Geological Papers. 117 



STUDY OF CERTAIN FEATURES OF THE LAWRENCE 



SHALES. 



By J. A. Yates, Manual Training School, Pittsburg. 



T~\URING the development of the economic resources of south- 

 -^~^ ern Kansas some rather interesting facts have been noticed 

 and commented upon from time to time by those who have studied 

 the surface of the country, especially those who live in the area of 

 the gas belt, this territory having been hastily crossed by geologists 

 and certain facts noted, such as numerous mounds, and reddened 

 sandstone, as though it had been burned. Sandstone dipping 

 twenty to thirty degrees, and at one place quartz crystals abound- 

 ing, caused our state geologist to send me to study these facts and 

 to ascertain, if possible, the causes therefor. The first place studied 

 was the so-called "Silver City." 



I found Silver City to be situated nine miles east and two and 

 one-half miles south of Toronto, in section 29, township 26, range 

 15, and owned by George Hill. Geologically it is a part of a high 

 escarpment caused by the vast stratum of massive sandstone which 

 lies just beneath the Oread limestone that marks the upper bound- 

 ary of the Lawrence shales, this escarpment being quite conspicu- 

 ous for many miles both north and south of this place. To the 

 east is a small creek called West Buffalo, heading some six miles 

 northeast, Big Sandy being some miles to the west. Here we find 

 in the place of the layer of massive sandstone a stratum of quartz- 

 ite for almost one mile, extending along the brow of the escarp- 

 ment, which runs here in an east and west direction. On top of 

 the hill the surface is level for several miles looking to the north- 

 west. Beneath this stratum of quartzite is approximately 150 feet 

 of shale, and then appears a layer of blue limestone from two to 

 three feet in thickness, very hard, of conchoidal fracture, and con- 

 taining very few fossils, the paucity of which is very noticeable. 



Some 300 yards south of the western limit of the quartzite layer 

 the blue lime is found to be filled with vertical veins running in 

 every direction, varying in thickness from something over one 

 to a few inches, extending through the entire layer. They are ap- 

 parently fissure- veins. The surrounding lime shows a very marked 

 contrast in appearance to that of the vein stuff, and weathering 

 greatly heightens this effect. Immediately above the lime the 

 shale is very black and hard. Here and in the quartzite many 



