Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1874-06-17
Extracts from Geological Reports.
FROM PROFESSOR ROGERS.

, 7 Prof, H. j. Rogers, in his "Report
on the Geology of Pennsylvania, a
Government survey" tho most thor
ough and reliable work on the great
Pennsylvania coal-felds, and the
standard for reference in all American
coal surveys, says;
d We may say that the regularly con-
tinuous coal measures OF the Second
Basin begin near the mouth Of Kettle
3 Greek, and follow thence the general
course of the Susquehanna otis source,
or at loast as far as Canoe Place at
the southwest corner OF Clcarfeld
county. From near Clearfold to
Kettle Crock the river flows nearly
along the middle Of the trough, sup
ported by the coal measures as far as
Moraviah Run but from this stream
to the influx of Kettle Greek it cuts
through into lower rocks, and cleaves
the coal into two high narrow belts,
one on each side of the deep trough
in which the river winds, As tho
basin progressively deepens. from the
Sinnemahoning southwest, it embraces
in that direction very valuable thick
ness of useful mineral strata; and
here, too, we first meet with those
singularly persistent seams of lime
stone, alternating with the coal, which
prove such invaluable guides in identi-
flying the series of coal rocks over the
whole region to the south and west.
There are in oil 10 coal seams of
greater or loss size in this part Of the
basin. The thick bed near the top is
the only one hereto mined. This bed
is altogether 6 feet thick, but this in.
cludes l foot of inferior coal near tho
top, which is not mined !; the remain
der Of the seam consists of very ex-
cellcnt coal, adapted to making a
superior coke. Lower down in tho
measures occur two important beds
of iron ore. One Of these at an eleva-
tion of 345 feet above the river, is es.
timated TO contain in all feet OF good
blue kidney ore in IL feet of shale.
The other stratum lies at an elevation
Of 26S feet. 1t also exhibits about
feet of good kidney ore in stratum OF
shale less than IL feet thick. This
band is locally called the "red ore"
and is OF a different variety from that
above ;they are both of excellent
quality. =
Besides the thick upper coal tbore
are three others Of size suitable for
mining, one of which is 80 feet thick,
and two others each feet; but none
of these supply as pure coal as the
main seam.
Nine miles above this, OF the river,
the red ore has been found, and is
stated to be thicker than at Karthaus.
Three miles higher up there occurs a
bed of coal near the SUBMITS of the
highest hills, which measures 4 fee 4
inches in thickness this, there is some
reason to suppose, is part Of the main
Karthaus seam. Between tho two
localities mentioned appears bed of
limestone.
At Karthaus the total depth of
coal-measures above the Conglomerate
is at least 800 feet in which are includ-
ed nne.be of coal of various dimen.
sions, besides beds Of fre.clay and iron
ore.
From point several miles below
Karthaus, the coal-measures in the
river hills are quite productive, en-
bracihg several bands of iron ore,
limestone and some excellent coal
seams; and near Three Runs we have,
besides, promising indications of the
ore peculiar TO the upper Umbral red
shales fH
The coal basin deepening gradually
as we ascend the river, tho large up
per seam at Karthaus docs not enter
thchills until we pass above the neigh
borhood of Three Runs. At the lat
ter locality occurs bed of coal 3 feet
2 inches thick, which has been opened,
associated with layer of limestone
and one of fre-clay. Openings were
once made into coal bed and band Of
iron ore on the south side of tho
river, at a point high up in the hills
but the success of the exploration is
unknown Tracing the coal rocks
back from the river for two or three
miles in this direction, we find them
gradually rising until they appear
finally only in the highest knobs, be-
yond which they are succeeded by the
coarse beds ofthe Seral Conglomerate
expanded over the elevated tract des-
ignated "Highlands'on the State Map.
On Birch Island Run, which enters
the Susquchanna below Karthaus near
tho county line, and thirty miles
northeast of Clearfield, several beds
of coal have been developed on the
property Of DIR. Lorain. The most
important of these is opened on the
bill between the forks Of the stream.
The bed is said by those who proved
it to be six feet thick, and is regarded
as the big Karthaus bed A still high
or seam, four feet thick, is found in
tho bill tops about thirty feet over the
large bed. Iron ore is found associa-
ted with the shales enclosing it. Be-
meath the large coal, forty feet, a
stratum of limestone three feet thick
outcrops. On the same property far
ther west, two other coal beds have
been opened. They are reported as
measuring two and half and four
feet respectively, and occupy q posi-.
tion lower in the series than the large
seam.--(Vol H., pages 4s2, 4SS, 534,
$3.50 cl fatt "a
FROM PROFESSOR MAcFARLAHE.
In his valuable work on the Coal
Regions Of America, in speaking Of
the Coal Basin referred to by Rogers,
Macfarlane says Z
Farther southwest the Second Basin
seems TO run near the West Branch,
and parallel to IL for q grent distance
through Clinton, Clearfeld and Indi-
ann counties. 1t is worry broad and
extensive belt Of country, and there is
remarkable regularity in the position
Of, the coal, iron ores and other less
valuable strata. OF the coal there
would appear TO be at least three seams
NJ IN nodo,o N J.sx. oco;opo huf of q, <,,.l<o