356 GEOLOGY OF OHIO. 



The most important opening in this coal in the county is that of the 

 Licking Cannel Coal Company, in the western part of Hopewell town- 

 ship. The coal, by my barometer, is one hundred feet, and by report of 

 railroad engineers, one hundred and four feet below Flint Ridge. It is 

 capped by a thick bed of limestone, presenting with the coals, shales, 

 and fire-clays, the following section : 



I ' » _ !1 _ r p . I I Pure limestone -^i 



i^ VtVTY^ i 



Cannel coal 1 



ffi Fire-clay 3 



t 

 *. -i 



Cannel coal 4 



mmSiS^smifSd Cannel coal 10 " 



Black shale 9 inches. 



Cannel coi 



^MSWi Fire-clay. 



The limestone is highly fossiliferous, the lower part burning into a 

 good quick-lime. The lower part of the fire-clay above the main body of 

 the coal passes into an indurated fire-clay shale, which, in most places, 

 makes a strong roof. The coal is of excellent quality, bright, compact, 

 containing a moderate quantity of sulphur, and makes an excellent 

 grate fuel and a superior gas coal. For a time it was extensively used 

 for the production of coal oil, the following average yield being obtained 

 •from the distillation of one ton of coal : 



Crude oil 40 galls. 



Refined oil 17^ " 



Lubricating oil 7^ " 



Parafine 3J t» 5 lbs. 



When crude petroleum fell to two cents per gallon in 1861-2, the work 

 was suspended, and, I believe has not since been resumed; the cost of the 

 crude oil chained by* distillation being about six cents per gallon. It is 

 evident that our cannel coals and bituminous shales are capable of pro- 

 ducing an abundant supply of cheap illuminating oils if that from petro- 

 leum should fail. 



Nearly one-half the surface of Hopewell township is high enough 

 to contain this coal, but it is not persistent over all this area, and where 

 present, it will probably not be always found thick enough to be profit- 

 ably mined. 



