The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1879-03-06
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STARK COUNTY,
ITS GEOLOGY AS GIVEN IN THE
NEW VOLUME OF THE OHIO GE-
OLOGICAL SURVEY,
A Condensation Of the Report on the Geology Of
Stark County, 40 Given by Prof. J. n, New
berry.

VI bilC JOuhtJ bLlO hlllD RiO NuihNoNNN W
their summits The soil is generally
light, often loan, sand or gravel. From
the nature of the soil, the farmers of the
county have usually been Cultivators Of
grain and Stark has long been famous
for it's crops of wheat. The altitude of
the county is from $50 to 700 feet above
Lake Erie, and its surface is dotted over
with lakes. In most parts of Stark coun-
ty the surface deposits are northern
drift, and it is on the hills of the south
ern townships, that we find the soil de-
rived from the decomposition of the un-
derlying rocks. In the Tuscarawas val
ley an extensive series Of boring haYe
been made for coal, and these have re-
vealed the fact that this stream is now
running far above its former'bed.
The coal measures of Stark county are
composed, as usual, of sandstone, lime.
stone, shale, 6re-clay, coal, iron ores, ETC.,
spd include all the lower group of coal
seams, seven in number. OF these, the
lowest, or as we have named it, Coal No
1.-The Massillon or BriAr Hill seam-is
one Of the most valuable in the entire
series. This is we'll developed in Stark
county, and forms one of the most i'm
portant sources of business and wealth.
The coal which is obtained from this
seam is generally called the Massillon
coal, and is 80 well known that nothing
need be said of its character. Though
varying somewhat in different localities,
as general rule it is bright and hand
some in appearance, contains little sui
phur and ash, is open burning, and pos.
sesses high heating power. By long and
varied trial, it has proved to be one CT
the most serviceable Goals found in the
State. In Stark it is somewhat more bi.
luminous than coal of the same seam in
the Mahoning Valley, put it is more like
it in composition than it's appearance
would indicate. The Massillon coal is
well adapted to great variety of uses.
1t is successfully used in the smelling of
iron in blast furnaces, and is there used
in the raw state. 1t is also a good rolling
mill coal, makes intense heat, would be
good for the manufacture of gas, and is
the most highly esteemed household
fuel in the districts where it is used.
This combination of excellences makes
it special favorjte in the markets of
the lake ports, and maintains for it an
active demand.
The Massillon coal district is, practic-
ally, one of the most important in the
State. The number of miners employed
here is about fifteen hundred A capital
of over $2,000,000 is used in the produc.
Hon of coal, and the annual yield of the
mines may be estimated at 900 600 tons.
Most Of this coal goes to Cleveland by
way of the Lake Shore & TusCaraWas
Valley, and the Cleveland, Mt Vernon
& Delaware Railroads, and the Ohio Ca.
nal. A large amount is also consumed |
in and about Massillon, where it is used |
for variety of manufactures. The most
important use to which it is here put is
for iron smelling, since it is the fuel ex-
Clusively used in the two furnaces at
Massilon ard one at Dover. These fur |
naces have been in operation for many
years, and the iron they produce has a
we'll established and excellent reputa.
ton. 1t is for the most part made of |
black band ore, and closely resembles the |
Scotch pig. This is not surprising, since
the materials and methods employed are |
almost exactly the same as those used in |
Scotland. These have proved remnner.
ative during years of experience, yet the |
methods of the Scotch iron masters can
be easily shown to be susceptible of i'm
provement. By adding close tops to the
furnaces, increasing their dimensions
and the temperature of the blast, there |
is little doubt that most important econ.
omy in the use of"fuel may be effected |
With the present method of manufaC-
ture, the Massillon furnaces consume
three and half to four tons of coal for
every ton of iron made. This is certain
ly waste of fuel, which, from ito great
excellence and limited quantity, ought |
to be husbanded with the greatest care.
The Massillon coal constitutes a great
source Of wealth to the county, and is
the main spring of many industries; but
the fact should be recognized that this
is capital which is daily being exhaust
ed and, when exhausted, can never be
reproduced. All the coal basins now
known about Massillon will be worked
out within generation, and, although
new discoveries will certainly be made,
and much territory become productive
where the coal is not now supposed to
exist, still the value of the coal is so
great, and it's consumption 80 rapidly in.
Creasing, that it is feared not many years
will pass before the supply from this re
gion will be exhausted.
Among the most encouraging results
Of recent explorations about Massillon,
Is the discovery of an important basin
Of coal two miles south OF the town, on
the west side of the river. How large a
portion in this vicinity is underlaid with
coal of workable thickness is mot vet
known but everything indicates that
THE is one of the most important basins
SHOWN IN INC REGION
.u... MAssILLoN COAL.
Numerous borings were made at Can.
ton by Reynolds Brothers, H. S. Belden,
and Others. The Massillon coal was
reached in several holes, but was gener-
ally quite thin, varying from one to three
Ieet. The most encouraging boring made
near Canton was by Joseph Schwalm,
about one mile east Of the town. He
reports that at the depth of one hundred
and sixty feet, he found six feet of clear,
bright, handsome coal, on the surface OF
which blue stain was visible, similar to
that on the coal mined by the Fulton
Company. Mr. Schwalm's boring was
begun about the level of the lower lime.
Itone, which is visible at this point, so
hat there can be no reasonable doubt