70 GEOLOGY OF OHIO. 



reputation of being a "strong" coal, well adapted to the generation of 

 steam, but containing too much sulphur to be used in the manufacture 

 of iron. In this region it varies from four to five feet in thickness. At 

 Port Washington it lies about one hundred feet above the canal, is from 

 five to seven feet thick, is very bright, black and handsome, bat contains 

 a great deal of sulphur. In the valley of Stone Creek this coal is thin 

 and poor. On Oldtown Creek, however, it appears better, attaining a 

 thickness of four to five feet, and furnishing coal of good quality. 



In the north-western part of the county, Coal No. 6 is opened in various 

 places, and in the valley of Sugar Creek, about Dundee, is unusually 

 good. 



From the facts which I h4ve given, it is apparent that within the 

 limits of Tuscarawas county, Coal No. 6 represents a vast amount of 

 mineral fuel. As a general rule the coal it furnishes is rather soft, con- 

 tains considerable sulphur, and is highly cementing in character. It is 

 evident, therefore, that some method of treatment must be adopted that 

 will convert this into a first-class fuel for manufacturing purposes. The 

 importance of this problem cannot well be over-estimated. If by any 

 cheap process of preparation this coal may be made to supply a pure fuel, 

 it will be a source of great wealth to the county. It will, no doubt, sup- 

 ply many of the purposes of a mineral fuel in its natural state — that is, 

 it serves well for household use and for the generation of steam— but for 

 the manufacture of iron it will be necessary to eliminate a considerable 

 portion of the sulphur it contains before the best results will be attained 

 in its use. It forms a strong adhesive coke, and oae thit has high heat- 

 ing power, and is capable of bearing a heavy burden, yet if not purified, 

 the sulphur it contains will, perhaps, precluds its use. Under these cir- 

 cumstances, I cannot too strongly urge the adoption, in the southern por- 

 tion of Tuscarawas county, of such methods of coal washing as are found 

 to be efficacious in the treatment of similar coals. It is probable that 

 simply by the imitation of methods that are now in use in our own coun- 

 try, and one still more generally employed abroad, a good coke can be 

 formed from No. 6 coal, and that when so treated this will furnish a fuel 

 which will not only serve for the manufacture of all the iron ore found 

 within this county, but will invite and bring to this source of fuel the 

 iron ores of Lake Superior. 



Tuscarawas county already enjoys such facilities for transportation that 

 her resources need no longer be considered as landlocked and left unde- 

 veloped. By the great east and we'st route — the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati 

 and St. Louis Railroad — which traverses the southern portion of the 

 county, ready communication is afforded with Pittsburgh on the one 



