THE ANTHRACITE STRIP 43 



mostly coarse, and the Pottsville ridges are prominent features of the 

 topography ; but beyond the Scranton region the coarseness diminishes, 

 so that in the next division the rock is mostly coarse sandstone to fine 

 conglomerate, with occasional pebbly layers, and the thickness varies 

 from 162 to 247 feet. At the northeasterly extremity of the field the 

 thickness decreases from 220 feet, near Carbondale, to 125 feet near Forest 

 City, and the rock becomes a coarse sandstone with " pea conglomerates." 



Coal beds of the Anthracite fields. — Having passed in review the general 

 characteristics of the Pottsville rocks, one is prepared to take up consid- 

 eration of the coal beds. 



The Pottsville coal beds of the Anthracite fields are usually spoken of 

 as the " Lykens Valley beds," owing to their importance within the dis- 

 trict of that name in the western part of the Southern field. 



Detailed information respecting the Dauphin area or southern prong 

 of the Southern field is no longer available. This region was studied 

 nearly 70 years ago by Mr Richard C. Taylor, when mines were in opera- 

 tion, but the coal was found to be so badly broken as to be unprofit- 

 able, the mines were abandoned, and later writers have depended almost 

 wholly on Mr Taylor's descriptions. 



Recent studies by Mr David White have shown that Mr Taylor was 

 misled by the topographical conditions toward the eastern portion of 

 the area, and that the beds there referred by him to the Pottsville inter- 

 val are for the most part of Allegheny age. Mr White has shown, how- 

 ever, that the Pottsville is present in that region, but the coal beds have 

 not been exploited, and nothing is known respecting them. It is well 

 to introduce here the typical section obtained at Pottsville by Mr White. 

 Somewhat condensed, it is 



Feet. Inches 



1. Buck Mountain coal bed 



2. Coarse conglomerate sandstone 43 6 



3. Coal bed 6 



4. Shale with plants 23 



5. Coal bed 8 



6. Shales and flags 22 



7. Conglomerate with shale, 8 feet 125 6 



8. Coal and shale with plants (N) 2 



9. Sandstone and conglomerate 31 



10. Coaly shale with plants (M) 1 8 



11. Conglomerate with shale, 2 feet 6 inches 127 6 



12. Dark shale with plants (L) 8 



13. Sandstone and conglomerate 26 



14. Coal bed 6 



15. Sandstone 6 3 



16. Coal bed 1 



17. Conglomerate sandstone 30 



