﻿Geology 
  and 
  Mineralogy. 
  67 
  

  

  II. 
  Geology 
  and 
  Mineralogy. 
  

  

  1. 
  Coal 
  Deposits 
  of 
  Indiana 
  : 
  by 
  W. 
  S. 
  Blatchley, 
  State 
  

   Geologist, 
  pp. 
  1—1 
  T-tl, 
  Coal 
  maps, 
  A-G, 
  Plates 
  i-xciii, 
  figures 
  1- 
  

   9S6 
  : 
  — 
  Indiana, 
  Department 
  of 
  Geology 
  and 
  natural 
  resources, 
  

   23d 
  Annual 
  Report, 
  1898. 
  — 
  This 
  bulky 
  volume 
  is 
  made 
  up 
  chiefly 
  

   of 
  a 
  detailed 
  report 
  on 
  the 
  Coal 
  deposits 
  of 
  Indiana 
  (pp. 
  1-1573). 
  

   The 
  statistics 
  for 
  this 
  have 
  been 
  gathering 
  during 
  the 
  years 
  1896- 
  

   1898, 
  by 
  Dr. 
  Geo. 
  H. 
  Ashley 
  and 
  his 
  assistants, 
  adding 
  greatly 
  to 
  

   the 
  facts 
  available 
  when 
  the 
  last 
  report 
  on 
  the 
  Coal 
  area 
  was 
  pub- 
  

   lished 
  in 
  1878. 
  Following 
  this 
  is 
  the 
  Report 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  

   Inspector 
  of 
  Mines, 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Robert 
  Fisher 
  (pp. 
  1574-1674). 
  

   Seventeen 
  counties 
  are 
  stated 
  to 
  be 
  coal-producing, 
  with 
  a 
  total 
  

   out-put 
  of 
  over 
  five 
  million 
  tons 
  in 
  1898; 
  an 
  increase 
  of 
  948-958 
  

   tons 
  over 
  the 
  production 
  for 
  1897. 
  This 
  increase 
  in 
  coal 
  mining 
  

   is 
  traced 
  to 
  the 
  gradual 
  decrease 
  in 
  gas 
  flow 
  in 
  the 
  state. 
  The 
  

   closing 
  part 
  is 
  the 
  Annual 
  Report 
  of 
  the 
  Natural 
  Gas 
  Supervisor 
  

   (pp. 
  1675-1702), 
  by 
  J. 
  S. 
  Leach, 
  The 
  natural 
  gas 
  is 
  fast 
  being 
  

   exhausted; 
  the 
  pressure, 
  which 
  was 
  at 
  first 
  325 
  pounds 
  to 
  the 
  

   square 
  inch, 
  is 
  now 
  less 
  than 
  200 
  lbs. 
  The 
  following 
  summary 
  

   of 
  the 
  present 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  Indiana 
  natural 
  gas 
  field 
  is 
  given 
  : 
  

  

  "1. 
  The 
  gas 
  resources 
  of 
  the 
  territory 
  in 
  the 
  gas 
  field 
  is 
  practi- 
  

   cally 
  all 
  controlled, 
  by 
  territory 
  under 
  lease, 
  either 
  by 
  gas 
  com- 
  

   panies 
  or 
  manufacturers, 
  and 
  the 
  pipe 
  line 
  companies, 
  which 
  are 
  

   the 
  large 
  consumers 
  of 
  natural 
  gas, 
  have 
  extended 
  their 
  lines 
  from 
  

   year 
  to 
  year 
  and 
  are 
  apparently 
  centering 
  around 
  Fairmount 
  

   township, 
  Grant 
  county. 
  

  

  "2. 
  The 
  undeveloped 
  territory 
  in 
  the 
  field, 
  that 
  not 
  invaded 
  by 
  

   pipe 
  lines 
  and 
  having 
  only 
  sufficient 
  wells 
  to 
  supply 
  local 
  con- 
  

   sumption, 
  comprises 
  about 
  150 
  square 
  miles 
  in 
  Grant, 
  Madison 
  

   and 
  Delaware 
  counties. 
  Possibly 
  a 
  few 
  square 
  miles 
  in 
  Licking 
  

   township, 
  Blackford 
  county, 
  should 
  be 
  added 
  to 
  this. 
  

  

  "3. 
  If 
  the 
  yearly 
  extension 
  of 
  pipe 
  lines 
  is 
  as 
  great 
  in 
  the 
  

   future 
  as 
  it 
  has 
  been 
  in 
  the 
  past, 
  it 
  will 
  not 
  require 
  to 
  exceed 
  two 
  

   years 
  to 
  completely 
  occupy 
  this 
  territory. 
  It 
  does 
  not 
  follow 
  

   from 
  what 
  has 
  been 
  said 
  that 
  the 
  natural 
  gas 
  field 
  will 
  be 
  

   exhausted 
  in 
  two 
  years 
  ; 
  for 
  after 
  the 
  field 
  is 
  threatened 
  with 
  

   pipe 
  lines 
  doubtless 
  many 
  wells 
  will 
  be 
  drilled 
  with 
  results 
  that 
  

   will 
  justify 
  the 
  expense. 
  

  

  " 
  4. 
  The 
  salt 
  water, 
  that 
  has 
  been 
  a 
  menace 
  to 
  the 
  natural 
  gas 
  

   interests 
  from 
  the 
  beginning, 
  is 
  becoming 
  more 
  intrusive 
  day 
  by 
  

   day, 
  there 
  being 
  but 
  few 
  wells 
  in 
  the 
  field 
  entirely 
  free 
  from 
  its 
  

   influence. 
  Wells 
  apparently 
  free 
  from 
  it 
  when 
  drilled 
  become 
  

   wet 
  soon 
  after 
  being 
  attached 
  to 
  the 
  line. 
  

  

  " 
  5. 
  Rock 
  pressure 
  does 
  not 
  indicate 
  the 
  productiveness 
  of 
  one 
  

   well 
  as 
  compared 
  with 
  another, 
  but 
  any 
  material 
  decline 
  of 
  the 
  

   same 
  indicates 
  a 
  diminution 
  in 
  the 
  supply. 
  The 
  average 
  rock 
  

   pressure 
  of 
  the 
  undeveloped 
  territory 
  in 
  1895 
  was 
  264 
  pounds. 
  

   The 
  average 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  territory 
  at 
  present 
  is 
  181 
  pounds, 
  a 
  

  

  