PA LEO ZOIC FORMA TIONS OF MA R YLA ND ^2 J 



formation. From 225 to 230 feet above the Thomas coal and base 

 of the formation and about 400 feet below the Elkgarden coal is a 

 coal seam with a general thickness of four feet, but varying from 

 three to nearly five feet, named the Barton (Four-foot) coal, 

 and worked to a considerable extent in the vicinity of that town. 

 A thin seam nearly one foot thick in outcrop occurs about 440 

 feet above the Thomas coal or 220 feet below the Elkgarden, 

 while approximately 500 feet above the Thomas coal and 150 

 feet below the Elkgarden coal is a zone composed of alternating 

 shales and impure coal, varying in thickness from seven to ten 

 feet, known locally as the " Dirty Nine-foot " and called the 

 " Franklin " coal. In the Lonaconing section, thirteen feet 

 below the base of the Franklin coal are nearly three feet of coal 

 and black, thin shale. There are also two or three impure lime- 

 stone strata and some irregular beds of iron ore. The forma- 

 tion is clearly defined by the top of the Thomas coal at the 

 base and the base of the Elkgarden (Pittsburg) coal at the top, 

 the thickness varying from 600 to nearly 640 feet. A few 

 invertebrate fossils have been found, principally on the bank of 

 George's Creek at Barton, and fossil plants in the black shales. 



The Conemaugh formation was named from the Conemaugh 

 River in western Pennsylvania, is frequently called the Lower 

 Barren-measures, is No. XIV of the Pennsylvania reports, is the 

 upper part of the Bayard and Fairfax formation of the Piedmont 

 folio, and the Elk River series of West Virginia. 



Mo?iongaJiela formation. — This formation, south of an east and 

 west line passing through Little Alleghany, covers the larger 

 part of George's Creek valley as far south as Ocean and most of 

 the area west to the county line. To the north of Little Alle- 

 ghany, two high hills are capped by it. From Ocean to Lona- 

 coning the upper part of the steep hills bounding the George's 

 Creek valley are in the Monongahela, which also caps most of 

 the highest hills as far south as Hampshire to the northeast of 

 Westernport. The rocks consist largely of light gray to black 

 shales with some grayish sandstones which form occasional 

 massive strata. There are also several dark colored limestones, 



