HALIBURTON ON KXPLOItATIONS IN FICTOU COAL FIELD. 95 



" At New Gla,sgow the coal is half a raile deep at least below 

 the surface." — Journ. H. A.., 1845, Aj)j). 49. 



This view, as to the mimense depth of the seams at New 

 Glasgow, was adopted by the General Mining Association and 

 by the public generally, and all the explorations at New Glas- 

 gow were considered as useless. In his Acadian Geology Dr. 

 Dawson still partially adhered to his previous views, though he 

 was evidently somewhat doubtful on the subject, which is evi- 

 dent from the vagueness of his language. The southerly dip 

 near New Glasgow, which he had supposed was caused by a 

 downthrow fault, he still attributes to a line of disturbance, and 

 he speaks of the coal being " cut off" by a fjiult. Explorers 

 and miners have been a good deal puzzled to ascertain whether 

 he meant an "' upthrow" or a " downthrow fault," as he does 

 not state which it is, but the extract from his previous statement 

 before the Mines' Committee shows what his views on this point 

 were. Assuming them to be correct, the thickness of the 

 Pictou coal measures would be immense, as we should have a 

 succession of coal measures overlying the Albion Mines seams, 

 dipping at a heavy angle northerly for several miles until we 

 reach the northern rise as we approach the town of Pictou. 



In the section given by Dr. Dawson (p. 244) he commences 

 with the limestones and gypsums of Springville and the lower 

 carboniferous strata overlying, proceeding, in ascending order, 

 until he comes to the Albion Mines seams dipping nearly due 

 north. He here reaches the southern crop or basset edge of the 

 Fictou coal basin. He adds in his description of these mea- 

 sures, " the main seam has been very extensively worked, and 

 its outcrop has been traced for several miles ; but it is remarkable 

 that it preserves its character as a good seam only for a limited 

 distance. Both in the north-west and south-east extension it 

 becomes very impure and intermixed with slate, indicating that 

 though great in thickness it is very limited in horizontal extent. 

 The measures also are cut off to the northward by a line of 

 disticrbance running along the south side of an enormous bed of 

 conglomerate which succeeds these rocks in ascending order., 

 or" he prudently adds with probably some misgiving, " appa- 

 rently so." 



