The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1885-01-01
BY D. MACKLEY.

npper coal series lies above Jackson.
Next below that is the calcareo-silici-
Gus rock. The town is built upon this
rock. Immediately below this is the
lower coal series, and below that the
conglomerate, orsalt rock, which crops
out at Diamond Furnace, mile west
of town. Below that lies the Waverlv
sandstone series, which crops out near
Balm bridge, Ross county. Below this
lies the slaty argillaceous rock, con-
tanning pyrites, and nodules of sep
taria. (lattened balls of stone,) and
limestone. Below this is the great
slimestone deposit.
-wilL nov make a somewhat
lengthy extract from the report of
Hr. Briggs, made in 1888. 1t is old,
bat throws much light upon this sub
i4ct. and the developments made since
The report was published, show that
Geology is a we'll regulated science,
and is reliable.
COAL OF JACKSON, soIoTo AND LAW
RENEE COUNTIES.
In these counties are also three beds
of workable coal, which are probably
equivalent to those of the Hooking
Valley. It will be recollected that all
these are embraced in the series of
strata, between the conglomerate and
buhr. The western outcrop of the
lowest seam may be indicated by a
line draw from the Ohio river. near
the Franklin furnace, in Scioto county
northward, to Richland, in Jackson
county; but, as this outcrop is irregu-
lar, coal may be found west Of this
line on high eleUations, and be defici-
ent in those east Of it: Like the coal
which has heretofore been described
it is made up Of laminae. containing g
distinct traces, of vegetable fibre, often
so thin, that a great number can be
counted within the space of a few
inches. This coal burns with brilli-
ant yellowish fame, and being free
from sulphuret of iron, is very highly
esteemed for fuel, and smiths purpo-
ses. In some places it appears to pass
into camel coal. On account of its
purity, it may be used in the smelling
of iron. It is preferred at the furna-
ces, by those acquainted with its char
acter, to either of the beds which lie
above it in this series; and must, at
some day, be Of great value to this
part of the State, not only to the fur
naces, but to those places on the
Scioto Valley, which must, ultimately
be Supplied with fossil fuel from this
stratum. Numerous openings have
already been made in this bed. 1t has
been used in Jackson, Athens, and
Scioto counties. Four or five mi es
west of Jackson, this coal has been
dug, and drawn by teams to Chilli
cothe, where it costs, on delivery,
about 16 cents per bushel. It has
been taken from banks, owned by
Messrs. Chandler, Milllgan, McKinnis
Howe, Ward, Landrum, and others
We have no data from which to esti-
mate the quantity of coal annually
taken to market from these mines,
but its amount, which is increasing,
must already be many thousand bu-
shells.
Above this bed, occur, at least, two
others which are workable In Jackson
county, they have, not been wrought
except for smiths purposes, and In
a few instances for fuel, by those liv-
ing in their immediate neigh borhood.
The outcropping edges Of these layers
of coal are found few miles east of
that which form the western bound
aries Of the coal deposits of the State.
One or both Of these beds will be
found in the townships Of Clinton,
Milton, Bloomfield, Madison, Jeffer-
son, and Franklin, in Jackson county;
thence, they extend, southerly, to the
Ohio river, through the easterly por--
ton of Scioto county, and the western
part Of Lawrence, where they have
been used at some of the furnaces.
Besides these three beds, there are
some thinner ones, which, perhaps,
may be wrought in few localities.
We have thus given a brief descrip-
ton Of the coal of this group of stra-
ia, the aggregate thickness Of which
is variable, but it may be safely esti-
mated from 10 to - feet, though in
some places it may be II feet.
These three layers of coal, the stra-
ia in which they are embraced, are so
abraded, and their debris removed,
that they occupy only small portion
Of the area, included between their
western outcrop, and the point at
which they disappear beneath the
beds Of the streams.
The whole amount of coal between
these points, from the Ohio river,
north, to the Hooking Valley, may be
safely estimated as sufficient to form
an entire stratum, SO miles in length,
5 miles in width, and 9 feet IN thick
ness. This amount of coal will yield
about 100000 of tons per square
mile. This estimate includes but
very small part Of the coal, which can
be obtained from Che beds heretofore
described; for, after disappearing be-
meath the water courses, they, doubt
ess, continue, eastward. toward the
Ohio river, sinking deeper and deeper
beneath the surface, so that they can
be reached only by shafts near the
Ohio, at the depth of some hundred
feet. The method of obtaining coal,
oy sinking shafts, has not yet been
oracticed in this country to any con-
siderable extent; but will, ultimately,
be in Ohio, when the consumption of
FOSSIL coal shall have created a suffi-
,ient demand for the article. Shafts
nave been sunk, with success, under
;he direction of practical geologists.
n Great Britain, to the depth OF 1900
% 1900 feet. Coal must, undoubtedly
De obtained in this way in our own
country, at no very remote period.
Much valuable space is needlessly