New-York tribune., 1879-09-02
PAPERS ON GEOLOGICAL SUBJECTS.


Professor J. NJ. Stafford. of Vanderbilt University.
Naahyille read paper Oh most remarkable fossil
cIinNd, specimens of which have been found III
Tennessee. The species is new, never having been
described. The fossil is remarkable for its great
size and ic certain features which are a puzzle to
the pai.eOn'Gogsts The specimens have attracted
great deal OF attcnhcn and have been examined
by many persons. Professor Hall has found a few
specimens of the fossil in N,w-York hut they are 10y
10 means as striking as those from Tennessee.
Professor A. Z. :. stuart. of Lincoln. Nob.. spoke
briefly On gypsum sand lie spok, in part as fol-
lows:
n. recently had occasion 10 visit New Mtyico in the
Interest " certain persous concerned silver mines
There Governor Wallace showed HIM specimen sand
and wished To know o, what II composed. Profes
stuart said he was unable To tell. hut would
eur Governor wallace said IN a bed in New
Mexico many miles IN extent ana many taet
passes readily INTO solution, and on evaporating
the solution, accular needles SEPARATE which are read
gypsum 81 the soft anhyG varety. and II tbls min
las been found IN thus or any other eoanty IN
this form Professor stuart not aware ofi How IL
was formed whethrr by the action of winds OF other
wise. "a may be difficult 10 say.
Professor James Hall read three papers, which he
illustrated with many specimens. The first Of these
papers consisted of notes upon the genera fene-
stella hemitrypha. etc. The second was Oh the
fauna of the Lower Heidelberg group in
relation 10 The corals. bryozoa and ecbiuo-
dermata lin the third paper he described
the present condition of the work apOn
the palTontology of New-lOrk. In concluding
the third paper he referred In an interesting way
70 the appropriations made in this State for geo
Logical purposes. He said that. generally speaking.
the appropriations had been sufficient 10 carry on
the work steadily aud we'll Too liberal appTOpria-
tions encouraged undertaking more work at one
lime than could he carried WI sufficient care and
thOrOughness. Tie had not found very much diih-
GUILTY with the politicians when they were not m
flueHced by men falsely pretending to be scientific.
lie had always found ia the Legislature OF New
York "A good number of men who were ready 10 ap-
preciate true scientific work.
THE ASTHTACITE COAL FIELDs.
PN Sheafer of Pottsylle, Penn, spoke of tho
anthracite coal fields of Pennsylvania and their
rapid exhaustion. He SAID:
The wc-k o. mining anthracite coal in that state was
begun IN lS20 with $50 now 2O.OOOUOO tOns per
ennun are produced. Mr. sheaier asserted that only
cDehrd of the coal goes into consumption; tWc Drds
are wasted. lost an the mines ana IN prepare On lie put
the maximum product III about 5O,OOO,ODO tons per
nnnun aud the present ratio OF Increase tlis limit
will be reached I'm the year 1900 and IN SO years sly
IN the 2OoJ. anthracite coal nelds Will Dc cx
baurtei Then We must fSil back Oh our bitumlnous
roal area which reaches the enormous total OF 2OOpO
eouare miles. 400 times the OF the auhra
cite Mr. Sheafer sHld that the competition between Oi
several coal companies and by them with the Diium
nous coal will always keep the price MODERATE lie
dOubed If Great Britain could much increase iis now
enormous product Of 900 tons, yet al her pres
Pnt OF increase she VIII eXoaust hcr cOal-aDONe
4OOO feet-in about the time which our anthracite
OUTPUT Will cesse. But She has 10 100000 square
miles, We have IN the West
Professor I. Sterry Hunt. Of Montreal, spoke on
some pre-C Cambrian rocks in America and Europe.