546 GEOLOGY OP OHIO. 



Leatherwood, a branch of Wills Creek, on the west. The central part of 

 the township, which constitutes the divide, or water-shed, between the 

 several streams, is high, and with its fertile soil and salubrious air pre- 

 sents many attractions. This ridge is becoming somewhat celebrated 

 for its fine fruit. The railroad, as it ascends to the high ground from the 

 Leatherwood valley, presents admirable opportunities for making a sec- 

 tion of the strata, which are well exposed in the various cuts. The low- 

 est strata in the section are found near the heavy embankment, or fill, 

 across the Leatherwood valley. The history of this fill shows well the 

 peculiar difficulties which railroad companies often meet with in using 

 the clays found in our Coal Measures. When saturated with water they 

 are like a mortar-bed in the embankment, and slide away, and more- ma- 

 terial must be added to the top. Unfortunately, there is no gravel in all 

 this region nearer than the banks of the Ohio River. No traces of Drift 

 were seen in southern Belmont county, nor in Monroe county, except the 

 modified or terraced Drift along the Ohio River, and none of any kind in 

 Guernsey. A section of the strata seen in the railroad cuts from Barnes- 

 ville west is as follows : 



Ft. In. 



1. Laminated sandrock on top of hill (not measured). 



2. Shale '. 8 



3. Blossom of coal. 



4. Dark clay _. 4 



5. White limestone 1 



6. Not seen 29 



7. Sandstone 4 



8. Buff clay 3 



9. Black slate 2 



10. Coal (tunnel seam) 1 2 



11. Shale (place of tunnel) 19 



12. Sandstone 5 



13. Shale 6 



14. Coal 4 



15. Slate : 3 



16. Coal •. 4 



.17. Clay 6 



.18. Coal 4 



19. Slate 2 



20. Coal 2 



21. Slate ; 6 



22. Coal 4 



23. Clay 6 



24. Laminated sandstone 3 



25. Brown shale ..: 2 



:26. Black slate 1 3 



