

98 Bedford and Bath or Berkeley Springs. 



following medicinal and other fountains, viz. Anderson's, or the prin- 

 cipal medicinal spring ; Fletcher's or upper spring ; the lime stone 

 spring; the sweet springs; the sulphur spring, and the chalybeate 

 spring* But for these springs, little would have been known re- 

 specting the geological structure of this mountain or hill, as the 

 rocks scarcely appear at any point that is easy of access, the hill 

 being very precipitous, particularly on the w T est side. The prin- 

 cipal spring, however, issues, in a copious and perpetual stream im- 

 mediately out of the rocks at the base, or at the height of about twen- 

 ty or twenty five feet above Shover's creek, and within nearly the 

 same distance of its margin. In order that the springs might be 

 made easy of access and for the convenience of the numerous and 

 highly respectable visitors that annually frequent this delightful place, 

 this fountain of health, it became necessary to excavate the base of 

 the hill, for the distance of about one hundred yards in length, for the 

 purpose of making an agreeable promenade, at, and near the springs, 

 and moreover for the purpose of erecting bathing houses and other 

 buildings which stand immediately on the margin of the creek. In 

 the prosecution of this work, a section of the rocks, of about one 

 hundred and fifty feet in length, and about ten feet in height above the 

 walk, was laid open to view. This, and all the northern part of the 

 hill appears to be composed of lime stone lying in strata, from two 

 inches to two and three feet thick, having a dip of forty or fifty five 

 degrees to the south west. At or near the northern part of the ex- 

 cavation, there is a vein or stratum running into the hill, in which are 

 presented several varieties of organic remains, (such are the speci- 

 mens marked A, which I sent to you) and which as they lie at the 

 foot of the hill, and, consequently, the lowest in the order of posi- 

 tion, may be considered as amongst the inferior orders of organic re- 

 mains ; at least as they are here arranged. 



At the distance of twenty or twenty five yards south, in the same 

 section, and immediately opposite the south end of the building erec- 

 ted for baths, a second vein or stratum running into the bill, and of 

 about six feet thick, is exposed to view. This stratum, unlike those 

 that lie over and beneath, is the fetid carbonate of lime, and is filled 

 with organic remains of different kinds, such as are marked B, 

 amongst the specimens sent you. As most of these are of a 

 character with which I am not familiar, I shall not now attempt to 

 give them names or places, except that I consider them as belong- 

 ing as before, to the lower order of organized substances. South of 



