedom
| rises from $50 to 200 feet above the
place of the Block coal. Beneath the
limestone in this locality, *df bs7,,
|, COAL NO. 3'di oi'ii aiag
Makes its appearance and has been
| worked on the farm of Wilson Da-
wilson, Esq. It is there about feet
in thickness has been considered the
Block coal and has consequently mis-
directed all explorations In that vicin-
| itv Near fhe inncfi0ts af n l,a q, ,yft,