FAYETTE COUNTY. 143 



and P. jmnctatws. This bed of limestone is seen extending along the 

 creek for 100 feet, and has a regular local dip of 17°. On Hurricane 

 creek, near the line of Bond county, east of Fairfield, beds of sand- 

 stone occur containing fossils resembling those of No. 46. 



Economical Geology. 



Goal. — Much anxiety was manifested by the citizens of Vandalia on 

 the subject of coal. At present their supplies are brought by rail from 

 Perry county. 



Coal 15 or Sheby coal is only found near the bead of Hickory creek 

 2J miles from the east county line, and northwardly near the county 

 line on Eock creek and Wolf creek. 



At Jas. P. Odell's, in sec. 34, T. 6 N., E. 3 E., a slaty coal has been 

 taken out, but as yet is not much used. A shaft was in process of being 

 sunk, and had reached 80 feet, without coming to any other coal. 



On the land of Joel Blakeley, near Eock creek, an 18 inch seam has 

 been worked, the upper and lower two inches pyritiferous and 14 inches 

 of good coal. At Blakeley's bank part of the coal bifurcates, and insinu- 

 ates thin veins into the overlaying sandstone. 



The neighboring hills are low and the coal can be easily reached. 

 Mrs. Mary Grant and Mrs. Phifer also have coal banks in the same 

 vicinity. This coal crops out one foot thick at the edge of the water of 

 Wolf creek, in sec. 12, T. 8 N., E. 3 E. 



Coal No. 14 crops out on the Kaskaskia river at Wm. Thomas' in sec. 2, 

 T. 9 N., E. 3 E, 14 inches thick ; at Jas. Brown's near the north county lino 

 on the waters of Beck's creek, in sec. 21, T. 9 N., E. 1 E, 16 to 22 inches 

 thick; a half mile north of Howard's Point 10 inches. On the south fork 

 of the Hickory, in sec. 10, T. 5 IS., R. 2 E., it is 10 inches ; at Col. For- 

 man's 18 to 20 inches. 



Only at Brown's and Col. Forman's has there been much mining. 



At Brown's a drift 2£ feet high has been run into the hill, but recently 

 nothing has been done. At Forman's, in sec. 1, T. 5 N, E. 2 E., a good 

 many pits have been dug at various places on the bottom and a good deal 

 of coal taken therefrom at different times. On the bank of a branch 

 the coal appears very well, extending nearly horizontally along the 

 stream for about 50 feet, and 20 inches thick, with 4 feet of fire clay 

 beneath ; at one place the coal measures 2 feet in thickness. A trace of 

 this coal appears in the road at "Slabtown." 



Coal No. 13. — Banks have been opened at two places on Little Hick- 

 ory creek, viz : at Wm. Hamilton's, in the S. W. qr. of the N. W. qr. 

 of sec. 26, T. 6 N., E. 2 E., and at Wm. Richardson's, in sec. 27, T. 6 N., 

 R. 2 E. At Hamilton's several pits have been dug on low ground 



