Scioto Township (part 5 of 14)

Bloomfield Township. - The Middle Kittanning coal is rather persistent in most of Bloomfield Township, but the bed seldom has suflScient volume to justify its mining by drifting at present. It seldom exceeds 2 feet in thickness, while it has an average measurement much below this. In some localities the coal is replaced by thick sandstones. Since the deposit is rather unimportant its extent and stratigraphy will be hurriedly treated.

Owing to the rise of the rocks to the west the Middle Kittanning coal passes above the summits of the hills in sections 5, 6, 7, 8, 18, 19, and 30. The areas are small and the coal poorly developed in sections 4, 9, 16, 17, 20, 21, 29, and 31. From conditions observed along its outcrop the Middle Kittanning coal seldom reaches 2 feet in thickness in sections 26, 27, 28, 33, 34, and 35, while more often it is represented by bony shales with thin coal bands. It is present near drainage level along the headwaters of Keeton Run in small areas in sections 24, 25, and 36, where the thickness of the deposit is reported to vary from 1 foot 4 inches to 3 feet, but to be irregular, as the bed is replaced locally by massive sandstones. The coal is thin and unimportant in sections 12, 13, 14, 15, and 24, for it seldom reaches a thickness of 2 feet.

In local areas in the northern part of Bloomfield Township the Middle Kittanning coal is replaced by massive sandstones. This condition is found in sections 1, 2, 3, 10, and 11. The following measurements of the rocks on land of the Superior Colliery Company, in Section 3, illustrate this point:

Milton Township. - In Milton Township the Middle Kittanning coal is confined to the eastern half of the area. The bed is generally thin, and in parts of the region it is replaced by sandstone. The coal is seldom present in sections 26, 27, 28, 33, 34, 35, and 36, for here its place is taken by the massive sandstone found above the Lower Kittanning coal, and measuring often from 60 to 100 feet. Along the road in the central part of Section 14 the coal was exposed and the following measurements taken:

The Middle Kittanning with the two Freeports, the Lower Kittanning, and the Clarion coals, were exposed along the roadside that leads from Rich Run to the point southeast in Section 13. The rocks measured from the head of Rich Run to the ridge south in Section 12 are as given below:

In Section 11 the Middle Kittanning coal is exposed along the road that leads from Rich Run to the Union School on the ridge north. The bed measured 1 foot 4 inches in thickness, and this probably represents about the normal volume for the area. Along the road in Section 2 the following strata were exposed for measurement:

The Middle Kittanning coal was well exposed for measurement where sVipped for local use along the ridge road north of Lincoln School, in Section 35, north. The upper part of the section obtained here follows:

The bed is found near the summit of the main ridge in Section 34, north, but as the cover is shallow the coal is badly weathered and of little value. From surface indications the thickness of the bed in this locality is somewhat above the average.

The average thickness of the Middle Kittanning coal in Jackson County, from the exposures observed, is 1 foot 10 inches, but, as this estimate was obtained largely from surface and shallow mine measurements, the thickness imder deep cover may exceed this slightly. However, it is not probable that it will exceed 2 feet. In local areas in the field the bed ranges in thickness from 1 foot 8 inches to 2 feet 6 inches, but in other parts it thins to less than 1 foot, while at other places in northern Bloomfield and southern Milton the deposit is often completely replaced by sandstone. One point in its favor is that, with few exceptions, the member is made up of one coal bench only, consequently the coal yielded is quite free from deleterious clay and shale materials. Some nodules of pyrite or marcasite are present, but this is not sufficient in amount to impair its value for most uses. The coal is rather hard, and usually mines in blocks for the bed, especially under shallow cover, is regularly jointed. The associated clay must be given a low rating, for in quality it is inferior to that of the Lower Kittanning or the Mercer below. It is usually siliceous and ferruginous, thus suitable only for low grades of ceramic ware. The bed is generally thin also; hence it offers but little inducement for working the clay along with the coal. The character of the roof is somewhat variable, but in the main it is satisfactory for mining. The material most generally found above the coal is a siliceous shale having good strength, but in local areas a foot or two of this, lying next to the coal, is replaced by soft clay shale, which soon loosens and falls, owing to the action of percolating waters, while in other places the shale may be completely replaced by sandstone, the massive character of which insures a stable roof.

The total area of Middle Kittanning coal in Jackson County is approximately 35 square miles. After the areas of crop coal, wants, and impure coal are subtracted, the total field in which the deposit has a mean thickness of 1 foot 10 inches is estimated to be in the neighborhood of 15 square miles. Counting 60 per cent available in mining, the deposit will yield about 1,000 tons of fuel per acre.

The coal belonging to the highly volatile bituminous variety, has a good bright luster, is rather firm, and is seldom slaty in character. It is free burning, non-coking, and not especially sooty, while the ash clinkers only under severe heat treatment. No analysis of the coal was obtained, but from general appearances it should compare favorabJy with the best grades of that found in the counties to the north. The

Lower Freeport Coal

The Lower Freeport coal marks the next well recognized horizon above the Middle Kittanning coal, yet in Jackson County it deserves only a passing mention for it adds practically nothing at present to the mineral wealth of the county. The bed is rather steady, especially where shales prevail in the interval, yet the thickness seldom expands suflBciently for mining even for local uses. As the stratum passes southward from Jackson to Lawrence County, the general features of the member are much the same imtil it approaches the Ohio River, where in one locality the volume increases, and the bed is mined and locally known as the Hatcher coal. Yet in a few restricted areas in Madison Township the bed thickens, and it is mined for a part of the local fuel supply.

The Lower Freeport coal is folmd usually about midway in the interval from the Middle Kittanning to the Upper Freeport coal, or on the average about 35 or 40 feet from these beds, yet the maximum and minimum variations greatly exceed these figures. Since the member is of but little importance except stratigraphically only a few sections showing its position will be given.

Madison Township. - The Lower Freeport coal in Jackson County is mined only in a desultory way in a few restricted areas in Madison Township. In the vicinity of the village of Centerville, small patches of coal in which the volume reaches 2 feet or more are found. In this locality the Lower Freeport coal lies rather close to the underlying Middle Kittanning member, as the interval separating them is usually from 15 to 25 feet. The following record taken along the road in the southeastern part of Section 36, Madison Township, shows the position of the Lower Freeport coal with regard to the Middle Kittanning bed:

The Lower Freeport coal has been mined on the above property and also on that of Thomas T. Richard, who reports the bed to be about 4 feet in thickness, but to have small extent. The coal in this locality is overlain by a massive sandstone which often replaces the coal stratum. This coal was mined in a small way in Section 12, on

The areas, however, in which the deposit has good thickness are very local. This member has also been worked in a small way in the vicinity of the Smoky Hollow School in sections 1 and 2. The record obtained on the farm of David J. Edwards is given below:

Bloomfield Township. - The Lower Freeport coal was not found in good development in Bloomfield Township, although the bed is usually present in the southern part of the area. In the central part of the township, the coal was seldom observed as it is replaced by thick sandstones. From measurements taken its position in Bloomfield Township is about 35 feet above the Middle Kittanning coal.

Milton Township. - The Lower Freeport coal is rather steady in eastern Milton Township, but the coal is usually too thin to be mined at present except by stripping where the cover is shallow. A few records will be given in order to show the relation of the Lower Freeport coal to other members* The rocks exposed along the road that leads from Buckeye Furnace to the ridge east in Section 25, Milton Township, are shown in the following measurements:

The maximum thickness of Lower Freeport coal observed in Milton Township, was that exposed along the road that leads from Lincoln Furnace to the ridge, in the southwestern part of Section 36, north. The record obtained here follows:

The Lower Freeport coal is usually too thin for important mining, but small amounts may be obtained by stripping along the outcrop or where the cover is shallow. The clay associated with the coal is not of special value, but this and the shales above may be used in the manufacture of ceramic ware. The xjoal is of good quality,much resembling the Middle Kittanning below in general properties. At present the bed is of more interest for its stratigraphic relations than for its economic value.

Upper Feeeport, Waterloo, Or No. 7 Coal

The Upper Freeport or No. 7 coal which marks the top of the Allegheny formation, and which is one of the important beds in the counties north, is found well towards the summits of the high hills and ridges along the eastern margin of Jackison County, but the areas of available coal are too small and scattered to form the basis of any considerable mining industry. The characteristic unsteadiness of the bed illustrated in the Waterloo field in Lawrence County, is also indicated by the surface exposures noted in Jackson County, for while in * one hill the blossom may be several feet in thickness, in the next it may be only a smut streak. Moreover, in some localities the coal is completely replaced by sandstone. Owing to the decaying influence of shallow cover and to the unsteadiness of the bed the total area in which soimd fuel may be obtained is small. The Upper Freeport coal will be traced somewhat carefully across the county for this marks the contact of the Allegheny formation with the Conemaugh above.

The Upper Freeport Coal Horizon is present in Madison, Bloomfield, and Milton townships. But few pockets of coal were found, although the clay is somewhat persistent. The member will be traced in more detail in the next few pages.

Madison Township. - The horizon of the Upper Freeport coal in Madison Township extends along the high knobs and ridges from the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Railway to the eastern boundary of the township. The coal bed is seldom represented by more than a few inches of coal, while along much of the outcrop the position of the member is marked only by a bed of siliceous clay. However, in one locality northwest of the village of Centerpoint, a small pocket of coal

Bloomfield Township. - In Bloomfield Township the horizon of the Upper Freeport coal is confined mainly to areas on the high ridges south of Dickason Rim, and east of the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Railway, and to small areas near the summits of the hills east of Little Raccoon Creek. Coal of value was f oimd only in the latter area, while the extent of the bed here is very local. There are small areas of Upper Freeport coal on the main ridge in the central part of Section 12, and in the southeastern part of Section 1. In the latter there is also an isolated patch near the central part. East of this in Gallia County the Upper Freeport coal is mined in a small way for domestic use. The measurement taken in a mine near the residence of W. F. White, in Section 7, Huntington Township, Gallia County, is here given, as it shows the general character of the bed in this locality:

Milton Township. - In Milton Township the Upper Freeport coal is confined to the two eastern tiers of sections, and in these only the main ridges have sufficient elevation to carry the bed. In sections 36 and 25 small areas are found on the main ridges, but the cover generally is shallow. To the east of this in Vinton County, near the Cooney School, the bed has excellent volume, as is shown by the following section taken at a mine on land of Thomas Sheen, in Section 32, Wilkesville Township, Vinton County: p^ j^^

The bed here is reported to have a maximum thickness of 6 feet. The blossom of the Upper Freeport coal is foimd with only a few feet of cover above it on four knobs on the main ridge in Section 26. In sections 13 and 24 the bed is quite persistent, but generally thin. From Section 13 the Upper Freeport coal extends westward into Section 14, but the horizon soon passes above the hilltops. In Section 12 th^ cover is quite thick, but from surface indications the coal is generally thin.

Near the Union School, in Section 11, there is a heavy blossom of Upper Freeport coal exposed along the road, but the cover is shallow. The following measurements were made at this place:

From Union School the bed extends, with some wants, along the main ridge northward and eastward across sections 2 and 11. A record taken along the road in the northern paH of Section 2 is as given below:

In Section 36, north, the Upper Freeport coal is present on the ridges both north and south of Mulga Run, but the bed, from surface indications, is generally thin. It was not found west of this in the northern tier of sections in Milton Township, but a few small areas of coal occur on the main ridge north in Vinton County.

Since the total area is small, the cover generally shallow, and the bed unsteady, the Upper Freeport coal in Jackson County is not of commercial importance. At present it is not mined even for local domestic fuel, as this is more readily obtained from some of the lower deposits. The roof of the'coal is generally shale, although in some localities it is the Mahoning sandstone. The mining conditions are usually not the best, for the shale above is somewhat tender, and the Mahoning sandstone, when present, often replaces a part or all of the bed. From surface indications there are only small areas in Jackson County in which the Upper Freeport coal has sufficient thickness to justify mining. Since the overburden is generally shallow, drift mining may be economically practiced where the roof is strong, and stripping where the roof is weathered and broken. The Upper Freeport coal is a good general purpose fuel.

Conemaugh Formation

Mahoning coal, and Mason coal are present in a few localities in eastern Madison, Bloomfield, and Milton townships. In the main the formation is represented by a series of sandstones, gray shales, red clay shales, and bastard limestones. The coal members in the lower part of the Conemaugh formation in this county seldom exceed 1 foot in thickness, while in most of the area they are wanting or very thin.

Chapter Ii

Lawrence County has long been known as the center of the Hanging Rock Iron District, and is one of the important locations of the industry in this State. It first came into prominence in making charcoal iron, and for many years enjoyed the reputation of producing metal of the very highest grades. In this county the industry began in 1826, when Union Furnace was built by Messrs. Sparks, Means, and Fair. From 1826 to 1868 fifteen charcoal furnaces were erected, some of which were in blast for many years, while others with limited supplies of ore and timber were soon abandoned. At present. Center and Olive furnaces, although not in operation, are in a fair state of repair, while the others are represented only by crumbling stacks or cinder dumps. As timber for charcoal became scarce, coke furnaces of which there are now eight modem stacks in the county were built. At present but little native ore is used, as the supply is drawn largely from the rich fields of the Great Lakes.

The charcoal iron industry thus led early to great activity in the mining of ore and limestone which continued for many years, but the present coke furnaces draw little of their supplies from this field. The demand of the furnaces for refractories led to gome development of the clay and ganister. At present the region is of interest principally because of its coals, clays, and limestones.

Lawrence County is in the extreme southern part of the State> and consequently it borders. on the Ohio River. Gallia County lies to the east and Scioto County to the west, while Gallia, Jackson, and Scioto counties form the northern l>oundary. The area of Lawrence County, according to the latest work and estimates of the federal government, is 440 square miles.

This region is part of the old Appalachian Plateau in which the streams have cut deep valleys in the shales and sandstones. This action left the surface very rough and hilly, except the flood plains of the larger streams as the Ohio River, Pine, Storms, and Symmes creeks. The region has been dissected by many small streams whose erosive forces are still very active. Where the strata are mainly sandstones, the valleys are narrow and gorge-like, while where shales predominate they are quite wide and have rather gentle slopes. In the southern part of the county, especially along the Ohio, the strata are mainly sandstones which form many bold cliffs and bare knobs. The village, Hanging Rock, takes its name from one of these cliffs about 250 feet high. Along Storms Creek the sandstones are quite thick, and consequently many cliffs and steep bluffs are present. At Cliffside, and at Vesuvius Furnace, the valley appears walled in with massive sandstone. The hills along the Pine Creek Valley are made up of shales with heavy sandstone layers which jut out to form bold cliffs, or long steep bluffs. In the Symmes Creek Valley, the sandstones are generally near the base of the hills, while the shales above form broad ridges with more gentle slopes. Some of the best farming land in the county is found along these ridges.

- The rough broken character of the region has impeded its development, for, while it has been helpful in mining, it has been a great detriment in the marketing of products. The two railroads that cross the county from south to north give very poor service as they have many sharp curves and heavy grades; moreover, they give an outlet only for the western part of the county. Some well constructed macadam roads cross the county, but these have usually many long grades where they cross the divides. The average country road is very rough and

The Ohio River, which forms the southern boundary of the county, receives directly or indirectly the waters from the entire region. Pine Creek with its small tributaries drains the western part. This stream has a circuitous course as it heads near Moulton in Decatur Township, flows northward to Flowers Station; thence westward into Bloom Township, Scioto County; thence southward to Kelleys Mills; thence northwestward to the Ohio near Wheelersburg. It is a very sluggish stream and meanders freely over its flood plain. It drains most of Elizabeth, Decatur, and Washington townships.

Norman and Osbum runs, both small streams, drain most of Hamilton Township, and flow into the Ohio near Hanging Rock. Little Storms Creek, draining parts of Elizabeth and Upper townships, heads near the tunnel on the Detroit, Toledo & Ironton Railroad, flows south, and empties into Storms Creek north of Ironton. It is a swift stream and has cut its valley in the massive sandstones. Storms Creek, which heads in the western part of Aid Township, flows southward and empties into the Ohio at Ironton. Its valley is the most picturesque in the

«ounty, as the stream has carved its way through the massive sandstones that prevail along its entire coursa. Paradiss Park, near Cliffsiide, with its cliffs, caves, and waterfalls, shows the rugged beauty of the region. Storms Creek drains parts of Elizabeth, Aid, Lawrence, and Upper townships. Ice Creek, with its tributaries, Sugar and Tiittle Ice, drains part of Lawrence, Upper, and Perry townships. The stream heads near Kitts Hill, flows southward and empties into the Ohio at Coalgrove.

Symmes Creek, which enters the county in the northeastern part of Syinmes Township, flows south, and empties into the Ohio near Rockwood, is the largest stream in the coimty. With Indian Guyan it drains the eastern part of the county, except a small tract bordering the Ohio. Symmes, Aid, and Mason townships lie mainly in this basin. This stream also drains parts of Washington, Decatur, Lawrence, Windsor, Union, and Fayette townships. Its largest western tributaries are Big, Sharps, Elkins, Aaron, Johns, and Buffalo creeks. Long Creek is the only eastern tributary of any size. The Symmes Valley is comparatively straight, but the stream itself is very tortuous, and wanders repeatedly across its wide flood plain. The stream enters the county at an elevation of 590 feet, and empties into the Ohio at an elevation of 490, or it has a fall of 100 feet in 36 miles. Indian Guyan Creek enters Lawrence County in Rome Township, flows nearly parallel with the Ohio in its southward course, and empties into the Ohio near Bradrick. It drains parts of Rome, Windsor, and Union townships.

The present drainage system of the county shows the effect of preglacial rivers. The circuitous course of Pine Creek, the sluggish current of Symmes, the direction of branches of these streams, and the peculiarly bedded clays in high valleys, all can be traced to this source. These old streams have been studied and mapped by W. G. Tight and by others.

Teays and Flatwoods Valleys* - ^In the southern section the most important of these deserted valleys is the well-known Teays Valley. Its relation to the Kanawha River was early recognized, and it has been described by many authors, notably by Prof. I. C. White of Morgantown, W. Va., and by Prof. G. Frederick Wright of Oberlin, Ohio The other important old drainage way in the southern section is the Flatwoods Valley, back of Ashland, Ky., and opposite Ironton, Ohio; and the Teays and Flatwoods valleys unquestionably fotm parts of th3 same system well-preserved remnants of the floor of the old valley which show from their elevation a gradual descent towards the northwest. These are undoubtedly to be correlated with the Teays and Flatwoods valley floors, as they fall into close accord with the grades of the upper section and carry deposits of similar character. These are found as far north as Wheelersburg.

California Valley* - North of Wheelersburg and near Stockdale, in Scioto County, and extending into Pike and Jackson counties, is the old California Valley, which has been described by the author and Mr. Frank Leverett and correlated with considerable confidence with the Flatwoods and Teays valleys upon the basis of the grade of the old valley floor and the deposits found upon it, which consist of gravel beds of quartz pebbles overlain by silt deposits.

Synunes Creek Valley - Passing up Synunes Creek from the Ohio opposite Huntington, the' valley of the creek, winch is less than half a mile wide at the river, becomes a very narrow gorge deeply cut below the high tableland in the vicinity of Marlon. North of this gorge, which undoubtedly represents the position of an old col on this stream, and which is called the Marion col, the valley of the stream broadens rapidly to the junction of Sand Fork. The valley of Sand Fork is rather broad, and the stream in its lower course meanders over an extensive swampy plain half a mile or more in width. While the valley of Symmes Creek from the Marion col, as well as the northward continuation of the valley represented by Long Creek, is rather rough and precipitous in character, it is quite comparable in size to that of Sand Fork, and it is very suggestive that the principal erosion of the two valleys was produced by streams of about equal volume, but that Long Creek has been recently enlarged and reversed by the present waters of Symmes Creek.

From the junction of Sand Fork with Symmes Creek a broad, open, flat country extends across the divide to the Haccoon, while further upstream near Evans Mill, the creek runs in a very narrow, deep, precipitous gorge. This gorge undoubtedly represents the position of another eroded col.

From the Evans Mill col northward up Grassy Fork, the valley broadens gradually and its walls become less precipitous, but up Black Fork another deep gorge is encountered but a short distance from the junction of these two streams. The valley of Grassy Fork, as the name indicates, is a broad, open, fertile valley for a number of miles and on the left branch of Grassy Fork opens out into the Cackley swamps east of Camba, while the right branch passes through a narrow gap a short distance above Madison Furnace, and its head waters extend into the flat meadow lands south of Rocky Hill. Beside the gorge on the Black Fork, near its junction with Grassy Foric, there is still another gorge four or five miles further up the stream. These undoubtedly represent the former positions of old cols which have been cut through by the present streams.*

Pine Creek - ^The valley of Pine Creek has not been carefully studied by the author, but has been observed at several widely separated points. The lower portion of the valley, which is roughly parallel to the Ohio, has all the characteristics of valleys of the older cycle, as well as the accompanying rejuvenation presented by the deeper trenching of the present creek. The valley, however, narrows rapidly northward upstream, which suggests that within a short distance it might pass into a gorge having the characteristics of a col. This suggestion is strengthened by the fact that at a point 16 or 20 miles further up-stream the creek flows in a rather wide and open valley bordered by low hills, but the exact location of the conjtiection between this upper larger valley and the old drainage line to the west was not determined, yet the possible location of such a connection is suggested These features, taken in connection with the abnormal relation of the present stream to both the old and present drainage, makes it quite evident that the stream is composed of several sections of an older drainage channel, and suggest an interesting field study.'

A survey of Pine Creek from its mouth to its source shows that the present stream, with its many laterals, occupies parts of the basins of two tributaries to the old Teays River, and all of that of another.

The lower course of the stream from the Ohio River to Kelley's Mills lies in a broad valley, with the bordering hills usually low and well rounded, and with remnants of what evidently represents the floor of the preglacial stream, as they agree in elevation with that of Dogwood Ridge, which evidently marks the undisturbed floor of the old Teays River. Near Kelleys Mills, Pine Creek receives two tributaries, Sperry Fork from the south and Little, Pine Creek from the east; the latter seems the natural eastward continuation of the course. At this place Pine Creek makes a sharp turn, and flows northward in a valley more or less constricted, and especially so near Cornwall Station, in Scioto County, where the tortuous course of the stream and the trend of the main ridges indicate the position of a col or divide. Pine Creek, from the Cornwall col south to Kelley's Mills, with Little Pine and Sperry Fork, made up the headwaters of the preglacial stream that flowed northwest from the latter point past Powellsville, and united with the main Teays River south of Wheelersburg. The basin drained by this stream was much the same as that drained at present by Pine Creek south of the Cornwall col, but the latter has deepened the main valleys from 100 to 150 feet, and the laterals have cut their ways farther into the divides, and have more highly dissected the region. The upper course of Pine Creek is formed from parts of two other tributaries to the old Teays River, the abandoned valleys of which are well defined near South Webster, and near Lyra in Scioto County, for their main courses have been but little disturbed, as the present stream appropriated only their headwaters. '

One of these streams, which now forms a part of the course of Pine Creek, can be traced west from Lyra to the California Valley. Near Lyra, far out on the flood plain of the Piae Creek Valley, which is very wide, are seen conical hills, that were formed by the present stream cutting across this old water way. Near Vernon school the divide between tributaries to Pine Creek and to Little Scioto has about the same elevation as Dogwood Ridge, which represents the bed of the old Teays River. The divide at Vernon school has an elevation of 700 feet, while that of Dogwood Ridge is 680 feet. From Vernon school the old valley is easily traced westward past the Kettle school and to the Meade school, where it joins the California Valley.

The Cornwall col south of Lyra separated two streams, one of which, south of this divide, now forms the lower course of Pine Creek, and the other of which, north of the divide, flowed west from Lyra, as described above. At Hajrvsrard Station, north of Lyra, is another col, although not well defined, which separated the headwaters of this from that of another stream, the old valley floor of which is seen well preserved near South Webster. The three tributaries that formed the headwaters of the small stream that formed near Lyra, and flowed westward, are Howard Rim, that part of Pine Creek from the Cornwall col north to Lyra, and that part from the Hayward col south to Lyra. The position of these tributaries is normal and well balanced. The present stream, Pine Creek, thus came down the northern and flowed up the southern tributary, where it cut through into another preglacial stream which now forms its lower course.

The third tributary of the Teays River, which now forms a part of the course of Pine Creek, is well defined, and its old valley readily traced from Moulton, northward, to the mouth of Brushy Fork, thence up this stream and over a divide to Bloom Fiu-nace, thence northwest over a divide at South Webster to Pinkerman, and from this place on to the old California Vallej\ The head waters of Pine Creek, with the exception of Olive CreeJc, show a normally developed stream as far as the mouth of Brushy Fork, where it makes a sharp bend and flows through a narrow gorge-like valley for about one mile. Near the mouth of Youngs Branch, just below this gorge, it widens, but is then again constricted to the mouth of Willow Run, below which the valley is generally narrow and the course circuitous.

Between Bloom Furnace and Brushy Fork there is a wide, low divide with an elevation of only 740 teet. The village of South Webster, about four miles northwest of Bloom Furnace, is also situated on a divide about three-fourths of a mile wide and with an elevation of 720 feet. From -South Webster xiorthwest towards Pinkerman this old stream is easily traced, and from Pinkerman it is well defined on to the present Little Scioto River. From South Webster it is also readily traced southeast across the divide near Bloom Furnace to Bruyhy Fork, which it followed to the present stream of Pine Creek. The head waters of this preglacial stream were practically what now make up the head waters of Pine Creek, only these streams have been considerably deepened and rejuvenated, and the courses of some, as Olive Creek, Brushy Fork, Youngs Branch, and Willow Run, greatly modified. Youngs Branch flowed nortVi across what is now Pine Creek and joined the main stream on Brushy Fork about two miles southeast of the Bloom Furnace divide. Willow Run flowed north across Pine Creek and also joined it near the Bloom Furnace divide. The tortuous course of Pine Creek from the mouth of Brushy Fork to the mouth of Hales Creek is due to its cutting its way across these old tributaries of the preglacial stream. Hales Creek from Bloom Station north to Eifort Station was a northern tributary, while that part south to where it joins Pine Creek and the part of this stream thence to the Hayward col was a southern tributar5^ The upper course of Hales Creek is a part of a tributary to the old Albany River, the broad valle}^ of which is well defined in Jackson County.

Thus the evidence shows that the headwaters of Pine Creek to Brushy Fork are part of the preglacial stream that flowed past South Webster; that at the mouth of Brushy Fork, Pine Creek turned west- ward cutting across two tributaries of this old stream and then followed down another to the mouth of Hales Creek; that here it turned southward and followed up a southern tributary of this river across the Hay ward col and down a northern and up a southern tributary of the old stream seen at Lyra, and that then it crossed the Cornwall col into the stream that now forms its lower course. Pine Creek is thus made up of parts of three of the tributaries to the old Teays River by taking the headwaters of two and the lower course of the third one.

The deposits found in these old valleys are divided into two classes: those made up of interbedded layers of clays and sands with occasional layers of gravel and rock fragments; and those made up entirely of highly stratified fine grained clays. The former were evidently laid down by the direct action of the streams. The coarse material, found mainly near the bed-rock, represents the deposits formed by strong currents on the floor of the river. Above, or occasionally interbedded with these, are found layers of sands and clays, somewhat stratified, which were the alluvial plains of the streams formed largely during flood periods.

The second class of deposits is not of residual or ordinary alluvial origin as they are too fine grained and too free from gravel or sand. Present alluvial deposits carry more or less sand which is mixed wnth the finer silts or separated in pockets or beds. These beds appear to have been laid down in quiet waters where only the finest of silt or that which remained in suspension for some time w^ould be carried. The evidence tends to show that when the glacier came dowm from the north these old rivers had their upper courses dammed and filled with drift which produced lake-like conditions in many of these valleys. The drainage was* reversed and the streams began to cut new channels during this flood period of long duration. The glacier poured into these new channels more material in the form of gravel, sand, and rock flour, than the streams could cai'ry away, which action further obstructed drainage.

Deposits of gravel and sands would predominate in the valleys directly connected with the glacier, but in the valleys far removed only the finest silt would be carried. These clays appear to represent the silts that remained long in suspension, as only these could drift far out in the quiet waters. Such clays would be free from sand or heavy material. The stratification also indicates quiet water. In texture these clays are very similar to the silt deposited in the still waters far up its branches, during present flood periods of the Ohio.

Surface Rocks

All the surface rocks of this region are of sedimentary origin, and with one exception belong to the Pennsylvanian system. The exception is the alluvium and gravel in the valleys which belong to the Quat-

Geology Op Southern Ohio

The geology of the region is comparatively simple, except for the remarkable suddenness with which strata disappear or are replaced by others; for illustration, the Lost Seam of coal disappears completely in less than one-half mile, and the shale above the Lower Kittanning coal on Buffalo Creek is replaced by sandstone in less than 100 yards. Along the river hills, the interval from the Upper Mercer ore to the Ferriferous limestone is occupied by massive sandstones, which are replaced by shales near Lawrence Furnace, but the interval is again composed of thick sandstones near Olive Furnace. The heavv sandstone which in a few localities forms the roof for the Ferriferous limestone may be completely replaced in a short distance by clay or shale. The Lower Kittanning coal is thin or wanting near Moulton, but 2 miles north on Nigger Creek it is well developed. The Clarion coal on Painter Creek is normal, but one mile south it is represented by only a few inches of coal i^iiich soon thins to a streak. The Ferriferous limestone is very persistent from the northern boundary south to the tunnel on the Detroit, Toledo and Ironton Railroad, south of which it is wanting or is found only in pockets. The Middle Kittanning and Upper Freeport coals which in places have a good thickness are uncertain and may be represented only by their clays. These changes show that generalized conclusions should not be drawn from the minerals found in one loealitv for they may change radically in a short distance.

The average dip of the rocks in LawTence County to the east is 25 feet to the mile. It varies however from less than 15 feet to more than 40 feet. The dip of the strata south measured across the greatest width of the county is 9,5 feet to the mile. Yroin these figures the strike of the rocks is found to be 20° 48' east of north, while the maximum dip at right angles to this is 26.7 feet per mile. The oldest rocks, which lie near the })ase of the Pottsville formation, are found in the western part of the county. The strata crossed in traveling eastward lie higher and higher in the geological column, and near the eastern border of the county the consolidated rocks found on the hill tops belong to the lower part of the Monongahela formation.

Connellsville sandstone. Ames limestone. Porteraville limestone. Anderson coal. Cambridge limestone. Wilgus coal. Brush Creek limestone. Mason coal. Mahoning coal. Mahoning sandstone.

Recent Deposits

and clays, which have been worked over many times by the streams. In the larger valleys these deposits are quite thick, and consist mainly of clays and sand beds, while along the smaller valleys the deposits are much thinner, and consist largely of sand, gravel, and rock fragments.

Pleistocene Deposits

The clay, gravel, and sand beds found in the old preglacial valleys are of Pleistocene age. They occur only in isolated pockets, well above the present streams, and along the terraces that border these old valley floors.

These Quaternary clay beds are often many feet thick, and cover considerable artas. Along the Ohio these tracts are practically coincident with the flood plairs, and this is true along the larger tributaries. However, along the smaller streams clays are generally wanting, as their valleys are covered with sands and gravels. The clays may be worked readily into ceramic products. They are best fitted for making red brick and drain tile, but they may be employed also in the manufacture of roofing tile and sewer pipe. The cost of winning and preparing the clay is low. The deposits worked generalh' lie near the surface, ard are exposed by removing the top soil, which usually varies from one to three feet in thickness. The clay is then mined by pick and shovel, pugged to bring it to the right temper, and formed into ware by hand or by machine. Air or artificial heat is used in drj'ing. Common brick are usualh' burned in the up-draft kilr.s, but at some plants the down-draft t^pc s are used. Drain tile, sewer pipe, and roofing tile are burned in elo\\ii-draft kilns. The fuel consumption in bumirg this class of ware is low, as only moderate temperature is necessary. These clays were formerly worked at Ironton for common brick, but the plants have been dismantled.

The Maxville is the highest formation in the Mississippian system. In Kentucky it may be seen well developed m many places, as at Olive hill, Carter County, where it is 90 feet thick; at Limeville, Greenup County, and at places in t!ie Ty^erts Valley. In southern Ohio but few exposures are fouml. A small pocket was noted on the Niner Ridge near Harrison Furnace, Scioto County, and another near the h( ad of the Dever Valley in Hamilton To^M^.ship, Jackson County. In section 32, Bloom To>>Pship, near the Scioto-Lawrence count jline, cm the Joseph Harper farm, 45 feet of this formation was found by the drill at a d( pth of 80 feet. Later a shaft was sunk through 25 feet or more of this member. The stone from the shaft is quite dense, light colon d, sparingly fossiliferous, and ver}' free from impurities.

Plate Vii

found in two or three places at least in sinking deep wells. At Olive Furnace the drill struck the limestone at 201 feet, and showed it to be 13 feet 6 inches thick. Near Coalgrove the Ironton Portland Cement Company drilled through this formation seven times with a chum drill, and once with a core drill, and in each case the record shows the formation to be well developed. The core drill record, which was kept very accurately shows the deposit to be 70 feet thick, of which 65 feet is limestone. The interval from the top of the well to the Ferriferous limestone was measured by the writer, and found to be 45 feet. The Ironton Portland Cement Company in 1914 completed two shafts, 510 feet in depth, to the MaxVille formation, and at present (1916) obtains its entire supply of limestone for cement manufacture from this valuable deposit. All of the55feetof this limestone penetrated by the shafts is very free from siliceous material, and is exceptionally low in magnesia and iron oxides. In this mine the deposit is made up of rather regularly bedded layers of limestone, with thin layers of calcareous shales intervening. Vertically the limestone beds are broken every few inches by irregular bedding planes. The limestone is dense, and only sparingly fossiliferous. From the evidence afforded by the eight drill records near the plant of this company, and from those on Little Ice Creek south of the village of Bearing, the area of the deposit in this part of the county will embrace at least 10 square miles, and is probably much more. At Vernon Furnace the log of an oil well, furnished by Harry Moulton, shows limestone at 353 and 464 feet respectively. The upper limestone is probably Maxville, which is a southern continuation of the Harper deposit, reached by shaft in eastern Scioto County. The Maxville limestone was reached by the drill on the William Baker property on Little Ice Creek. The driller stated at the time the drilling was in progress that this limestone was over 85 feet in thickness. Other drill tests made in the county, that went to or below the horizon of this formation, fail to show this member. Thus far the drill tends to show that there are only two deposits of Maxville in Lawrence County, one in the region of the Ironton Portland Cement plant, near Coalgrove, of unknown area, and another begianing near the Harper shaft, and extending southeast to near Vernon Furnace. Future drilling may extend and define these areas, as well as locate new deposits.

W. C. Morse has sho^n that this limestoue is a salt water deposit, that it correlates with the Chester, that it was deposited in regular layers, which were later elevated above water, and then eroded, giving the top an uneven surface, or in places removing the deposits completely. In other words, it was the elevation and erosion of the deposit that produced the patchy character of the Maxville in Lawrence County, and elsewhere in Ohio.^

The Maxville limestone in Lawrence County, and also in eastern Scioto, is not surpassed in purity by any other high calcium limestone in this State. Although the deposits are somewhat restricted in extent, the thickness of the bed is such that it insures a supply practically inexhaustible for all future needs in this district. Notwithstanding the fact that the member is reached only by deep shafting, the great thickness of the bed and its freedom from waste material allows the limestone to be mined cheaply when worked in a large way. The deposits are made up of thick layers of limestone, separated by thin layers of calcareous shales, which arrangement allows one or more layers of limestone to be attacked in a regular systematic way, and a uniform product to be yielded in mining. Vertically, the limestone layers, which appear to be solid when viewed in the bed, are broken every few inches by very irregular bedding planes, which aid materially in mining, for when the limestone is loosened by explosives it breaks along these planes into fragments, the main part of which are so small that they may be handled without further reduction. The main headings of the mine of the Ironton Portland Cement Company are driven from 20 to 30 feet in height, or in three distinct layers of the formation. The floor of the mine is over 50 feet below the top of the limestone; hence a good body of this solid material remains to form the roof, which insures safety to the workmen and freedom from water troubles. Although the limestone is quite dense, it is rather brittle; hence it drills easily, in fact, much better than the Ferriferous member of the Allegheny formation. Owing to this brittleness, and to the presence of the closely spaced bedding planes, the cost of mining the material is low.

Description of the plant of the Ironton Portland Cement Company, supplied February 26, 1913, by Mr. A. C. Steece, treasurer and general manager :

This company was organized in September, 1901, and work was started immediately on the erection of a two-kiln Portland cement plant. We also opened up a coal mine in the fall of the same year, and started entries for our limestone mines so as to have them both ready to furnish fuel and the necessary raw material by the time the mill was ready to be put in operation. This company owns about 800 acres of hill land situated in Upper Township, Lawrence County, Ohio, just east of the corporation line of the City of Ironton.

The Lower Kittanning coal is located about 80 feet above the level of the surrounding country and the Ferriferous limestone, which we formerly used in the manufacture of our product, lies close to 18 feet below the coal. The clay which we use for the silica and aliunina of the mixture lies both above and below the limestone.

It was the original intention of this company to use the Lower Kittanning coal in the mill for generating steam and for burning cement in the rotary kilns, which latter requires the coal to be pulverized before use. This we did for several years, but about the year 1905, a natural gas company, whose fields are located in West Virginia, made us a proposition for furnishing us with their fuel, and since then we have been operating entirely with natural gas, both under our boilers and in our kilns.

We completed the erection of our mill in the fall of 1902 and immediately started operations. As our plant was started at the time of the year when there is not much outside work requiring concrete, it was the following spring before we finally got on the market with any quantity of our product, but we are glad to say that we have never at any time had any serious difBculty in making a Portland cement which will compare favorably with any brand made in the United States or elsewhere, and that we have always been able to secure our share of the cement business. We might state that the complaints against our product have been very few and far between, and, in fact, we have never had any serious condemnation of our cement on account of its quality. Our product has gained a reputation for strength all over this section of the country, of which we are proud.

In the last 11 years we have furnished cement for all kinds of important work at a great many points within a radius of 200 miles of Ironton. We have supplied thousands of barrels for the United States government in its work constructing locks and dams in the Ohio, Big Sandy, and Kentucky rivers, and at the present time have two contracts for furnishing cement for locks and dams Nos. 28 and 29, in the Ohio River. A few years ago we furnished several thousand barrels of cement which was used in the completion of Dam No. 37, located at Fembank, about 10 miles below Cincinnati, this being one of the finest dams yet completed by the government in the Ohio River.

In addition to the government work, we have supplied several hundred thousand barrels to the Norfolk ancl Western Railway, which was used in building bridges, lining tunnels, etc., throughout the length of their lines. We have likewise furnished cement for any number of smaller jobs, including several private buildings in Colimibus, among them being the Masonic Temple, which is just now completed (1913).

We trust you will pardon our digressing in the manner we have, and, to revert back to the mechanical side of our business, will say that after operating our plant with two kilns for about 1 year, we installed a third kiln, these kilns being 6 feet in diameter by 60 feet long, the idea l:)eing to take care of our increased business, and likewise to cheapen our product by an increased output. We operated the 3 kilns for 2 years, and then the larger tjrpes being installed at different points in the country, we purchased tfie fourth one, it being 7 feet in diameter and 100 feet long. We were able to get such an increased output from the large kiln that the following year we added 40-foot sections to our 3 60-foot kilns, making them all 100 feet long, with a total capacity of between 1,000 and 1,200 barrels per day.

Of course this increased capacity of kilns meant enlaiiging our raw grinding department, as well as our finishing department, and likewise increasing the size of our warehouse. By adding to the grinding machinery it became necessary to secure additional power, and we therefore installed extra boilers and added another engine and generator, so that at present our plant produces about 4 times as much cement per day as it did the year we started.

For those not acquainted with the manufacture of Portland cement, we will state that the process consists of grinding limestone with a sufficient quantity of shale or clay, which is necessary to give the required analysis, to a fineness so that approximately 98 per cent will pass through a sieve having 10,000 openings to the square inch. This mixture is then deposited in bins directly above the rear ^nd of the rotary kilns, and from the bins it is spouted uniformly into the kilns, these kilns set at rather a flat angle and revolving at the rate of 1 revolution per minute. The raw mixture gradually works its way toward the front, or discharge end of the kilns. The fuel, either pulverized coal or gas, enters at the front end and meeting the raw stock converts it at a temperature of about 2,400^ F. into clinker. This clinker being carried through successive operations of grinding untO it is as fine as the raw stock, is finally deposited in bins in our warehouse.

tory crusher which reduces it to a size so that the largest piece is not over If inches in diameter, and then through a rotary drier where the entire mixture is thoroughly dehydrated, from there through Jeffrey and Williams' swing hammer mills which grind it to a fineness of 20 mesh, and then into bins from which it is fed uniformly into tube mills, these being cylinders 22 feet long by 5 feet in diameter and about two-thirds filled with flint pebbles. The revolving of these mills reduces the mixture so that 98 per cent passes through a KXVmesh sieve. In the finishing department the clinker first passes through ring rolls, after which it is finished in tube mills similar to those used in the preliminary grinding.

Our entire plant is operated with electricity which is generated by 4 Stirling water tube boilers, totaling 1,500 H.P., 1,200 of which is used continuously, there being 1 boiler idle at all times. These boilers furnish steam for 1 650-H. P. tandem compoimd engine, direct connected to a 500-K. W. generator, and for 2 350 H. P. simple engines belted to 2 250-K. W. generators.

Of course, in the operation of a plant even of this size, it is necessary to have other departments outside of the mill itself, among them being a machine and forge department where we do most of our repair work, and also a rather complete laboratory, as the quality of Portland cement largely depends on keeping a careful check on the chemical composition, and likewise on the physical tests of the finished product. To do this, we take hourly samples, day and night, including Sundays, of both the raw stock and the finished cement. We test the raw stock to see that it contains the necessary proportion of lime, silica, alumina, and iron. We test the finished product hourly to determine the setting time by means of pats, which we boil for 3 hours, and then leave in steam for 3 hours more, the object being to determine whether or not the cement is sound, as this is supposed to be an accelerated 0 months' test. We try at all times to make cement which will boil, before it goes into our warehouse, and have found that our carefulness in watching these different tests has paid us as it does others, by eliminating complaint as to quality.

We give below analyses of our limestones and clay, together with physical tests made of our product. These results were taken from actual records in our laboratory.

While we have been satisfied in the past with the quality of our product, still we realise that the public demands as light colored cement as can be obtained. This demand is growing every day, as the uses foimd for Portland cement become more varied. For this reason, therefore, as well as that of economy, we are now engaged in sinking two shafts adjacent to our mill to a depth of about 500 feet to obtain a deposit of Maxville limestone which according to test holes put down by us, is about 97 feet thick. According to tests, part of this stone is very high in carbonate of lime, running over 98 per cent. It is likewise very low in iron, and as this ingredient is the caase of color in Portland cement, the resulting product should have a light shade.

All the surface rocks of Lawrence County, except the unconsolidated clays, sands, and gravels along the drainage courses, and laid down during Recent and Pleistocene epochs, belong to the Pennsylvanian system. In the main they consist of sandstones and shales, but they also include clays, coals, iron ores, and limestones. This great division of rocks is divided into four formations, Pottsville, Allegheny, Conemaugh, and Monongahela, all of which are represented in Lawrence County. The Allegheny and Conemaugh formations are exposed in their full thickness. The upper half of the Pottsville rocks is above drainage in the western part of the county, but only a small section of Monongahela strata is present on the high ridges in the eastern part.

The lowest Pottsvllle member of value exposed in the western part of Lawrence County is the Lower Mercer or No. 3 coal. The interval from this bed tp the top of the Home wood sandstone, or to the base of the Brookville coal, neither of which is sharply defined, is approximately 180 feet. The Pottsville formation is of less importance at present than it was during the days of the charcoal furnaces, for then its ore beds were mined by benching for miles and miles along their outcrops on the hills. Its coal beds, although usually thin, are increasing somewhat in value, while its clays and shales are coming into prominence fof ceramic utilization.

Sharon Members

Available drill records made in Lawrence County define what is undoubtedly Sharon conglomerate, which exists in a less developed and pebbly state than in Scioto, Pike, and Jackson counties. The Sharon coal appears to be wanting, or at least to be so thin and shaly that it is not a well pronounced bed.

Sciotoville Clay

The red mottled clay found in the shaft of the Ironton Portland Cement Company belongs to the Sciotoville member. This impure clay is noted also in drill records, but the high-grade flint clay is not recorded. Owing to the depth of cover only large and pure deposits of this clay would compensate for the cost of shafting.

Quakertown, Wellston, Or No 2 Coal

A thin bed of coal, which appears to correlate with the Quakertown, is noted in a few drill records. The evidence from this source, however, tends to show that the Quakertown bed, which is a valuable asset to Jackson County, is poorly developed in Lawrence .County, or that the productive areas are small and have not as yet been penetrated by the drill.

Lower Mercer Coal

The Lower Mercer coal is the lowest surface deposit worthy of consideration in Lawrence County. It is found along Pine Creek in the western part of Elizabeth Township, and at a few places along the stream courses in the western part of Hamilton. The Lower Mercer coal usually lies about 45 feet below the Lower Mercer limestone, or only a few feet more than this below the Lower Mercer ore. Its posilAWRENCE COUNTY 291

Hamilton Township- - The Lower Mercer coal passes below drainage near Hanging Rock in Hamilton Township. It ,is also present along the small stream that leads from the Ohio River to Ohio Furnace. In Section 3, on the farm of J. R. Told, the coal is found in the stream bed near his residence. It has been mined by stripping, to a small extent, and is reported to be 1 foot 6 inches in thickness. The associated black shales, which are always present with this coal in the vicinity of Kelleys Mills, was also observed.

Elizabeth Township. - The LowerMercer coal in Lawrence County is best represented in the vicinity of Kelleys Mills, on Pine Creek, in the western part of Elizabeth Township, where the bed has been mined in a small way, both by stripping and by drifting, for a part of the fuel supply of the neighborhood. The coal is of good quality, but the bed is somewhat thin and hard to mine. Hard bony shales are directly associated with the coal in this locality, and the general features of the deposit are much the same as they are in parts of Jackson and Scioto counties. A composite section taken north of Kelleys Mills shows the position of the Lower Mercer coal with regard to those of other members higher in the geological column. The measurements follow:

The Lower Mercer coal outcrops near the base of the hills along Pine Creek, but the bed north of Kelleys Mills seldom thickens to over I foot. At Union Furnace, on Sperry Fork, this member outcrops near the old furnace stack, where it has been prospected, and is reported to be 1 foot 6 inches in thickness. Along the road south of Kelleys Mills the coal is opened along the roadside, and the deposit here has the following structure: p^ j^

The Lower Mercer coal is a free-burning oily coal with low content of sulphur and ash. It is a good domestic fuel, but the thinness of the deposit and the mining conditions restrict its use. The bony shale below the coal is too hard to cut with the pick, while the overlying shale is cut with difficulty. Jf the bed had a soft clay below, it could be mined more easily. The deposit is of local interest only. The area of the field is small, as it is confined to a few square miles in the vicinity of Kelleys Mills and Union Furnace.

The Boggs ore, the position of which is only a few feet above the Lower Mercer coal, is poorly defined in Lawrence County. The bed is represented by kidney ores in the shales at a few places along Pine Creek. The position of the Boggs ore is shown in the following section, taken near the Kelleys Mills School, in Elizabeth Township:

The Boggs ore in this locality is siliceous in character, and irregularly bedded in the shales. It was mined but little even for the charcoal furnaces, and is of interest at present only for its stratigraphic features.

The Lower Mercer ore was highly esteemed for making iron in the charcoal furnaces on account of the richness of the ore and on accoimt of the quality of the iron produced. The position of the ore is directly above the Lowrr Mercer limestone, which is much less persistent than the ore. The deposit is invariably thin, averaging from 4 to 6 inches in thickness and having a maximum measurement of 8 or 10 inches. The outcrop of the Lower Mercer members is restricted to the Pine Creek Valley, and to the Ohio River hills west of Hanging Rock. The limestone was noted at a few places in the vicinity of Kelleys Mills, where it is about 1 foot in thickness. These members are founfl about 55 feet below the Upper Mercer ore, and about 25 feet below the Upper Mercer coal. The Lower Mercer ore was worked but little in Lawrence County during the days of the charcoal furnaces, as the Upper Mercer and Ferriferous ores were much better developed. This ore is of good quality, and in the natural state has from 40 to 50 per cent iron, but the deposits are entirely too thin to be mined at the present time.

The interval from the Lower Mercer coal to the Upper Mercer or No. 3a coal is largely made up of clays and shales, w^hich are well suited for the manufacture of ceramic ware. Below the Lower Mercer limestone 18 feet of shale are found, while above it 25 feet or more are found. The different layers are suited for the manufacture of paving and building brick, and the materials, except the limestone and ore nodules, from the whole interval of 40 feet or more, may be used. It would be a surface mining proposition, where machinery could be used to good advantage, thus making the cost of winning the materials low. The sandy clays and shales are suitable for the manufacture of sewer pipe, but mor^ care would be required in mining the materials for that purpose. The partially weathered shales, as has been demonstrated in practice, make better roofing tile than the unweathei-ed. The available supply of these shales alojig the Pine Creek Valley in Lawrence County is large, but as yet they have not been developed. The shales, water, and coal are favorable for the successful operation of plants, but the shipping faciUties at present are not the best. This is one of the most promising shale horizons for ceramic purposes in Lawrence County.

In Lawrence County the Upper Mercer coal is found along the Pine Creek Valley in Elizabeth Township, and along the Ohio Valley west of Hanging Rock in Hamilton. It is also present at a few places in the western parts of Decatur and Washington townships, but in these the bed is usually quite thin. This bed has excellent continuity in Lawrence County, and also in Scioto and Jackson, but it has sufficient volume for mining only in restricted areas. However, the coal is an excellent domestic fuel, and for this reason is mined even where the bed is quite thin.

The stratigraphic position of the Upper Mercer coal is about midway in the interval separating the Lower and Upper Mercer ores, but it is much closer to the Sand Block ore. The interval from the Sand Block ore to the coal varies from 1 foot to 15 feet. The coal lies about 25 feet above the Lower Mercer ore, and approximately 30 feet below the Upper Mercer. These intervals, however, are subject to many variations, owing to the diversity of the conditions under which the beds were laid down.

Hamilton Township. - The Upper Mercer coal in Lawrence County is best developed in the river hills west of Hanging Rock, where it has been worked for local use for years. The bed at its best consists of two coal benches, separated by shale or clay. The lower block is more variable in thickness and quality than the upper one, and often it is wanting, or is represented only by a few inches of black shale. On Norman Run several mines have been worked, but the coal was seen only on the outcrop. Mr. John Simons reports that the Upper Mercer coal on this stream has good thickness. The structure of the bed

Mr. Simons states that the lower bench of coal expands from 1 foot to as much as 3 feet in places in the mines. Just north of Hanging Rock on the Newcastle pike, the coal is opened at the road level, but only the upper block is shown.

In the eastern part of Section 9, on the land of Frank Givens, the Upper Mercer coal is mined in a desultory way, and is reported to be about 2 feet in thickness. West of this, in the same section, on the Joseph Thompson property, the structure of the deposit is showTi by the following measurements taken in a drift mine: pt.

At this place the upper bench of coal varies from 1 foot 1 inch to 1 foot 4 inches, while the lower bench expands from 6 to 8 inches. In the hollow north of this, on the land of S. C. Winkler, a number of drift mines were operated for a local fuel supply. John Norris reports that in this vicinity the deposit is from 3 feet to 3 feet 10 inches in thickness, and that there are two benches of coal, each about 1 foot 4 inches thick, and separated by 2 to 5 inches of clay. At this place the coal lies about 27 feet below the Upper Mercer ore. In the western part of Section 9, on the farm of A. C. Bruce, the measurements given below were obtained in a drift mine : Pt. in.

At this place the coal is approximately 160 feet below the Ferriferous limestone, and is reported to expand to 4 feet in thickness in some parts of the mine. In the southern part of Section 3, on the property of the Hanging Rock Iron Company, a record which shows the character of the interval from the Upper Mercer coal to the Ferriferous limestone was obtained, and the measurements follow: pt. in.

In the southweBtem part of Section 3 the Upper Mercer coal has good volume, and is mined for domestic needs. The following record was obtained on the land of C. M. Lawless: p^ j^

In the northeastern part of Section 8, on the farm of George Austin, the Upper Mercer coal has been mined by drifting for many years, and has good volume. A carefully measured section takfn at this place is given below: p^ j^

Elizabeth Township. - From Hamilton Township the Upper Mercer coal extends northward into Elizabeth, where in certain areas it again has fair volume, and furnishes a part of the local fuel supply. Further, the structure of the bed is much the same in this township as it is in Hamilton, and as it is in parts of the fields in Scioto County. Near the forks of the road that leads from vSperry Fork to Little Pine C'reek the Upper Mercer and Lower Mercer coals have been prospected. The following measurements were obtained along the roadside:

Along Fox Hollow, in Elizabeth Township, the Uppir Mercer coal has been worked from a few small entries for local use. The two blocks are separated by a thick clay parting as shown below :

On the farm of Fred Smith, near Wagoner's Station, on the Detroit, Toledo & Ironton Railroad, several small entries have been worked for local use.

Decatur Township. - The Upper Mercer coal is present on Bear Run and on Pine Creek in the western part of Decatur Township. The extent of the outcrop is small, however, and the coal in places is replaced by massive sandstones. The following record was obtained on Bear Run north of the plant of the Superior Portland Cement Company:

Washington Township. - The Upper Mercer coal occurs along Brady Creek in Washington Township, but the bed is seldom over 1 foot in thickneiis. It lies just below a heavy sandstone, which often replaces it completely.

In Lawrence County the Upper Mercer coal, although somewhat thin, is well worthy of consideration as a mineral asset, on account of the quality of the fuel, and on account of the location of the productive fields which are west of the main body of Allegheny coals. Further, the underlying clay has a value from a ceramic standpoint, as it is usually of good quality. The coal from this bed is a high volatile, free-burning fuel, and, with the exception of the Quakertown, it is the best of the Pottsville coals for domestic use. It has a low content of ash and sulphur, and like the Quakerto^vn it produces but little soot during oxidation. The coal benches are usually broken by vertical joints into blocks; hence it is often called block coal. Owing to this blocky structure the coal mines in large lumps, with but little loss in fine material. As a general thing the coal is overlaid by a tough shale, which forms an excellent roof. In a few places, however, the? roof material is sandstone, which is also safe, as it is massively developed and free from shaly partings. In a few localities only a foot or two of shale intervenes between the coal and sandstone, which condition is somewhat dangerous to the life of the miner. The floor of the bed is, with few exceptions, a plastic but often siliceous clay, while the parting between the two coal benches is of the same character. The cutting is done in these clays.' On the whole the mining conditions are satisfactory for a thin bed. In estimating the value of these thin Pottsville coal beds the underlying clay should also be taken into consideration, especially if the claj'^s have ceramic qualities, and if the conditions are favorable for their utilization. While the Upper Mercer coal is generally thin, a good plastic fire clay is usually found below it. Where

The specific gravity of coal is 1.3, and that of clay 2.49. If 60 per cent of the total coal and clay can be mined, the coal per acre would yield 1,947 tons, and clay 8,135 tons. Three and one-half tons of clay make a thousand standard building brick, so 8,135 tons would make 2,324,000. Under favorable conditions six-tenths of a ton of coal is sufficient fuel for burning a thousand brick; hence the fuel required would be 2,324 X .6 = 1,394 tons. This leaves 553 tons for steaming purposes which is about the amount necessary. Therefore, a 1 foot 10 inch bed of coal will furnish, under economical conditions, the total fuel requirement to manufacture a 4-foot deposit of clay into ware. At $8.00 per thousand at the plant, the value of the product per acre would be J 18,592.

These plastic clays are well suited for the manufacture of buff and iron mottled building brick, or of sewer pipe. Where the clay and coal are both worked the height is suflScient for ease in mining. The clay is mined from below the coal, which is then loosened by wedging or shooting. Under these conditions the cost of mining would be from 30 to 50 cents per ton for the clay, and from 50 to 70 cents per ton for the coal.

Sand Block Ore

The Sand Block ore, which outcrops along the western edge of Lawrence Coimty, lies between the Upper Mercer coal and the Upper Mercer ore. In some places the deposit is only a foot or two above the coal, but usually it is from 10 to 15 feet. The ore, which varies from- 4 to 12 inches in thickness, is quite siliceous, and has been worked at only a few places in Lawrence County, but more generally in Scioto. The deposit has but little value at present. Sections showing the position of the Sand Block ore are given under Lower Mercer ore, and under Upper Mercer coal; hence they will not be repeated here.

Upper Mercer Ore

The Upper Mercer deposit is known as the Block or Franklin ore of Lawrence County, and as the Big Red Block ore of Scioto County. For years the charcoal furnaces in the western part of Lawrence County drew a considerable part of their ore supply from this member. Next to the Ferriferous ore, it is the most important ore bed in this county, although the member is best developed in Scioto County near Ohio Furnace. The Hanging Rock Iron Company for many years drew a small supply of ore from this field for its coke furnaces, but the company abandoned the mines in 1913. The ore, which has not been worked to any extent in late years in Lawrence County, is generally siliceous, but in some grades of iron it may be used to good advantage in place of the Lake ores used at present.

The tapper Mercer ore was exposed only at a few places, btit the old benches from which it was taken can be followed for miles, as this bed was largely worked by the charcoal furnaces along the Pine Creek Valley, and along the Ohio River. But little has been mined for years except near Ohio Furnace in Scioto County. The ore is above drainage in Hamilton, and in the western parts of Upper, Elizabeth, Decatur, and Washington townships. It goes under cover on Storms Creek near the Kelley School, on Little Storms Creek near Lagrange Furnace, on Little Pine Creek near Lawrence Furnace, and on Pine Creek near the mouth of Youngs Branch. The maximum thickness of the ore is 2 feet, but in many places it is thin or wanting, as the ore has been replaced by sandstones. This ore lies on the horizon of the Upper Mercer limestone, and when the limestone is present the ore is found directly above it. In Lawrence County the limestone is wanting, but the ore is quite persistent. Many of the sections with the measurement of the ore are taken from previous reports of the Survey. The interval from the Upper Mercer ore to the Ferriferous ore varies from 100 to 130 feet, but the usual measurement is from 110 to 120 feet.

Upper Township. - The Upper Mercer or Block ore is present along the lower parts of the valleys of Storms and Little Storms creeks. It was mined rather extensively for the charcoal furnaces, but is not used at prcs.^nt. Just north of Ironton, in Kronnacker's spring house, the ore has the following structure:

Along the lower course of Storms Creek this ore was worked considerably by stripping, and is reported to be from a few inches to 2 feet in thickness. The quality of the ore is stated to be the best when the bed is thin. On Storms Creek it passes under cover just below the Kelley School, and on Little Storms Creek it disappears from view near Lagrange Furnace.

Hamilton Township. - The outcrop of the Upper Mercer ore is readily traced on Osburn Run by the old benches which extend along the hillsides. Near the school, where the member was exposed along the bank of the stream, the ore measured 10 inches, and had clay for the covering stratum. West of this stream, on Norman Run, the ore, judging from the depth to which it was mined by stripping, is also well developed. In this locality the ore is reported to be from 6 inches to 1 foot 6 inches in thickness. The bed is vfry persistent also west of this stream, where the follo^/vdng record was measured in Section 3, on the land of the Hanging Rock Iron Company:

Elizabeth Township. - The Upper Mercer ore was worked along the courses of the streams in the western part of EHzabeth Township where the bed has good continuity and volume. This ore constituted a part of the regular burden for the charcoal furnaces Center, Lawrence, Pine Grove, and Union. In this township, from measurements and reports, the ore varies in thickness from 4 inches to 2 feet. The mean thickness however is from 5 to 10 inches. On Little Pine Creek west of Lawrence Furnace the ore is reported by Thomas Coyer to vary from a few inches to 2 feet in thickness. Generally the roof is shale, but in some places it is a massive sandstone. In some of the workings he reports the ore as follows :

North of Kelleys Mills along Pine Creek the Upper Mercer ore has been mined in many places. On the Fred Smith farm the ore measured 6 inches in thickness, while north of this, on Cooney Branch, it was 8 inches thick where exposed along the banks of the stream. In both places the ore was siliceous in character.

Decatur Township. - The Upper Mercer ore is fomid along Bear Run and along Pine Creek, in the western part of Decatur Township. Here the bed is only moderately steady, as it is often replaced by thick sandstones. These regions contributed but little ore to the old charcoal furnaces that were built and operated in the district, as their supply was drawn largely from the far richer and better developed Ferriferous ore. In this township the member lies from 95 to 120 feet below the Ferriferous limestone, and it has an average thickness not to exceed 6 inches.

Washington Township. - The charcoal furnaces in Washington Township obtained a small quantity of ore from the Upper Mercer bed, which is present only along the stream courses in the western part of the township. The ore is usually thin, and the member unsteady.

In these comparisons 2 per cent silicon and 4 per cent total carbon are figured to the iron. In ordinary practice about one-half the manga* nese found in the burden goes to the iron, while the remainder is carried out in the slag and this condition is used in the comparisons.

The iron produced is made up of the following: Total iron in burden of ore, stone and coke. Total phosphorus in burden of ore, stone and coke. One-half manganese in burden of ore, stone and coke. The three above items equal 94 per cent of the total pig. Silicon 2 per cent.

The freight rate on Lake Ores from the docks at Toledo or Cleveland to Ironton is 90 cents per ton of 2,240 lbs. The average price of Pocahontas coke delivered at Ironton would be approximately $2.85 per ton of 2,000 lbs. This is taking the average price over a period of about ten years.

The general over and above cost including the labor, taxes, insurance, office J expenses, maintenance of property, and cost of marketing, would be somewhere in

; the neighborhood of $1.00 per ton of ore smelted. This is on the basis of smelting approximately 540 tons of ore per day. The cost of native limestone per ton of 2,240 lbs. is from 80 to 85 cents, delivered at Ironton.*

Limestone, cost per gross ton at furnace, 85 cents. Average cost of net tons of coke at furnace, $3.05. Freight on L^ke ore, 90 cents per gross ton. Over and above cost per ton of pig iron, including all labor and repair costs, taxes, insurance, etc., would be $1.0936; cost of native ore per gross ton delivered at furnace would be SI. 92 for the '^Limestone" ore, and $1.98 for the Block ore.*

The common practice of the charcoal furnace operators where carbonate ores were used was first to calcine them, which action was an advantage, as the ores then reduced more readily in the short stacks. This same practice was also followed where the ore was used in the large coke furnaces. Mr. W. M. JelTerys reports, **We have not attempted to use this ore in the natural state. It has always been calcined, but we are of the opinion that it could be used in the natural state by crushing.

In the breaking up and in the reduction of the ores the following heat units are required when the grams of the substances used are equal to the molecular weights. 4FeCOa + (4 X 24,900 cal. = 99,600 cal.) = 4FeO+4C02 4FeO -f (4 X 65,700 cal. = 262,800 cal.) = 2Fe, -f 20,

Thus the total heat required to break up 4FeC0», and then reduce the 4FeO to 2Fe« is 362,400 calories, or the calories per unit of iron are 1,618.

It is seen from these calculations that the heat energy required is exactly the same. The results are different when the heat required to smelt the raw carbonate is compared with that required to smelt the calcined ore, as shown below:

.4FeC0a requires 362,400 calories for its complete reduction, while 2Fe80» requires 391,200 calories for its complete reduction, or, 28,800 calories more are required in the second case to produce 2Fe8 than in the first case. This is an excess of 129 calories per unit of iron, or 129 calories more are required to reduce one unit of iron from the oxide than from the carbonate, so that from this point of view there is no special economy in roasting the ore.

ered also. The COs produced carries out heat while the Ot given up by the iron oxide combines with the CO gas to form COi with evolution of heat. The temperature at which the gases leave the furnace is ordinarily 200° C. The specific heat of COt at this temperature is .414. When the carbonate ore is chaiiged into the furnace, the heat items are as foUows:

This 119,746 calories must be furnished by the oxidation of C to CO by air. . 1 unit C burned to CO gives 2,430 calories. The gases produced carry out the following at 200° C. -. I units CO =J X 200 X. 3084 = 144 calories

When the calcined ore is charged the items are as follows: Heat units required to break up 2Fe*0a = 391,200 calories Heat given by oxidation 6COH-30« =6C0f (6X12X5,670) =408,240

The 4,819 calories yet required must be supplied by the oxidation of C to CO by air, which gives 2,069 calories per unit C. The equation follows:

Total units carbon required are 724-2 = 74, so in this case 224 units iron are reduced by 74 units carbon or carbon per unit iron is .330. The difference in carbon per unit between using the raw and calcined ore is .473 - .330 = .143, or 14.3 per cent of the weight of the iron. This saving of carbon will justify the calcining of the carbonates esi)ecially where it can be done with cheap fuel.

The calcining of ore is also expensive for several reasons. The ore is handled once or twice more than if used raw, and while low grade fuels are generally used, these must be given a value. Considerable ore is lost in dust that results from the extra handling and calcination. Some of the ash from the fuel used is mixed with the calcined ore, thus increasing the gangue to be fluxed in the furnace.

There are also several points against using the raw carbonate. In a normal working furnace the FeiOi is reduced to spongy metaUic iron near the top. The FeCO« is broken up and reduced several feet lower or close to where the slag zone b^ns. The carbonates are dense; hence their impervious character retards greatly the reducing I ction of the gases, as the COs must first be expelled and then the FeO reduced. If the ore is added in large pieces before ibis breaking up and reduction is complete, it may be carried far down into the slag zone, which generally causes trouble. If the ore is crushed to small pieces, the breaking up and reduction will take place in the proper zone. Magnetites for years were held in disfavor, as the furnace managers were trying to use them in too large pieces, but at present they are Crushed and work very satisfactorily. The carbonates, if used raw, should also be prepared by crushing before use. In a measure the capacity of a furnace is limited; that is, the amount of stock which can be charged per day. The carbonate and oxide ores compare in weight as follows:

From the above it follows that, if carbonates alone were charged, the tonnage of iridn produced from the furnace would be much less than where oxides alone are charged. In the table where the two are compared in this way, it shows that 3,080 lbs. of coke are required to smelt 2,268 lbs. of iron from the carbonate and only 2,584 lbs. of coke for the iron from the oxides. This difference is due to the capacity of the furnace and to the low yield of iron when the carbonate is used, as in both cases 540 tons ore were charged.

These siliceous carbonate ores give a low yield of metal, but they may be utilized to good advantage to bring the silica in the burden up to the quantity required. Their value is considerably increased if the ore is calcined before use. On the whole, the Upper Mercer ore of Lawrence County is equally as valuable as the siliceous Lake ores. It belongs to the class of ores adapted for the smelting of foundry iron. The member is weU worthy of consideration as a mineral asset of the county and is of interest also in connection with the early history of iron making in the Hanging Rock Iron Region.

The Tionesta coal is very persistent in the northern part of Lawrence County, and has been worked in a small way for many years. It has been mined on Darby, Buckhorn, and Olive creeks, and on Brushy Fork in Elizabeth and Decatur townships, but the bed is best developed on Brady Creek in Washington Township. While this coal is found in the southern part of the county, it has not been worked south of Little Pine Creek in Elizabeth Township. The thickness of the member, where best developed, is only from 2 to 3 feet, but the quality of the coal is excellent for domestic use.

The Tionesta coal is found about midway in the interval between the Upper Mercer ore and the Brookville coal, which is poorly represented in Lawrence Countv. The Tionesta bed lies about 32 feet above the Upper Mercer ore, and about 63 feet below the Ferriferous limestone. It is often called the 60-foot coal, owing to the fact that it occurs about 60 feet below the limestone, which is the most important bed for reference in the region. The clay below the Tionesta coal usually has good volume, but is somewhat siliceous in character. The associated shales have ceramic qualities, and in many places have good thickness. These beds will also be considered under the above heading. The Tionesta coal extends from the Ohio River northward

Upper To%vnship. - ^The Tionesta coal is poorly represented in Upper Township, as the bed in much of the area is replaced by thick sandstones, or is marked by thin deposits of carbonaceous shales, with impure coal bands. No Tionesta coal of value was found in this township.

Hamilton Township. - Massive sandstones replace the Tionesta coal in most of Hamilton Township also. In the western part of the area about 1 foot of this coal was observed at a few places on the main ridges.

Elizabeth Township. - The Tionesta coal is better developed in Elizabeth Township than in either Upper or Hamilton. However, the areas in which the bed has sufficient thickness to be mined by drifting, even in a small way, are not large. It has the best volume along Little Pine Creek, where house coal has been mined at a few places. The following section, taken at Lawrence Furnace, shows the position of the Tionesta coal with reference to other well known beds:

The Tionesta coal, lying about 64 feet below the Ferriferous limestone, is quite persistent, and farther north it thickens considerably. The interval from this bed to the limestone in this region is from 60 to 70 feet. Near Empire Furnace, in Scioto County, the local coal supply is drawn largely from this bed. On Cooney Branch, near the La\\Tence- Scioto county line, the section is as follows: uoal occurs 62 feet below the limestone, and is 1 foot 5 inches thick.^ At the head of Darby Creek, north of Lawrence Furnace, the coal has been mined in a small way. Its position is 66 feet below the Ferriferous limestone, and its structure is shown in the following section:

Decatur Township. - In its extension northward from Elizabeth Township into Decatur the Tionesta coal thickens somewhat, but it has sufficient volume for drift mining only in small areas. It was mined and used, to a small extent, with charcoal for iron smelting in Buckhorn Furnace, but, as the results were not favorable, this practice was soon abandoned. The old entries are seen near the furnace stack, and they lie about 70 feet below the Ferriferous limestone. No good section of the rocks was obtained, but Luther Rankin reports the Tionesta coal in this locality to be 1 foot 6 inches in thickness.

found in Lawrence County is along Brady Creek, in Washington Township, where the coal is regularly mined for a part of the local supply of domestic fuel. The member is quite persistent, however, across the township, but in some places the bed is traced more by its clay than by the coal itself, for this is very thin and shaly. In local areas in the northern part of the township the coal is completely replaced by sandstones. Along the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Railway, northeast of Olive Station, the Tionesta coal, somewhat thin and broken, was exposed near the track level. The section obtained follows:

Near the head of Olive Creek the coal is reported by Thurman Donley to be in one block 1 foot 6 inches thick. It has been worked in a small way here for local use.

Near the mouth of Hawkins Hollow, ettst of Bloom Funuu^e, in Section 28, this coal has been worked for local use. No good section of the rocks in the interval to the limestone was obtained, but the distance is 70 feet, aneroid measurement. The structure of the bed is as follows:

Just west of the old stack of Pioneer Furnace on Brady Creek, in Section 22, the blossom of the Tionesta coal was seen, but the structure of the bed could not be obtained. The interval from the coal to the Ferriferous limestone is 60 feet, and on this account the coal is locally known as the 60-foot bed. North of Brady Creek the coal thins to a few inches except in the vicinity of Monroe Furnace in Jackson County, where it is well developed. The following section, made at Monroe Furnace, is given in order to show the position of the Tionesta coal with reference to the Ferriferous limestone:*

Owing to the character of the overlying strata, the Tionesta coal is known locally as the **Slate" bed. The roof material of this member, in the northern part of Lawrence County, is a dark tough shalci imder which mining is quite safe, as any give or break of the roof may be detected easily by sounding. Further, this kind of a roof allows a large percentage of the total coal to be mined. The floor of the Tionesta bed is a siliceous clay, which gives firm support for the posts and pillars. The bed, however, has some objectionable mining features. When the coal has sufficient volume for regular drift mining it is broken up into two or more coal benches, separated by clay or clay shale partings, the weight of which often exceeds that of the coal. Under these conditions, also, the coal mines dirty. The lower or main coal bench is ever)rwhere of fair quality, but the upper benches are in many places somewhat impure. This member is also uncertain in extent and volume, which further limits its importance. On the whole the character of the Tionesta coal in Lawrence County is not such as to justify mining in a large way at present. It is important, however, for its contribution of fuel for local needs.