COAL MEASURES. 15 



At Athens two shafts have been sunk. The first one was located 

 in the creek bottom about three-quarters of a mile west of town, and is 

 155 feet in depth to the top of the coal. This shaft was sunk in 

 1869, and was worked mainly to supply the local demand for fuel. 

 The new shaft is located near the railroad, and is 227 feet in depth. 

 The coal averages about six feet in thickness, and has a good roof 

 of black slate and limestone. Both are on the same seam, the dif- 

 ference in the depth of the shafts resulting from the higher surface 

 level, where the new shaft is located. I visited Athens for the pur- 

 pose of obtaining the necessary detailed information to enable me 

 to report in full upon this shaft, but found no record available, and 

 I learned that if such a record had been kept, it was not in the 

 possession of the present owners of the mine. 



The following report of a boring for coal at Virginia, in Cass 

 county, was furnished by Mr. Joseph Wilson, who was employed 

 by the parties interested to superintend the work: 



Ft. In. 



No. 1. Soil and brown clay 7 



No. 2. Yellowclay 2 6 



No. 3. Blueclay 29 8 



No. 4. Hardpan 28 



No. 5. Forest bed (ancient soil) 3 



No. 6. Hardpan 44 10 



No. 7. Sandstone 71 11 



No. 8. Hardlimestone 1 1 



No. 9. Blackshale 2 6 



No 10. Clayshale 10 3 



No. 11. CoalNo.2 3 6 



No. 12. Fireclay 3 



No. 13. Blackshale , 3 



No. 14. Clayshale 7 6 



No. 15. Potter'sclay 13 



No. 16. Coal 2 



No. 17. Sandstone and shale 6 1 



No. 18. Coal 3 



No. 19. Sandstone and shale 6 9 



No. 20. Coal 8 



No. 21. Sandstone and shale 1C 4 



No. 23. Coal 3 



No. 23. Sandstone 2 9 



No. 24. Coal 2 



No. 25. Sandstone and shale 3 9 



No. 26. Clayshale 4 



No. 27. Sandstone 7 5 



No . 28. Hard silicious rock 2 



No. 29. Clayshale 2 6 



No. 30. Hard silicious rock 3 6 



No. 31. Hard green shale 2 10 



No. 32. Limestone 9 1 



No. 33. Sandstone.. 1 8 



