Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-06-21
POPULAR SCIENCE.
THE ANALYZING AND CHASING
OF TEXAS SOILS.
Our Great Central Coal Field-The fuckers
Hill Well in the Carboniferous-Arte-
sian Well Conditions.

! Professor E. 7. Dumble, our state geo.
logist. says one OF the most urgent needs of
Texas at present is 4 proper study and
| classification of soils, which are in great
variety. Very little systematic work Of
| this kind has yet been carried on in the
state, and. for that matter, in any portion
of our common country. The most i'm
portant was that done under the tenth
| census work of the United States. An ar
rangement is now being made at the office
OF our geological survey to examine, analyze
and classify the soils of Texas, so far as
possible. =
Speaking of coal in Texas. Professor Dunn
bic says the central coal field is continue
tion of the Aissourian or fourth coal basin of
the United States, of which it is the south
ern extremity. Its approximate boundary
Is line from the eastern corner of Mon
tague county, running southwest from Red
river just west of Decatur and Weather.
ford, through the southeastern corner of
Palo Pinto county, and west of the town
of Comanche to the eastern line of Brown
county. From this point it runs more di-
rectly south, passing through Lampasas
into Burnett county, where the formation
has its most southern exposure, so far as
yet determined. On the west it appears
again in Kimble and Mason counties, and
the line running north passes through Me-
nard, Concho, Runnels, Taylor, Callahan,
Shackelford and Throc kmorton counties,
and through the southeastern portions Of
Archer and Clay to the mouth of Little
Wichita. This field covers in whole or in
part some twenty-five counties, and has an
area OF not less than 1900 square miles.
Its eastern border is OVERLAND by the rocks
of the cretaceous formation, while the per-
milan beds rest upon it on the west. The
thickness of the formation, as made out by
Professor Cummins, is not less than 1000
feet, with nine seams of coal, of which two
at least, and probably three, are workable
As this coal formation dips to the south
east it cannot do otherwise than underie
Fort Worth The fuckers Hill well struck
it at the depth of ABOUT two thousand feet,
and is now being bored in the carbonifer-
Gus. 1t would be interesting to keep a
lookout at that well for bits of coal, for il
is more than probable that before the pro-
posed 5000 feet of depth has been reached
some of those coal veins will have been
passed. ~.
The conditions favoring artesian wells,
and the only conditions under which they
can be had, are laid down by Professor
Dumble as follows: l. A peryious stratum
to permit the entrance and passage of the
water. 2. A water-tight bed below to pre-
vent the escape of water downward. 8. A
like impervious bed above to prevent the
escape of water upward, for the water,
being under pressure from the fountain
head, would otherwise find relief in that
direction. 4. An inclination of these beds
so that the edge at which the waters enter
will be higher than the surface at the
well. 5. A suitable exposure of the edge Of
the porous stratum, so that it may take in
a sufficient supply of water. 6. An ade-
quate rainfall to furnish this supply.
Z. An absence of any escape for the water
at lower level than the surface at the
well. -
If we take any large insect, says the
Unitarian Observer, say wasp or hor-
net, we can see, even with the naked eye,
that series of small, spot-like marks run
along the side of the body. These appar-
emit spots, which are eighteen or twenty in
number, are, in fact, the apertures through
which air is admitted into the system, and
are generally formed in such manner that
no extraneous matter can by any possibility
find entrance. Sometimes they are fur
nished with pair of horny caps, which can
be opened and closed at the will of the in
sect; in other cases they are densely
-ringed with stiff, interlacing bristles,
'orming filter, which allows air, and air
llone, to pass ;but the apparatus, of whatev-
II character it may be, is wonderfully perfect
n its arrangement. The apertures in quss-
ion communicate with two large breathing
ubes, which extend through the entire
ength Of the body. From these main tubes
re given of innumerable branches, which
I'm in all directions, and continually d.
ide and subdivide, until wonderfully in
ricate network is formed, pervading ev.
ry part of the structure, and penetrating
ven to the antenn9.
No apple vine r1e06d IS the best, and
sS 6 Ts = =: vinegar '''''' z