Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-03-16


MATTE ii. e. coarse granite of irregu-
lar texture). Black tourmaline is an
abundant and characteristic constitu-
ent of the granite-pegmatites near the
mouth Of the Kennebec river. 1t is
thrown away in large amounts on the
dump of the nearby Goldings feldspar
quarry in Georgetown where it forms
crystals up to 2 1-2 and inches in d.
ameter and a foot or more in length.
as described by E. S. Bastin In Bulle-
tin AS, u. S. Geof. Survey, p. 107, &C.
ology of pegmatites of Maine. Black
tourmaline is complex silicate of
boron and aluminium also carrying
some iron The mineral has no rela-
ton whatever to coal and is entirely
yalueless.
The large fragment of coal which
was washed ashore at Small Point
Beach, Maine, is Illuminated, fairly
bright, with layers of mineral char
coal and pyritiferous clay The speci-
men is considerably slickensided and
shows effects of pressure and prob
ably of folding, as though out of
strata which had been much COM
pressed and folded. At first, the
geologist who examined the material
was inclined to regard it as having
been derived from some mine in
Nova Scotia, since the evidence of
squeezing and folding made it ap-
pear less likely that the specimen was
from the New River or Pocahontas
fields, which furnish the largest
amount of bituminous coal shipped in
eoastwise trade. However. a chemical
test of the fragment indicates a con-
tent of about rs or II per cent. of the
fixed carbon (pure coal basisD which
probably excludes the Nova Scotia
coal field from further consideration.
1t. therefore, becomes probable that
this specimen was either mined from
one of the lower veins in the Potomac
Basin of northern West Virginia or
from the folded beds OF the British
coal fields.
The good preservation Of the speci-
men, its hardness to the periphery,
its freedom from nearly all signs of
weathering and, in particular. the
| fact that the pyrite has not been oxi-
died in the least, precludes consider
alton of this specimen as having been
washed loose from any submarine
| ledge within reach of wave or storm
action. This origin is out Of the ques-
| ton. The specimen has either been
washed ashore from some sunken
wreckage or has been dropped or
| thrown overheard. In fact, the slick
ensided surface Of the black which
makes it look dull and ''slatey'
might have caused some fireman to
! reject this lump and throw IT over
board as too poor to put into his CRATE.
The bad appearance of the block is,
| of course, confined to the outer sur
| face.
The small specimen of coal which
was picked up on Small Point Beach.
Maine, 70 years ago." represents a
splinty or canneloid coal with very
| little traces of jointing. The physical
/ condition OF the specimen suggests that
| it was probably collected from a can
nelold bed in some coal field yielding
rather low rank bituminous, or even
inferior ranks of coal. 1t is practically
certain that, if coal were present in
/ this part of Maine, the strains which
the rocks of the region have under
gone would have altered the coal to a
much higher rank while, at the same
time, inducing a much more highly
developed system of cleavage.
This fragment is evidently entirely
| different in kind and region of origin
from the other fragment. In fact, in
the Judgment of the coal specialist
who has examined the two specimens,
they could hardly have been found in
the same coal field. Very likely the
small sample was mined III some for
eign country and has been dropped
from or sunken with some vessel OF
the Maine coast 1t is a fuel which
any sea captain might choose for
burning in his cabin or which might
be in transport for domestic use in an
| open crate. 1t is very improbable that
this coal came from any region OF the
eastern United States or from eastern
Canada.
/ very much regret that the material
you sent does not encourage our hopes
of finding coal deposits in the State OF
Maine. The two coal fragments, az
has been pointed out. are certainly ex-
otto while the fragments of rock blast
ed from the ledge contain tourInai,ne
instead of coal.
In accordance with your request.
| am forwarding the specimens by ex-
press to r. e. Nichols, Esq, Bath,
| Maine.
Very truly yours,
GEO, OTIS SMITH.