THE LOWER COAL MEASURES. 275 
black, and it lacks the pyrite seam that has been so constantly reported 
hitherto. But 2 or 3 feet below it another coal seam occurs. ‘This 
lower seam is one foot or one and a half feet thick. At times the inter- 
vening clay thins out, and then we find nearly 5 feet of coal with only 
a thin clay parting. Formerly only this lower bench was worked. It 
was of poor quality, and it had a clay roof, which was troublesome, but 
convenience led to its being worked in the small way. But the falling 
in of the clay roof showed finally the larger and better seam above, 
and this only is taken now. The case is instructive. It shows the 
‘parting of the seam, which has been found to run steady over hundreds 
of square miles from one to three inches, suddenly expanding to as 
many feet, and then in places shrinking again to the normal measure. 
This line of facts will be found interesting in connection with others of 
the same general character that have been found elsewhere in this seam, 
and to which attention will be subsequently directed. It is unnecessary 
to name the many small banks from which the coal of this universal seam 
has been taken out within the township. It never misses its horizon, and 
is fairly mineable on every farm in which this horizon is reached, so far 
as known. 
In Oxford and Washington townships we are reaching the line at 
which the Middle Kittanning seam falls below drainage. It is exposed 
in only the northwestern corner of Washington, in the valley of Dun- 
lap’s Creek. From this small district all of the coal of the township 
is derived. Five country banks cover the chief production. They 
belong to the parties named below: 
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VERSE BAIT ee cn cc cnn e ceca sacacccessed cusevine’ sevecuevesSevastenccucttoa seaeeshas 25 
POMMPMIV COATS Reser tet cscs sect eiswes daisasinniedere (o Seuslecloseeseves vesseieebecesesss some LG 
JOstaleMeanrp lay ec seewteetess sc ciseenso-4 cioainieie seo eee Sedan <a'eve Sovbwsecedieeacwile “24 
GOV ZerStome ters ercmestessedioocss tecnicos esoese geste set sticees sats cast eacnanonccke sed: SS 
In all these cases the coal lies very low in the valley, having no 
more than the necessary height for convenient handling. At the Kees 
bank the “cash” has turned into a slaty cannel coal. It comes down 
easily and furnishes working height in entries and rooms. ‘The coal is 
soft to mine, and is in good repute, Its structure is shown in the 
accompanying diagram : 
