114 Coal Mines at Blossburg. 
construction of the Chemung canal, with a navigable feeder to 
Corning, opened the first link in the chain of improvements which 
affords a mean of transportation, by which it may be rendered 
available to the proprietors. At Corning is the termination of a 
rail road from Blossburg, 39 miles in length, and whose depot is 
immediately upon the banks of the feeder, by which coals may be 
conveniently discharged into boats from the cars. The village of 
Blossburg is situated in Pennsylvania, upon the Tioga river 
about 37 miles from its mouth, in a pleasant valley, surrounded by 
hills rising to the height of 600 feet. At the commencement of the 
valley, near Blossburg, the olive colored slate exhibits itself; the 
rocks through the valley have intervals of gravelly layers, and 
beds of gravel, the former alternating with sand. In some places, 
the beds of rock are twisted and bent into a variety of shapes; there 
has been much pine timber upon the banks of the stream, but it is 
being rapidly conveyed to market, and a few years will change 
the face of the valley. Some portions of it are bounded by high and 
precipitous hills, at other points, the ground rises more moderately, 
and the valley enlarges to a desirable breadth, and exhibits great 
fertility. Several pleasant villages lie embosomed in it, and by the 
fall of its waters must eventually prove important for hydraulic 
purposes. Near the village of Tioga, upon Mill creek the old 
red sand-stone, contains specimens of fossil fish, which informs 
us we are within the great bituminous coal basin, and which is 
again developed at Blossburg. At the latter place we find the 
seams of coal that have been opened to lie horizontally, or nearly 
so in the hills, and which are easily approached. Their position is 
about three hundred feet above the valley, and the cars when 
loaded at the mines, descend an inclined plane to the principal 
track, whence it is conveyed to the Chemung canal. The seam of 
coal which they principally work, is about four feet in thickness, 
and in the debris or rubbish from the mines, w^e find many spe- 
cimens of beautiful fossil fern, with all their delicate tracery, as at 
the moment when they were carbonized, large and finely preserved 
stems of stigmaria, supposed to have been an aquatic plant, in- 
habiting swamps, or lakes, and masses of the bark, and portions 
