46 GEOLOGY OP ILLINOIS. 



Tbe black sbale in this section is probably identical with No. 4 of the 

 Olney boring-, and the thin coal below was wanting there or else was 

 passed without observation. Some of the limestone concretions contain 

 fossils, among which I identified Productus Nebrascensis, Bellerophon 

 carbonarius, Aviculopecten, etc. The baud of hard silicious limestone 

 found at this locality is a very durable stone and has been quarried for 

 building purposes. It is a refractory stone to work, but may be relied 

 on for culverts aud bridge abutments where an ordinary sandstone 

 would yield to atmospheric influences. 



One and a half miles south of Clermont there is an outcrop of the 

 following beds, probably representing the same strata seen at Boden's 

 mill south of Olney : 



Feet. 

 1- Shale ; 1 10 2 



2. Hard calcareous sandstone 4 to 8 



3. Blue shale with calcareous nodules 3 to 4 



4. IS ack laminated shale extending to the creek level 4 



The quarry here belongs to the O. and M. railroad, and an immense 

 amount of stone has been quarried from the calcareous sandstone No. 2 

 of the above section, to be used in the construction of culverts and 

 bridges on that road. This quarry is near the center of sec. 1G, T. 3, 

 B. 14 B. 



On Mr. P. Berry's place, on the S. E. qr. of sec. 11, T. 2, E. 14 E., 

 coal has been mined for several years in a limited way by- stripping the 

 seam along its outcrop in the valley of a small stream a tributary of 

 the Bonpass. The coal is about 18 inches thick and of good quality, 

 and is overlaid by a few inches of soft bituminous shale, and an argil- 

 laceous shelly limestone which contains Productus costatus, P. punctatus, 

 P. Prattenianus, Spirifer cameratus, etc. The shale contains Chonetes 

 variolata, Orthis carbonaria, LqpkophiUum proliferum, Trematopora, joints 

 and plates of Crinoidea, etc. This coal is also mined by Mr. Stover on 

 the N. E. qr. of the same section. This is probably coal No. 12 of the 

 general section, and must have been passed through in the boriug at 

 Olney, and may be represented by No. 12 of the boring at that point. 



About five miles north-east of Olney coal has been found on the open 

 prairie at a depth of about 22 feet below the general surface level. It was 

 first discovered in digging a stock well, and subsequently an inclined 

 tunnel has been driven down to the coal and preparations made to work 

 it in a systematic way. If the seam retains an average thickness of 

 three feet, it will prove of great value to the county. The roof consists 

 of clay shale with some limestone in bowlder-like masses, though it is 

 possible the limestone masses thrown out in opening the tunnel may 

 belong to the drift clays, and not to the roof shales of the coal. This 

 tunnel is on Mr. Combs' place, but the coal has also been found on 

 the adjoining place belonging to Mr. Shooks. Ou another farm a little 



