Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1901-08-08
Geology Of West Virginia.

At the meeting of the International
Mining Congress at Boise City, Idaho,
a paper giving the geologic history of
West Virginia, prepared by DR.. I. c.
White, State Geologist, of Morgan
town, at the request Of Governor A.
B. White, was read.
The detailed geologic history Of
West Virginia is long story, summa-
rized it can be briefly told. That part
of it which pertains to the Eastern pam
handle is very interesting to the resi-
dents of this section and it isgiven be-
low.
West Virginia rocks begin with the
old volcanic series of the Blue Ridge
on its extreme eastern border, and ex-
tend upward through the Cambrian'
Silurian, Devonian and Carboniferous,
ending with the Permian beds Of the
latter along the central and western
portions Of the State Metsmorphosis
of sediments are comparatively un-
known in her strata, hence those who
would seek gold and silver, platinum,
copper, tin, lead, etc, should give
West Virginia wide BERTH
Traces she may have of all these,
but none in paying quantities. Pre-
cious stones, gems and metals have
been denied to the Little Mountain
State, but generous nature has so rich
ly lowered her with common stones,
common minerals and other common
things that her natural wealth is un-
by any equal area on the
Passing in brief review the main
features of the West Virginia geologic
column Of strata from the oldest to the
most recent, we find them distributed
as follows;
The Blue Ridge at the extreme
eastern line of the State contains the
Oldest rocks, and according to the re-
searche. Of the lamented Prof. VIII
liams, of John Hopkins, and his tai
ented pupil, Miss Bascom, consists
largely Of metamorphosed ancient vol
canic outfows. Within the limits Of
West Virginia, at least, they do not
appear to contain any minerals Of es-
pecial value.
Succeeding these ancient volcanic
rocks of uncertain age, and resting
against them in a vertical or even
overturned condition, como the Siluro-
Cambrian, or Shenandoah limestones.
These crop 10 the surface in only
few counties Of the State, viz Jeffsr-
son, Berkeley, Hardy, Hampshire and
Pendleton, along the border Of Vir-
ginia. Their thickness has never
been exactly measured, but is proba-
bly, somewhere between three and four
thousand feet. They make the great
wheat belt Of the Shenandoah Valley.
Much of the rock is highly magnetism,
but at few hundred feet below the
top of the series, occurs a strait Of very
pure carbonate of lime, IS to 100 feet
thick. being low in phosphorus and
siIicious matter. 1t is highly priced
for the manufacture Of iron, glass,
plastering, etc.
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
runs across this belt of limestone for
distance of twenty-five miles between
Harper's Ferry and North Mountain,
furnishing excellent facilities for ship
ment from its quarries. The dissolu-
tion Of some ferruginous limestOnes in
this series has given origin to a few
extensive iron ore pockets, notably the
Virginia Mine on the Potomac river
a few miles above Harper's Ferry.
The Martinsburg shale, correspond
ing to a portion of the old Hudson
river group, succeeds the Shenandoah
limestones, but while it makes an ex-
cellent soil it contains nothing else Of
mineral value. The thickness Of these
beds is probably not far from 1000
feet.
The Oneida and Medina beds of the
New York series succeed the Martins
burg shale, the lower half consisting
of sand beds and red shales, while the
upper half is a very hard white sand
stone 500 to 900 feet thick. 1t makes
the North Mountain along the Shen-
andoah Valley, and also comes up in
the great folds ofthe Appalachian sys-
tenn Of Hancock and Keyser. The
white sandstone is valuable for rail-
road ballast and glass sand.
The Clinton and its fossil iron ores,