28 



NOTES ON THE GEOLOGY 



from Morgan town, it is nearly forty feet above the river. Tliere it shows a bhiff of 

 about seventy-five feet, weathered into large !'ounded cavities, in some portions, an d 

 in others showing a strangel}^ honeycombed surface. 



Iron Ore (Fossiliferous). On Decker's creek there rests under the sandstone a 

 dark shale, twelve feet thick, and containing near the middle a Ijand of nodular iron , 

 about two feet thick. It contains an interesting assemblage of fossils, of which th e 

 following are the most numerous : Lophopliylluyn proliferum, Zeacrinus mucrospinus , 

 Ursocrinus, Cyathocrinus, (?) Heiyiipronitus crassiis, Productas JSfehracensis, Pro- 

 ductas Praffenamis, Alliyris suhtilita, A.viculopecten carhonarins, Aviculopecten Hert- 

 zeri, Nucida ventricosa, Naciilmia arata, Yoldia carhonaria^ Astartella concentrica, 

 Macroclieilus lyrimigeyiius., M. Yentricosus, Polyphemopsis peracutus, PuomjjJwlus 

 rugosus, Belleroplion Montfortianus^ B. carhonarms, B. p>ercar'matus, Pleurotemaria 

 GreyvilUensis, P.speciosa, P. carhoiiarla, P.(?) tumida, Orthoceras crihrosum, Pliil- 

 lipsia Sangamonensis, together with numerous undetermined species of 3IyaUua, 

 Schizodds, Allorisma, Pleurotomaria, JSFautilas and Deltodus. On Booth's and Co- 

 burn's creeks this shale is not present, or, if present, is represented only by a black 

 band four inches thick, which rests on a thinly laminated shale twenty feet thick, 

 containing numerous fragments of Nevropteris^ Splienopteris, Annularia and Splieno- 

 phyllum. It seems to be present on White Da}^ Creek, twelve miles south from Mor- 

 gantown. It is not persistent in Ohio or Penns3dvania. 



Coal No. 3 of Section. On Decker's creek, a small seam of coal, fifteen inches 

 thick, underlies this shale. Some years ago it was worked near the Point House, on 

 that stream. The coal is said to have been of excellent quality. This seam does not 

 appear on Booth's creek, nor do I know of its existence on White Day. A coal bed 

 occupying the same position has been slightly worked at jN^uzum's Mills, seven miles 

 south from Fairmont, on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. It is nearly three feet thick. 



Coed 'No. 5 of Section is the important and persistent seam of this group. It 

 appears on Cheat river, near Ice's Ferry, and is there worked on the north side of the 

 river. It has been worked on Tibb's run, a tributary of Decker's creek, on the creek, 

 and in some of the ravines opening upon it. In these localities it is four feet thick, 

 divided near the bottom by a thin clay parting. The shale above for several feet is 

 very bituminous, with a conchoidal fracture, and is sometimes irised. It is undoubt- 

 edly a cannel coal of inferior quality, and in some places has been worked with the 

 coal below. The coal is very friable and breaks into rhombic pieces. Traced south- 

 westerly this bed crosses Aaron's creek near the Kingwood road, about four miles 

 from Morgantown, and is worked by Mr. Bell. It also appears at several points 

 along Cobiu-n's creek. - 



