Report on the projected Survey of the State of Maryland. 29 



which, it embraces formations of red sandstone, ivhinstone and carbo' 

 niferous limestone; and, what is of more importance, considerable 

 deposites of iro7i ore. 



In reference to the agricultural resources of the coal districts, which 

 may be described as hilly, it is found that the soil upon them being 

 a mixture of decomposed slate and limestone with sand, it is in gen- 

 eral very fertile, and yields abundant crops of grain, principally oats, 

 of a very superior quality. Within a few years, the cultivation of 

 the tobacco plant has been commenced, and in the newly cleared 

 lands, is produced the bright leaf staple, which always commands a 

 high price. 



The more mountainous districts, above the level of the coal for- 

 mation, present broad vallies bearing every evidence of having for- 

 merly been the beds of extensive lakes now dried up or drained ; the 

 waters of which have left behind them, deep deposites of clayey loam. 

 These beautiful tracts of country, have received the name of glades. 

 From their elevated position and their constant moist condition, they 

 form very productive meadows and the most luxuriant pastures. 

 The mineral resources of the coal districts, it would be folly to at- 

 tempt to estimate. That district alone of which Frostburg may be as- 

 sumed to be the centre, is represented as " bounded by the Savage 

 mountain on the west, extending from the west branch of Will's creek 

 to the Savage river, and by the same mountain, continued south west 

 to the head branch of the Potomac : and on the east by the little Al- 

 legany, Piney mountain, Dan's mountain and the same mountain con- 

 tinued into Virginia to the upper branches of the Potomac, The 

 space between the two ranges of mountains, is from five to seven 

 miles, and sixty miles long; making a surface of near four hundred 

 square miles, over a great part of which coal is known to abound." 



The thickness of these beds of coal, varies from three feet to fif- 

 teen feet. The following account of three coal deposites, two at Wes- 

 ternport, and one on the Potomac a little above the mouth of Sav- 

 age, will exhibit the more striking appearances of these coal strata : 

 preference having been given to these localities over those near 

 Frostburg, because it is believed they have not been elsewhere de- 

 scribed. 



The first deposite at Westernport, known by the name of Mur- 

 phy's bed, is situated on the eastern side of George's creek and 

 northwestern slope of Dan's mountain ; its elevation above the Po- 

 tomac is one hundred feet ; the thickness of the bed is three feet. 



