138 J. J. STEVENSON CARBONIFEROUS OF APPALACHIAN BASIN 



bed with the Washington coal bed at 40 feet above it. It comes up again 

 at Letart Falls, and at Antiquity it is exposed to the thickness of 40 

 feet, its bottom being 240 feet above the Pittsburg coal bed as measured 

 in a shaft.* 



WEST VIRGINIA 



Eeturning now to the eastern border in West Virginia. 



The surface observations thus far available are comparatively few, 

 as the studies have been confined almost wholly to economic matters. 

 Doctor White has recorded incidental observations along the middle 

 of the great trough, showing clearly that he has traced the more impor- 

 tant higher horizons from the Pennsylvania line southwestwardly through 

 western Monongalia, Marion, and Harrison, eastern Wetzel, "Tyler, and 

 Doddridge counties, where the Gilmore sandstone caps most of the highest 

 hills, on some of which there still remain the Windy Gap limestone and 

 a higher sandstone, which is exposed at only one place in Pennsylvania. 

 The Jackson limestone, 100 to 120 feet below the Windy Gap limestone, 

 extends into Wetzel county. The Nineveh coal bed has been recognized 

 in Monongalia and Wetzel counties, where it is from 6 to 25 inches 

 thick and yields excellent coal. The Nineveh limestone is persistent, 

 appearing wherever its place is exposed as far south as Jackson county 

 and possibly almost to the Great Kanawha river. The Dunkard coal 

 bed and another, either the Boyd or JoUytown, are present to a consider- 

 able distance from the Pennsylvania line. The Upper Washington lime- 

 stone disappears quickly, the Lower seems to be present almost to the 

 line of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad in Harrison county, but the 

 Middle Washington and Blacksville appear to be practically wanting 

 throughout. Notes respecting lower formations are given in some of the 

 well records. 



The Washington coal bed is present in Monongalia and Marion 

 counties on the northeast side of the area, retaining its characteristic 

 features throughout. Near Parmington, in the latter county, it is 10 

 feet 9 inches thick, with 14 layers of coal and shale. A single record in 

 Marion coimty gives the interval to the Waynesburg as 143 feet, with the 

 Waynesburg A at 45 feet above the lower bed. The Waynesburg sand- 

 stone, 35 to 62 feet thick, is a well marked horizon in all of the records 

 and it frequently cuts out the Cassville shale. No record gives details 

 above the Washington coal bed and those giving details below that coal 



* B. B. Andrews : Vol i, pp. 258, 259, 268. 

 I. C. White : Catalogue, p. 83. 

 C. N. Brown : Vol. v, p. 1062. 

 E. M. Lovejoy : Vol. vi, p. 627, 628. 



