98 COLUMBIANA COUNTY. 



on both sides of the railroad, and is conspicuous in the banks of the creek 

 at and above the first railroad bridge. 



Coal No. 7 here thins out and disappears, its fire-clay being distinctly 

 traceable for some distance beyond ■where the coal ceases to show itself. 

 The north-easterly dip of the strata in this vicinity is best shown by the 

 limestone which appears on the grade of the road at the east end of the 

 railroad bridge, but is in sight on the north side of the stream something 

 like twenty f«et below grade. Here very valuable tracts of coal lands 

 are held on the right side of the railroad by Mr. John Hayes, who has 

 opened two mines, both of which are now in active operation. 



Some question has been raised with regard to the identity of the coal 

 «eam mined by Mr. Hayes, and considerable difierence of opinion pre- 

 vails on this point among the inhabitants of Salineville. Without 

 further explorations, it will not be possible to decide this question be- 

 yond appeal ; but, from the facts which have come under my observation, 

 I am inclined to regard the seam worked by Mr. Hayes, at the Empire 

 Mine, as the Big Vein of Salineville, here improved in quality, and ap- 

 proaching in character to that of the Little Vein (No. 7). This subject 

 could be stripped of all doubt by sinking a few trial pits, and, doubtless, 

 soon will be settled in this way. Waiting such evidence, however, I am 

 led to the conclusion announced above, by the following facts : 



Ist. At the point nearest to the Empire Mine where the strata are ex- 

 posed—as at the railroad bridge— Coal No. 7 has completely run out, while 

 in the basin of the Empire Mine, at a distance of two hundred yards, the 

 coal mined is five feet nine inches in thickness. 



2d. Where last seen at the railroad bridge, the limestone under Coal 

 No. 7 is rising in the direction of the Empire Mine, whereas the coal in 

 the mine is twenty feet lower, and yet is dipping toward the railroad bridge. 



3d. Though a limestone is formed beneath the coal between the two 

 mines opened by Mr. Hayes, another limestone is cut by the air shafts, which 

 are carried to the surface above the coal. 



4th. The coal seam struck in boring, forty-two feet beneath the coal 

 of the Empire Mine, was less than two and a half feet in thickness, 

 which would seem to be much more in keeping with the thickness of the 

 Boger Vein than the Big Vein. 



While these facts seem to lend a strong probability to the view I have 

 advanced, they come far from deciding the question at issue, and they 

 may be shown by actual demonstration to be entirely illusory. Whatever 

 may be ultimately determined in regard to the relations of the coal seam 

 mined by Mr. Hayes, no one can question the great value of the property 

 which contains it. 



