344 Remarks on the Coal Formation of Pennsylvania. 
is known as Wills, where the next ridge is designated the Great Al- 
leghany, which divides the waters that run into the Potomac from 
those that feed the Father of Rivers; and stretching across the state 
to Virginia, it reassumes its former cognomen. 
When getting into the coach at Cumberland, the leaders were 
standing on the celebrated Cumberland road—alike dreaded by trav- 
ellers and legislators of tender consciences ; on which large sums of 
the nation’s treasure have been sunk by its injudicious construction ; 
but much larger dissipated on the popularity course in the halls o 
Congress, during a succession of “long heats and repeats.” We 
crossed Shaver’s mountain in the dark; before day light we were 
ascending the Great Savage, and had passed the coal bed on the 
east side, from whence it is hauled ten miles to the Potomac at 
Cumberland ; during the higher stages of water, it is sent down in 
flats, and known as Cumberland coal, of which much has of late 
been said. I observed its combustion for some hours in a grate in 
the reading room of the inn at Hagerstown, and also ina smith’s 
forge. The fracture and general characters very much resemble 
those of the coal from several localities on James’ river in Virginia ; 
it is equally fragile, and if large pieces are laid lightly on the grate, ; 
it burns with more flame ; but the small coal cakes and stops the ven- 
tilation. Its specific gravity appears rather to exceed that of the Vir- 
ginia coal: an intelligent smith stated that it was a strong coal, but 
contained considerable sulphur that often proved destructive to his 
iron ; and appeared grateful for the information that, I could assure 
him on unquestionable authority, that a little salt sprinkled occasion- 
ally on the fire when well ignited, would protect the metal from the 
eftects of sulphur. 
I was not able with a strong lens to detect any organic vegetable 
remains or impressions, At Frostown, near the top of the Great 
Savage, we found a good breakfast and cheerful fires of blazing co's 
which our host Mr. Frost informed me was taken from the west si¢¢ 
of the mountains, where the coal is of a much better quality than 
from the bed on the east. In reply to a question as to “ the position 
of the strata, he said that when the coal is dug out, basins are form- 
ed in the under stratum of rock, from which it becomes necessary wii 
ten to drain the water, which is however no difficult job, as only 
requires a narrow trench to be cut through the slate, and perhaps < 
few inches into soft sand-stone that forms the pavement, from whic 
is a fall some hundreds of feet. Having, in a former tour, cross? 
