Scioto Township (part 11 of 14)

The company has been very successful in the manufacture of high-grade refract/>r>' ware, and the plant has been in continuous operation for over II years, and, with the exception of short periods, at full capacity. The company makes a spcciaJty of the manufacture of intricate and special shapes. We make also all styles of standard shapes. We manufacture ware for the following classes of work; locomotive arches, blast furnaces, heating furnaces, puddling furnaces, melting furnaces^ scrap furnaces, malleable furnaces, open hearth furnaces, coke ovens, gas producers, annealing furnaces, soaking pits, ladle linings, lime and brick kilns, cupolas, foundry work, boiler settings, stove linings, etc. The plant is located on the Baltimore and Ohio Southwestern Railroad, and the principal markets are west and south.

The Harbison- Walker Refractories Company operates 2 fire brick works, the Portsmouth plant at Portsmouth, and the Star plant about one mile west of Sciot«>- ville, also a clay mill on Frederick Creek about two miles from South Webster.

The Portsmouth plant has at present a capacity of 40 M. high-grade fire clay brick pec day. The plant was built originallj' by the Hocking Valley Fire Brick Company, of IjOgan, Ohio, of which W. Q. Adams, one of the best fire brick men of kb? day, was president, and Reuben Jenkins, vice-president. The original capacity was 12 M. per day. Shortly after construction, it was incorporated as The Portsmouth Fire Prick Company, with W. Q. Adams, president, Reulien Jenkins, vice-president, and L. C. Turley, serretar>'. Two years after construction the capacity was increased to 20 M. per day, and from this it was gradually increased to the present capacity.

The Star plant at present has a capacity of 25 M. i>er day. The plant was built in 1871 by McConnell-Towne and Company, and was known as Scioto Star Fire Brick Works. The original capacity was 8 M. per day, but in 1872 this was increased to 12 M. Later the plant was gradually increased to its present capacity.

I^th the Portsmouth and Star works, in 1900, were merged with Kentucky Fire Brick Company, VVe})ster Fire Brick Company, and Blast Furnace Fire Brick Company into the Pprt.smouth and Kentucky Fire Brick Company. One and onehalf years later the Portsmouth and Kentucky Fire Brick Company was mergeil into the Harbison-Walker Refractories Company.

The equipment of the Portsmouth plant is as follows: The unloading of the clay from the cars is done from trestles which allow a large stock to be kept on hand for weal hering. Four pans are used in the grinding of the clays which then go to the moldcrs. The power used is from 2 slide-valve, and from 1 piston engine with a total of 200-H.P. The steam is generated in 3 horizontal tul)ular boilers of 225-H. P. capacity. The main building or dr>'ing floor has an area of 30,000 square feet. The hot-blast system utilizing waste heat from kilns is used in drying the ware. The ware is burned in nine down-draft kilns, 8 of which are 32 feet in diameter, and the other is 30 feet. The 2 storage sheds, with a total of 37,000 square feet floor space have a capacity of 7,000,000 brick. The plant is also provided with a machine and carpenter shop for general repair work, relining dies, and making molds. The shipping facilities are the Baltimore and Ohio Southwestern and the Norfolk and Western railroads.

The equipment of the Star plant is as follows: The raw materials are ground in two pans. The power is furnished by 3 engines, 2 automatic and 1 piston valve, with a total capacity of 175 H.P., the steam for which is generated in 2 horizontal tubular boilers with a total capacity of 150 H. P. The drying floors in the main building have a .surface of 18,000 square feet. The dr>nng is done the same as in the Ports- mouth plant, i. e., by using the hot blast system of waste heat from the kihis. In the burning of the ware four 32-foot diameter and four 26-foot diameter kilns are used. The 2 storage sheds have afloor surfaceof 10,000 squarefeetand acapacity of 1,500,000 brick.

Both the Portsmouth and Star plants in 1915 were using natural gas for fuel at the boilers and kilns. The shipping facilities at this plant are the Baltimore and Ohio Southwestern, the Norfolk and Western railroads, and the Ohio River.

The 2 plants manufacture blast furnace linings, first and second quality stove brick, and ware for lime kilns, rotary cement kilns^ boiler settings, locomotive arch work, gas producers, coke ovens, steel mills, and general purposes. The brands are as follows: Anglo Saxon, Franklin Crown, C. Franklin Crown, Malleable, Royal Star, C. Sligo, R. Jenkins, Scioto Star, and Webster. The ware is made from Sugarcamp flint clay mined at Edmunds near South Webster, and Blackfork plastic taken from the company's mines near Blackfork, Lawrence County. The first quality ware is high in refractory qualities withstanding a safe working temperature of 3,000° F. The clay mill at Edmunds has a dry pan with the necessary steam power for operation, and with screens to size the ground product. Several grades of clays are prepared for refractory ware mortars, and for other general purposes.

The Pyro Clay Products Company commenced business in 1909. The plant is located near Rempel, Jackson County, Ohio, on the Ironton Division cf the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton Railway, and near the center of the Lower Kittanning coal field of Jacksoii County. Our supply of clay is received via the Baltimore and Ohio Southwestern Railroad, from mines near Gephart, Scioto County. We reach the Sciotoville clay which is largely worked in this locality l>y a shaft 80 feet in depth and equipped with a steam hoist. The mine is equipped with electric drills and is ventilated by a steam driven fa^i. The deposit of Sciotoville clay in this mine has an average thickness of about 6 feet and is evenly divided between flint and semiflint, both of which have a high alumina content and are low in total fluxing impurities.

These clays are highly refractory, as they ^^thstand without fusing a temperature of 3,300** F. The territory in which the mine is located was carefully tested with a diamond core drill, the tests being spaced 300 feet each way. The clay cores were analyzed by Prof. J. R. Withrow, of the Ohio State University, and the results show a large deposit of this valuable clay, amply equal to the demands of our plant for many years to come. The capacity of the mine at present is 100 tons per day, although a capacity of 150 tons may be reached on short notice. With the exception of small quantities of plastic clay which is necessary for the bonding component in some grades of ware, the Sciotoville clay is used exclusively in the manufacture of our refractory products.

The Oak Hill and Lower Kittanning clays outcrop in the hills adjacent to our plant. The latter is used for bonding clay and for some grades of ware which must be tough but only moderately refractory. Further the Clarion and Lower Kittanning coals have excellent volume in this locality and our supply of fuel is drawn from this source. The ooal available {s amply equal to the demands of the plant for many years. The beds are mined by drifting.

The plant is modern in every respect, well arranged for economy, and thoroughly equipped in every department. The power is furnished by two 18 x 72 boilers, with a 125-H.P. slide valve engine. Live and exhaust steam is used under the drying floors which have a total area of 16,000 square feet.

The floor is constructed of 3-inch sewer pipe laid in concrete, above which there is an additional coating of cement 3 inches thick. The floor is divided into 9 sections, any one of which may be heated independently. The crushing and tempering are done in 2 dry pans and in 1 wet pan. All clays are ground separately and conveyed to bins from which the clay is drawn into measuring cars equipped with movable partitions that enables the mixture of the different materials to be made in accordance with any formula desired. This permits of very uniform mixtures. While the clays from the Gephart mine are very uniform in quality, still great care is exercised in the selection of materials for different grades of ware. Special attention is bestowed on difficult shapes, and special facilities are provided for their manufacture. We take pains in the manufacture of the ware to meet the standards demanded by the trade with reference to shape, physical structure, and chemical properties. Four 3-foot kilns are now in operation, and others are under construction. These kilns are built so that the draft system is sufficient to produce the high temperature neces^ sary for the thorough burning of high refractory ware. Ample storage is provided for the large and diversified stock that is kept on hand for immediate shipment.

The products are sold largely to steel and rolling mills, although they are used extensively in other lines where high-grade refractory ware is required. The capacity of the plant is 16,000 hand made brick per day. Our shipping facility is the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton Railway.

The ganister or clay-bond sandstone found directly below, or interbedded with the Sciotoville clay, in a part of the clay field in eastern Scioto C'ounty, has not been manufactured into commercial ware as yet, but has been used occasionally to increase the silica content of fire brick. The sandstone below the clay deposit is really a parfc of the Sharon conglomerate, where it has assumed a sandy phase, and where the material at the time of deposition became admixed with argillaceous matter. The sandstone layers interbedded with the clay are also evidently derived from the conglomerate by secondary deposition. As th>se clay-bond sandstones or ganisters may be mined economically with the Sciotoville cla}'', and as they have excellent heat resisting qualities, they will be considered briefly. The quality of the claybond sandstone or ganister found below the Sciotoville clay is shown by a determination made by Do\\^is Schaaf on a sample taken from the clay mine of William Tripp (Meade tract), in Section 25, Harrison Township. The rational analysis is as follows:

The material is low in fluxes and gave no test for COz- On breaking up the sample with a pestle in a mortar with as little grinding as possible it gave the following sieve test which shows the fineness of grain.

The clay-bond sandstone found intf rbeddcd with the Sciotoville clay in the Heldt mine of the Scioto Fire Brick Company, which is locattMl near Gephart, was carefully sampled for a paper contributed

The sample of Gephart sandstone was reduced by a jaw crusher so that the largest pieces were about three-eighths of an inch in diameter. This crushed product was then made thoroughly wet and was allowed to stand over night so that it would come to an even temper. The tempered material was easily shaped into ware either by hand molding or by the dry press, as it had considerable plasticity or bonding power. The dried ware had sufficient strength to withstand the handling demanded in brick manufacture and to withstand the load attendant with setting. The working qualities of the Gephart sandstone are such that it may be made into a good clay-bond silica brick without the addition of extraneous material. When burned to cone 12 the brick had a linear expansion of 1.4 per cent. The Gephart sandstone produced a brick much harder than the original sandstone. It has a hardness near that of lime-bond silica ware.

The Scioto Fire Brick Company made a sample batch of brick from this ganister by grinding in the wet pan, and then hand molding the tempered material. The clay component in the ganister was sufficient in plasticity to thoroughly bond the mass. The burned ware has a good structure, and appears to be very satisfactory for most purposes where a clay-bond silica brick may be used. In some localities in Scioto County there are large quantities of this material which is worthy of thorough prospecting and testing.

The Anthony coal is associated with the Sciotoviile clay, as has been shown in the general correlation of this day, which was traced from the Ohio River in Scioto County to north of Jackson in Jackson County. This coal lies just above the Sciotoviile clay, but with the exception of small areas in Creen, Porter, and Bloom townships the bed is thin, seldom more than a few inches in thickness. As the position and structure of the coal are showm in many sections, which were given under the Sciotoviile clay, it will l)e only briefly considered here.

Where found in Green TowTiship the Anthony coal is onh'^ a few inches in thickness, and shaly in character. The horizon is above drainage along the river hills from Haverhill north to Pine Creek. The member is somewhat better developed in the eastern part of Porter

TowTiship, yet alone it is too thin to be considered an asset of value. In Section 22, on the farm of Caroline Gleim, the following record was obtained : ,

The Anthony coal was noted at a number of places on Lick Run, but the bed is everywhere thin or shaly. The following measurements, taken on the land of Joseph Miller, show the general thickness of the deposit in this locality: ^^ ^^

In Section 1, on the Elizabeth Hurst property, the Anthony coal has been mined for local use, and is reported by Willard Hurst to be 1 foot 2 inches in thickness. The section taken near the pike was as follows:

Although the Anthony coal is present in local areas in all parts of Harrison Township, w-hcre the Sciotoville clay is developed, it is hesl represented in that part cast of the preglacial California Valley. The bed seldom exceeds 1 foot in thickness, while it usually measures only 2 or 3 inches. In the cut of the Baltimore & Ohio Southwestern Railroad in Section 36, Harrison Township, near Isaac Graham's house, the section exposed is as shown below:

In its extension into Madison Township but little change in the' general character and in the mean thickness of the Anthony coal was observed, but in a few local areas it expands to 1 foot or more in thickness. The Anthony coal, locally well developed, was exposed on the property of R. A. Dever, in Section 20, west. The record measured follows: ^, -

A section obtpined on land of George Mouga, in Section 24, shows the Anthony coal associated with plastic clay. The measurement foUows: ^^

The Anthony coal lying above the SciotoviUe clay was seen exposed in the road along the line of sections 12 and 13, near the home of E. H. Lyons. In Section 11, the Anthony coal has been mined by drifting in a small way for local use. A small'quantity of fuel has been mined on land of Francis Warren. Here this coal with the SciotoviUe clay, Sharon ore, Sharon coal, and the massive Sharon conglomerate are found in about their normal positions. The following rocks were exposed for measurement:

The Anthony coal is regularly associated with the SciotoviUe clay in Clay and Jefferson townships, but the deposits are scarcely worthy of attention except for stratigrpphic reasons. Along the road near the home of Joseph R. Keller, in Section 22, Jefferson Township, the following strata were exposed:

The Anthony coal, varying in thickness from a thin stain to about 3 feet, is, with few exceptions, regularly associated with the Sciotoville clay. The usual thickness of the stratum is from 1 to 3 inches. - The clay was laid down under coal forming conditions, which, due to a lack of vegetable life, or unfavorable agencies, preserved only thin deposits of carbonaceous matter as coal. The coal represents the closing stages of the swamp period.

The area of coal on this horizon, with ample thickness to justify mining at present for the coal alone, is very small. Where mined along with the clay, it has some value, as the mining cost is then low. Counting 60 per cent available, a 10-inch bed will produce approximately 900 tons (2,000 Ibs.'^ coal per acre; hence where coal and clay are mined rTom the same entry the former is an asset worth considering.

Guinea Fowl Ore

The Guinea Fowl ore occurs above the flint clay of the Sciotoville member, but in some localities it is found in or below the plastic clay that lies above the flint. The interval from the flint clay to the ore varies from a few inches to 20 feet. A few sections only showing the relation of the ore to the coal, atid to the clay will be given. In Section 36, Harrison Township, on the property of Jacob Bauer, the following section was exposed: ^^ j^^

In Section 20, Madison Township, on the land of R. A. Deveri the record shows the following relations of the Guinea Fowl ore to other members:

North of Sugarcamp Creek, in Section 5, on the land of Elizabeth Crabtree, the Guinea Fowl ore was exposed along the outcrop, and measured from 8 to 10 inches in thickness. It was of the limonite type and quite free from sand or pebbles. The interval from the ore to the Sciotoville clay below was not obtained. .

The ore is wanting in many localitief» in Scioto County, but where found it varies in thickness from a few inches to 2 feet 6 inches, and has an average measurement of 5 or 6 inches. The distinguishing feature of this ore is the presence of quartz pebbles, varying in size from one-eighth to three-fourths of an inch, with some admixed sand. The ore is not a true conglomerate with the interstitial space filled with iron compounds, but a blue iron carbonate, when under cover, with a varying amount of pebbles. Usually the iron carbonate and not the pebbles make up the body of the ore. In some places it is practically free from pebbles.

The origin of the deposit is uncertain, as it presents features seldom observed in ore beds. The blue carbonate indicates quiet water deposition under swamp conditions, while the large pebbles point usually to the action of quite strong currents. The quartz pebbles were evidently brought in during the deposition of the ore. From the character of the pebbles they appear to have been derived from the Sharon conglomerate, which in places existed as islands during the swamp period when the ore beds were laid down, and not from distant sources, as the thin ore sheet would have been carried away by currents powerful enough to have transported the pebbles. Further, if the pebbles were deposited by strong currents the deposit would have been thicker and more irregular, and would not have been laid down in the thin, even beel found continuous for miles. Under these conditions too, the deposit would have been a conglomerate bed with later deposition from solution of the iron, which would fill only the interstitial spaces.

The lime content is high, while the phosphoric acid present far exceeds that usually found in coal measure ores. The lime was probably derived from two sources; part carried in as soluble carbonate by the small streams from the leaching of the siliceous rocks of the adjacent land areas, and part from the weathering and disintegration of Maxville limestone that in places existed as elevated beds, an example of which is seen in the remnart of this member found at the head of Holland Fork, Jackson County, far above the position of the Guinea Fowl ore. The phosphoric acid may have been derived from phosphatic shells or from the leaching and concentration of other rocks. The problem then is really one of precipitation as well as sedimentation. Some of the material may have passed through several cycles before final deposition.

The conditions most favorable for the deposition of bog ores are shallow quiet waters, and the presence of carbon dioxide, which conditions are best represented in shallow swamps or in the shallow shore waters of deeper basins. Calcium carbonate is also precipitated under somewhat similar conditions, and by the aid of algae which flourish best in the shallow waters. Calcium phosphate somewhat soluble in carbonic acid waters is also thrown down when considerable calcium carbonate is present. Therefore, the most likely types to form imder swamp conditions from soluble iron, lime, and phosphorous compounds would be ferrous carbonate, calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate, and, if ferric hydrates are present, complex minerals of ferric phosphate with ferric hydrate. The evidence thus points to shallow water formation. The rigidity of the mass would depend on the cementing power of the minerals themselves, which is considerable, and on the binding from algae, rushes, etc. It thus appears that the pebbles from the Sharon conglomerate were irregularly distributed through this mass by local currents and by wave action during the entire period of formation.

The Guinea Fowl ore is generally very siliceous, owing to the admixed quartz pebbles and sand. Small deposits are found in Harrison, western Bloom, and eastern Madison to'WTiships. It was worked but little by the charcoal furnaces, and at present is far below the standard demanded by the modem furnaces. An analysis of this ore from a layer seen in the bed of the stream near Gephart's Station is as follows:^

The partial analysis of a sample from the William Tripp property, in Section 4, Bloom Township, where the ore is 18 inches in thickness, is as follows:

The interval from the Guinea Fowl ore to the Quakertown coal is made up mainly of shales and sandstones interstratified, in which are found thin irregular deposits of clays, coals, and iron ores, none of which are important. One layer of the sandstone, known locally as the Hearth Stone rock, was used for lining Scioto Furnace while in blast. Some irregular deposits of carbonate ores and a layer of black band ore, which occurs from about 10 to 15 feet below the Quakertown coal, were worked. The clays are usually siliceous and the deposits thin, while the copIs are only a few inches in thickness.

Quakertown, Jackson Hill, Wellston, Or No. 2 Coal

Although the fields of Quakertown coal in Jackson County are of great economic worth, the deposits of this member in Scioto County have but little significance, except for their stratigraphic features. The horizon of the bed is found in every township east of the Scioto River, but it is marked by coal of sufficient thickness for utilization at only a few places. In parts of this area no trace of the coal, or even of its clay, are found, as the interval is taken by sandstones and shales.

The QuakertoA^Ti coal lies about 35 feet above the Sciotoville clay and about 35 feet below the Bear Run coal. These intervals, however, vary considerably from place to place, and these three members are seldom well represented in the same section. The Quakertown coal is poorly developed in that part of Scioto County lying between the preglacial California Valley and the Scioto River. In a few localities, however, in western Harrison Township, the horizon of this member is marked by a thin bed of good coal. The deposits are quite local in extent as the coal lies closely below a massive sandstone, which replaces it in the greater part of the area. In Green Township a thin shaly bed of coal, which is found from 20 to 30 feet above the Sciotoville clay, appears to mark the horizon. The relation of this coal bed to the clay is shown in the following record measured on the lands of H. C. Feurt and A. J. Hyland, which are located south of Franklin Furnace: ^, north of Franklin Furnace along the river hills, and west of the village of Powellsville along the valley of Pine Creek. However, no coal of value was found on the horizon. This stratum appears also in Porter Township, but in the same thin and shaly condition, while in Section 6, Vernon Township, 6 inches of Quakertown coal was exposed at a few places. The interval to the underlying Sciotoville clay in this locality, as nearly as could be determined, varies from 25 to 36 feet.

in the western part of Bloom TowTiship local thickenings of the Quakertown coal occur, and the deposits have been mined in a small way for local consumption. In this township the coal is best developed in the vicinity of Scioto Furnace and along the headwaters of Bear Run. On the land of Henry Moore, in Section 21, the Quakertown coal and Sciotoville clay have both been mined. A section showing" the following relations was obtained at this place:

In the same section east of the above, the Quakertown coal has been opened and worked by farmers at several places.' No sections were taken, but the structure is reported practically the same as noted on the Moore land. It has been opened also south of Scioto Furnace, in scctiors 28 and 29, but is reported thin. In the southwest corner of Section 7, on the property of William Tripp, the coal was again observed. The section follows:

4, Bloom Township, on the William Tripp property (William Kinker tract), the Bear Run, Quakertown, and Anthony coals and the Sciotoville clay were found in the same hill. The following measurements were obtained :

On this tract several small entries have been driven in the Quakertown bad in order to supply local needs. In Madison Township the Quakertown coal is thin or wanting, as the interval in a part of the region is made up of heavy sandstones.

The maximum thickness of the Quakertown bed found in Scioto County is 22 inches. The quality of the coal is verj*^ good. It is hard, bright, and bums with a free flame. The sulphur and ash contents are low. Where exposed, the floor of the coal is either a sandstone or a hard sandy clay, while the roof is a shale, except in a few places where the overlying sandstone has replaced this bed. This coal deposit, where exposed, is too thin to be mined at present, except for a small local domestic supply. The few drill records obtained in the territory east of the outcrop of the member fail to give any considerable thickness of coal on this horizon. As the associated materials have no value, and as the bed, where found, is thin and local, the Quakertown coal has no practical value in Scioto County.

Bear Run Coal

The Bear Run coal is found from 62 to 86 feet above the Sciotoville clay, or from 20 to 40 feet above the Quakertown coal. The average interval from the Bear Run coal to the Scioto ville clay is 71 feet, to the Quakerto\\Ti coal 35 feet, and to the Lower Mercer coal 120 feet. In Scioto County this coal is much better developed than the underlying Quakertown, Anthony, or Sharon. The fossil horizon found associated with this member on Bear Run in Scioto County, on Holland Fork in southern Jackson, and near Petrea, northeast of the city of Jackson, is of some assistance in determining the position of the lower coal members. The Bear Run coal, although usually thin, or represented by carbonaceous shales, in local areas, has sufficient thickness for mining, and the coal is of good quality. The best deposits are found in Bloom Township, although the member is represented in Green, Porter, Vernon, Harrison, and Madison.

Green Township. - The Bear Run coal in Green Township is moderately persistent, but only in local areas has it sufficient thickness to attract mining, even for domestic consumption. The coal is usually somewhat bony and often of a cannel nature. In order to show its stratigraphic position and its general structure, a few sections will be given along its extersion from the Ohio River northward into Porter

Township. The interval separating the Bear Run coal from the Lower Mercer was obtained on the property of C. A. Goddard at Junior Furnace. The measurements follow:

The Bear Run coal is unsteady and thin as it extends northward across the township from this place. It seldom thickens to over 1 foot, and is usually marked only by a few inches of coal or bony shales. In the hollow south of Pine Creek, and west of the Dark Lick School, the following record was obtained along the road that leads to the ridge south :

This record was duplicated in the main at other places along Pine Creek, but as the coal was not found in good development other records will not be given. The interval between the Bear Run and Vandusen coals in the above record is somewhat greater than that usually found, as it is generally about 30 feet.

Porter Township. - The Bear Run coal has been mined in a small way by stripping, and from short entries at a few places in elistem Porter Township. The coal areas are small in extent, and the bed is uncertain in thickness and character. Sections taken in this township will be given in order to extend the bed northward into more productive fields. A composite record taken in sections 21 and 22, Porter Township, and in Section 30, Vernon, is given below:

The Bear Run coal has been mined by stripping at places along the Lick Run Valley, where it is about 1 foot in thickness. On the land of Mack Gifford, in Section 12, the bed is 8 inches in thickness, and lies about 130 feet below the Lower Mercer coal.

Vernon Township. - The Bear Run coal appears in the western part of Vernon Township, and at a few places it has been mined by stripping and by drifting. Although the bed is generally thin the coal is of good quality. In Section 6 the Bear Run coal has been worked for domestic fuel on the farms of Sarah J. Leesburg, Perry Jones, and Edward Turner. The measurements obtained on the Leesburg property are given below:

This bed has also been mined by stripping on Lick Run, where it is reported to be about 1 foot in thickness. On the Frank Nagel property, in Section 19, the sandstones associated with the coal contain well preserved remains of coal formation plants. The Bear Run coal appears above drainage along Turkey Foot Run, in Section 29, where the following record was obtained on the land of David Lemon :

Bloom Township. - Although the Bear Run coal is very unsteady in most of Bloom Township, in the northern part of the area it thickens sufficiently to be of some value for supplying local needs. It has its best development on Bear Rud, in the northern part of the township, and in its extension northward into the Dever Valley, in southern Jackson County. In the area under consideration the best coal localities will be considered. In Section 20, just north of the clay mill of the Harbison- Walker Refractories Company, the Bear Run coal was formerly mined for use at Scioto Furnace. The thickness of the deposit

In Section 16 a composite measurement from a drill record made near the Baltimore & Ohio Southwestern Railroad, and from a carefully measured section north of this on the William Tripp property (Marsh

The material designated slate in the above drill record is shale. In the vicinity of the above sections the Bear Run coal, except in local pockets, is replaced by the underlying sandstone, or it is thin and shaly. The record obtained in Section 4, on the property of William Tripp, (Kinker tract), shows the Bear Run coal, and is given below:

This coal is quite persisti^nt on Bear Run, and has been opened in a number of places. In some mines it is reported to have a maximum thickness of 3 or even 4 feet. In Section 3, on the H. H. Stevenson property, the coal has been mined for years for local use. The shale above the bed contains many fossils of Lingula tighti, which are also found on this horizon in many places in Jackson County. A section of the rocks at this place follows :

Also in Section 3, east of the above, and just south of the old Jackson Furnace stack, this bed was seen giving place to sandstone. The section showing the relation of the sandstone and coal is given below:

On Tattle Creek, in Section 2, where it goes under cover, the Bear Run coal is only a few inches thick. What appears to be the same bed was reached by a shaft near Bloom Station in Section 24. The shaft record is not available, but William Downing reports that the bed, where reached, has good thickness, but that the coal is rotten and broken.

Of the now krown. areas of Bear Run coal in Scioto County, the only one of much promise is that on Bear Run in Bloom Township. Although the area here is small, not to exceed 2 square miles, the bed has ample thickness for mining. The material above the coal is usually a tough blue shale, which forms an excellent roof for mines. The clay, which lies under the coal, is ferruginous and siliceous, and has little ceramic value. The proximity of this small coal field to that of the SciotoviUe clays on Bear Run and near Pinkerman should be an asset for any brick plants that may locate in the region. A 500 acre tract on which the coal is 2 feet thick, counting 60 per cent available in mining'

The coal in the upper part of the bed is somewhat bony, or it is of a cannel natiu-e, but that in the lower part is a dense, bright coal of good quality. The coal in the deposit, as a whole, has a medium ash and a low sulphur content. It is an oily, free-burning coal, and the ash clinkers but little. Analysis of Bear Run coal, made for William Tripp, by the Star Furnace Co., Jackson, Ohio:

Lincoln Ore

The Lincoln ore, which lies above the Bear Run coal, consists of irregular layers of limonitic kidney and carbonaceous shaly ores, occurring at different levels in the shales. The ore was worked, to a small extent, near Scioto Furnace for making charcoal iron, but as it is lean and uncertain the bed is not important at present. The Lincoln ore is found on the same general horizon as the Jackson Sand Block ore of Jackson County, but as both are erratically bedded and local in extent no definite correlation between the two deposits was established, further than that both occur in the interval between the Bear Run and Vandusen coals.

Vandusen Coal

The Vandusen coal lies about midway between the Bear Run and Lower Mercer coals. The interval from the Vandusen coal to the underlying Bear Run coal varies from 20 to as much as 60 feet, but it is usually about 30 feet. Further, the position of the bed is about 90 feet below the Lower Mercer or Little Red Block ore, or nearly 40 feet below the Lower Mercer coal. These beds, however, are erratically spaced, especially when the intervals contain massive sandstones. The member is present in Green, Vernon, Porter, and Bloom townships. The bed is generally quite thin, or it may be wanting; however, in small areas, it expands to such proportions that it has been mined to a limited extent for domestic needs. On account of its stratigraphic interest, and of its local worth, the member will be traced hurriedly, and the quality of the fuel discussed briefly.

Green Township. - In the main the Vandusen coal is poorly represented in Green Township. However, in the northern part, the bed in restricted areas expands so that it has been mined even by drifting. On the main ridge east of Fattens Run this coal was mined on the property of H. Miller, where the following measurements were obtained :

The member extends along the main ridge north of this, and has been worked also by drifting on the farm of E. H. Feurt, where it is reported to be from 1 foot 6 inches to 2 feet 2 inches in thickness. E^t and also south of the village of Powellsville a small quantity of fuel is obtained from this member. Measurements taken on the William Cook land are recorded below:

North of Powellsville this coal has also contributed a small quantity of fuel for domestic purposes, and on the farm of Joseph Riepenhoff the coal is reported to be 1 foot 8 inches in thickness.

Porter Township. - From Green Township the Vandusen coal extends northward into Porter, but here it is usually thin, seldom exceeding 1 foot in thickness. It has not been mined to any considerable extent even by stripping.

Vernon Township. - The Vandusen coal is somewhat better developed in Vernon Township, and in some districts it has been miiied by drifting in a desultory way. The productive areas, however, are small, but as the fuel is of good quality, and other beds poorly represented, it is worthy of consideration. On the farm of John Sweinberger, in Section 17, the bed has the following structure:

A section measured along the road on the east side of the Cadet Hill, in Section 22, shows the position of the Vandusen coal with respect to that of other members. Owing to the influence of thick sandstones a few of the beds are somewhat out of their normal positions. The record follows:

Just east of this in the same section the Vandusen coal has beei mined by drifting and by stripping on the farm of Elias Weaver, where it is reported to be about 1 foot 6 inches in thickness. Along Turkey Foot Run this coal outcrops at many places and has been worked foi local use. It is usually about 1 foot 6 inches thick; however, in restricted areaSi it expands to about 2 feet. The following measurement was made on the farm of C. O. Turner, in the northeastern part of Section 9:

House coal is also obtained on the property of S. R. Jones. On the land of David Lemon, in Section 8, a local thickening of the Vandusen coal also occurs. The bed contributed fuel for several years, and from reports the area is not yet exhausted. Both the Vandusen and Bear Run coals are present near his residence, where the record given below was obtained :

Bloom Township. - ^The Vandusen coal has much the same character and structure in Bloom Township as it has in Vernon. At some places it thickens so that it has been mined by drifting for domestic fuel. The best exposures observed will be recorded, and its stratigraphy considered in a general way. On the property of H. 0. Stiles, in Section 22, the record measured is as follows: ^

In Section 16, a measurement, taken on the property of William Tripp (Marsh tract), shows this coal and its relation to other members. The section is given below: ^^ ^^

A few openings have been made to the west of the above mine, but no measurements of the bed were taken. This coal was also mined south of South Webster, on the land of the Webster Brick Co. The following record showing the interval to the Little Red Block ore was taken near the plant :

At this place the thickness of the bed is reported to vary from 10 inches to 1 foot 6 inches. It is also exposed in a number of places near Bloom Junction, where the thickness of the member is only a few inches.

Although the economic value of the Vandusen coal in Scioto County is small, yet it is worthy of consideration, for the member affords a small quantity of fuel for local consumption in regions where thicker coals are seldom present. Owing to the patchy nature of the bed it is difficult to give an estimate of the total area in which the coal has a thickness of 1 foot 6 inches or more, but from surface and mine observations the field appears to be between 6 and 10 square miles in extent. The mining conditions of the Vandusen coal are usually good, as the roof is either a tough shale or a sandstone, and as the floor is a siliceous clay. The latter, however, has but little value for ceramic purposes; hence there are no special inducements to mine both beds conjunctly. The Vandusen coal resembles closely the Mercer coals in general properties. It is a bright, hard fuel, with a high content of volatile matter, and in the regions where the bed is placed between sandstones it tends towards a true cannel coal. The ash is clay-like in character, and is moderate in amount when the coal is cleanly mined. The content of sulphur is usually low, while the soot produced is not troublesome. The chief value of the Vandusen coal in Scioto County is for local domestic use, for which it is well fitted.

Lower Mercer Shales

are well fitted for the manufacture of ceramic products, are found in Green, Vernon, and Bloom townships. The shale overlying the Vandusen coal in many localities has a thickness varying from 10 to 40 feet, but so far it has been utilized at only one place, which is at South Webster, where it is used by the Webster Brick Company in the manufacture of paving and building brick. The bed at this place is 35 feet in thickness. It is also shipped to roofing tile plants at Cincinnati. It is a compact, fine-grained shale, but weathers easily to a plastic mass. The working qualities of the shale are very good, as it dries safely in almost any type of drier, airf as it bums to a dense mass with good color. The total shrinkage is one and one-fourth inches per foot, and the vitrification range is moderately long. The Webster Brick Company uses the Lower Mercer shales from the Vandusen coal to the Little Red Block ore in the manufacture of paviijg brick. H. M. Strong, secretary and general manager, reports as follows concerning the general plant equipment:

The plant is located at South Webster, just south of the village. The company added extensive improvements in 1913-14, so that at present it is a modem plant in every respect. The material used is shale which is mined from the hill just south of the plant by the open pit method of mining.

The plant equipment is one Raymond and two Stevenson 0-foot dry pans, one Raymond 9-foot pug mill, one £. M. Freese Model 'K' combination brick machine, a No. 20 automatic cutter, and two Bonnot represses. The tunnels for diying have a total capacity of 100,000 brick. The drying is done by waste heat from the kilns, and, if necessary, direct heat from an auxiliary furnace. The ware is burned in round downdraft kilns. The number, size, and capacity are as follows: six 28-foot, capacity each 45,000; seven 30-foot, capacity each 65,000; and one 32-foot, capacity 70,000. The brick are shipped by way of the Baltimore & Ohio Southwestern Railroad. The capacity of the two sidings at the plant is 30 cars. The daily capacity of the plant is 40,000 standard size paving brick.

The next member of noteworthy importance found above the Vandusen coal in the geological column is the Lower Mercer coal which is present in Green, Porter, Vernon, and Bloom townships. The Lower Mercer coal is the first important bed of coal below the Lower Mercer ore, from which it is separated by a mean interval of about 45 feet. Further^ its position is nearly 45 feet above the Vandusen coal, and about 100 feet below the Upper Mercer ore. Although the bed is usually thin, it has fair continuity, and has contributed small quantities of fuel for domestic use.

Green Township. - In Green Township the Lower Mercer coal has a thickness of 1 foot or more in an area embracing several square miles, and is mined by drifting for a part of the local fuel supply. It has been worked by stripping along the stream beds in the vicinity of Ohio Furnace, but the coal is only about 1 foot in thickness. The relation of the Lower Mercer coal to other members is shown in the following

West of Ohio Furnace the Lower Mercer coal is rather persistent along Ginats Run, and has been mined in a small way on the land of George Porter, where the deposit is reported to be 2 feet in thickness. On the ridge south of Junior Furnace, on the C. A. Goddard property, the structure of the bed is reported by Arthur Goddard to be as follows:

In this locality the coal is reported to be quite constant in thickness, as it vc^ries only from 1 foot 8 inches to 2 feet. On the hill just west of Junior Furnace the Lower Mercer coal has been prospected by a short entry, and is reported by Arthur Gpddard to be about 1 foot 2 inches thick. North of this along Franklin Hollow the' bed is stated to be somewhat better developed in local areas.

The interval from the Lower Mercer coal to other members higher in the geological column is shown by the following measurement of the rocks exposed along the road at the head of Franklin Hollow:

In the vicinity of Franklin Furnace the Lrower Mercer coal is usually present in about its normal thickness. A record obtained on the land of Wesley Blair shows the following conditions:

East of this, on the farm of William and Walter Silliman, the Lower Mercer coal is mined by drifting, where the coal measured 1 foot 10 inches. On the main ridge, about one mile north of Franklin Furnace, the Lower Mercer coal has been mined in a small way at a few places.

The maximum thickness of the bed in this locality is stated to be about 2 feet. Along Pine Creek in Green Township, the Lower Mercer coal is usually thin, and in places very bony. Further, the bed has not been mined, except by stripping along the stream beds, where the cover is shallow.

Porter Township. - The Lower Mercer coal is found near the summits of the high ridges in the eastern part of Porter Township, but it has been mined in only a few localities, and there in a small way only for local' domestic needs. The measurements given below were taken in a mine and well under cover on the property of Warren Turner, in Section 20:

This bed is also mined by drifting on the farm of Frank RiepenhoflF, in Section 13, where the coal measured 1 foot 8 inches, and lay 40 feet below the Lower Mercer ore. The coal in this locality is stated to have a thickness varying from 1 foot 6 inches to 1 foot 10 inches. North of this in Section 12 the bed has been prospected on the land of Mack Gifford, and is reported to be 1 foot thick.

Vernon Township. - The Lower Mercer coal in Vernon Township contributes at present only a small quantity of fuel for local domestic purposes. It is generally thin, and in some localities where massive sandstones prevail it is patchy or completely wanting.

to 1 foot 9 inches in thickness. Along Pine Creek, in the eastern p^rt of Vemon Township, the Lower Mercer bed is usually made up of thin layers of coal and of. bony shales. Measurements taken about one mile north of Clinton Furnace, in Section 23, show the relation of the Lower Mercer coal to the Lower Mercer limestone and to other members of importance. The composite section is given below:

In Section 10, north of the village of Lyra, on the farm of Susan Newland, the following record which shows the Lower Mercer coal to be of a cannel type was obtained :

The Lower Mercer coal is mined in a small way for house use on the farm of Warren Call, in the northern part of Section 30, where it was found to be 1 foot 6 inches thick. In Section 18 the Lower Mercer coal is mined for domestic use on the farm of Joseph Sweinberger, and is reported to be about 1 foot 8 inches thick.

Bloom Township. - Although %he Lower Mercer coal is poorly developed in most of Bloom Township the horizon is usually marked by dark fissile shales with thin layers of coal. However, at a few places, the bed has much the same general character as it has in the townships to the south. A few sections will be given in order to extend the stratigFaphy of the member into Jackson County. On the land of John Slack, in Section 25, the Lower Mercer coal with other members was exposed for measurement, and the following record obtained :

Just north of the Stiles home this bed was opened and worked at one time, and the coal is reported 3 feet thick. The Lower Mercer coal has also been worked on the lands of Charles Dillon and George Emerson, in Section 2. The record taken at this place is given below:

The chief worth of the Lower Mercer coal in Scioto Coimty is for local domestic needs. As the bed is found in a region where the thick Allegheny coals are absent, and where the other Pottsville coals are also thin, it adds materially to the resources of the region at present, and will become of more value in the future. Counting 60 per cent available, the bed where it is 1 foot 8 inches in thickness will yield about 2,000 tons of fuel per acre. As the bed extends across the county, and as in a number of localities it has the thickness just mentioned, the quantity of fuel available is amply sufficient to supply the needs of the local residents for many years. The Lower Mercer coal is a free-burning fuel, which at some places, as previously shown, tends towards the cannel variety. The ash and sulphur are ordinarily somewhat high, but not to such an extent as to be troublesome for general purposes. The underlying clay has no special value, but it and the associated shales may be utilized for ceramic products where other conditions are favorable for the success of such industries.

The Boggs ore lies from 40 to 55 feet below the Little Red Block ore, which is near the horizon of the Lower Mercer limestone. The average interval from the Boggs to the Little Red Block ore is about 47 feet. The ore is best represented in Bloom Township near South Webster, but it is also found in Vernon Township, where it is known locally as the Flag ore. It is an argillaceous or shaly siderite ore usually low in iron, but often carrying appreciable amounts of lime and magnesia. Th e ore is not persistent, but is found only in isolated pockets. Where present, the thickness may vary from a few inches to as much as 6 feet, but the average measurement is about 2 feet. The appearance and composition of the ore suggest swamp origin, or that it was laid down in shallow water where the ferrous carbonate was precipitated, and where also argillaceous and arenaceous materials were accumulating as sediments. The Lower Mercer coal is closely associated with the Boggs ore. Its position is a few feet below the ore, and, in fact, several thin coals are found on this general horizon. The following measurement was taken in Section 25, Bloom Township, on the property of John Slack :

In the northwest corner of Section 22, on the property of W. E. Ranchous, and others, the ore was worked by drifting for the Jackson furnaces. The bed was reported to be from 1 to 4 feet in thickness, and to lie 44 feet below the Lower Mercer ore. In Section 15, just west of South Webster, a record taken on the property of Jefferson Mossbarger is as follows:

The ore has been opened on the property of James Haines, and also on that of S. H. Wiseman and S. G. Huffman, east of South Webster. On the property of William M. Galliger, south of Bloom Station^ in Section 24, the following strata were exposed: j^ j^

On the land of Charles Dillon, in Section 2, Bloom Township, a record showing the Boggs ore and the underlying Lower Mercer coal follows: p, j^

In Section 11, on the property of John Kinker, one mile north of South Webster, where the ore was mined for the charcoal furnaces, the record obtained shows the following strata: p^ ^

The Boggs ore extends south from eastern Bloom Township along Hale's Creek and along Pine Creek to the vicinity of Lyra, in Vernon Township. In this locality, however, the bed becomes more impure, and finally breaks up into thin, irregular layers, interbedded with shales, and has no special value.

The Boggs ore occurs only in isolated pockets in Bloom and Vernon townships, but where present, especially in the former township, it usually has a thickness varying from 1 to 6 feet.

near South Webster was mined quite extensively and shipped to the coke furnaces at Jackson, Ohio. Mafty of the known ore pockets have been worked only along the outcrop, and as the stratum usually has excellent volume the quantity yet available is large. The method of mining would be by drifting.

Bloom Township. Sample No. 2 - ^Average sample of bed, natural state, same property as above. Sample No. 3 - Geol. Surv. of Ohio, Vol. 5, page 422. Sample No. 4 - Sample from outcrop. John Kinker property, Section 11,

The ore averages low in iron, consequently if used in the raw state it would give a small yield in the blast furnace. The siliceous content shown by some of the above analyses is not excessive, and the lime and magnesia increases the value somewhat. The phosphorus, which is high, restricts the use mainly for foundry iron, while the manganese content is about that found in the average ore. The main use of this ore should be to furnish the siliceous part of the ore desired in making high silicon and foimdry iron, and to replace the'highly siliceous Lake ores used at present. For this purpose the Boggs ore should produce fair results. As the ore is a blue carbonate, the volatile matter is exceptionally high; hence calcination will increase considerably the non-volatile constituents. By calcination, samples No. 1 and No. 2 become as follows:

In the interval from the .Boggs ore to the Little Red Block ore or Lower Mercer limestone, several thin coal beds are represented, but they are not important. The horizon of the lowest bed is just above the Boggs ore level, and between this and^the Little Red Block ore, two other horizons, somewhat persistent, are represented by thin coal beds, dark bony shales, or soft clays. These coals, usually only a few inches in thickness, have been mined at a number of places from the beds of streams. Small quantities of fuel, very good in quality, have also been obtained from them by stripping along the outcrop under shallow cover. The clays associated with these coals are small in volume and poor in quality. The shales occurring in this interval, however, are more important. Some strata are of excellent quality for the manufacture of building and paving brick, and are used for this purpose by the Webster Brick Company. The working qualities are good. The shales are readily crushed in the dry pan. Good plastic muds, which flow readily through the die of the brick machine, and which produce a column with but few defects, are readily formed by pugging. The ware made from these shales dries safely under almost any treatment, and, when burned, it has a good dense structure. The total shrinkage, both drying and burning, is generally about one and one-fourth inches per foot. As there are so many other good clay and shale deposits, these beds are an asset only when favorably located with reference to shipping facilities, coal supply, labor, ease of mining, etc.

The Lower Mercer or Little Red Block ore lies on or only a few feet above the Lower Mercer limestone when both are present. In Scioto County the ore is far more persistent than the limestone, for the former is found in Green, Vernon, eastern Porter, and Bloom townships, while the latter was noted in good development only in Vernon Township along Pine Creek, south of the village of Lyra. These members lie about 45 feet above the Lower Mercer coal, about 22 feet below the Upper Mercer coal, and about 52 feet below the Upper Mercer or Franklin ore. Both the Lower Mercer ore and limestone are fossiliferous, but the ore contains fewer specimens than the underlying limestone. Sections will be given in order to show the relation of these members to other well known beds.

The interval between the two Mercer horizons in the above section is greatly expanded, as it has nearly twice the normal thickness. There is a gradual thinning of the interval, however, as it passes northward. Although the Lower Mercer ore is seldom present in the vicinities of Junior and Franklin furnaces, the horizon is generally marked by a thin bed of coal, the position of which is from 60 to 70 feet below the Upper Mercer ore which is quite steady.

Porter Township. - The Lower Mercer ore is present at a number of places near the summits of the hills in the eastern part of Porter Township, but the limestone of this division of rocks was nowhere observed. The ore is thin and siliceous; hence it has no value worthy of consideration.

Vernon Township. - In Vernon Township, the Lower Mercer ore is moderately persistent, and the limestone is present in force along Pine Creek south of the village of Lyra. The area, however, in which the limestone is found is small, yet at places it has the characteristic structure seen in northern Jackson and southern Vinton counties. A record obtained along the road that leads from Poplar Fork to Clinton Ridge, in Section 28, shows the following general positions of the Lower Mercer ore and other members. The record is given below:

On the land of Thomas Patton, in Section 24, the Lower Mercer limestone has the characteristic structure found in northern Jackson County. Both benches of limestone are present and have normal volume. The measurements secured are given below: p^ ,^

South of the village of Lyra, on the C. F. Taylor property, the Lower Mercer limestone, w^ith the Upper Mercer coal, was expof^ed for measurement, the results of which are given below: p^ j^

In Section 10, north of Lyra, on the property of Susan Newland, the positions of the Upper Mercer and Lower Mercer coals, with regard to that of the Lower Mercer ore, are shoA^Ti by the following record:

Bloom Township. - The Lower Mercer ore is quite steady in Bloom Township, but the Lower Mercer limestone was nowhere observed. The ore was mined by stripping, for use in the charcoal furnaces, and is rather rich in iron, comparing favorably with manj' Lake ores. It is usually somewhat fossiliferous, but not nearly so much so as the limt stone. A few sections will be given so that the member may be traced northward to the Jackson County line. On the land of the Webster Brick Company, in Section 24, the following record was taken:

The Little Red Block or Lower Mercer ore was used to a considerable extent and liked very much by the operators of the charcoal furnaces. Under heavy cover it is a blue carbonate, but along the outcrop the ore has weathered to the hydrated oxide forirs which were the types most desired for charcoal furnace work. The bed, usually from 2 to 4 inches in thickness, and with a maximum measurement of 8 or 10 inches, is quite persistent when the interval is composed of shales. This ore was extensively mined by stripping in Bloom Township, although it was also worked in Porter, Vernon, and Creen townships. The ore was obtained entirely by stripping from along the outcrop where the cover was shallow, and where the ore was oxidized to the ferric state. A partial analysis by the writer, of a sample obtained from near Scioto Furnace, is as follows:

The quality of the ore thus shown is excellent for foundry- iron. Since the advent of the Lake ores, these thin deposits are of little value, but they have an interest in connection with the early history of the

The Lower Mercer limestone found along Pine Creek, in Vernon Township, is a hard, dense rock, but as the bed is usually thin, and as the better developed Ferriferous limestone is present in the same area, it has no special economic value. It is of interest mainly for stratigraphic work, as the bed has wide areal distribution, extending from Pennsylvania across Ohio into Kentucky, and as the member is easily recognized by its characteristic fossils. The flinty deposit of limestone on this horizon, noted in Green Township, is also quite fossiliferous, and affords good collecting. No analyses were made in order to determine the quality of the limestone in this region, but from general appearances, the components are much the same as those found in the rock in Jackson County.

The Upper Mercer coal, with its associated clay, is found in the interval between the Lower and Upper Mercer limestones, or between the Lower and Upper Mercer ores, which in most cases alone represent the Mercer horizons. It lies closer to the Sand Block ore, when this member is present, than to either of the Mercer ores. The bed is quite persistent when the interval is composed largely of shales/ but in some localities the coal is completely replaced by a heavy sandstone. The Upper Mercer or Webster Block coal is found only in Bloom, Vernon, and Green townships. Its position with reference to other members is shown in the following sections.

Green Township.^ - In Green Township the Upper Mercer coal, although usually present, seldom has sufficient thickness to be of much value even for a domestic supply. This bed, however, has fair volume along the Ohio River just east of this township in Hamilton Township, Lawrence County. Just north of the divide, along the tram road that leads from the Ohio Valley to Ohio Furnace, the Upper Mercer coal is mined by drifting for local needs. The following measurements were taken in a mine on the property of the Hanging Rock Iron Company:

In the vicinity of Ohio Furnace this bed is thin, seldom exceeding 1 foot in thickness; further in some places it is of a cannel nature, which usually represents shore stages of deposition. This is the condition of the bed also on the Henry Folsom farm, south of Franklin Furnace, where the following record was secured:

On the ridges north and east of Franklin and Junior furnaces the Upper Mercer coal is thin, and in many places completely replaced by thick sandstones. The position of the member is shown in the following section, taken on the land of J. D. Willis, about one mile west of Powellsville:

Vernon Township. - The Upper Mercer coal is also generally thin in Vernon Township, but in the vicinity of the village of Lyra it expands so that the deposit is mined for a part of the local fuel supply. However, the coal is crrr.tically bedded in this small field and the mining conditions are somewhat unsatisfactory. These features are brought out in more detail by the recorded sections. The position of the Upper Mercer coal with reference to that of other members is illustrated by a record obtained along the road that leads from Poplar Fork to Clinton Ridge, in Section.28. The measurements follow:

Along the road that leads from Germany Hollow to the eastern end of Clinton Ridge, in Section 26, the following rocks were exposed for measurement:

In the vicinity of Lyra the Upper Mercer coal has been mined for many years for local use. The following record was obtained just east of the road in Section 23, on the land of Thomas Patton: p^ j^

South of the above locality, near Clinton Furnace, the Upper Mercer coal was mined for use when the furnace was in operation. The bed is reported to be about 2 feet in thickness. In Section 14, on the farm of C. F. Taylor, the Upper Mercer coal has excellent volume, and is regularly mined for a part of the neighborhood supply of fuel. The bed is made up of two coal benches, divided by a parting of bony coal and shale. There are from 6 to 10 inches of draw shale above the coal which must be removed in mining the fuel. Above this shale bed there is a massive sandstone which forms an excellent roof. The record taken here follows:

Just cast of the village of Lyra the Upper Mercer coal has contributed fuel for local needs for many years, and is known in this locality as the Nagcl coal.

West of Lyra the Upper Mercer coal also contributes fuel for domestic needs. Here the deposit is made up of two coal benches separated by a clay parting, which structure is also found in restricted areas south of South Webster in Bloom Township, and west of Hanging Rock in Hamilton Township, Lawrence County. The structure of the bed is shown in the following section taken on the farm of Charles Hay ward :

In this locality the Upper Mercer coal is also mined on the property of Susan Newland. North and west of this small Lyra field the bed thins to about 1 foot 4 inches in thickness, and is represented only by the upper bench of coal.

Bloom Township. - Although the Upper Mercer coal in Bloom Township is everywhere thin, seldom expanding to 2 feet, it has contributed for over 40 years the main supply of domestic fuel for the village of South Webster and for the adjacent region. The areal extent of this coal in a general way is across the eastern half of the township. In this area the bed is persistent and has excellent mining conditions. In Section 22, on the property of the Webster Brick Company, the record is as follows: ' p^ j^

In the same section one-half mile south of the above, on the land of John Grant, the lower bench of this member is present, and the associated clays have good ceramic qualities. A record taken in a mine on this property follows: p^ j^

In Section 13, on the land of S. H. Wiseman and R. G. Huffman, this coal is somewhat thin, and is of a cannel nature. The following record is given as it shows the positions of the ore beds with reference *to the Upper Mercer coal:

In Section 24, on the W. M. Galligei- property, the Upper Mercer coal and tlie Boggs ore have been mined by drifting, and the interval of stparution obtained by measurement is given below:

In the tw^o northern tiers of sections in Bloom Township, the Webster Block coal is thin or completely replaced by the massive sandstone found at this horizon. In the isolated hill in the western part of Section 19, the Upper Mercer or Webster Block coal is a true cannel. A section at this place is as follows :

On the Bloom Furnace land in Section 30, just west of the furnace stack, the coal is showTi giving way to the sandstone. It is only a few inches in thickness and is of a cannel nature.

Both benches of the Upper Mercer coal, which are separated by about 10 inches of clay, are present on the land of Edward Bowers in Section 24. A record taken at a drift mine here is given below:

The Upper Mercer coal, which is really important only in parts of Bloom and Vernon townships, in this county, has furnished a considerable part of the local fuel supply for many years. Tfie quantity of coal yet available is large as only a small territory has been worked o^ut. In some localities the bed is composed of one bench only, while at other places it has a lower bench separated from the one above by clay or shale. The quality of the coal in the upper bench is far superior to that in the lower, which is often somewhat bony. The lower bench is thin, seldom reaching 1 foot in thickness, while the upper bench has a maximum thickness of about 2 feet, with an average of about 1 foot 4 inches. The Webster Block or Upper Mercer coal is usually a bituminous variety, with a high volatile content, but in a few localities it changes to a true cannel coal.

The Upper Mercer coal is one of the best domestic coals in the State. It lights easily, burns with a long flame, and has good heating value. The sulphur content is low, the ash small in amount and light colored, and it clinkers only at high temperatures. For domestic use it is considered superior to the Quakertown or Wellston coal.

Although the bed is thin, the coal is mined for 5 cents per bushel, or ;$1.25 per ton. One man is able to average about 60 bushels per day in regular work. Usually the coal lies in regularly jointed blocks with a soft clay below, in which the cutting is done. The clay is thus picked out and the coal wedged down. In this way practically all the coal is obtained in large lumps, so the loss from fine coal is at a minimum. In some easts the clay below is shot loose, then the coal taken dova. The roof is either a tough shale or a sandstone.

Below the Upper Mercer coal there is foimd a deposit of Upper Mercer clay, which is usually from 3 to 5 feet in thickness, and which varies in composition from a quite pure plastic clay to one very siliceous. This clay is of value, as it is well fitted for the manufacture of highgrade face brick and stoneware, or for bonding clay for various purposes. It was formerly mined along with the coal by the Webster Brick Company for the manufacture of building brick. Worked conjunctly, the cost of mining the clay is from 30 to 50 cents per ton, and that of mining the coal is from 50 to 70 centfe.

Counting 60 per cent available in mining, the specific gravity of coal 1.3, and that of clay 2.5, the yield per acre for coal, where the bed is 1 foot 4 inches thick, is 1,416 tons (2,000 lbs.), and for the clay, where 4 feet thick, is 8,168 tons. The coal from this thin bed amounts to over one-half the quantity required to manufacture the clay into ware, which under the above specified conditions will produce 2,300,000 building brick. Conjunctly the Upper Mercer coal and clay are an asset worthy of consideration, especially whei^e manufacturing conditions are favorable. Otherwise the coal l)ed is valuable only for local domestic cor sumption.

Where present the Sand Block ore is found in the interval between the Upper Mercer coal and the Upper Mercer limestone or Big Red Block ore. In some places the ore lies close to the coal, while at other places it n:ay be found as much as 30 feet above. The average interval is about 15 feet. The n'lation of this ore to members both below and above is s}:own in many of the preceding sections; hence its stratigraphy will not be cewisidered further h(re. This deposit, found in Ble)om, Vernon, and Cn ( n to^\nships, contributed some ore for the old e^harcoal furnaces tl.at formtTly existed in the re^gion. The bed averages from 4 to 6 inches in th.ickness and has a maximum measurement of about 12 inches. Under heavy ee)ver it is a siliceous blue carbonate, but along the outcrop this has weathered to the hydrateel o^ieles. The eleposit is too thin and the ore too lean to be of any special importance at present.

Upper Mercer Limestone Horizon

The Upper Mercer limestone is seldom present in Scioto County, but the horizem is quite cemstantly marked by an iron ore whie^h is known as the Uj)per Mercer, Big Red Block, or Franklin. It was the main reliance of Franklin Furnace, anel was extensivelv useel also at Junior and Ohio furnaces. Further, it was useel but to a more limited extent by Scioto, Empire, Clinton, Howard, and Bloom furnaces. The Upper Mercer ore is found in Green, Vernon, and eastern Bloom townships. Also on this horizon there is found in some localities a coal bed which nowhere expands to any considerable thickness, but which has yielded a small quantity of domestic fuel. The average interval between the Lower Mercer ore and the Upper Mercer ore is approximately 52 feet. It is about 30 feet above the Upper Mercer or Webster Block coal and approximately 35 feet below the Tioncsta coal. The mean interval from the Upper Mercer ore to the Ferriferous ore is nearly 110 feet. The positions of various members with reference to thos3 of the Upper Mercer beds will be brought out in more detail in tfie general stratigraphy and in the discussion under the township headings.

Green Towmhip. - The Upper Mercer ore is much better developed in Green Township than it is in either Vernon or Bloom, although in thes? it often has gooel volume for a coal formation ore. This ore was regularly mined for many ^''ears by drifting at Ohio Furnace by the Hanging Rock Iron Company, although at presrnt the mines are abandoned, owing to the influence of the more available and somewhat richer Lake ores. A section taken at the mines of the above mentioned company, located north of Ohio Furnace, is given below: p^ j^

The Upper Mercer ore in this locality is sparingly fossiliferous and the lower part of the bed is quite calcareous also, often approaching limestone in composition, and in fact the rock should be called a ferruginous limestone. On the river hills, south of Ohio Furnace, John Norris reports that the Upper Mercer ore is only from 4 to 5 inches in thickness and is unsteady. This is the condition of the ore where noted in the hills south of Junior Furnace. North of this place, however, the ore has good volume anxi continuity, and is reported to vary in tbickncvss from 6 inches to 1 foot 8 inches.

The Upper Mercer ore is present only on the high knobs on the main ridges from Franklin Furnace north to Pine Creek. From observations and re]^orts the usual thickness of the bed is from 6 to 10 inches. This ore has been n?ined rather extensively by stripping along Tick Ridge, where it is stated to have excellent volume for a coal formation ore. On the north end of Tick Ridge, on the property of J. D. Willis, the following measurements were obtained: p^ j^ sented in most of Vemon Township, it is best developed in local areas along Pine Creek, in the eastern part. Next to the Ferriferous ore it was the main reliance for the ore supply of the charcoal furnaces, Empire, Clinton, and Howard. The Upper Mercer limestone was not observed in this township. The interval from the Upper Mercer ore to other members is shown in the following record, obtained along the road that leads from Poplar Fork to Clinton Ridge, in Section 28:

The Upper Mercer ore has excellent volume on the land of T. Kern, and on the adjoining properties in Section 23. The ore is reported to have a thickness varying from 1 to 3 feet, and it was formerly mined by drifting. The Upper Mercer ore was also mined north of the village of Lyra, along Pine Creek, but the bed is much thinner and quite unsteady.

Bloom Township. - The Upper Mercer ore is somewhat persistent in the eastern part of Bloom Township, but the limestone is not well represented. The normal volume of the ore is from 6 to 10 inches although at a few places it expands to as much as 1 foot 6 inches. This ore was well liked by the charcoal furnace operators, as it made a good grade of foundry iron; hence it was mined by benching quite extensively. The only place in Bloom Township that the Uppfer Mercer limestone was observed was at the foot of the incline of the Morgan and Horton mines, in Section 5, where the following composite section was measured: p^ j^

The coal found at the Upper Mercer horizon is of good quality, but, as the bed is thin, it is mined by stripping only in the creek beds and under shallow cover along the outcrop. It has no practical value at present. The Upper Mercer limestone, where found, is thin and usually very siliceous. It is important only for its stratigraphic value as it is a good bench mark which aids in determining the position of other membei-s. Next to the Ferriferous, the Big Red Block, or Upper Mercer ore was the most important deposit worked for the old charcoal furnaces during their period of activity. In fact, it was the main source of ore for most of the furnaces west of the limestone district, and even there it furnished a considerable part of the supply. It has also been used by the modem furnaces to some extent. The Hanging Rock Iron Company mined this ore for many years, near Ohio Furnace, in Scioto Coimty, but it abandoned the mines in 1912.

In many places on the Upper Mercer horizon there are two ore benches which differ in quality and in physical appearance. The upper bench, usually thin, is much richer in iron than the lower bench, which often lias excellent volume. The following analyses made by the writer, are used through the courtesy of the Columbus Iron and Steel Company. The partial analyses of Upper Mercer ore from the outcrop on the John Poetker land, are as given below:

The Upper Mercer ore, which was formerly mined by drifting, on the Kern and McCallister properties, near Cornwall, south of Lyra, gave the following results: ,

The above sample, which was taken from an entry, and thus under good cover, well represents the average composition of the ore. The Upper Mercer ore makes a good grade of founelry iron, and this fact is well illustrated by the supt rior quality of the old charcoal iron. The usual quality of the ore compares favorably with the siliceous Lake ores, and, where the mining conditions are good, it should be utilized. The ordinary method of comparing the value of Lake ores with these high volatile or carbonate ores is such that the latter are reduced below their true value. If the actual worth of these are obtained, they can be n:ined at a profit, (specially where the eleposit has good volume.

The interval from the Tionesta coal to the overlying Ferriferous limestone varies from 50 to 90 feet, but averages about 70 feet, while the interval from this coal to the Upper Mercer ore, which lies below, varies from 20 to 55 feet, but averages about 35 feet. The bed, unless replaceel by lieavy sanelstoi^e s, is quite persistent, although in places it is thin or b()>\v. Black carbonaeieous shales, anel in places a fossiliferous saiM]ste)ne above the coal, are aids in identifying the horizon. The eoal is fouiul well above drainage in the eastern parts of Bloom,

Vernon, and Green townships. It. is of most importance in the vicinity of Empire Furnace, in Vernon Township, where it is regularly mined for a part of the local fuel supply.

Green Township. - The Tionesta coal is found well towards the summits of the main ridges in the eastern half of Green Township, but the bed in a part of this area is replaced by massive sandstones, or it is thin and bony. In a few places, however, the member thickens so that it may furnish a small supply of domestic fuel when the more available Lower Kittanning coal found east of this in Lawrence County is exhausted. On the divide along the road that leads from Ohio Furnace to Pine Creek the Tionesta coal was well exposed for measurement. The record secured follows: ,

At places in this locality the bed is reported to expand so that the good coal has a thickness of 1 foot 8 inches. On the Ohio River hills south of Ohio Furnace the Tionesta coal is thin, or replaced by thick sandstones, and from outcrop indications the member is poorly represented on the hills north of Junior Furnace.

Vernon Township. - The best field of Tionesta coal in Scioto County is in Vernon Township, in the vicinity' of Empire Furnace, and on Clinton Ridge, north of this where the bed is regularly mined by drifting. The coal, however, is somewhat uncertain in character and in extent, as the massive overlying sandstone often modifies or replaces it. The fuel is generally of good quality for domestic purposes. East of Empire Furnace on the property of Fred Smith, in Section 33, the Tionesta coal is regularly mined by drifting. The record obtained at this place f oflows :

This bed is also mined on the land of G. Knapp, and to a less extent on adjoining properties. On this ridge the member is reported to be made up of two main coal benches as shown above, while on the adjoining ridges it is said to consist of only the upper coal stratum. On Clinton Ridge, at the head of Lick Run, the Tionesta coal is also regularly mined. The structure of the bed in this locality is shown by

On Clinton Ridge east of this, on the property of Elias Weaver, in Section 22, only the upper bei^ch of the.Tionesta coal is present. The following record shows the structure of the bed at this place:

Along Pine Creek the Tionesta coal is generally thin, and has been mined but little even for house use. Its position is shown in the following record made about one mile north of Clinton Furnace:

East of the village of Lyra the Tionesta coal is mined by drifting in a small way on the Yates property, where the measurements given below were obtained:

Bloom ToMmship. - The Tionesta coal extends from Vernon Township across Bloom into Jackson County, where at Monroe Furnace the deposit has excellent volume, and where it was formerly mined for railroad shipment. The bed, although generally thin ill Bloom Township, furnishes a small supply of domestic coal which is of good quality. The coal areas are confined to the e^btem half of the township. A record taken at the mine of Morgan & Horton, in Section 5, shows the position of the Tionesta coal with reference to that of other well known beds: ,

The outcrops of the Tionesta coal and the associated black shales were seen in many places along the main ridge and spurs in the northern part of Bloom Township in sections 1, 2, 11, 12, and 13. On Brady Rim, in Lawrence County, just over the line, this coal has been mined for local use, and often has good volume. In the eastern part of Section 19, on the land of L. Holenbeck, where the Tionesta coal is mined by drifting, the measurements of the rocks show the following relations:

In Section 30, near Bloom Furnace, this coal has been mined for local use. In the eastern part of Section 29 the Tionesta coal has been worked on the Frank Holmes property. The banks have fallen in, but the thickness of the bed is reported to be the same as that found in Hawkins Hollow, just across the line in Lawrence County, a section of which follows:

The coal, 2 feet thick, has been mined on the D. T. Holeomb land, in the southern part of Section 36. In Section 35, on the property of Smith Hayward, the Tionesta coal is mined by drifting.

The Tionesta coal, which is of workable thickness in local areas of the eastern halves of Bloom, Vernon, and Green townships, is variable both in thickness and in structure. The maximum thickness of this coal in Scioto County is about 3 feet, but the average measurement is about 1 foot 6 inches. In some localities only one coal bench is represented, while in others two or three benches, separated by clay or shale partings, are found. The tough shale above the coal forms an excellent roof which aids materially in mining. The quality of the coal in the lower bench is very good, while the quality of that in the upper benches is usually poor. It is a high volatile, free-burning coal, with a moderate amount of ash and sulphur, and has furnished a part of the local supply for many years. Most of the mining done has been l)y short entric s, thus leaving the main bodies of coal in the hills. The main value of this bed is for present and future local domestic needs. At no place in the county is the character of the deposit such as to justify mining on a large seal? for the coal alone. In many places the clay below the Tionesta coal has good thickmss, and, although usually siliceous, it is low in fluxes; hence well suited for many ceramic purposes. This clay at present is not regularly worked in Scioto County. For economic reasons both coal and clay should be utilized.

Rocks l)elonging to the Allegheny formation are found well above drainage in a narrow belt extending across the eastern part of Scioto County from the Ohio River to Jackson County. Dipping eastward they disappear in the central part of Lawrence County. Only the lower part of this important division of rocks is found in the area imder consideration. The interval embraced is that beginning with the Brookville coal, which is the basal member, and ending with the Middle Kittanning coal, only decayed remnants of which are found on a few of the highest knobs in eastern Bloom and Vernon townships. The rocks represented are sandstones, clays, coals, iron ores, shales, and limestone. As a whole the formation in Scioto County is of no great im-

The Brookville coal is wanting in most of the territory, as it is replaced by heavy sandstone. When present, the bed is thin, seldom reaching 1 foot in thickness, and is usually found about 20 feet below the Ferriferous limestone. The Brookville coal is shown in the following record taken in the eastern part of Section 19, 6loom Township, on the land of L. Holenbeck:

A few inches of coal are found on the Brookville horizon at other places in Bloom Township. This member in Vernon and Green townships is occasionally represented by thin lenses of coal in sandstone, or by dark bony shales with thin coal bands. In Scioto County the Brookville coal has no value worthy of consideration aside from its stratigraphic relations.

A sandstone which is found below the Clarion coal or clay in massive beds, and which was formerly used for hearthstones by the charcoal furnaces, is designated Hecla sandstone in former reports. This type sandstone lies just below the Clarion clay. It is rather coarse-grained, low in iron compounds, and has a clay for the bonding material. It is an excellent ganister, as its refractory qualities were thoroughly tested bv the charcoal furnaces. The Clarion sandstone is found onlv on the high hills and ridges in the eastern part of Scioto County, and at present it is not utilized except for minor purposes.

The Canary iron ore is found from 25 to 30 feet below the Ferriferous limestone, but the bed is quite unsteady, being developed only in restricted areas. In Scioto County it is best developed on Clinton Ridge in Verron To\vrship, where this ore was formerly mined in a small way for the charcoal furnaces. The bed extends along the ridge from Pine Creek to the Cadot Hill in Section 22. The Canary ore is also present at a few plac( s near the summits of the main ridges in the eastern part of Green Township, but it was not observed in eastern Bloom as the horizon is taken by massive sandstones. The interval from the Canary ore to the Ferriferous limestone is shown in the following section, taken on Clinton Ridge near the head of Germany Hollow, in Section 26, Vernon TowTiship: p^ ^^

The Canary is a concretionary ore of the carbonate variety, and is usually siliceous in character. It has no special value at present, although it contributed in a small way to the ore supply of the charcoal furnaces that operated in eastern Scioto County.

Coal And Clay

These important members of the Allegheny formation are poorly represented in Scioto County, as they are found only on the high knobs and ridges in the eastern parts of Bloom, Vernon, and Green townships. Owing to the shallow covering and to the disappearance of the bed in its extension southward, the Clarion coal has normal <levelopment only in small areas in northern Bloom Township and in the extreme eastern part of Vernon. The Ferriferous limestone, which extends with some wants across eastern Scioto County from Jackson County on the north to the Ohio River on the south, is generally thin and often flinty. However, in local areas in northern Bloom Township this member is present in force. The Ferriferous ore has better continuity, and has about the same volume throughout its extent. As these members are so closely associated general sections showing their stratigraphy and extent will be given instead of considering each bed separately.

Bloom Township. - The Clarion coal and the Ferriferous ore and limestone in Bloom Township are confined to small areas on the main ridges in sections 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 19, 20, 25, 29, 30, 31, 32, 36, and sections 5 and 6 south. The most important area is that west of Eifort where the members all have normal volume. The strata exposed at the mines of Morgan & Horton, west of Eifort, in S(iction 5, show about the average thicknesses and relations of the various members-when normally developed. The measurements follow:

The structure of the deposits in sections 1 and 6 is practically the same as the above. The small pockets of limestone and coal on this horizon, found in the high knobs in the southeastern part of Bloom Township, have been worked to a small extent, but the strata were not favorably exposed for measurement. The Clarion coal, however.

Vernon Township. - In Vernon Township the Ferriferous limestone with its associated ore, and the Clarion coal and clay are found on all the high ridges east of Pine Creek, but west of this stream the beds are present only along the main hill and spurs of what is known as Clinton Ridge as far west and north as the western part of Section 22. The Clarion coal is not well developed, however, in the areas south of Howard Run and east of Pine Creek, or in those on Clinton Ridge, while the Ferriferous limestone thins or becomes patchy in its extension southward and westward. The Ferriferous ore is far more persistent than the limestone, but it is often completely replaced by massive sandstones. The beds have only local value. In Section 1 the Clarion coal, which is mined for local use, and the Ferriferous limest>>ne and ore have about their normal volume. The following record was obtained from an outcrop" exposure: pt. In,

On Clinton Ridge the Ferriferous limestone is stated to vary from 2 ta 7 feet in thickness, while the Clarion coal is reported to be of no value, as it is thin and rotten. The Ferriferous ore is quite steady, and was formerly mined along the entire ridge. The thickness of the ore varies from a few inches to about 1 foot. The Clarion clay has good volume but is siliceous in character.

Green Township. - In Green Township the horizon of the Clarion coal. Clarion clay, Ferriferous limestone, and Ferriferous ore extends westward on the main ridge to about one mile west of Ohio Furnace. The Clarion coal is marked only by a smut streak, but the Clarion clay, although quite siliceous in character, is from 2 to 5 feet in thickness. The Ferriferous limestone is traced by scattered lenses of flinty or cherty material. The most constant of these members by far is the Ferriferous ore, which varies in thickness from 3 inches to about 1 foot 6 inches,, and which was mined by stripping along its entire outcrop during the days of the charcoal furnaces.

The total area of Clarion clay in Scioto County is relatively small, and as the deposits are usually widely scattered, and as the clay is siliceous in character, although low in fluxes, it has no value worthy of special consideration. At present the Clarion clay has not been utilized in this county for commercial purposes.

is small, and owing to the shallow cover and to the absence of the coal in its extension southward only a part of this area is productive. The area in which the coal may be mined will not exceed 3 square miles. The Clarion coal at present is mined for railroad shipment at only one place in the county, which is near Eifort Station, in Bloom Township, but formerly it was also worked by other companies in this region. Near Eifort Station, Morgan & Horton mine the Clarion coal witli the overlying Ferriferous limestone and Lower Kittanning clay for railroad shipment. The character of the coal is shown by the following analysis:^

Mine of Morgan and Horton, Eifort Station, Bloom Township, Scioto County. Coal has ample cover. Sampled in August, 1901, by Professor Edward Orton, Jr.

In Scioto County the Clarion coal is important mainly for a local supply, as the acreage in the isolated tracts is too small to justify large operations.

The Ferriferous limestone was first utilized for flux stone for the old charcoal furnaces that existed in the eastern part of the county. At present it is used principally for flux stone and road ballast. The chemical properties of the stone are such that it is well suited for furnace flux, cement manufacture, or agricultural lime, while the phj'^ical properties make it a valuable road material. The quality is shown by the analyses of three cars of stone from the mines of Morgan & Horton, furnished by the Buckeye Steel Casting Company, Columbus, Ohio. Analyst, Downs Schaaf.

Morgan & Horton, of Eifort Station, is the only firm in Scioto County regularly mining and marketing this limestone! It is mined by surface stripping and also by underground working. Compressed air is .used for drilling. The stone is sold in the lump form. In Scioto County this limestone is used extensively for road building, but only a part of the supply is local as most of it comes from mines in Washington Township, Lawrence County.