Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1881-07-13
The Coal Measures of Pennsylvania.
BY THE REV. O. W. SCOTT.


No person in possession of an ordinarily
"inluiring mind can dwell long in the
coal regions of the Keystone state
without becoming greatly interested in
coal beds and carboniferous fossils.
Your correspondent has not escaped this
general interest which engages the native
ofNew England, who wanders hitherward !;
and he hereby transcribes for your read
ers some facts which may be both pleasing
and pr,f able review.
Prnnsylvania's coal fields yield coal of
three varieties. viz. anthracite, btumin
Gus and semi biluminous. The anthracite
cot' is the most compact variety. burning
with a slightly blush flame, and is found
in the Lehigh, Wyoming and Lackawanna
valleys, and in greatest abundance near
Pottsville Pittston, Scranton and Wilkes
Barre. These coal beds are from five to
thirty feet in thickness.
The bituminous coal is found in the
vicinity OF Pittsburgh. 1t burns with a
bright yellow fame, and 80 envelops the
city with smoke that we are told that
everything takes on dingy appearance,
and that it is next to impossible for the
Inhabitants to preserve cleanly appear
ance.
The semi-bituminous deposit is found in
aregIon midway the state, just east Of the
Allegheny mountains.
Why is anthracite found in eastern
Pennsylvania and bituminous in the west
ern portion of the statep The best expla
nlion Of this difference which we have
met is this that the vegetable growth
trees and plants) which go to make up
the material for the coal bed was grown
and deposited in the one case in fresh
water, and in the other in salt water.
The study Of the coal deposits is one OF
great interest. and is carried forward here
with great success by aid of coal fossils
which are being constantly exhumed. In
the town of Ptt,ton, at the junction of the
Wyoming and Lackawanna valleys may
be found a vast collection of coal fossils
gathered and classified by Mr.. R. D. Lacoe.
ageuteman Of culture an wealth, who is
enthusiastically devoied to the study o
carbonDIerous formations. His cabinet
numbers not less than fifteen thousand
specimens, and he is constantly adding tc
thIS largest collection in the United States
ORIGIN OF COAL.
1t Is, beyond doubt. of vegetable ori
KIN Ihe proof is supplied in that remains
oi trees, roots, plants, leaves, ETC., are
iound in abundance in the coal measures
and which, with geologists, take the name
ol "tosstis.' These " remains are sc
called because they are dug out of tht
earth, the word fossil being derived from
'n' Latin word FOSSILS. which literally
means "ttGt Which is dug up"
We are told by those who are giving
'nelr life and time in pouring over the
H'Ves of nature ponderous volume that
during the carboniferous age the waters
Ill part receded from the earth's surface
"nu The emerged continent tor long era
produced luxuriant growth of trees and
pants and these annually dying and
"oPplng into the marshy lands, supplied
at length vast amount of vegetable
malter-probably an accumulation of five
leet Tor one of btuminous coal. and eight
'e9' Tor one of anthracite. Then came a
pF'od OF overlooking waters, when earth
pebbles, shells, ETC., were carried ovel
"sSe marshes, and masses of vegetable
u9Poslt burying it for ages. and as Dant
''y'' " under this condition the process o.
'Fcomposltion and change to minera
'oal went forward to Its completion. Il