94 GEOLOGY OF ILLINOIS. 



the upper part a sandy micaceous shale passing downward into mica- 

 ceous sandstone inter-stratified with the shales. The sandstone strata 

 vary in thickness from six to fourteen inches, and when freshly 

 quarried the rock is rather soft, but hardens on exposure and becomes 

 a durable building' stone. The quarry opened here belongs to Mr. John 

 McGannon, and is located on sec. 3, T. 2, E. C E. On section 4, in the 

 same township, a massive sandstone outcrops in the bluffs of llaccoou, 

 in an apparently solid bed, projecting in some places several feet over 

 the bed of the stream by the wearing away of the lower strata. 



On Bear creek, another tributary of Elm creek, just over the line in 

 Wayne county, on sec. 21, T. 2 S., E. 6 E., this massive sandstone is 

 found in perpendicular cliffs of 20 to 30 feet in hight above the bed of 

 the stream. This is probably a part of the sandstone passed through 

 iu the shaft and boriDgs at Flora, and it forms the bed rock over a 

 considerable area in the south part of Clay and the northern part of 

 Wayne counties. 



On Willow branch, about six miles south-west of Flora, a blue argilla- 

 ceous shale is found containing several bands of argillaceous iron ore 

 of good quality. The exposure of shale is twenty feet or more in thick- 

 ness, with a streak of smutty coal or bituminous shale near the top of 

 the exposure. The water that percolates through the shale becomes 

 highly impregnated with salts, and acts as an effective cathartic on those 

 using it freely. This shale probably overlays the massive sandstone on 

 Eaccoon creek, but we found no continuous outcrop that would enable 

 any one to determine, definitely, their true relations. 



The followiug notes of localities I did not visit are reported from the 

 notes of Prof. Cox : "On a branch of Skillet F"ork on sec. 32, T. 4, E. 5, 

 fouud the followiug beds: 



Ft. 



Drift clay 4 to 5 



Blue argillaceous $halo 8 



Bituminous shale and limestone in the bed of the creek ? 



Crystals of selenite (sulphate of lime) of small size were found dis- 

 seminated through the shale, and are reported to be abundant at many 

 points on this branch and also on the main creek. 



On Mr. E. T. Eobebts' place, two miles and a half south of Clay City, 

 a thin coal is fouud underlaid by fire-clay and argillaceous shale. The 

 section of the exposure here is as follows : 



Ft. In. 



Soil and drift '. 10 



Shale 



Coal -. 6 



Fire clay 4 



Argillaceous shale 1 



Silicious shale 2 



In digging a well on the the top of the hill about a quarter of a mile 

 from this outcrop, Mr. Eoberts went through from four to six inches 



