The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1899-04-19

Dr. L. gs WnAteS Report Oh tne 6e0f0-
~ Of West Virginia giving the True
MerldIans-Levels Above Tide and
Report on Oil and CAST also shows
the Coal. OIL and Gas Areas--0ne Of
the Most Valuable Works for the State
Ever Issued.
The New DOMINION acknowledges
with thanks the receipt OF this
volume from the State Gealtgists Df
|. G. White,
The Importance If the information
Included IN this work can be seen
even upon the most cursory perusal.
The records included in II repre-
sent the accumulated knowledge OF
more than century of growth in
bur State, and the expenditure Of
millions OF dollars both by public
and private effort.
Having be amtli III appropriation
ID DEFEND upon it is wonderful what
large mass of well classified f5cts
has been brought together and pub
lished in simple form in this drst
volume.
This work lie divided into four
parts, s9a pages. The first part is
the annual administrative report
showing the work of the Commission
and the work of the survey from its
beginning.
Part Two is made up of engineer
ing records and shows the distances
between stations on all the principal
railroad lines of the state and on all
the navigable rivers of the state and
the attitudes OF the same. This part
IL invaluable to all engineers and of
the very greatest use to all travellers.
Part Three is the history of the
true meridians at each County seat
in the state and the marking OF the
same by stone monuments and metal
tablets. This was work that had
long been needed and by the good
management Of the State Geologist
it Is now completed in each of the
So counties at a total cost to the state
of $4,000, the principal part of the
expense of this valuable work having
been tcrne by the United States
Geological Survey.
These monuments are about four
feet in length and are situated from
800 feet to about one mile apart, and
buried 10 the ground until only
about six inches project above the
81, wi, Al, l1t .a
embedded in the centef of the north
ern monument and is stamped with
the following letters: U. S.
w. V.
The Southern monument in each
county is marked with bronze tab
let on which are the following words
in capital letters! L. 8. Geological
Survey, W. Va. Meridian Mark.
On each tablet places are provided
for stamping the elevation above the
sea level when this shall be deter
mined at each place. The declina-
ton or departure Of the magnetic
reading from the true meridian is
shown to be West In all places in
West Virginia. This varies from 45
minutes at Wayne, in Wayne eoun-
| ty to A degrees and SO minutes at
Berkeley Springs in Morgan county.
Instructions are given in the report
for correcting the magnetic readings
Of the compass in future years SO
that this report becomes of the ut
most value to all surveyors, engineers
and land owners
Part Four of this volume is en-
tirely the work OF Dr. White and is
Upon Petroleum and Natural Gas
His historical sketch of the earlier
discoveries and uses of oil and gas
in this state read like romance.
In this it is clearly shown that not
only the first use Of gas and oil by
white men began in this state, but
that nearly all the machinery used
for drilling purposes was invented
by the operators In this state.
1t is shown conclusively that the
sale of oil had become part of the
business of the Little Kanawha Val
lev before it had been discovered in
Pennsylvania and that its regular
price was from 30 cents to 40 cents
a gallon from ls4T To 1850.
Tie geology of petroleum and
natural gas IS discussed at length.
The history of the structural or
anticlinal theory of the occurrence
of oil is discussed and it's vertical
ton is shown by such an array of
facts as would seem to set at rest
any doubts that may have fingered
up to this time as to the origin of
the great Oil pools The folds or
anticlinals here in West Virginia are
not covered with drift as they are in
Indiana and Ohio and are In more
exact conformity to the great noun
tain folds on the east than they are
in Pennsylvania This part OF
the report is an important contribu-
tion to the literature of the theoreti-
cal geology.
The oil and gas bearing strata OF
West Virginia are discussed and a
complete section is shown from the
top of the termian down to the
Corniferous Limestone,
In this section the various rock
groups aggregate the astonishing
thickness of 1900 feet.
The occurrence of oil and gas in
these various groups and the rock
pressure in he same is illustrated
by detailed sections OF logs1Grom not
less than 103 wells.
| These wells are distributed in the
Monongahela and Ohio Valleys from
Pittsburg to the Warfeld district on
the Big Sandy river.
This alone makes this report per
haps the most valuable report that
has ever been issued by any state
upon the natural history of petrole-
UNI, for when the reports were made
upon this industry in Pennsylvania,
Ohio and Indiana the development
in those states had not proceeded
nearly so far as it has in this state
On the whole Dr. White and the
Commission are to be congratulated
upon the appearance of the first
volume OF the work of the survey
for considering the small amount OF
money at their disposal the present
volume comes more like a present
than work OF the usual cost.
Along with the first volume also
appears the first map that the state
has ever issued. This was drawn
| by Prof r. L. Morris of the IIni Yer.