CHAPTER LXXXV. 



EEPORT ON THE GEOLOGY OF THE HOCKING VALLEY 



COAL-FIELD. 



BY 51. C. READ. 



Prof. J. S. Newberry, Chief Geologist: 

 At your request, 1 have prepared the following special report upon the Great Vein 

 Coal Eegion of Ohio, making use of the accumulated obeervationB recorded in my not 

 hooks, the previous volumes of this report, pamphlets published by Professors Andrews 

 and Hunt, and Colonel Whittlesey ; the excellent sections made by Mr. Nichols, manu- 

 script reports by Professor Wcethee, and information generously furnishe'i by the officers 

 of Eailroad, Mining and Iron Companies ; to all of whom I am indebted for valuable 

 facts. I have supplemented Ihese by as thorough a re-exploration of the whole field as 

 time would permit. The work has grown upon my hands, and I regret that a whole 

 summer could not have been given to observations in the field, to eliminate errors and 

 make the report more complete. Very respectfully, yours, 



M. C. READ. 

 HuDsox, Ohio, July 1, 1877. 



A territory, comprising parts o Perry, Hocking and Athens counties, 

 has acquired the name of the Great Vein Coal Region, from the unusual 

 thickness which Coal No. 6 attains here. On approaching the region from 

 the north or south, this coal is found to gradually increase in thickness, 

 until, in the center of the field, it reaches a maximum of a little over 

 thirteen feet. The territory, which may be properly included under 

 this head, comprises the greater part of Salt Licf, Pleasant and Monroe 

 townships of Perry; Trimble, Dover and York of Athens, and Wood and 

 parts of Green and Starr in Hocking county. In the townships of York, 

 Starr, Green and Dover the coal ranges in thickness from six to eight 

 feet. In the other townships its average thickness is not less than ten 

 feet, not including the surface valleys or one channel of ancient erosion 

 passing diagonally through the field, and which will be subsequently 

 described. In the northern and north-western part of the district the 

 coal crops out in the sides of the hills, from fifteen to one hundred feet 

 or more above the beds of the streams ; but, dipping gently to the south- 

 east, it passes beneath the surface, and in Trimble township is reached 

 by shafts sunk to the depth of from seventy to eighty feet in the bot- 

 toms of the valleys. 



