ee 
200 F. V. Hayden on the Lignite deposits of the West. ) 
scarcely any ash, and is quite as desirable fuel for domestic pur- 
poses as any wood, Indeed it might be called condensed d 
wood, It is non-bituminous, exhibits just a trace of sulphuret 
of iron, which decomposing gives a rusty reddish appearance 
to the outcrops, and there are seams of jet one to twelve inches 
in thickness, which looks much like cannel coal and is thus 
termed by the miners. The Union Pacific Rail Road will pass 
directly through these great coal fields, and as most of the 
ight will go westward for many years, the cars on their return 
can be loaded with this lignite, thus to be distributed through 
Nebraska at a cost much less than that of wood at the present 
time. There are also’ indications of an abundance of iron ore 
in the vicinity of these deposits, and the U. P. R. R. Co. con- 
tons is taken from this place daily and sold at Denver, at prices 
from 12 + 
foot of the mountains and dip to such an extent as to expose 
the whole series, 11 i 
thickness, so that we have from 30 to 50 feet at least of solid 
lignite. This is the most favorable locality for studying the 
strata inclosing the lignite that I have ever met with in the 
west, and this is due to several causes, the principal of which 
is their proximity to the base of the mountains, by which they 
are elevated at a moderate angle. The following somewhat 
remarkable section is approximately correct at least. 
45, Sandstone, gray and rather| 29. Sandstone, 
coa ine 28. Drab clay passing up into 
44. Drab cleft - san feet, bee 
43. Lignite 27. Lignite, 5 fe 
42. Drab clay. 26. Drab clay, 5 feet 
41. Lignite 25. Sandstone, 14 feet. 
40. Drab clay. 24. Drab clay, 3 feet. 
andstone. 23. Lignite, 74 feet. 
38. Drab clay 22. Drab clay, 5 feet. 
gnite. 21. Sandstone, 20 feet | 
36. Drab clay. 20. Drab clay, 3 feet , 
eh one. - 1 19, Lignite, 7 feet. | 
34. Drab clay, 10 to 12 feet. 18. Dish olay, 3 feet. 
33. Sandstone, 17. Sandstone, 40 feet. 
pe Tien ~~ 16. Drab clay, 3 feet. 
i te. 15. Lignite, 5 feet. 
30. Drab clay. | 14. Drab clay. 
