West Virginia and Pennsylvania. 53 



I was enabled to trace the underlying coal to the south 

 through Monongalia and Marion counties, to the B. & O. 

 R. R. 



In the eastern section it is seldom less than forty-five feet 

 thick, but in the western section it has dwindled down to 

 twenty-five feet, where we first strike it at Ryerson Station, 

 Wheeling Creek, Greene Co., Pa., and as we follow it still 

 farther to the west, it thins out, until near Wheeling it has 

 entirely disappeared and limestone takes its place. 



Waynesburg Coal. On Dunkard creek we first come to 

 this coal a short distance below Mt. Morris, which is about 

 nine miles west from the Monongahela river. At this point 

 the dip is northwest. The development of this coal in the 

 neighborhood of Mt. Morris, is similar to the same coal on 

 Scott's Run, as described by Dr. Stevenson. At Mr. Thornt. 

 Boidston's opening, one mile east of town, the "horseback" 

 or slate has thinned away entirely, and he has eight and one- 

 half feet of solid coal. On Morris's rim, one mile south of 

 the town, the following section was made: — shale 10 ft.; 

 coal, 3 ft. ; shale, Gin. ; coal, 4 ft. 8 in. Nothing can exceed 

 the suddenness with which this coal changes its character in 

 some localities ; and of this an excellent example is seen at 

 South's distillery near Newburg, Greene Co., Pa. One 

 opening there shows the following section: — coal, 2% ft.; 

 shale, 2 ft. ; coal, 4 ft. About forty feet from this, the sand- 

 stone is seen resting directly upon four feet of coal, the "horse- 

 back" and upper coal having been torn away by the violence 

 of the current which deposited the overlying sandstones. 



I traced this coal south to the B. & O. R. R., and as it has 

 never been described in Marion Co., some sections of it from 

 that county, and the southern part of Monongalia may prove 

 of interest. 



Passing south from Scott's run to Big Indian creek, and 

 travelling down it, we come to the first opening in this coal 

 at Mr. John Musgrove's, seven miles from Arnettsville ; 

 here it shows the following section: — sandstone, 40 ft.; 



