Geological Society of Pennsylvania. 5t9 



to the north-east. Proceeding up the Schuylkill from Mana- 

 yunk, the mica slate, near the soap-stone quarries, gradually 

 passes into talcose rocks, confusedly piled upon each other. Ser- 

 pentine, steatite, talc, chlorite, and other mineral substances, 

 are here subordinate to this formation. The steatite (soap- 

 stone) contains oxide of iron and tremolite. The chlorite slate 

 contains octahedral iron. 



A communication was read from a Committee of the Cabinet of 

 Science of Bradford County, consisting of Messrs. Henry Wells, El- 

 lis Lewis, Isaac Cooley, Bissel Chubbuk, and William Russell. 



There is in Bradford county inexhaustible quantities of bitu- 

 minous coal and iron. Indications of copper have also been dis- 

 covered. Major Long, of that county, has detected gold and sil- 

 ver in particular rocks. The gold is found disseminated in a 

 bed of hornstone. Limestone with marine shells is also found in 

 this county : when prepared in the kiln, it is of a grey ash co- 

 lour. A coarse-grained silicious sandstone is found on the wa- 

 ters of the Towanda creek, well adapted for mill-stones. The 

 only coal-mines now open and worked in this county, are on the 

 waters of the Towanda creek, a few miles south-west of the 

 borough of Towanda. The coal is excellent, and is extensively 

 used by the inhabitants in preference to wood. In the winter 

 season, it is sent in sleds to Ithaca, Newtown, &c. The veins 

 of coal are from three to seven feet thick, and are found a few 

 feet from the surface. The coal-field is extensive, rests upon a 

 general bed of sandstone, and the strata alternate with slate. 

 The coal on the waters of Towanda is supposed to be part of a 

 continuous deposit extending to the coal-mines of Blossburg in 

 Tioga, and those of Lycoming in Lycoming county. The To- 

 wanda creek is navigable for the descent of rafts a considera- 

 ble distance above the coal-mines, which are situated about 

 twelve miles from the north branch of the Susquehanna river. 

 Coal is also found in abundance about six miles from the borough 

 of Towanda. Iron is found in the neighbourhood of the coal- 

 mines, and in other parts of the county. No fossil coal plants 

 have yet been found : it is supposed they are not so abundant 

 in the bituminous coal-fields as they have hitherto been found to 

 be in the non-bituminous ones. There arc several salt springs 



