22 



IS'OTES OX THE GEOLOGY 



be sufficient to injure the coal. Two other openings in the vicinity show the same 

 characteristics. 



In the neighborhood of Stewartstown, seven miles from Morgantown, this coal is 

 tinely exposed in ravines upon the farms of Major Johns and Henry Coombs, two 

 hundred and fifty feet below the village church. Several openings have been made, 

 in all of which the bed shows a thickness averaging about eigld feet. It is quite 

 hard, usually somewhat dull in color, showing little pyrites, but evidently containing 

 some sulphur, as appears from analyses of coal from this locality recently made by 

 Dr, ISTewberry. About a mile north from Stewartstown, on a farm belonging to the 

 Misses Leweliyn, this coal is said to be eleven feet thick. 



Returning to the Ice's Ferry Pike we find, one mile from Morgantown, a number 

 of openings to supply the village. In these the coal varies from six to eight feet in 

 thickness. At two of the openings, the sandstone rests directly on the coal, forming 

 a very irregular surface. To the northwest from these, perhaps, half a mile or a mile, 

 are several other openings. In the former the coal is very black, of dull lustre, and 

 of very variable quality. In the latter it is chiefly irised, quite soft, and contains 

 much less pyrites than the others. 



Two miles south from Morgantown, on the west side of the river, Capt. Sears has 

 opened this coal and finds it about nine feet thick and of excellent quality. ISTo 

 further exposure known to me occurs to the south until reaching Smithstown, twelve 

 miles from Morgantown, where it is found in the hills between the village and the 

 river. From that point it is readily traceable to where it crosses the Kanawha river. 

 I have observed the sandstone as far south as the Falls of the Valley river. All 

 along the line the upper layers are wanting, and the average thickness of the bed 

 varies little from nine feet. 



Descending the Monongahela from Morgantown, we first find the coal back of 

 Granville, west of the river, where it is worked by Dr. Dent. Two miles below, near 

 the mouth of Scott's run, Boyer's old opening gives the following section : Bituminous 

 shale 1 ft. ; coal 3 in. ; shale 1 ft. 8 in. ; coal 1 ft. ; bituminous shale 1 ft. ; coal 9 ft. 6 in. 

 About a mile further up the run, near Haigh's Mill, the seam is thicker and shows as 

 follows : Shale 5 ft. ; coal ?> in. ; shale 1 ft. 9 in ; ccjal 1 ft. 3 in. ; shale 1 ft. 5 in. ; coal 

 10 ft. The coal here is of good quality, with some iron pyrites, and is rather soft. 

 The shale above the main coal contains numerous vegetable remains, but they are for 

 the most part indistinct. A neuropteris and a cordaites are the only ones that can be 

 determined. The upper coal is said to be remarkably pure. The seam disappears 

 under the run, about two miles from the river. I^orth from Scott's run, the bed 

 shows some interesting variations. On a little stream o]ie mile below, we find : Lime- 



