Jackson Township (part 7 of 19)

Bear Run Coal

The next member in the ascending scale worthy of attention is the Bear Run coal, which is found from 20 to 35 feet above the Quakertown coal, or from 45 to 80 feet above the Sciotoville clay, but the latter interval averages about 60 feet in Jackson County. Although wanting in many localities the bed can be traced with some degree of certainty from Scioto County northward through Jackson into Vinton.

In the area above drainage in this county the Bear Run coal is best developed in local districts in Hamilton, Scioto, and Lick townships, although the member is found also in Jefferson, Franklin, Liberty, Coal, and Washington. In the latter townships the bed is generally thin and often wanting. A marked feature of the member is the variability in character of the materials that make up the deposit. It may be represented by cannel or bituminous coal, black band ore, bone shale, or almost any combination of the above. A fossiliferous zone, which is of some aid in tracing and correlating the member, is found closely associated with the coal. In the Dever Valley Lingula tighti occurs in great numbers m the shale that forms the roof of the coal, and northeast of Jackson it is found in the black band ore or bone shales, which are directly related to the coal.

On Bear Run, in the northern part of Bloom Township, Scioto County, the Bear Run coal has good thickness, and has been worked for many years. This productive area extends northward into Jackson County, and is of some importance in the Dever Valley, where it furnishes the local fuel supply.

Hamilton Township. - In Section 37, Hamilton Township, the Bear Run coal has been mined on land of S. B. Gilliland, and the Sciotoville clay was seen near the Valley School on the property of Delmer Dever. The section taken is as follows:

When the region was visited the Bear Run coal was being mined on land of E. C. Gilliland, in Section 26, where the following relations were noted:

In Section 24, on the land of H. H. Stevenson, the Bear Run coal has been mined by stripping, and just above it the Vandusen coal was worked in a small way by entry. Mr. Samuel Stevenson reports the Bear Run coal to be from 1 foot 6 inches to 1 foot 10 inches in thickness, and the Vandusen to vary from 1 foot 6 inches to 2 feet 2 inches in thickness, and both coals to be of good quality. The Bear Run coal lies just above a sandstone, which in some localities thickens and replaces the coals. This sandstone is highly cross-bedded, and in parts of southern Jackson County changes to a series of thin to mediumbedded flaggy sandstones with shales intervening. Here the two coal beds are quite close together. The section obtained is recorded below:

A good exposure of the deposit was obtained on the land of Edward Toppins, in Section 25, where It was being benched near the base of the hill. The section follows:

Near the head of the Dever Valley, in Section 24, the Maxville limestone is found in the bed of the stream on the land of Amos Canter, and about 20 feet above this on the Joseph Woods property the Bear Rim coal has been mined. A section from the limestone to the summit of the hill to the east is given below:

Along the Little Scioto River, north of the Dever Valley, the horizon of the Bear Run coal is made up of thin and medium-bedded flaggy sandstones. The coal was not found exposed at any point. This was the case also on Bucklick and Little Bucklick creeks.

Scioto Township. - On Sugarcamp Creek the Bear Run coal thickens again, and has been worked at a few places. Near Grahamsville, in sections 26 and 27, Scioto Township, the thin blossom of the

Geology Of Soitrern Ohio

In Section 26, on land of Jehiel Haley, the Anthony coal was found in digging a well, and on the hill north of this the Vandusen coal has been opened. To the west of this the Bear Run coal has been mined on land of A. A. Rehs. The Bear Run coal has also been mined on the property of John Miller, in Section 22. South of the Fairview School, in Section 23, the interval from the Bear Run to the Vandusen coal is short.

In Section 11, on the isolated hill west of the Portsmouth-Jackson road, the Bear Run coal has been mined on land of Oliver M. Mercer, and the Jackson Sand Block ore on that of Garrett Brothers. The ore and coal openings are some distance apart, so the section following is not very accurate:

Near the residence of J. M. Broyles, in the western part of Section 12, this coal has also been mined for local use. The Bear Run coal goes under cover along Buckeye Creek on the land of William T. Inman, where it has been stripped in the creek bed. The interval to the Little Red Block ore, or Lower Mercer horizon, is as given below:

On the branch of Salt Creek that heads south of the furnace of the Jackson Iron & Steel Company, the Bear Run coal is represented by dark carbonaceous shales, with occasional pockets of thin coal. Near the head of the stream, on land of J. M. Johnson, Section 12, Scioto Township, these dark shales, with thin coal bands, are well exposed in the creek bed, and the Lower Mercer ore is found on the hill to the west. A composite section taken here is as follows:

Lick Township. - South of Jackson, in Lick Township, the Bear ' Run coal horizon is well marked, but it carries coal of good quality at only a few places. In Section 31, on land of H. Hunsinger, the carbonaceous shale on the horizon was exposed as follows:

In the eastern part of Section 31, on the land of J. J. McClung, the coal has been mined in a small way where it is 2 feet thick. The maximum thickness of the coal in this locality, reported by Dr. McClung, is as follows:

The Bear Run coal has been prospected at several places south of the deposit on J. J. McClung's land, but the bed is represented mainly by black carbonaceous shales. A composite section on lands of F. H. and James Mayhew is as given below:

East of Jackson, in Lick Township, the Bear Run coal thickens, and has been opened at a number of places. In Section 21, on land of D. D. Evans, an entry was driven some distance into the hill to determine the character of this coal. The structure of the deposit reported by Mr. Evans is as follows: ,

In the same section, north of the Baltimore & Ohio Southwestern Railroad, on the property of Simon L. David, both the Bear Run and Quakertown coals were exposed on the outcrop. The section measured follows: ^

The Bear Run coal was exposed along the stream north of Young America Furnace. A composite section east of the residence of Mrs. J. Butts shows the following members:

In Section 8^ on land of M. H. Harrison, the Bear Run coal has been opened. The deposit is reported to be about 2 feet in thicknesSy and the coal to l)e of the cannel type. The section taken follows:

Coal and Washington To%^n8hip8. - In northern Coal and in Washington townships the Bear Run coal is largely replaced by the heavy sandstones found above the Quakertown bed. In the creek bed, in the hollow north of the No. 3 mine of the Superior Collier}'^ Company, Section 23, Washington Township, irregular lenses and bands of coal were seen in the sandstone. The coal lies just above the line of disconformity between the sandstone and the shale below^, and evidently represents the Bear Run coal in a broken and unsteady condition. The irregular lenses are about 40 feet above the Quakertown coal. North of this, the coal, in much the same condition, w^as noticed at several places, but in a few localities it is regularly bedded. In Section 10, on land of W. W. Manning, the following record was obtained, which shows the position of the Bear Run coal with reference to the Quakertown and Lower Mercer:

The extent above drainage of the Bear Run coal, where of sufficient thickness for mining at present, even in a small way, is confined to a few areas more or* less restricted. The most southern field of Bear Run coal in Jackson County^is foundta the Dever Valley in Hamilton Township. The best of this field extends eastward from near the Valley School to where it goes under cover near the Hamilton-Jefferson line. The thickness varies from 1 foot to 2 feet 6 inches, with an average of nearly 1 foot 10 inches. South along Tattle Creek it is thin or wanting, since oft^n the deposit is replaced by massive sandstones. Along the Little Scioto River north of the Dever Valley this coal is also thin or wanting. It is not known whether the coal extends eastward under heavy cover as no drilling has been done in the region. The next area noted where the Bear Run coal has any considerable thickness is in sections 22 and 23, Scioto Township. The thickness in this small field is from 1 foot 6 inches to 2 feet. This area apparently extends northward across the main ridge to the head of Buckeye Creek in sections 11 and 12, where the thickness of four exposures measures from 1 foot 8 inches to 2 feet. In the valley of the small stream south of the furnace of the Jackson Iron & Steel Company the deposit is represented by carbonaceous shales with thin coal bands, and is of no importance. In the eastern part of Section 31, Lick Township, there is a small area: in which some good coal has been obtained. South and east of this, where exposed, it is thin or bony. Another area is along the Baltimore & Ohio Southwestern Railroad from near Jackson to Young America Furnace. In this area the thickness and structure of the bed, and the character and quality of the coal, are quite variable. Three openings showed a thickness of 1 foot 10 inches of good coal. The area extends northward into Coal Township, but is quite restricted, for in northern Coal and Washington townships the bed is largely replaced by massive sandstones.

The Bear Run coal, in the Dever Valley, has been worked in a small way for many years, and is mined at present for a part of the local fuel supply. Although the deposit is thin, the coal is of excellent quality, and the mining conditions good, as the roof is a tough shale and the floor a sandy clay. The stratum consists mainly of only one bench, in the upper part of which is found from 1 to 8 inches of cannel coal. The mining has been confined to coal along the outcrop, or reached by short entries, so the supplj' for local consumption yet available will last for years.

The next field, extending from the head of Sugarcamp Creek to that of Buckeye Creek, has been worked at a few places where the coal has a thickness of about 2 feet. The structure of the bed is much the same as that in the Dever Vallej", part tending towards the cannel type, and the quality of the coal is excellent for domestic use, as it belongs to the high volatile free-burning class. The area of the workable field south of Jackson, from the indications of the exposures noted, is very small. The coal has good volume on lands of McClung and Farrar, where it has been mined by entries. The available supply is largely exhausted.

The Bear Run coal in the field along the Baltimore & Ohio Southwestern Railroad, northeast of Jackson, has b(K»n opened or worked at only a few places, as the deposit is thin and variable, and as the Quakertown coal adjacent to the ngion is easily obtained at present. The deposit is made up of caimel coal, bituminous coal, bone shale, and black band ore, or some combination of the above. The thickness of the strata and the order of sequence changes from place to place, thus making the mining somewhat difficult and uncertain.. The maximum thickness of good coal measured, part of which is cannel or of a cannel nature, was about 2 feet. The tough shale or sandstone forming the roof, and the carbonaceous shale, clay shale, or sandstone forming the floor of the stratum, are thus of such character as to give safety and yield in mining. The associated black band ore is sufficiently rich in iron to be of value to the local furnaces for metallurgical use. Tests, which are reported satisfactory, have bee^n made of the bone shales for their utilization as pigments for mineral paints.

The quality of the Bear Run coal in the Dever Valley field is excellent. It is free-burning, low in sulphur and ash, and has good heating qualities. The character of the coal is sho^^Ti by an anaU^is of a sample from land of Enoch Canter, Section 24, Hamilton Tox^nship, which is as follows:*

The Gilliland coal of southern Hamilton Township, as sampled by Mr. C. N. Brown, and analyzed by Professor Lord, shows the following constitution:^

On the land of Mr. Price, Section 18, Lick Township, the Bear Run coal lies 32 feet above the Quakertown, and is a cannel. The analysis of a sample of it is as follows:*

At present the Bear Rim coal is of some value locally for small domestic supplies, but in the future, as the thicker coals reach exhaustion, this, with other thin beds, will becopoie of more importance.

Jackson Sand Block Ore

The productive field of the Jackson Sand Block ore is southwest of the town of Jackson, and includes the southwestern part of Lick, the southeastern part of Liberty, and the northeastern part of Scioto townships. The deposits, altliough somewhat isolated and irregular in structure, occur in the same general interval which is that between the Bear Run and Vandusen coals.

Shales, thin to medium-bedded sandstones, with shales intervening, massive sandstones, or some combination of the alxjve strata, make up the interval which is from 20 to 40 feet in thickness. Layers of the thin and medium-bedded sandstonts, which have bet^n enriched by iron compounds, constitute the ore beils. These deposits may occur interbedded in shales, or at the. top or well (hn\'n in the s^^ries of sandstones, but the richest beds are those in the shales, or in the upper part of the sandstone series. The position at which they occur in the interval varies from place to place; thus beds worked in one locality' may not be on the same level stratigraphically as those worked at another.

'Under heavy cover the iron is in the form of the carbonate, while along the outcrop, or under shallow cover, whtTC the weathering agents have been active, it occurs in the hydrated oxide forms. The sandstone strata are fine-grained, ripple marked, more or U*ss ferruginous, and contain plant fossils. Apparently the iron compounds were deposited with the sands in shallow basins in which the waters were charged with iron salts and decaying organic matter. The deposits, as a usual thing, have a higher iron content along the outcrop, or under shallow cover, where local enrichment from percolating water has taken place.

The Jackson Sand Block ore has been mined on the land of Martin Wastier, in Section 26, Scioto To^\iiship. The following section shows the strata exposed for measurement:

Just north of this, in the same section, on the property of J. M. Pierce, the ore has also been mined, and is reported to be from 3 to 4 feet in thirknr*ss. A small pocket of ore has been mined near the summit of the hill on land of James I. Garrett, in Section 9. The record follows.

The deposit of Jackson Sand Block ore on the property of John M. Com, in Section 2, was being worked when the region was visited. The ore layers, which are quite variable in thickness and number, are interbedded in shales. A section of the mine is as follows:

Another section in the same mine, about 100 feet from the above, shows the variability of the deposit, hence the measurements are given below:

In Section 3, on Thomas Wade's land, the ore measured 2 feet in thickness. On land of T. A. Henderson, in Section 1, the ore was mined in a small way, and is reported to be 1 foot thick.

In Liberty Township, just north of the Com mine, on land of Howell and Jones, Section 34, the Jackson Sand Block ore is interbedded in sandstones. A section shows the following relations:

Near the summit of the hill just south of the old Hammertown mine, in Section 35, the ore has been dug along the outcrop quite extensively. A section is as follows:

In the southeastern part of Section 35, on the Johnson farm, the ore has been mined in a small way for years. A measurement showed 2 feet 2 inches of ore, but elsewhere, under heavy cover, the ore is reported to be 6 feet thick. This ore has been mined along the outcrop at a few places in Section 25. The rocks seen on the Elisha Sc\u*lock property are as follows:

In several localities in the southwestern part of Lick Township the ore has been mined also in a small way. On lands of the Jackson Iron & Steel Company and Charles Ray, in Section 30, the following members were noted:

The Jackson Sand Block ore, as the name implies, is a sandy or siliceous ore with a blocky structure, as the beds are regularly jointed. The iron content varies from the lowest limit used for ores to about 45 per cent, but in the bulk of the ore mined it is from 30 to 35 per cent. The lime and magnesia, often amounting to several per cent, give an additional value, as they flux directly part of the siliceous gangue of the ore, and as they tend to promote ease of fusion of the silicate impurities. The phosphorus, usually high, and the manganese about normal, make the ore a desirable constituent in the smelting of foundry iron. An analysis of the ore furnished by the Jackson Iron & Steel Company is as follows:

The ore varies from 1 to as much as 8 feet in thickness, but usually averages from 2 to 3 feet.- In some localities the ore is interbedded in sandstone, while at other places in shale. So far most of the ore has been mined by stripping along the outcrop where the overburden is not heavy, but the general conditions for drift mining are favorable. Also the demand by the furnaces for outcrop ore has been greater as the iron is in the form of the oxide, and the metal content usually higher. There are large quantities of this ore yet available, but the cost of mining and the low market value, when compared to the siliceous Lake ores on a unit basis, have seriously impeded its utilization at present.

The gangue is in such form that but little enrichment of the ore is possible by any of the common forms of concentration now in use. Washing and careful selection would free the ore from some deleterious clay and shale materials which are derived from the roof and_ floor, and mechanically mixed during the mining operation. Cleaner ores would increase both the market and market value. One objection in general advanced by furnace people to the use of native ores is that the foreign material in them is usually considerable, and also variable in amount.

Vandusen Coal

The Vandusen coal, where present in the southern part of Jackson County, lies from 15 to 30 feet above the Bear Run coal, and from 70 to 100 feet below the Little Red Block or Lower Mercer ore, but in the central part of the county the latter interval thins, measuring usually from 60 to 70 feet. In the northern part of the county the member is usually wanting, but, when present, it is represented only by a few inches of impure coal, or a foot or so of carbonaceous shale. The Vandusen coal in Jackson Coimty is best represented in Hamilton,

Scioto, and Franklin townships, where the average thickness of the bed is about 1 foot. It is found also, but in a thin and unsteady condition, in Jefiferson, Lick^ Liberty, Coal, and Washington townships. The deposit, where present, is usually very thin, seldom exceeding one foot, but the coal is of fine quality, and on this account it is mined by benching along the outcrop, and in the beds of streams where the cover is shallow. At but one place, and that was on land of H. H. Stevenson, in the Dever Valley, was the bed found of sufficient thickness to warrant mining by drifting at present, but in the future this may be done. General sections showing the strycture of the deposit and its relation to other members will now be given.

Hamilton Township. - The relation of the Vandusen to the Bear Run coal is-shown in the following section, taken on land of H. H. Stevenson, Section 24, Hamilton Township.

Here the Vandusen coal has been mined to some extent by entry for local use. Samuel Stevenson reports the thickness of the bed in the mine to vaiy from 1 foot 6 inches to 2 feet 2 inches. The coal is of excellent quality and the roof very good. On land of E. C. Gilliland, Section 26, Hamilton Township, the Vandusen coal has been opened but not worked. A section taken at this place shows the following relations:

The rocks exposed on the lands of Vinton McCoy and Wm. H. Gahm, Section 11, show the relation of the Vandusen coal to the Lower Mercer and Anthony members. The record follows:

Franklin Township. - In Franklin Township, along the headwaters of Fourmile Creek, the Vandusen member has been stripped at many places for domestic fuel. A section taken along the road from Fourmile Greek to the ridge in Section 30 shows the following relations:

The following section, showing the relation of the Vandusen coal to other members, was obtained on land of B. E. Lyons, in Section 18, Franklin Township:

In Section 20, on the land of David Simmons, the Vandusen coal was exposed in the bed of the stream, and to the west on property of Henry Hughes a cannel coal on the Lower Mercer horizon was seen. The following composite section was measured on lands of D. C. Colby and George Rehs, in sections 7 and 8, Franklin Township:

Scioto Township. - Along the stream east of Fairview School, in Section 13, Scioto Township, the Vandusen coal has been benched in several places. A composite section on W. T. Plummer's and H. A, Wykle's land is as follows:

Other Townships. - Northward from Jackson in Lick, Coal, and Washington townships, the Vandusen coal is scarcely represented. In most of the area the interval is made up of heavy sandstones which replace the bed, but even where shales predominate the horizon is seldom marked by more than a stain of coal, with a thin, siliceous clay below. The field of the Vandusen coal is from Jackson south to the Dever Valley, and from this point it extends on into Scioto County. It is best represented in Franklin, Scioto, and Hamilton townships.

The Vandusen coal is of but little importance at present, as a source of fuel supply for the bed is thin, seldom exceeding one foot in thickness, but the coal is of excellent quality. .It is a bright, dense, bituminous coal, very free from shaly bands and sulphur nodules. It is an oily coal, tending somewhat towards the cannel types, and bums with a free open flame. The dense nature of the coal, with that of the shales above, protects it from the weathering agencies, so the stratum is found in good condition where only a few feet of cover exists. On this account it is benched along the outcrop and in the beds of streams.

Along the headwaters of Little Scioto River north of Mabee, and along those of Fourmile Creek, where the bed is best developed, it furnishes a part of the local fuel supply. The deposit, where one foot thick, will produce about 750 pounds coal per square yard of surface. The roof of the coal in most places is a heavy deposit of shale, well suited for ceramic purposes, but the floor is either a sandstone or a siliceous clay having no special value. The bed is too thin to be mined alone successfully by drifting, and the associated materials are not of enough value to warrant this method. The main value of the Vandusen coal lies in the fact that it may furnish a small local supply of good fuel in a region where the other coals are also thin or bony.

Lower Mercer Coal

The Lower Mercer coal, in only a few localities in Jackson County, is of sufficient thickness and purity for utilization, as the member is more often wanting, or represented by a series of carbonaceous shales with thin coal bands. The position of the Lower Mercer coal in the southern part of the county is from 35 to 55 feet, with an average of 45 feet below the Lower Mercer or Little Red Block ore. In the northern part of the county, where the Lower Mercer limestone is also present, the coal is separated from the limestone by an interval of about 25 feet. It lies directly or only a few feet below the Boggs ore, but the latter is seldom found in Jackson County.

On the Lower Mercer coal horizon there are several coal strata that are closely related, for they were laid down during a continuous but more or less interrupted swamp period, in which a very irregular series of thin coals, highly carbonaceons shales, carbonate ores, and siliceous clays, inter-stratified with thin shales and sandstones, were deposited over a wide area. A coal stratum observed on this horizon in one locality may not be the same as that found on the horizon in another place only a few miles distant, but both coals belong to the same general deposition period.^ In fact, several coal beds occur in this interval which is only a few feet in thickness.

County to central Vinton. It was not traced farther north. In Jackson County the Lower Mercer coal is found in parts of Hamilton, Scioto, Franklin, Lick, Coal, Milton, and Washington townships, but it is best represented, however, in parts of Hamilton, Scioto, and Washington townships. The member will be traced in a general way across this area.

Hamilton Township. - The Lower Mercer coal extends across Hamilton Township, where it has been, prospected at several places. This coal bed is shown in the following section, taken on the Joseph Wood property, in Section 24: p^ j^

North of this, on the same property, Mr. Wood reports the coal, where prospected, to be 2 feet in thickness. When visited flQlS) the Lower Mercer coal was being mined on land of Roy Shumate in Section 2. The structure found is as given below: p^ j^

Franklin Township. - The Lower Mercer coal has-sbeen opened on land of Henry Hughes, in Section 20. In the northwest comer of Section 21, on land of G. W. Masters, the section obtained is as given below:

On land of John Sheward, in the same section, the coal has been mined for domestic use. This coal is also represented on the property of Coiu-ad Sheward, Section 16, where the following record was taken:

The relation of the Lower Mercer coal to the ore and Vandusen coal is shown in the following section, measured on land of James Mayhew, in Section 5:

Lick Township. - In Section 34, Lick Township, on land x)f W. L. Brown, the coal was exposed, while on the ridge south, in sections 2 and 3, Franklin Township, the ores and Ferriferous limestone are present. The measurements recorded are as follows:

North of the Globe mine, on land of E. L. Long, the Lower Mercer coal and the Black Flint ore, which has been worked near the summit of the hill, are found. The section taken is as given below:

A composite section taken on the property of Michael Radcliff, in Section 23, show^s the relations of several members. The thickness of the coals was reported by Mr. Radcliff. The section follows:

Coal Township. - East of the Grace mine, in Section 10, Coal Township, the thin cannel coal and the limestone are exposed in the bed of the small stream. The section obtained is as given below:

R. S. and J. E. Thompson, in Section 12, Coal Township. The depth of the shaft is reported to be about 100 feet, but no exact information was obtained regarding this. The coal here is a tough cannel, the same as that seen south in Lick Township. The section obtained follows:

The coal was also noticed at other points in this locality. North of Coalton and west of Wellston the bed was not observed, but in Washington Township the stratum is more persistent and better developed, for at a few places it is mined for a local domestic supply.

Washington Township. - In Section 24, Washington Township, on land of Clyde Foster, the Lower Mercer bed has been prospected by entry, but the coal was not seen as the roof had fallen. The following section was obtained:

On the same ridge east of the above the outcrop of the cannel coal was noticed at a few places, but it was not measured. It occurs also farther west. Along the road that leads west from Hamden, in Section 13, the Lower Mercer limestone and coal were well exposed for measurement. A composite section taken there follows:

A composite section taken along the road in Section 11 shows the relation of the Lower Mercer coal to higher members. The Measurements taken are given below:

In Section 10, on land of J. C. Reed, the Lower Mercer coal has been opened in the hollow, and above on the hill the blossom of the Tionesta coal, and a good exposure of the Black Flint, were seen. The Lower Mercer coal was reported to be 2 feet 2 inches thick. Just north of this and in the same section, on land of Robert Wilcox, the Lower Mercer coal is mined for local use. The bed is reported to have a thickness from 2 feet 4 inches to 2 feet 8 inches. The upper part of the stratum is represented by cannel coal, the thickness of which varies somewhat, but usually averages about 4 or 5 inches, while the coal in the remainder of the bed tends somewhat toward the cannel types. The following section was obtained at this point:

This coal has also been mined on land of W. W. Manning. The thickness of the bed here is reported to be the same as that on the Wilcox property. The section obtained, and given below, shows several important members both above and below the Lower Mercer coal:

Passing westward the bed thins, and at no place was it found to have any considerable thickness. It is usually represented by carbonaceous shales with siliceous clay below. The bed extends northward into Vinton County, but it was not followed far in that direction.

The Lower Mercer coal is of but little importance in Jackson Cotmty, for the areas in which the bed is of sufficient thickness for mining are small. Local pockets, which are worked in a small way, and in which the thickness of the deposit is from IJ to 2^ feet, are found in a few sections in the northeastern part of Hamilton Township. Along the headwaters of Fourmile Creek in Franklin Township this stratum has been prospected at several points, but the coal is thin or bony. The horizon is marked more by the series of carbonaceous and bone shales than by coal strata.

The bed is regularly mined by drifting in one locality in northern Jackson County, and that is in Section 10, Washington Township, although at a number of places it has been benched in stream beds or

B. - Clarion and BrookviMe conis in tlic tunnel of the Hockinp Valley llailway near Oretou, VintoD County. The Clarion coal lies directly below the massive sandstone, and its lower bench is indicated by the upper white paper. The lower paper indicates the position of the Brookville coal, which here is only 1 foot 8 inches below the CInrion.

along the outcrop where the cover is shallow. In Section 10 the stratum has ample thickness for ease in mining, as the usual range is from 2 feet 2 inches to 2 feet 8 inches. The roof material here is a tough shale, while the floor material is a firm, siliceous clay, both conditions favorable for underground mining. In most of the area the bed is represented by dense cannel coal, or by both cannel and ordinary bituminous coal. In the cannel coal the ash is usually high, while in the bituminous part it is about that found in average coal. The bituminous part shows considerable sulphur in the form of pyrite or marcasite. The clay below the bed has but little economic value, as it is generally quite siliceous or shaly, and seldom more than 2 or 3 feet in thickness. The thickness and quality of the clay are not such as will justify its mining along with the coal for ceramic uses. The main value of the Lower Mercer coal is for small local domestic supplies.

Boggs Ore

The position of the Boggs ore is either directly or only a few feet above the Lower Mercer coal. Apparently the ore was laid down during the same general swamp period in which the Lower Mercer coal was deposited. The member was observed at only a few places in Jackson County, but it is present in several small areas in northern Scioto County and has good volume. One measurement which was made along the road in Section 13, Washington Township, will be given in order to show the relation of this ore to other members. The section follows:

The deposits of Boggs ore in Jackson County are too small and the ore too impure to have any considerable value at present, but the bed was formerly worked in a small way by stripping for use in the old charcoal furnaces. Its interest at present lies chiefly in its value for strati* graphic work.

The Lower Mercer limestone is found with some frequency in the northern part of Jackson County, but it is seldom present in the southem part. Its maximum development shows two benches of limestone, each approximately one foot in thickness and separated by about 2 feet of shale. The upper bench is more argillaceous and ferruginous than the lower, but not as persistent. Both strata are dense, dark blue, and moderately fossiliferous. The joint planes form the beds into more or less cubical or rectangular blocks, which on weathering are converted into rounded nodular masses. Along the outcrop or under shallow cover the blocks often show a surface layer of ferruginous materia], which has replaced the calcium carbonate, and which varies in thickness from a thin scale to several inches. The iron ore foimd at some places on this horizon, from general appearances, represents the complete transformation of limestone to ore, which has taken place through the action of ground waters.

The interval from the Lower Mercer or Little Red Block ore to the Lower Mercer limestone when both are present varies from 1 to 18 feet, but the average interval is about 8 feet. The ore in the southern part of Jackson Coimty, although wanting in large areas, is far more constant than the limestone which is seldom present. This is also the condition found in Scioto and Lawrence counties. In the northern part of Jackson County both ore and limestone are relatively constant, but vary in character and thickness. The ore is not a part of the limestone formation but a separate and distinct stratum, deposited under somewhat similar conditions, yet differing in composition and date of origin. The ore was deposited as ferrous carbonate, while the limestone was laid down as a calcium carbonate, yet both are of swamp or shallow sea origin. The ore was also formed somewhat later than the limestone, as the two are often separated by several feet of rock material. Both limestone and ore are fossiliferous and contain the same types of life.

In Jackson County the interval from the Lower Mercer limestone to the Lower Mercer ore averages almost 8 feet; to the Upper Mercer coal the interval varies from 23 to 35 feet, but averages about 27 feet; to the Sand Block ore the interval varies from 30 to 45 feet, but averages about 36 feet; and to the Upper Mercer ore the interval

Hamilton Township. - Sections showing the relation of the Lower Mercer limestone and ore to various other members will be given. On land of Fred Raymond, Section 36, the following members were seen:

An iron ore, blocky and very fossiliferous, which appears to have been derived from weathering of the Lower Mercer limestone, was found near the summit of the hill on land of Edward Gahm, in Section

Franklin Township. - On land of James Mayhew, in Section 6, Franklin Township, the Lower Mercer ore with two coals below were seen and measured. The section follows:

Lick Township. - In Section 23, Lick Township, on land of Bentley Miller, three ores are present, and the intervals measured are as follows:

In the vicinity of Young America Furnace the Lower Mercer limestone was found in several places. The following section was obtained on the property of Oscar Evans, in Section 15 :

Near the home of George B. Wycle, in Section 14, Lick Township, the Lower Mercer limestone was exposed along the roadside, and, near the summit of the hill just north, the Upper Mercer and Black Flint ores were seen in an old road. The section measured is given below:

Coal Township. - East of Grace mine, Section 10, Coal Township, the limestone was exposed in the creek bed, and the ore seen in the road above. The section measured is as given below:

Along the road, in Section 36, south of the abandoned Superior No. 2 mine, the Lower Mercer limestone with the ores above were exposed, and the measurements taken are given below:

The limestone and ore were observed at several places in the vicinity of Coalton. The most western exposure noted was on the ridge in the western part of Section 5. On land of W. R. Hamilton, in Section 27, the Lower and Upper Mercer ores have been mined by stripping. The following record was obtained here:

Along the road west of Hamden, in Section 13, Washington Township, the Lower Mercer limestone and ore are well represented, and the horizon of the Upper Mercer limestone is marked by dark flinty limestone nodules and kidney ore. The section measured at this place is given below: p^ j^

The limestone and ore extend westward to the high knobs and ridges south of Richland Furnace and east of Pigeon Creek, but were not seen west of that stream.

Milton Township. - In northwestern Milton Township the Lower Mercer limestone is moderately persistent, more so than the Lower Mercer ore. At some places the former is made up of two layers of limestone, separated by from 1 to 3 feet of shales, usually very fossiliferous» The lower layer is dark blue in color, very hard and only moderately fossiliferous, while the upper layer is much lighter in color, ordinarily a dark gray, more shaly, and very fossiliferous. The lower layer is much more persistent than the upper layer, and usually thicker. The upper layer is reduced readily by weathering, so it is found only under favorable conditions. A few sections will be given to show the relation of the Lower Mercer limestone to other members.

to the hill east shows the Lower Mercer limestone and the irtervals from it to the Quakertown, Upper Mercer, Brookville, and Clarioncoals. The section obtained follows: p^ j^

Near the mine of the Wellston Colliery Company, in Secti(Mi 5, the two Mercer ores were found, and only a short distance west the Lower Mercer limestone "was exposed close below the lower ore. At the mine of the Elk Fork Coal Company, in Section 3, the Lower Mercer limestone with other important members were exposed, and the record obtained is given below: p^ j^

A very good section of the members above the Lower Mercer limestone was obtained from the hollow near the abandoned No. 6 Superior mine to the point west on land of George Woodrow. The intervals separating the members in the section given below are about normal for the region:

A measurement taken along the road on the line of sections 18 and 19 shows the interval from the Lower Mercer to the Ferriferous limestone to be considerably less than the average for the region. The section given below records the measurements: period than for their present value. The ore is rich, easily reduced, and contains the elements necessary for making a soft, high grade, foundry iron; hence it was always in demand for charcoal iron. Although the stratum is thin the ore was worked along the outcrop and under shallow cover by benching, the old rule being to strip a foot of dirt for an inch of ore. No mining of the Lower Mercer ore is done at present in Jackson County as the high-gi'ade Lake ores are used instead. The iron content of the ore in the natural state runs from 35 to 60 per cent, the phosphorus from .250 to .400, and the manganese from .30 to .60.

The Lower Mercer limestone, found in some quantity only in the northern part of Jackson County, was but little used as a flux stone, as the better Ferriferous limestone was available in most localities. Small amounts were mined for this purpose near Young America Furnace, where the limestone has a fair thickness, and is found on the> hills near the old stack. The limestone in some localities is moderately pure, while at other places it is siliceous and flinty. The following analysis represents that of the better grades of stone :^

The dense tough nature of the limestone recommends it for road building and for concrete work, but as the member is thin the more available Ferriferous limestone is used instead. In Jackson County the lower layer seldom reaches 2 feet in thickness, and averages only about 1 foot, while the maximum thickness of the upper layer where exposed was only 1 foot. Along the outcrop the lower layer is broken by vertical joints into blocks, which are used to some extent for foundations and walls. The Lower Mercer limestone is of great aid in the correlation of the various members in the Pottsville, and is used as the main bench mark stratigraphically, for it can be recognized with certainty. At present the Lower Mercer ore and limestone are economically unimportant.

The Upper Mercer, or No. 3a coal, seldom wanting, but usually thin, extends across Jackson Coimty from Scioto and Lawrence on the south to Vinton on the north. The coal is usually of excellent quality, and where the bed thickens sufficiently for mining the local fuel supply, in part at least, is drawn from this source. The Upper Mercer coal will be of more importance in the futiire when the thicker deposits are exhausted; hence this stratimi with the associated rocks in the localities in which it is best developed will be described and traced.

The Upper Mercer coal is found in parts of Hamilton, Jefferson, Scioto, Franklin, Bloomfield, Lick, Coal, Milton, and Washington townships. It is best developed however in local areas in Jefferson, Scioto, Lick, and Bloomfield townships, where it is mined by drifting for local use.

Hamilton Township. - ^The horizon of the Upper Mercer coal in the eastern part of Hamilton Township is well towards the summits of the hills, and although observed at a number of places the deposit was everywhere thin and of little value. On land of Fred Raymond, in Section 36, the rocks exposed are as follows:

Jefferson Township. - In Jefferson Township the bed thickens locally and is mined by drifting in Section 8 where the deposit is known as the Jones coal. It is also worked by benching at other places. Near the head of Laurel Fork, sections 29 and 30, on lands of A. Kelley and John Jaycox, a composite section showing the Upper Mercer and Tionesta coals is as given below:

On land of A. C. Arthur near the cross roads, in the northwestern corner of Section 20, the Upper Mercer coal has been stripped for local use. The interval from the Upper Mercer to the Tionesta coal is 52 feet. Just north of the above, and in the same section, on the land of Robert Sims, the coal measured 1 foot 6 inches in thickness.

On the property of Stephen Jones, Section 8, the Upper Mercer coal has been regularly mined by drifting for years. The bed which is from 22 to 26 inches in thickness is persistent. A section taken in this locality shows the following rocks:

This coal has been mmed near the Horten School also. Along Hewitt Run east of the Jones deposit the coal thins, or is replaced by heavy sandstones. On Black Fork, in Section 3, on land of Evan Jenkins, a good exposure of the coal was noted which measured as follows:

Scioto Township. - In Scioto Township the Upper Mercer coal thickens locally in sections 13 and 24. At several places in the latter section the coal is mined by drifting for the local supply. On land of John Messing, Section 24, Scioto Township, the section recorded follows:

The coal is mined also on the A. W. Jacobs farm in the same section. In Section 13, on the land of Andrew Yinger, the upper part, of a section taken shows the follo\^'ing members:

Franklin Township. - Where seen in the western part of Franklin Township, in which territory the horizon is above drainage, the Upper Mercer coal is too thin to be mined at present, except by stripping along the outcrop. The clay is usually better represented than the coal. The horizon of this bed is also above drainage in the northeastern part of the township, but in this locality it is thin, or replaced by heavy sandstones.

Lick Township. - In the eastern part of Lick Township the Upper Mercer coal is locally developed in small areas, and is worked for domestic use. A good exposure of the coal was noted on the land of Harrison Kesinger, Section 26. The rock strata measured are as follows:

This coal has also been worked on the properties of Clinton Aleshire and Martin Foster, and is reported to have about the same thicknpss as that seen in the above section. The structure of the coal was seen* in a mine on the Madison Wykle property, in Section 22. The foUow- ^^^ naembers were recorded:

East of the above in the same section, on land of George B. Wykle, ^^^ Upper and Lower Mercer limestones, the Upper Mercer coal, and two ores are shown in the carefully measured section which follows:

Coal Township. - The Upper Mercer coal is present in the eastern part of Coal Township. The coal is usually very thin, often only a smut streak, but the clay below in some localities is from 4 to 6 feet in thickness, and of good quality for many ceramic purposes. The coal was opened on the G. N. House property, in Section 3. A composite section taken from the mine to the point west shows other members above the Upper Mercer coal, and the measurements obtained are given below:

At this place the coal is reported to be somewhat thicker farther in the hill. North of this the outcrop of the member, represented by coal or clay, was noticed at a number of places.

Washington Township. - The Upper Mercer coal and clay are present in eastern Washington Township; although the coal is generally thin the clay in most of the area has good volume. A small amount of coal has been mined from this bed just west of the Town House, in Section 21, Washington Township. The record taken is given below:

Milton ToMmship. - In northern Milton Township the Upper Mercer coal is unsteady, as it is often replaced by massive sandstones. In Section 32, near the mine of the Domestic Coal Company, the member is seen giving way to the sandstones. This condition is also again found in Section 33, near the No. 12 Superior mine. The lower part of a section measured here is as follows:

The coal goes below drainage near the old stack of Lincoln Furnace. In the southwestern part of Section 2, on the land of the Superior Colliery Company, the coal and Upper Mercer ore were well exposed. The section taken at this place, and given below, shows the general relations :

At the mine of the Elk Fork Coal Company, in Section 3, the Upper Mercer coal and ore are exposed in the railroad cut, and the Lower Mercer limestone is exposed in the manway. East of Mulga Run, in Section 10, on the land of the Superior Colliery Company, the coal has been stripped in the bed of a small stream where it was 1 foot 6 inches thick. The coal is thin where observed along Little Raccoon Creek, south of the above, and goes below drainage near the mouth of Coal Run.

Bloomfield Township. - -The Upper Mercer coal is above drainage along Dickason Run in the vicinity of Ridgeland. On the land of Harriet A. and W. L, Burris it is mined for local use. The bed in this locality varies from 1 foot 6 inches to 2 feet 2 inches in thickness, the coal is of excellent quality, furthermore the mining conditions are good, as ih^ roof is a tdugh shale. At this place the Tionesta coal lies close to the Upper Mercer, for the two beds are separated by only 18 feet of shales and sandstones. A carefully measured section taken shows the following relations:

The fields in which the Upper Mercer coal is most promising are the local areas in western Jefiferson Township, in southeastern Scioto, especially in Section 24, in northeastern Lick, and in eastern Bloomfield.

The worth of the Upper Mercer coal, now of value in some localities for domestic fuel, will increase as the thicker coals become exhausted. Although the bed is thin the coal is of excellent quality, and the conditions are favorable for mining. The member is made up of one coal bench with occasionally a thin layer above or below, separated from the main block by a few inches of clay or clay shale. The roof of the bed, with few exceptions, is a blue shale, sufficiently tough and solid for safety and efficiency in mining, but in a few localities it is made up of a sandstone with a thin shale below, which in wet mines loosens and falls. The floor of the deposit is clay, which, varying from the soft plastic to the somewhat harder siliceous types, is easily removed for entry ways, and has a ceramic value. The usual method of mining is to cut in the clay below, or in the clay partings when two coal benches are present, and thus separated, to loosen the coal which lies in blocks by either wedging or shooting. In the Jones mine, in Section 8, Jefferson Township, about one foot of the clay below is loosened by shooting and then removed, after which a small shot placed near the top of the stratum loosens the coal with but little shattering.

The coal is rather fragile, but as the bed has a jointed or blocky structure it mines, when care is taken on the part of the workmen, in lumps, with only a small amount of loss from fine material. It is a bright, clean looking coal, with low sulphur and ash, of which the latter is light-colored and non-clinkering under ordinary conditions. The coal ignites readily and bums with a long free flame. The Upper Mercer coal, when all points are considered, is an excellent fuel, well adapted for general uses, and especially so for domestic purposes.

Mr. Burris kindly furnished an analysis of the coal from their mine in Section 7, Bloomfield Township. The analytical work was done by J. G. Harding, chemist for the Wellston Iron & Steel Company. The analysis of the sample dried at 212° F. is as follows:

The Upper Mercer clay, which lies directly below the Upper Mercer or Webster Block coal, varies in thickness and quality, but it has a ceramic value and is an asset, especially when both clay and coal are considered. The thickness of the deposit varies from 2 to 6 feet, and the material varies in quality from a plastic, low siliceous clay to one quite sandy. It is a second-grade fire clay with a moderate amount of fluxes and coloring agents, and is well fitted for the manufacture of highgrade building brick. When the clay is carefully selected Jt is also suitable for stoneware and low-grade fire brick. When mined in conjimction with the coal above the cost of winning the clay is low. In some localities where the coal bed has a fair thickness the fuel obtained would be sufficient to manufacture and bum the ware made from the clay.

Sand Block Obe

In Jackson County the next member above the Upper Mercer coal is the Sand Block ore, which, although of little value at present, was worked in a number of localities for the smelting of iron in the old charcoal furnaces, but it was then ranked far below the Ferriferous and Upper Mercer ores. The ore is foimd more or less continuous in parts of Hamilton, Jefiferson, Scioto, Franklin, Lick, Coal, Washington, Milton, and Bloomfield townships. In the townships south of Jackson the Sand Block ore lies from 10 to 20 feet above the Upper Mercer coal, and from 10 to 20 feet below the Upper Mercer ore, while north of Jackson these intervals are somewhat contracted, as the ore is often found lying just above the Upper Mercer coal. The relation of the ore to other members is shown in the sections under the Upper Mercer coal, hence they will not be repeated. The thickness of the ore varies from an inch or two to a foot or more in some localities, but the average measurement is about 5 inches. The ore is generally siliceous and low in iron, but in most cases the thicker the deposit the leaner the ore. Under heavy cover the iron is in the form of the carbonate, but along the outcrop, or where affected by percolating waters, it has been changed to hydrated oxides. At present the Sand Block ore adds but little to the mineral wealth of the county.

The Upper Mercer limestone is seldom present in Jackson County, but the ore, except where replaced by the heavy sandstones, is quite persistent, and may be traced across the county from Scioto and Lawrence on the south to Vinton on the north. The horizon is found near the summits of the hills and ridges in the eastern parts of Hamilton and Scioto townships, and owing to the dip eastward it goes under cover in the eastern parts of Jefferson and Franklin townships. It is found in the eastern halves of Lick, Washington, and Coal townships, and, extending eastward, it goes below drainage in northern Bloomfield and eastern Milton along the courses of Little Raccoon Creek and its tributaries. The horizon is found in Washington Township well toward the summits of the main ridges. Besides the Upper Mercer lime-

The Upper Mercer limestone is sparingly fossiliferous and of marine origiUy as the types represented are of this character. The associated ore also carries fossils of the same types as those fomid in the limestone. The exact relation of limestone to ore is hard to determine, as the latter is so seldom found, but the exposures observed indicate that the two beds are closely associated. The relation of the Upper Mercer ore to other members, and the average intervals separating them, are given in the following general section for Jackson County:

Many local variations in intervals were observed, as the Mercer rocks in Jackson County are very irregular. When the intervals are . made up of shales, the positions of the members are usually quite constant, but when the massive sandstones appear many abnormalities of the positions are found. In a general way there is a gradual thirning of the intervals northward across the county, and this condition is also found in Scioto and Lawrence counties. A series of sections will be given tracing the horizon across the county.

Hamilton Township. - In Section 35, Hamilton Township, on the land of Henry Comer, the position of the Upper Mercer ore with reference to other members is shown in the following record:

Je£Fer8on Township. - The intervals from the Upper Mercer ore to other important members are given in the following section, taken along the road just south of the Mound School, in sections 19 and 20.

In Section 5, on the land of John H. Horton, the Upper Mercer ore was being mined, and the thickness of the bed was 10 inches. On the land of Evan Jenkins, Section 3, where the ore was also being mined the following relations were noted:

South of the above along Black Fork and along the lower course of Hewitt Run, while the horizon is above drainage, the ore is wanting or replaced by heavy sandstones. The following record taken in Section 10 shows the general rock structure:

Scioto Township. - In Section 36, Scioto Township, on the Anson Scurlock property the Upper Mercer ore was being mined by stripping where it was 9 inches thick. The upper part of a measurement on land of Andrew Yinger, in Section 13, shows the Upper Mercer ore and its relation to other strata:

Franklin Township. - In Section 31, Franklin Township, on land of Edward Gahm and P. E. Lanhart, the ore measured 8 inches, but is reported to be 2 feet in local areas. In Section 30, on the property of Alexander Jones, the thickness of the ore seen was 8 inches. The Upper Mercer ore, varying in thickness from 4 to 8 inches, was seen at a number of places in sections 32, 33, and 34. A composite section on the land of Everett Rice, in Section 8, shows the ore and other members:

The Upper Mercer ore was also seen at several places in Section 7, where it has about the same thickness as in the above section, and has been worked for the Jackson furnaces. A composite section taken along the ridge near the home of W. L. Brown, Section 3, shows the following relations:

Lick Township. - The Upper Mercer ore has been mined by benching along the outcrop quite extensively in the eastern part of Lick Township. It has good thickness and is rather persistent. In Section 26, on land * of Harrison Kesinger, the measurements which follow were taken: p^ j^

In Section 14, on land of George B. Wykle, a section showing the important membeiis from the ore on the Black Flint horizon to the Lower Mercer limestones was obtained. The section following thus defines the position of the Upper Mercer ore:

Coal Township. - The Upper Mercer ore continues northward across Coal and Washington townships into Vinton County. A representative section showing the Upper Mercer ore and its stratigraphic position with reference to the Tionesta and Upper Mercer coals and the ore on the Black Flint horizon, was obtained on land of G. N. House, in Section 3, Coal Township. The rocks exposed and measured follow:

Along the road south of the abandoned Superior No. 2 mine, in Section 35, the measurement obtained shows the interval from the Upper Mercer ore to the Lower Mercer ore and limestone below. The following rocks were measured: p^ j^

Washington Township. - On land of W. R. Hamilton, Section 27, Washington Township, the ores have been mined by stripping. The section obtained shows the general relation of the Upper and Lower Mercer ores, and is given below: p^ j^

Milton Township. - In Milton Township the Upper Mercer ore was mined by benching first for the charcoal furnaces, and later for the modern coke furnaces. It is mined at present in a desultory way, but the amount produced is trifling. The section taken at the mine of the Wellston Colliery Company, in Section 5, Milton Tow^nship, shows the position of the Upper Mercer ore with reference to the Ferriferous limestone above and the Lower Mercer ore and Quakertown coal below. The section measured is as follows:

The following composite section taken at the mine of the Elk Fork Coal Company, in Section 3, shows the Upper Mercer ore and other important members:

The Upper Mercer ore is exposed along the small stream east of Mulga, in Section 3, and on the hill east of this, on the land of the Superior Colliery Company, in Section 2, the Clarion coal was opened. In Section 8, the measurements taken from the hollow near the abandoned Superior No. 6 mine to the hill west on land of George Woodrow, shows the Upper Mercer ore, the Clarion coal, and the Lower Mercer limestone. The record is given below: the ore has also been mined, and the following section, taken on lafid of the Superior Colliery Company, shows the position of the ore and other important members;

The ore where exposed along Mulga Run varies from 4 to 10 inches in thickness, but averages about 5 or 6 inches. The ore was exposed in the road near the bridge that crosses Little Raccoon Creek, in Section 15, and the rocks measured at this place are given below:

The Upper Mercer ore and the associated strata were exposed on land of R. A. Fitzpatrick, east of Little Raccoon Creek, and in Section 16 along the road north of Middletown. Near Hogansville, along the road between sections 18 and 19, the Upper Mercer ore and the Lower Mercer and Ferriferous limestones were exposed and measured. The record follows:

Along the road just below the mouth of Coal Run, in Section 23, the Upper Mercer ore was exposed, and on the hill nearby the cannel coal was formerly mined. The following rocks and intervals were recorded :

The Upper Mercer ore goes below drainage in the Little Raccoon Valley, in the southern part of Section 23, but it is exposed along the headwaters of Flint and Tarcamp runs.

Bloomfield Township. - Along the headwaters of Dickason Run, especially in the vicinity of Ridgeland, in Bloomfield Township, the Upper Mercer ore is again above drainage. It was mined by stripping here during the days of the charcoal furnaces, but the bed is not as thick or persistent as the ore on the Black Flint horizon.

The Upper Mercer limestone is present only in a few localities in Jackson County, where the bed is represented by dark, nodular limestone and chert, only a few inches in thickness. The stratum is of interest only for its stratigraphic value, for it is of great aid in correlating the thin coals found in the general horizon. In some localities there is found a thin coal bed only a few inches below the limestone or ore, but tjiis seldom reaches 1 foot in thickness, and is usually only a smut streak. In some localities in eastern Coal and Lick, and western Milton townships, there is found a thin coal bed about 10 feet above the horizon of the Upper Mercer ore. The stratum is usually about 1 foot in thickness, but at a few places it is from 1 foot 4 inches to 1 foot 6 inches. It has been prospected, but has not been mined even by stripping. The coal is of good quality and has a blocky structure.

Shale deposits, which are often many feet in thickness, and which are suitable for ceramic ware, are found in some localities in the interval froJi^ ^'^^ Lower to the Upper Mercer limestone. In some regions th^ interval is composed mainly of massive sandstone. These shale deposits are an asset only when favorably located with regard to plant site, shipping facilities, fuel and water supply, etc.

Next to the Ferriferous, the Upper Mercer ore was the main reliance for the ore supply of the charcoal furnaces. For the coke furnaces it now stands third, ranking below the Jackson Sand Block ore and the Ferriferous. The thickness of the deposit varies from a few inches to about 2 feet, but that usually observed is from 5 to 10 inches. Under heavy cover the ore is a ferrous carbonate, the usual coal formation type, but along the outcrop it is a ferric oxide with more or less combined water. The carbonate ore was not desired for charcoal furnace use, and even the gray or partially weathered material was often condemned, On this account, and owing to ease in mining, the stratum was worked only along the outcrop or under shallow cover: hence the main ore body yet remains in the hills. The mining at present is done by stripping with pick and shovel, with plow and scraper, or, where the strata above are hard shales or sandstones, with explosives and scraper. No drift mines are operated in Jackson County for the Upper Mercer ore.

The iron content of the ore compares favorably to that of the siliceous Lake ores, while the phosphorus and manganese are well proportioned for foundry pig. The general character of the Upper Mercer ore is shown by the following analysis, kindly furnished by the Jackson Iron & Steel Co.:

The Star Furnace Company reports the Upper Mercer ore, which is mined on the Scurlock property south of Jackson, to contain from 51.10 to 54.30 per cent, of iron. An analysis of the Upper Mercer ore from the vicinity of Jackson is as follows:*

The Tionesta or No. 3b coal is very unsteady in Jackson County, which is also true of the member in Lawrence and Scioto counties. The bed has sufficient thickness for regular drift mining in only a few localities, and in these the areas are small. The horizon is more often marked by the black carbonaceous shales and the light siliceous clay, that form the roof and floor of the bed, than by coal. The bed is variable in structure also; for in one hill it may be made up of only one coal bench, but in the next this may be broken up into several thin benches, with shales or clays intervening. In southern Jackson County, especially near Monroe Furnace, the deposit is made up of bituminous coal, while on Coal Run, in Milton Township, it is a true cannel coal, yet, where it passes into Vinton County, in the region of the Jackman School, in Richland Township, it is again bituminous in character. Although the member is very persistent, the bed is one of the most variable in character in the lower Coal Measures. The shales and sandstones above the Tionesta coal are usually remarkably fossiliferous, and this feature is a valuable aid in the correlation of this and other members. In Jackson Coimty the member is best developed near Monroe Furnace, in Jefferson Township, and on Coal Run, in Milton, where it has been mined by drifting, although at other places it is mined by stripping for local use.

In the southeastern part of Hamilton Township the blossom of the Tionesta coal is found close to the summit of the main ridge near the Oak Grove School. The horizon is found high on the hills and ridges in western Jefferson, and, owing to the dip eastward, goes under cover near the eastern boundary. In Franklin Township the coal is seldom present, as the interval is largely made up of massive sandstone.

In southern Bloomfield Township the member goes below drainage in the Symmes Creek Valley, and in the northern part along the course of Dickason Run west of Keystone Furnace. The Tionesta coal is found along the main ridges in the eastern half of Lick Township, and the same is true of Coal Township. In Washington Township the western outcrop of the member is marked by thin coal and black shales on the highest knobs and ridges east of the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Railway. In northern Milton Township the bed goes below drainage near the Lincoln School. South of this along Mulga Run it disappears in the hills east of the stream, and on Rich Run the blossom of the coal passes below drainage in the southeastern part of Section 11. On Coal Run the member, here represented by cannel coal, goes under cover just west of the mine of the Mohawk Coal Company. The bed was seen near the road level at the mouth of Buffer Run and near Buckeye Furnace, while south of this it was last observed near the Milton-Bloomfield line.

The interval from the Tionesta coal to the overlying Ferriferous limestone in Jefferson Township varies from 60 to 75 feet. The average interval however is about 60 feet. Much the same conditions were found in eastern Franklin and Lick Townships and in western Bloomfield. In Milton Township, along the courses of Little Raccoon Creek and its tributaries, the interval is considerably shortened, as it varies from 35 to 55 feet, but averages close to 45 feet. From all the measurements made in Jackson County the average interval from the Tionesta coal to the Ferriferous limestone is 55 feet; to the Black Flint siliceous limestone and ore 22 feet, and to the underlying Upper Mercer ore 29 feet.

Jefferson Township. - Near the head of Monroe Hollow, in Section 29, Jefferson Township, the Tionesta coal was formerly mined for railroad shipment, but at present the workings are abandoned, although the productive area is not exhausted. In Section 30, on the property of A. Kelley, the structure of the Tionesta coal in a drift mine is as follows:

!East of Monroe Furnace the Tionesta coal is wanting or thin. Along Lefthand Fork the Tionesta horizon goes under cover near the old Cambria Furnace.

The Tionesta coal is thin or wanting along Black Fork from the Baltimore & Ohio Southwestern Railroad north. In the exposures noted along Hewitt Run the Tionesta bed was represented at most by only a few inches of coal. North of Hewitt Run, where exposed, the Tionesta coal is represented mainly by the associated black shales, light clay, and sandstone.

Madison Township. - In Madison Township, on land of George Drummonds, in Section 6, the Tionesta coal has been benched in the bed of Black Fork near the road bridge. Mr. Drummonds reports the total thickness of coal and partings about 4 feet.* The aneroid measurement from the coal to the Ferriferoas limestone was 64 feet.

Franklin Township. - In Franklin Township the Tionesta coal is wanting mainly as it is replaced by massive sandstones, but at a few places the black shales that mark the horizon were seen.

Lick Township. - In eastern Lick Township the Tionesta member is better represented, but it seldom thickens to over 1 foot 6 inches. A section measured along the road between sections 35 and 36 and north of the Jackson-Keystone Pike shows the following members:

The rocks exposed along the road in the northeastern part of Section 23 show the following relation of the Tionesta coal to the ore on the Black Flint horijon:

Along the road near the home of George B. Wykle, Section 15, an excellent record was obtained, for it shows all the important members from the Lower Mercer limestone to the ore on the Black Flint horizon. The section shows about the normal intervals separating the various members and is as follows:

Coal Township. - The Tionesta coal is found well towards the summits of the knobs and ridges in the eastern part of Coal Township, but the bed seldom exceeds 1 foot in thickness, while in most of the area it is represented only by the siliceous clay and dark shales. In a small area east of Coalton the member has thickened locally, and has been prospected on land of G. N. House, in Section 3. The structure of the bed is shown in the following section: p^ j^

Washington Township. - In Washington Township the Tionesta coal is found on the. high knobs and ridges as far west as the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Railway. The bed is quite persistent, but at no place was it found sufficiently thick for mining; hence a few sections only will be given in order to illustrate its relations to other members. The upper part of a record taken on land of E. C. Wallace, in Section 23, is as follows: ^^ i^

The Tionesta coal extends northward into Vinton County, and near the Jackman School, in Section 34, Richland Township, the bed has good thickness. The local fuel supply is obtained from it by drift niining. A section taken there is given below in order to show the general character of the member and the interval to the ore on the Black Flint horizon:

Milton Township. - ^In Milton Township the Tionesta coal is very imsteady and variable in character. In most of the area above drainage the bed is thin and bony, but on Coal Run and vicinity it assumes the phase of a cannel coal, and thickens to about 2 feet. The member will be traced southward across the township. Near the mine of the. Minglewood Coal Company, in Section 34, the following measurements were obtained :

The Tionesta coal goes below drainage on Mulga Run near old Lincoln Furnace. In Section 3, north of the mine of the Elk Fork Coal Company, the thin blossom of the Tionesta coal was exposed. West of the abandoned Superior No. 6 mine, in Section 8, the following record shows the general relation of the important members:

Near the mouth of Mulga Run, in Section 10, the Tionesta coal assumes the cannel phase, but measures only 6 inches in thickness. On Rich Run, in Section 11, on land of the Superior Colliery Company, the record given below was obtained:

The cannel coal has been mined on Rich Creek on land of J. W. Phillips, and is reported to be 1 foot 8 inches in thickness. The member was seen on the outcrop at several places, and goes below drainage in the northeastern part of Section 14. The record measured in the

Geology Op Southern Ohio

-Along Coal Run, in the southern part of Section 14, the Tionesta bed, here a hard cannel coal, was worked at one time for railroad shipment, but at present it furnishes only small quantities of fuel for local domestic use. From outcrop indications, there is an area of about two square miles here in which the coal exceeds 1 foot 6 inches in thickness, and, since the original mining was confined to short entry work, only a small part of the total area is exhausted. The coal is a true cannel, hard, lustrous, and moderately pure. The main coal bench usually contains a few inches of bone coal in the upper part, but this is not constant. A section taken on the land of the Superior Colliery Company shows the general structure as follows: p^

The coal of good quality in the lower bench in this locality isjreported to vary from 1 foot 2 inches to 2 feet 6 inches, but to average about 2 feet. The Tionesta coal in this locality lies from 40 to 50 feet below the Clarion coal, and from 20 to 30 feet above the Upper Mercer ore.

The bony part of the mainfcoal benchjis reported to be somewhat thinner in places in the mine.JJln the southeastern part of the section the cannel coal is exposed along the roadside, where the interval to the Clarion measured as follows:

The coal has been stripped for local use and is reported thicker under cover. The blossom of the Tionesta coal was noticed at a few pUices in Section 22, but the surface indications point to the bed being thin and somewhat bony. In Section 21 where observed the member is a bituminous coal, with associated bone and highly carbonaceous shales. Along Little Raccoon Creek south of Buckeye Furnace, the Tionesta member is represented by a thin coal bed, seldom over a few inches in thickness, and by black carbonaceous shale. It goes below drainage a short distance south of the Milton-Bloomfield line.

Bloomfield Township. - The Tionesta coal is well above drainage in western Bloomfield Township along the upper course of Dickason Bun, but it seldom thickens suflBiciently for mining, even hy stripping.

The Tionesta coal adds but little to the fuel wealth of Jackson County, as the known productive areas above drainage are confined to a few sections in southwestern Jefferson Township and to the small field on Coal Run, and in its vicinity in Milton Township. In the former locality the bed has good thickness, and the mining conditions are excellent, as the roof is a tough shale, while the floor is either a siliceous clay or an argillaceous sandstone. In this locality the member is usually made up of two or more coal benches, separated by shales or bone coals. The coal in the main benches is an oily free-burning fuel, moderately low in sulphur and ash, thus serving well for general domestic purposes.

In the Coal Run field the Tionesta member is made up of two coal benches, separated by a foot or more of clay shale, which in places contains thin coal layers. The upper bench, usually from 4 to 6 inches in thickness, is part ca^nel and part bituminous coal. The lower bench, which is the main coal block, varies in thickness from 1 foot to 2 feet 6 inches. The upper few inches of this bench are usually bony, and in places a few inches of bone coal are also found in the lower part. The shales above are quite tough; hence they form a good roof for mining, while the floor materials are siliceous clays or clay shales. In mining the coal the cutting is done in the bituminous part of the upper bench or in the clay shale partings, then the lower bench is loosened by wedging or shooting. The coal in the lower bench is broken into blocks by vertical joint planes, which thus aid in its mining. The bone coal][is][then split off, and either thrown back in the mine or kept separate from the good coal. The coal bums freely, with a luminous clear blaze, and compares favorably with the average cannel coal on the market with regard to ash and sulphur constituents. It bums to a light powdery ash that does not clinker, to any considerable extent, under ordinary conditions. An analysis of the coal shows the following composition:^

The Tionesta clay is well developed over a much larger area than the coal, but the best of this is confined to southern Jefferson Township. The deposit varies in thickness from 1 to as much as 15 feet, but it has an average thickness of 6 or 6 feet. The stratum is everywhere siliceous in character. It varies from a sandy clay in the upper part to a ganister, or a fine-grained clay-bond sandstone in the lower, both of which are light-colored, and quite free from detrimental fluxing materials. The deposit is of value for ceramic purposes, as the clay is suitable for building and second-grade fire brick, for stoneware, and for sewer pipe. The ganister may be utilized for refractory ware where an acid material is desired. If the clay is mined in conjunction with the coal, the cost of winning each is considerably lowered. In some localities the coal bed is suflSciently thick to furnish fuel for the complete manufacture of several feet of clay, or ganister into ware. The value of the clay or coaly considered alone, is small, but the utilization of both would make the interval economically important. \

Homewood Or Tionesta Sandstone

The next member in ascending order is the Homewood or Tionesta sandstone, which forms the upper bed of the Pottsville formation. The sandstone above the Tionesta coal in Jackson County is very unsteady and variable in thickness. In many localities the interval between the Tionesta and Brookville coals is made up of shales, or of shales with irregular sandstone layers, while in other areas the interval from the former bed to the Clarion coal is composed of massive sandstone with no apparent break or line of separation. At other places in this interval there may be several sandstone strata separated by shales, or by shales and thin coals, but with no mark of distinction sufficiently clear to place with any degree of certainty the line separating the Homewood sandstone below from the Hecla member above. The Homewood sandstone is not a special feature of the stratigraphy of Jackson County.

Along the outcrop the Homewood sandstone is usually stained yellow with iron compounds, and also shows more or less clay material. In general it is too impure for glass sand, but in some localities, especially imder heavy cover, the stone by proper crushing and washing may produce a sand of fair quality. It is too soft and fragile for building stone or road ballast. The Homewood sandstone does not add materially to the mineral wealth of the county.

Black Flint Horizon

Closely associated with the Brookville coal, in parts of Jackson and Vinton counties, there are found deposits of black flint, calcareous shales and kidney ores. When both the flint and coal are present the former lies just below the coal. This condition is found in certain localities in northern Jackson and southern Vinton coimties, but the flint is much less persistent than the coal. East of Coalton and Jackson the flint and coal are seldom present, but a kidney ore is found which marks the horizon, and which has been mined for the charcoal and coke furnaces. The flint and calcareous shales are fossiliferous, but no specimens were observed in the few exposures of ore examined. The fossils have not been studied; so their bearing on the position of the bed is not known.

interval from the Tionesta to the Brookville coals, and are directly related to the black flint and to the ore found just below it. The thickness of the fossiliferous shales is 6 feet at Monrpe Furnace; 2 or 3 feet at Cambria Furnace; 14 feet in Section 23, Lick Township; 6 feet in Section 3, Coal Township; 4 feet in Section 8, Bloomfield Township, and 10 feet in Section 23, Washington Township. The beds were seen at other places also. This fossil zone is quite persistent, and is thus a valuable aid in determining the stratigraphic relations of the thin coals in the upper part of the Pottsville and the lower part of the Allegheny formations. The fossils are of marine origin, very abundant, and quite well preserved, hence the beds afford rare opportunities for collecting the fauna that flourished during the latter part of Pottsville time. These beds extend southward into Scioto and Lawrence counties and northward into Vinton. In the latter, near the Jackman School, in Section 34, Richland Township, the fossil zone is several feet in thickness, and the fossils are easily obtained from the shales; further, the Tionesta coal has good volume. In general the types represented are those characteristic of the Mercer limestones below.

The shales, and especially the shaly sandstones, are quite calcareous, and in some localities, when unweathered, have the general appearance of impure limestone, and in fact may be taken for such. The calcium carbonate, in a sample taken from above the coal where opened on the G. N. House property, in Section 3, Coal Township, and analyzed by Paul Overmeyer, was 34 per cent. In a general way these beds represent similar conditions to those that existed during the deposition of the Lower and Upper Mercer limestones below. They are directly related to the black flint, which appears to represent the final deposit. The fossils and percentage of calcium carbonate indicate conditions favorable for Umestone formation, but which were modified by the high rate of deposition, of clastic sediments, so the resultant products were calcareous shales and sandstones. They show a shallow water stage at the close of the swamp period during which the Tionesta coal was laid down, and the relation of coal to calcareous shales and sandstones here agrees in a general way with that existing between the Clarion coal and Ferriferous limestone, or the Wilgus coal and Cambridge limestone.

Owing to their relations to the Tionesta and Brookville coals, the fossiliferous shales, kidney ores, and black flint are here placed in the Pottsville formation with some degree of confidence. In this report the flint and ore on the horizon described are designated Black Flint, in order that the deposits may be followed without confusion. This term is not to be considered the true name of the member in the geological nomenclature of -Ohio rocks, for the correlation of the flint and ore with well recognized members in central Ohio has not been established. However, this work is being done by Clara G. Mark.

The interval of the flint and ores from the Ferriferous limestone above varies from 15 to 55 feet, but it is on the average about 31 feet, while the interval to the Tionesta coal below is approximately 21 feet, although it varies from 10 to 35 feet.

The fossiliferous shales, kidney ores, and black flint on this general horizon, or in the interval from the Tionesta to the Brookville coals, will be traced across the county in order to show their extent and relations to other beds in the Pottsville and in the Allegheny formations.

The coal found 4 feet below the calcareous, fossiliferous sandstone in the above section is the Tionesta. These fossiliferous shales are also exposed south of this in Slab Hollow. In Section 30, on the property of A. Kelley, these highly fossiliferous shales are also found only a short interval above the Tionesta coal. Near old Cambria Furnace, in Section 36, this bed of fossiliferous shale, with layers of ore above, are exposed along the bed of Lefthand Fork.

Lick Township. - In the southern part of Jackson County the horizon of the black flint and ore is generally taken by heavy sandstones, but even in the few localities where shales were present neither the flint nor the ore was seen. The ore appears in the eastern part of Lici: Township, where it has been mined for both the charcoal and coke furnaces. The bed here is fairly persistent and has good thickness for a native ore. The following measurements were made of the rocks exposed along the road north of the Jackson-Keystone pike and along the line of sections 35 and 36:

A section measured from the Globe shaft, in Section 28, to the hill north, shows the interval from the Sharon coal to the ore on the Black Flint horizon. The section as recorded is as follows:

By adding to this the thickness of the Sharon conglomerate which lies below, the total thickness of the Potts ville formation is obtained. A carefully measured section which shows the important members between the ore on the Black Flint horizon and the Lower Mercer limestone was obtained on land of George B. Wykle, in Section 24. The record follows:

This ore which is quite persistent in eastern Lick Township was mined at many places. The member varies in thickness and structure for it is often broken into two or more layers with shales intervening. The flint was not seen in this township, but a thin coal bed varying from a few inches to one foot or more in thickness was noticed in a few localities. The coal here lies from 5 to 15 feet above the ore, but is probably correlative with the coal above the flint in northern Jackson and southern Vinton counties.

Coal Township. - The flint as well as the ore is present in a few places in the southern part of Coal Township, although both are rather unsteady. A section taken on land of G. N. House, in Section 3, shows the following relations:

On land of J. J. Bennett, in the central part of Section 3, loose pieces of black flint were observed on the summit of the high ridge, but the bed was not exposed for measurement. Along the ridge south of this the ore has been mined by stripping. In the northern part of the township the ore has been mined in a few localities, but no records were obtained.

Washington Township. - In Washington Township both flint and ore are present, but the Brookville coal above was not seen. A section embracing practically the entire thickness of the Pottsville was obtained from Glen Nell to the hill near the Town House, in Section 21, where the Black Flint is exposed. The record follows:

Here the interval from the Sharon coal to the Black Flint is 273 feet, while at the Globe shaft the interval from the coal to the ore on the Black Flint horizon is 265 feet.

The Black Flint is exposed in the road in Section 22 just north of the Town House. Here it is quite fossiliferous and affords good collecting. It was also observed on the knob near the forks of the road. In Section 23, on the E. C. Wallace property, the ore has been mined by stripping. The upper part of a section obtained there follows:

Weathered flint and calcareous shales were seen on the summit of the high knob on land of Michael O'Brien, in Section 15, and the' blossom of the Tionesta coal was exposed about 20 feet below. The flint is also present on the summit of the knob on the Richland Furnace land, in the eastern part of Section 9, but it was not exposed suflSciently for meajsurement.

Richland Township, Vinton County. - The flint thickens northward where it passes into Vinton County; hence a few sections will be given from Richland and Clinton townships. The following rocks

Near the Jackman School, in Section 34, the ore was minetl by stripping for the charcoal furnaces, and the Tionesta coal below, which has excellent volume, is mined for local use. The section obtained follows:

Clinton Township, Vinton County. - In Clinton Township, cast of Hamden, the Black Flint with the Brookville coal above is also found in some localities. In Section 23, Clinton Township, on the Tarr farnr>, the folIo^ving relations were found:

Milton Township, Jackson County. - The calcareous shales and black flint are found in a few localities in the northern part of Milton ToWnship, while the Brookville coal is fairly persistent. The section obtained at the mines of the Minglewood Coal Company, in Section 34, Milton To\^Tiship, shows the stratigraphic relation found here for the Black Flint and the Brookville, Clarion and Tionesta coals. The record obtained follows:

From surface exposures noted south of Mulga Run near Lincoln Furnace, the flint passes into calcareous shales and these become wanting, while farther south the ore appears, but it is quite unsteady, as the interval is usually made up of massive sandstones. The member is not well represented in southern Milton To\^Tiship, but the Brookville coal is occasionally seen.

Bloomfield Township. - While the ore on the Black Flint horizon is rather persistent in northwestern Bloomfield Township, where it was formerly mined by stripping for the charcoal furnaces, the flint was not observed, and the Brookville coal above is poorly represented. Ejtst of Ridgeland, in Section 8, Bloomfield Township, on land of Albert W. Lackey, the ores on the Black Flint and Upper Mercer horizons have been mined, and flinty Ferriferous limestone was seen on the hill above. The ore on the Black Flint horizon is reported to vary from 4 to 10 inches in thickness, and to average about 8 inches. In the western part of the same section, on the lands of Harriet A. and W. L. Burris, the ore, formerly mined quite extensively by stripping is reported to vary from 3 to 15 inches in thickness, and to average about 10 inches. The Tionesta and Upper Mercer coals are exposed below the ore and the latter is mined for local use. The section taken is given below :

The flint and calcareous shales on the Black Flint horizon have no practical valup, but are of interest mainly for their stratigraphic relation to the Brookville coal and for the fauna represented, which at present has been but little studied. The ore is of some economic value as the bed furnished a part of the ore supply for the charcoal furnaces originally in operation in the Jackson and Wellston regions, and it has also jcontributed some ore for the present coke furnaces. In thickness the bed varies from a few inches to 2 feet, but averages about 8 or 10 inches. In some localities the member is divided into tWo or even three ore benches, separated by shales, but in most of the area only one bench is present. Along the outcrop, where the bed has been affected by weathering, the ore belongs to the hydrated oxide type, but under heavy cover it is a carbonate of the usual gray or bluishgray color. The weathered ore, which is soft, smelted readily in the charcoal furnaces. The ore has been mined entirely by stripping along the outcrop; hence the main ore body has scarcely been touched. Since the introduction of the Lake ores the native ores have been neglected, although they may be used to good advantage for the siliceous part of the burden. The ore is not of wide extent as the bed is confined mainly to northeastern Franklin, northwestern Bloomfield, eastern Lick, and western Milton townships, although it has also been mined at a few places in eastern Coal and Washington townships. An analysis of the "kidney ore" from the Black Flint horizon is as follows:^