2S2 The Ameriani Geologitif. November, i,h95 
teutioii oT Keiituck^y j^'eologists, and has generally been urged 
as an evidence of the former wide extension of the Carbonif- 
erous rocks over a great part, if not all, of central and north- 
ern Kentucky. According to this view the eastern and west- 
ern coal fields were one time continuous across the now well 
defined Cincinnati anticline, and the present exposure of the 
lowest Silurian strata nearest the axis of this anticline has 
been brought about by the extensive denudation since the 
close of the Carboniferous age. 
"While not attempting to dispute this latter proposition — 
the successive lines of retreating geological escarpments, with 
"outliers" of the newer formations far within the encircling 
boundaries of the old, point strongly to this conclusion — yet 
it has been forced upon me that there is perhaps another and 
better explanation of the loose "waste" of the Carboniferous 
far up on the tlanks and even on the crest of this anticline. 
This "waste" consists for the most part of hard materials, 
the quartz pebbles from the basal Coal Measure conglomerate, 
silicilied Lithostrotion corals from the St. Louis limestone, and 
qiuirtz geodes from the upper Waverly or Keokuk. Now and 
then, however, some of the softer Coal Measure sandstones 
and even pieces of coal occur in exactly the same situations. 
Moreover, all these show evident signs of being river worn, 
and, accompanied as they frequentl}' are, by deposits of beau- 
tifullv stratified sand and clay, they lead one to the conclu- 
sion that they have gotten into their present positions mainly 
through the action of running water. Again, the facts that 
these materials are more abundant near the rivers (four miles 
back is about the maximum limit in the Blue Crass region) 
and are not found upon the tops of the highest hills (350 feet 
above the present channel seems to be the upper limit), nor 
along those watercourses, whose fountain heads are not within 
the eastern coal field, preclude the idea that they have been 
let down into their present positions as the residual products 
of subaerial decay. 
Prof. G. F. Wright, in his discussion of the "Cincinnati 
glacial dam hypothesis." nuikes mention of the tinding of 
these gravels with occasional pieces of coal at high levels 
along the Licking river, both near the mouth and as far up as 
Slate creek in Bath county. Shaler nuikes mention of similar 
