494 GEOLOGY OF OHIO. 



north are Fifteen-Mile Creek and Morse Run, while those on the south, 

 or south-east, are Archer's Fork, Bear Run, and Cow Run. 



We have seen that in Liberty township, as well as Salem, the strata 

 have a decided southern dip ; but we find in this township a marked 

 change, produced by the forces which elevated the Cow Run uplift. 

 This uplift, which will be more particularly noticed hereafter, passes 

 northward, gradually diminishing or flattening, but showing on Morse 

 Run and its branches the well-marked characteristics of an anticlinal. 

 The strata, followed from the north, are seen gradually to rise on the 

 back of this anticlinal swell, at the same time dipping on either side of 

 it to the east and west. 



On Fifteen-Mile Creek, at Burning Spring, the anticlinal feature is 

 scarcely perceptible, but there is doubtless such an undulation as has 

 caused subterranean fissures, from one of which the gas of the Burning 

 Spring emanated. Such fissures also generally contain oil, and some 

 good wells have been obtained in this region ; but so slight are the sur- 

 face indications of the subterranean disturbance, that it is impossible to 

 determine beforehand just where the greatest fissurings of the rocks, 

 and, consequently, the more probable locations for oil wells, may be. 



F. W. Minshall, Esq., of Marietta, who to an unusually full and dis- 

 criminating knowledge of the geological relations of the petroleum of 

 Washington county adds large experience in the practical production of 

 oil, informs me that he has not been able to find any well-marked anti- 

 clinal- in the region of Burning Spring, on Fifteen-Mile Creek. 



A very carefully conducted series of levelings with instruments more 

 accurate than Locke's level or the Aneroid barometer, might possibly 

 show where the undulations are the sharpest, and where the oil would be 

 most probably found, if at all. It is, however, doubtful whether any 

 very valuable results would be secured. In a region of so very slightly 

 disturbed condition, there is no authentication of oil territory so good as 

 the wells themselves. Further south, on Cow Run, the anticlinal, or 

 " break," as it is popularly termed, is very manifest, and intelligent oil 

 men have long been guided by it. 



On Little Morse Run we find the traces of the Cow Run uplift, for 

 there is an apparent westward dip. This is seen on the land of D. Baker, 

 section 27. Here the upper Salem, or Cumberland, seam of coal is found. 

 A geological section here is as follows : 



Ft. In. 



1. Heavy sandrock (not measured). 



2. Blue clay 1 6 



3. Coal 1 



4. Clay 3 



5. Coal 1 4 



6. Underclay, shales and sandstone to the bed of Little Morse Run .... 22 



