Coal Formations in the State of New Yorh. 21 



Union Canal, and rail road which from Middletown below, will pro- 

 ceed to Philadelphia. 



A ride of a few miles brought us, at night fall, to the valley of 

 Wyoming, and the next morning, May 17, its fine river, meadows, 

 hills and mountains, were illuminated by the sun, rising in a cloudless 

 sky, and we found that the beauty and grandeur of the valley had not 

 been exaggerated'^. 



Art. II. — Observations on the Coal Formations in the State of 

 JVew York ; in connexion with the great Coal Beds of Pennsyl- 

 vaniaf. From the Transactions of the Albany Institute ; hy Amos 

 Eaton, Corresponding Member. 



Read March 11, 1830. 



There are four distinct coal formations in the United States. First 

 — ^The genuine Anthracite or glance coal found in the transition ar- 

 gillite ; as at Worcester, (Mass.) Newport, (R. I.) also in small quan- 

 tities in the north and south range of argillite along the bed and banks 

 of the river Hudson. Second — Coal destitute of bitumen, usually 

 called anthracite ; but differing greatly in its character from the an- 

 thracite found in argillite. It may be called anasphaltic coal. This 

 is embraced in a slate rock, being the lowest of the lower secondary 

 series of rocks. This coal formation is equivalent to the greatest 

 coal measures of Europe. But there is always bitumen in a greater 

 or less proportion,! though the proportion is often exceedingly small. 

 The principal American localities of this coal hitherto discovered, 

 are in the state of Pennsylvania ; as at Carbondale, Lehigh, Lacka- 

 waxen, Wilkesbarre, Sec. Third — The proper bituminous coal ; as 

 at Tioga, Lycoming, &;c. This coal is embraced in a slate rock, 

 which is the lowest of the series of upper secondary rocks. The fourth 

 formation has not been found in the state of New York. I refer to 

 the lignite coal, which is found in a very extensive stratum in the state 

 of New Jersey along the south shore of the bay of Amboy. 



* For our observations, while there, I refer to the last No. of this Journal, (Vol. 

 XVIII,) p. 308. The order of time being of no importance, that account, was for rea- 

 sons of convenience, published first. 



t It was accompanied with a demonstative lecture, given at the request of several 

 members of the New York Legislature, while the bill for boring for coal was pendino-, 



+ I have, repeatedly, distilled different varieties of this coal, without obtaining any 

 bitumen, although, with the exception of the dry coal of R. Island, I always obtained 

 abundance of carburetted gas; and the R, Island coal affords this gas, if previously 

 moistened. — Ed. 



