452 Haworth—Stratigraphy of the Kansas Coal Measures. 
Art. LI.—Strategraphy of the Kansas Coal Measures ; 
by Erasmus HawortH. With Plate IX. 
Areal Lxtent.—The eastern fourth of Kansas is covered with 
Coal Measure rocks. A small triangular area of about thirty 
square miles, lying in the extreme southeastern corner of the 
state, is covered with the Mississippian formation. The western 
limit of the Coal Measures has not yet been fully determined, 
as the line between the Coal Measures and the Permian has 
not been definitely located. From paleontologic evidence, 
according to Proeser*, it is above the Cottonwood shales, but 
probably less than a hundred feet, so that the eastern limit of 
the Cottonwood Falls limestone is rarely more than ten to fif- 
teen miles east of the western limit of the Coal Measures, and 
in many places the two are only a few rods apart. The limits 
of this limestone are now pretty well known, having already 
been published,t subject to correction, in map form. Approxi- 
mately the four eastern tiers of counties lie east of this limit, 
which would give about nineteen thousand square miles for 
the Coal Measure area. | 
The Floor.—The Coal Measures rest directly upon the Mis- 
sissippian formation, which extends at varying depths below the 
surface far to the westward. The recent extensive prospect- 
ing for oil and gas in the southeastern part of the state has 
made it possible to study the position and character of the 
floor to a great extent. In the extreme southeast corner of 
the state, in the vicinity of Galena where it covers the whole 
surface, the hill tops are a little over a thousand feet above the 
sea level. The Coal Measures approach to within four miles 
of the east state line opposite Galena. The Mississippian sur- 
face declines to the west, so that at Oswego, where it has been 
reached by at least two wells, it is about 500 feet below the 
surface, or about 400 feet above sea level, which is a decline - 
of fully 475 feet from the valleys along the eastern part of the 
state twenty five miles away, or of about 600 feet from the 
hill tops, giving an average decline of about twenty feet to the 
mile. Wells at Stover and Mound Valley did not reach the 
Mississippian, but at Cherryvale, fifty miles away, it was reached 
1008 feet below the surface, which places it 180 feet below sea 
level. As this well was made with a diamond drill and an 
excellent core preserved,{ there can be no reasonable doubt 
* Journal of Geology, vol. iii, p. 702. 
+ Haworth, Kan. Univ. Quart., vol. iii, pp. 271-309. 
t This core has recently been lodged in the museum of the University of Kansas 
in a well preserved form, where it can be examined by any geologist wishing to 
do so. 
