Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-06-25
POPULAR SCIENCE.
THE ANALYZING AND CHASING
OF TEXAS SOILS.
Our Great Central Coal Fieid-The Tu.ker's
Hill Well in the Carboniferous-atts-
sian Wen Conditions.

Professor z. T. Dumble, our state sea.
logist, says one of the most urgent needs A.
Texas at present is a proper study al.
classification of soils, which are in sr4l.
variety. Very little systematic work ,i
this kind has yet been carried IN n be
state, and, for that matter, in any portion
of our common country The most ir.
portant was that done under the tenth
census work of the United States Anar
rangement is now beng made at the Office
of our geological surveyt0 examine analy7e
and classify the soils of Texas. 80 far as
possible. -
Speaking of coal i'll Texas. Professor Dun
bic says the central coal field is IA continue.
ton of the Missourian or fourth coal bas!r,i
the United States. of which it is the south.
ern extremity. Its approximate boundary
is line from the eastern corner of Mons
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 towai
OF Comanche to the eastern line OF Brown
county. From this point it runs more dis
rectly south, passing through LampaSas
into Burnet county, where the formation!
has its most southern exposure, 80 far as |,
yet determined. On the west il appears
again in Kimble and Mason counties, and
the line running north passes through Med
nard, Concho, Runnels, Taylor. Callahan,
Shackelford and Throckruorton 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 his an
area of not less than 200 square miles.
It's eastern border is overlaid by the rocks
of the cretaceous formation, while the peri
milan beds rest upon it on the west. The
thickness of the formation, as made OUt NJ
Professor CumminS, is not less than 2OOd
feet, with nine seams of coal, of which two
at lea1, and probably three, are workable,
As this coal formation dips to the south
east it cannot do otherwise than un,leriie
Fort Worth. The fuckers Hill well Strucl;
it at the depth of about two thousand feet,
and is now being bored il the carboniier,
Gus. 1t would be interesting TO keep
lookout al 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 favorins artesian wells,
and the only conditions under which they
can be had, are laid down by Professor
Dumble as follows: |. A pervious stratum
to permit the entrance and passage OF tEs
water. ,. A water-tight bed below 10 pre-
vent the escape of water downward. 3.
like impervious bed above to prevent tha
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 enteP
will be higher than the surface at ;h9
well. D. A suitable exposure OF the edge u
the porous stratum, so that it may take
a sufficient supply of water. 9. An ade-
quate rainfall to furnish this supply.
Z. An absence OF any escape for the water
at a lower level than the surface at ths
we'll -
If we take any large insect, says tha
Unitarian Observer, say wasp or hor-
net. we can see, even with the naked eye,
that a series of small spot-like marks run
along the side of the body. These appar-
ent spots, which are eighteen or twenty III
number, are, in fact, the apertures through
which air is admitted into the system ana
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 ln-
sect; in other cases they are denseJ
fringed with stiff, interlacing bristleS,
forming filter, which allows air, and an
alone, to pass but the apparatus, OF whate"
er character it may be, is wonderfully perieci
in its arrangement. The apertures IN queS'
ton communicate with two large breathing,
tubes, which extend through the enuSi
length Of the body. From these main tuDes
are given OF innumerable branches, wHca
run in all directions, and continually ~
vide and subdivide, until wonderfully u.
tricate network is formed, pervadigge"-
cry partof the STRUCTURE, and penetrating
eysd to tho antenn&
s- n