148 GEOGOLY OF OHIO. 



sandstone, and fire-clay, with a little coal, but do not reach to the place of 

 Coal No. 1. 



These explorations indicate that the upper coals are not likely to be 

 found in any valuable development in the township of Edinburgh. It 

 is to be hoped, however, that under this broad and elevated table-land the 

 lower coal will be somewhere found of workable thickness. 



Passing south from Edinburgh the land continues high, and the sur- 

 face nowhere comes nearer than one hundred and fifty feet to Coal No. 1 ; 

 while in some instances it rises to such a height that the coal must be 

 from two hundred to two hundred and fifty feet beneath. 



In Atwater much boring has been done, and coal found, which has 

 been opened both by shaft and adit. The explorations made here were 

 undertaken on the supposition that the coal, of which outcrops had been 

 known, was the Briar Hill seam. This was, however, an error, and there 

 can be no question that it is Coal No. 4. The place of Coal No. 1 is far 

 below the bottom of the Atwater shaft, and probably below the bottom of 

 the deepest well bored in the vicinity. The coal mined at Atwater is of 

 good thickness — from four to five feet — but it exhibits the usual charac- 

 teristics of the limestone seams, being of irregular thickness and vari- 

 able quality. It is a serviceable fuel for the generation of steam, and is 

 a pleasant grate-coal, but from the quantity of sulphur it contains is not 

 well adapted to the manufacture of iron. The following analyses of this 

 coal, made at the School of Mines by Mr. W. P. Jenney, will indicate 

 very fairly its composition. No. 1, upper bench ; No. 2, lower bench : 



No. 1. No. 2. 



Water 3.27 3.03 



Volatile eoinbustible matter 26.06 26.42 



Fixed carbon 64.50 62.50 



Sulphur , 1.52 2.20 



Ash 4.65 5.72 



Totals 100.00 99.97 



At the shaft of the Atwater Coal Company the coal is from four to five 

 feet in thickness, in two benches, separated by a bony parting. It is 

 overlain by black shale, which contains many discoid shells (Discina). 

 In the shale above is considerable granular iron ore, but not of very good 

 quality. The shale is succeeded by sandstone, as in all this region. 

 The coal is opened by an adit, half a mile east, on lower ground. 

 On John Hines's farm, one and a half miles south-east from Atwater 

 , Center, a shaft has been sunk to Coal No. 4, passing through— 1, surface 

 clay ; 2, sandstone ; 3, black and gray shale ; 4, black shale ; 5, coal. 

 Coal is here four feet six inches in thickness, and, according to barome- 



