126 Coal Formations in the State of New- York. 



Art. XIV. Observations on- the Coal Formations in the State 

 of New-York; in connexion with the great Coal Beds of Penn- 

 sylvania. By Amos Eaton, Corresponding Member. 



There are four distinct coal formations in the United States. 

 First—The genuine anthracite or glance coal found in the transi- 

 tion argillite ; as at Worcester, (Mass.) Newport, (R. I.) also in 

 small quantities in the north and south range of argillite along the 

 bed and banks of the river Hudson. Second— Coal destitute of 

 bitumen, usually called anthracite; but differing greatly in its 

 character from the anthracite found in argillite. It may be called 

 anasphaltic coal. This is embraced in a slate rock, being the 

 lowest of the lower secondary series of rocks. This coal forma- 

 tion is equivalent to the greatest coal measures of Europe. But 

 there is always bitumen in a greater or less proportion, though 

 the proportion is often exceedingly small. The principal American 

 localities of this coal hitherto discovered, are in the state of 

 Pennsylvania ; as at Carbondale, Lehigh, Lackawaxen, Wilkes- 

 barre, &c. Third— The proper bituminous coal ; as at Tioga, 

 Lycoming, &c. This coal is embraced in a slate rock, which is 

 the lowest of the series of upper secondary rocks. The fourth for- 

 mation has not been found in the state of New-York. I refer to 

 the lignite coal, which is found in a very extensive stratum in the 

 state of New-Jersey along the south shore of the bay of Amboy. 



The argillite that contains the anthracite coal is made up of 

 tables or lamina very highly inclined, whose edges may always 

 be seen at the upper surface of the stratum ; and the stratum 

 may be inspected from Canada to Orange county in the state of 

 New-York. The beds of anthracite are always interposed be- 

 tween these inclined tables ; consequently when anthracite is 

 present in this rock it may be seen at its upper surface. Such is 

 the situation of the beds of anthracite in Worcester and Newport. 

 As all the beds of this mineral in the argillite of the state of New- 

 York are exceedingly thin (none of those hitherto discovered ex- 

 ceeding one inch in thickness) we have no good reason to hope 

 for the discovery of extensive beds in that formation. 



The prospect of discovering bituminons coal of the third coal 

 formation within die state of New-York is equally doubtful, for 

 the following reasons. Mr. C. Van Rensselaer and myself have 

 traced the slate rock which embraces the bituminous coal of Tic- 



