204 



TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



ON THE MINERAL BASIN OR COAL FIELD OF BLOSSBURG, 

 ON THE TIOGA RIVER, TIOGA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. By 

 Richard C. Taylor, F.G.S., &c. &c. 



The valley of Blossburg is 1330 feet above the level 

 of tide water, and forms a kind of central point or area, 

 from whence diverge irregularly a number of smaller 

 valleys and deep ravines, descending from the elevated 

 edges of the surrounding basin at the height of 2000 to 

 2250 feet above the sea. All these ravines, to the num- 

 ber of twelve, rise with a rapid inclination above the 

 level of this area, until they intersect the mineral strata 

 of the surrounding mountains ; the respective elevations 

 of their points of intersection varying, in different situa- 

 tions, from 200 to 500 feet, and the height of table land 

 being 700 to 900 feet ; above the bridge of Blossburg. 

 Coal and iron ore of various qualities prevail at the above 

 mentioned elevation of 200 feet and upwards, and when 

 thus intersected by ravines, occur under favourable cir- 

 cumstances for mining by drifts in the almost horizontal 

 strata. Almost every valley 16 which we have referred 

 is capable of maintaining its separate branch rail-road, 

 and of conveying its contribution of the important pro- 

 ducts of the district to a central line of transport. We 

 shall briefly advert to these in succession. 



Five miles up the Tioga, this riveris joined by Lower 

 Fellows's creek, which traverses a section of this coal 

 district from the north east. The upper part of this 

 creek is crossed by thick beds of silicious conglomerate 

 or puddingstone, and carboniferous gritstone, causing 

 three falls in the creek, amounting to one hundred feet, 

 in an eighth part of a mile. Coal and iron occur above 

 this conglomerate at the height of 450 feet, and below it 



