GEOLOGICAL AND NATURAL HISTORY SURVEYS. 105 



natural resources by an enlightened population-'; that "no great 

 public work promises to be more valuable to Kentucky, in proportion 

 to the amount of expenditure required, than a thorough geological 

 and mineralogical survey"; and that "a large bod}^ of our en- 

 lightened citizens are very desirous that such a survey should be 

 speedily commenced." 



In the same year (1853) W. W. Mather made a " geological ex- 

 amination of the line of the (proposed) Lexington and Big Sandy 

 Kailrond, in the employ of the company, and in his report to R. 

 Apperson, president of the railroad company, said that — 



The line of the roafl transverses a rich agricultural countr.v, from Lexington 

 to the Licking River, wliere it enters the minei'al region. * * * Tjie mineral 

 materials avail.-ible along the road and easy of access are: Coal, both bituminous 

 and cannel ; iron ore in numerous Avorkable beds of great extent and good work- 

 ing qualities; building stones and freestones of the very best qualities in in- 

 exhaustible quantities; limestones of various qualities, adapted for making 

 n-bite lime and hydraulic cement, fire clay, firestoue, etc. 



He gave the following " table of the order of superposition of the 

 principal masses of the rock formations : " 



Coal formation, containing common and cannel coal and iron ore. 



Carboniferous limestone, called the white limestone, and covered by a seam of 

 Iron ore. 



Fine-grained sandstone, the same as the Waverly sandstone of Ohio, so much 

 worked in tliat State as fine building stone. 



Buff-colored limestone, contains cement rock and some beds (;f iron ore. 



Blue limestone, under the Blue Grass region. 



Describing these formations in detail, he gave estimates as to the 

 umount of their valuable deposits, to their economical uses and the 

 business they might give to the proposed railroad. 



The people of Kentucky had become greatly interested about this 

 time in internal improvements, and the development of the mineral 

 resources of the State, which were generally' believed to be great 

 and valuable, but the extent of which was not known, was a power- 

 ful motive in that direction. 



At the next succeeding meeting of the general assembly of the 

 State, consequently, the first act vv-as passed, providing for a geo- 

 logical and mineralogical survey of Kentucky. 



This and the other several acts of the general assembly, under 

 which the geological and mineralogical survey of the State w^as 

 begun and continued, under the direction of David D. Owen, during 

 the years 1854, 1855, 1856, 1857, 1858, and 1859-60, are as follows: 



Act approved JIarcb 4, 1854, to provide for a geological and miofraloglcal survey of the 



State. 



Section 1. The governor is required, as soon as may be after the passage of 

 this act, to ajjpolnt a State geologist, who shall be a person of competent aud 



