OCCUBEENCES OF COAL. 205 



A more complete list of plants found in the Rhode Island Coal Meas- 

 ures has been compiled by the Franklin Society of Providence, and 

 published in its Report on the Geology of Rhode Island, 1887. 



COAL BEDS. 



The following- account of the coal beds in the basin, written by Edward 

 Hitchcock, who descended into all the accessible mines, sets forth the 

 condition of things as late as 1853, since which time few mines have been 

 opened: 



1. Beds of coal in Mansfield. — These have been opened in two parts of the town. 

 One is near the center, where a shaft was sunk by the Mansfield Coal Company, some 

 fifteen years ago, 64 feet, but only a little coal was found. 



About the same time the Mansfield Mining Company sunk a shaft 84 feet near 

 the Hardon farm, 2 miles southwest of the center. A drift was then carried across 

 the strata, and it is said that seven beds, of various thickness up to 10 feet, were 

 found. Dip of these beds, 53° HW. Strike, SW. and H"E. 



More recently, in 1848, I believe, the Mansfield Coal and Mining Company, 

 through the enterprise and perseverance of B. P. Sawyer, esq., sunk a shaft near the 

 same place, 170 feet and 10 feet in diameter, from which, according to the statements 

 of Thomas S. Bidgway, esq., the engineer, they have carried a south tunnel 660 feet, 

 and other tunnels and gangways to about the same amount. Not less than thirteen 

 beds of coal have been crossed, but none of them thick. They are very irregular, 

 sometimes swelling out to 6 or 8 feet in thickness, and then pinched up to a few inches. 

 The dip varies from 30° to 70° NW., and the strike is nearly NE. and SW. Although 

 these excavations are not far from the old Hardon mine, the beds are said to have 

 little correspondence. 



2. Bed in Foxborongh. — This is only about '2 miles from the Mansfield beds, and 

 two excavations were made there several years ago, and good coal obtained, but the 

 pits were filled up so that I could not ascertain the strike, dip, and width of the bed. 



3. Beds in Wrentham. — In the south part of the town a pit was sunk many years 

 ago, about 170 feet, mostly in dark carbonaceous slate, and several beds found. The 

 coal which I have seen from this spot is not good, having 40 per cent of ash. Strike 

 of the bed, nearly E. and W.; dip, 45° N. 



4. In Baynham. — An outcrop of coal appears in this town, about 3 feet thick, 

 which has not been explored, except a few feet. Strike, if. 50° E. ; dip, 45° SE. 



5. In Bridgewater. — Indications of coal were shown me from the rock thrown up 

 in digging a well in the south part of the town, but nothing further could be learned. 



6. In Taunton. — Two miles northwest of the town, a similar opening was shown 

 me, but I could not learn the dip and direction of the slate. Four miles to the west 

 of the town, I was told, similar indications exist. The same is true of West Bridge- 

 water, and in Berkeley coal plants are found, such as usually accompany beds of 

 coal. 



