Stevenson] •^o'^ [Feb. 5, 



hard and ontaius a good deal of bony semi-cannel, but the proportion of 

 good clean coal is quit3 large. It burns wel', but leaves a bulky ash. 

 The lower bench is a remarkably clean coal. Layers of apparently pure 

 bitumen are seen, two to four inches thick, structureless, showing no 

 lamination, and breaking with b3autifally conchoidal fracture. At this 

 opening the coal is exceedingly good, and shows no pydtes under a glass. 

 It does not disintegrate upon exposure, nor does it exhibit str.'aks of 

 copperas. Near this opening is the Connolly bank. At the time when 

 it was examined, this had not been fully opened, and only five feet of 

 coal were exposed. The appearance is somewhat strange, as no division 

 into benche ^ can be made out, and the bed seems to be homogeneous. 

 The coal is pure throughout, and evidently very rich in volatile combus- 

 tible mitter. The c )al from these banks would yield an excellent coke, 

 and would bs exceedingly profitable in gas-making. 



In Lewis county, this bed is easily accessible, and it is worked quite 

 extensively to supply local demand. Openings were examined only along 

 the Staunton road, though many were seen on the West Fork River, 

 both above and below Weston. In the central portion of the county the 

 thickness varies from four feet six inches to nearly eight feet, increasing 

 northward. The bed is apparently single, but close examination shows 

 the existence of two benches, the upper being invariably harder and less 

 pure than the lower. Owing to the thinness of this bed in the southern 

 portion of the county, many persons do not believe it to be the Pittsburg, 

 but refer to that horizon the Upper Freeport, which appears to be quite 

 thick in the river near Weston. 



In Gilmer county the coal is mined near Glenville, where it is from 

 jfour to five feet thick. About one mile east from Troy, an opening shows 

 ithe following section : 



;Shalet, gray, 8 ft.; Coal, 29 in.; Parting, ^ in.; Coal, 38 in.; to!-al, 



5 ft. 7i in. 



The. coal is very good and shows but little pyrites. The upper bench 

 'is quite compact and leaves a red ash. The lower is softer and burns 

 more readily, leaving a not bulky, white asli. About one-half mile 

 •farther east is a bank in which the coal is seven feet at the mouth, and 

 .farther in is said to I'each nine feet. Near the county line the coal is 

 again opened, but there it is barely five feet thick. 



In Harrison county, openings are quite numerous along the railroad, 

 and the coal is mined extensively for shipment. Notwithstanding the 

 presence of a good deal of pyrites, it finds a ready market as a gas 

 coal. 



At Clai'ksburg, one of the most extensive openings shows the structure 

 of the bed as follows : 



• Coal, 3 ft. 6 in.; Parting, ^ in.; Goal, 5 ft. 4 in.; total, 8 ft. 10 in. 



Excepting four inches at the bottom, the lower bench is a fine clean 



