854 



COAL 



5. The Illinois Basin. This occupies an area of 51,700 square miles, including 

 Illinois, Indiana, and Western Kentucky. 



In Illinois the measures occupy an area of 41,500 square miles, are from 600 ft. to 

 2,500 ft. thick, and contain ten beds of coal, with an aggregate thickness of 35 ft. 1 



In Indiana the measures occupy an area of 6,500 square miles, are 650 ft. thick, 

 and contain thirteen beds of coal, with an aggregate thickness of 31 ft. 1 



In Western Kentucky ' the measures are 612 ft. thick, including the Millstone grit. 

 They contain eleven beds of coal. 



6. The Missouri Basin. This is the largest of all the areas, comprising more than 

 100,000 square miles. It is also reached by several navigable rivers. It extends from 

 Iowa to Texas. It is separated from the Texas field only by cretaceous beds, which 

 probably overlie coal-beds continuous from one basin to the other. 



In Iowa, 2 Professor White's late map shows an area of about 25,000 square mi!, of 

 coal-measures. He has divided the group into three divisions, each about 200 ft. The 

 two lower ones contain the workable coal, which amounts to 8 ft. in the second, 

 and only 20 in. in the upper division. As the lower divisions everywhere pass under 

 the higher, the whole area may be regarded as productive. 



Nebraska contains 3,600 square miles of the Upper Coal-Measures, according to map 

 in ' Final Eeport upon the Geology of Nebraska,' by F. V. Hayden. 



In Missouri (private communication) Professor G. C. Swallow estimates the coal 

 area at 27,000 square miles, and in Kansas at 17,000 square miles. The measures are 

 2,000 ft. thick, carrying twenty coal-beds, from a few inches to 6 ft. thick. 



In Arkansas, Dr. D. D. Owen 3 describes two coal-beds, the thickest 5 ft. thick, and 

 very valuable. The area is stated to be 12,000 square miles. The coal, however, 

 underlies the conglomerate, and does not belong to the true coal-measures. 



Scarcely anything is known of the coal in Indian territory. From the map, the 

 area must be as great as that of Arkansas. I am assured by the officers of the 

 Missouri, Kansas, and Texas Kailway that they find good beds of coal all through the 

 territory near their line of travel. 



7. The Texas Basin. This is barely separable from the preceding. Dr. B. F. 

 Shumard * estimated the coal area at 5,000 square miles. A. B. Roessler s estimates 

 the same at 6,000 square miles. Beds of good coal are reported at Fort Bilknop, 4 ft. 

 in thickness. 



8. Mr. G. K. Gilbert, 6 of the expedition under the immediate direction of Lieut. 

 George M. Wheeler, reports coal near Camp Apache, in Arizona. Carboniferous strati 

 are known in many places in the mountainous territories, and valuable discoveries of 

 coal may be looked for among them at no distant day. 



The total coal area as thus described amounts to 230,659 square miles. No notice 

 is to be taken of any coals which do not belong to the Carboniferous system. There 

 are many others of commercial importance, as the Triassic of Virginia, the Cretaceous 

 of the territories west of the Missouri River, an immense amount in California, 

 Alaska, &c. 



These facts will afford data for those who are interested in estimating the amount of 

 coal in different countries by the number of cubic miles or tons. The statements are 

 too brief to permit any notice of the best or of the inferior coal. 



The anthracite coal-fields of Pennsylvania are divided into three great districts, 

 viz. : 1st, Southern or Schuylkill district, embracing the Lehigh and Lykens valley 

 coal ; 2nd, the Middle district, embracing the Beaver Meadow, Shamokin and Tre- 

 vorton coal ; the 3rd, Northern or Wyoming and Lackawanna, embracing the Scranton, 

 Pittston and Lackawanna coals. 



Produce of these districts from 1858 to 1863. 



' ' Second Report on the Geology of Indiana,' by E. T. Cox. 



3 ' Geology of Iowa,' by 0. A. White. 



1 ' Second Report, Geology of Arkansas,' by D. D. Owen. 



4 ' Texas Almanack for 1861.' 



5 ' Texas Almanack for 1872.' 

 Official Report. 



