Vinton Township (part 3 of 8)

The position of the Quakertown coal at this place is thus 16 feet below Bear Run coal, 103 feet below Lower Mercer limestone, 147 feet below Upper Mercer ore, and 166 feet below Brookville coal, which intervals are not greatly different from what they are in the large field of Quakertown coal in Jackson County. In the mine on the Bancroft farm, the coal is very steady in thickness and uniform in quality. It is bright, brittle, and clean and was sampled for analysis. (See page 91.) Near by coal was formerly stripped from the stream bed for local use. The thickness given by Ballantine is 2 feet 7 inches.!

At Vinton or Elko in Section 23, Quakertown coal was mined by shafting for railroad shipment for many years. The mine is now abandoned but much good coal is reported in adjacent areas. (See analysis, page 92.) The Albert Pierce farm in Section 25 was tested by Jerry Morrow of Wellston with the core drill. The results of 16 tests show that the bed is steady throughout the tract and has an average thickness of 3 feet. A representative record furnished by Mr. Morrow is given below:

Pennsylvanian System 89

The quality of the coal is stated by Mr. Morrow to be the same as that in the old Elko mine which ranked with the best in the Jackson County field. Future testing may extend the field both northward and eastward.

Madison Township. - In Madison Township the Quakertown coal was reached by a shaft at Vinton Furnace and by the core drill at a number of places in this vicinity. The deposits are reported to be patchy in character and uneven in elevation. The thickness varies from 1 foot to 3 feet 6 inches. The record of the shaft as given by Ballantine is as follows:!

The thickness of the coal in this old shaft mine is reported to vary from 2 feet 6 inches to 3 feet 6 inches. The area exhausted by mining is small. The Quakertown coal at this place is 187 feet below the Brookville coal which normally would place it about 100 feet below the Lower Mercer limestone, its position in Jackson County and also to the west in Vinton County. (See analysis, page 92.)

The area of Quakertown coal in Vinton County with sufficient thickness for profitable mining is difficult to estimate as the bed is so erratic in thickness, in so many places replaced by sandstone, and so little prospected by the core drill under deep cover. At most, the fields are probably not sufficiently extensive to influence mining on a large scale. The deposits of most value are under cover in the central part of the county where the member has been mined for many years and where other areas of good coal are known through core drilling. This field as outlined has an area of more than 10 square miles in which, however, only patches have a thickness of 2 feet 6 inches or more. Along the outcrop in the western part of the county, deposits of Quakertown coal even 2 feet or more in thickness are small and scattered. The combined area of workable coal in the western field is not in excess of 5 square miles of which a small part has been exhausted.

The quality of the Quakertown coal ranks it as one of the finest domestic coals in this State and on a par with the best of those in West Virginia and Pennsylvania. Its merit is such that it has long had a wide reputation in western and northern markets and has commanded the highest prices. With few exceptions, the bed is free from clay and shale partings and from pyrite concretions and bands. It mines clean and discolors but little on standing. It belongs to the free-burning class of coals and on account of its high content of volatile matter it burns freely from the time ignited until it is consumed. Its heating value and lasting quality are fair. This coal produces but little smoke and practically no soot. Owing to its purity the coal is somewhat tender and therefore does not stand handling and shipping well. The Quakertown is not a coking coal and in the raw state is too free burning to give the best results in the blast furnace. It is, however, one of the very best coals in Ohio for ceramic products as it burns freely with a long flame, which, impinging on the face of the ware, produces a clear bright color and a thorough bonding of the components. It has a good reputation also for steaming and general heating purposes as the calorific value is above the average and as the ash is low and clinkers but little. The following analyses are representative.

Pennsylvanian System 91

The Quakertown coal on the property of C. C. Dozer, located in Section 25, Harrison Township, was sampled in June, 1925, at the head of the entry about 500 feet from the mine mouth. The coal, hard and bright, is free from shale partings and pyrite lenses. The sample was taken under good conditions and is representative of the bed in this locality:!

The Quakertown coal, although it may be thin, has several features which aid considerably in its mining. The stratum is, with few exceptions, clean, that is, it is seldom divided by partings of clay or shale and rarely contains concretions or lenses of pyrite. The roof material is usually a tough shale, which is safe for the workmen and which affords a high yield of fuel. In a few localities the shale is replaced by a massive sandstone, also safe for mining. 'The floor is a hard, siliceous clay only a few feet thick which gives good footing for posts and pillars and which does not work up readily into plastic mud along haulways. As the coal is brittle and pure, it can be bored and shot easily. The proportion of fine to lump, however, is above the average of other beds. The high quality of the coal, the freedom from partings, and the character of the roof and floor enable the Quakertown bed to be mined at a low cost, even where the stratum is thin.

At present the only shipping mine of Quakertown coal in Vinton County is that of the Elk Fork Coal Company at Elk Fork. This mine is operated in a systematic way and is electrically equipped. Storage battery motors are used for haulage. The mine has a capacity of 250 tons per day and is located on the Hocking Valley Railway. A small wagon mine is operated on the John Bancroft farm in Section 8, Elk Township. The daily output is about 10 tons of fuel which 1s used locally by farmers and residents of McArthur. Neighborhood needs of coal in northern Jackson Township are also supplied from mines on the William Walton farm near Chestnut Grove Church in Section 5. Several mines employing from one to five men were also in operation in Harrison Township in 1924. Those worked were on the farms of L. C. Boch in Section 26, of Eli Clark in Section 24, of William Scott in Section 24, and of C. C. Dozer in Section 25. Coal from these mines is hauled to Allensville, Byer, Ray, Ratcliffburg, Richmondale, Vigo, Londonderry, and Chillicothe.

Connoquenessing Or Massillon Sandstone

The Connoquenessing or Massillon is one or the most persistent sandstones in the Pottsville formation of Ohio, being present with a degree of continuity from Mahoning County on the north to Scioto County on the south. The name Connoquenessing comes from Pennsylvania where the sandstone is well developed along Connoquenessing Creek and tributary streams in Beaver and Lawrence counties. These deposits were described by J. P. Lesley in 1880 and more completely by I. C. White in 1881. In the report of the Ohio Survey under J. S. Newberry in 1874 it is called Massillon sandstone from deposits near that place in Stark County.

The position of the Connoquenessing sandstone is normally just above the Quakertown coal. Locally, however, through expansion and irregular deposition, it may extend downward to the Sciotoville clay and upward to the Lower Mercer coal. Invariably where well developed, it replaces other Pottsville members and rests disconformably on older beds. The thickness of the deposits varies from 10 feet or less to 60 feet or more.

The Connoquenessing or Massillon is a coarse-grained sandstone, the basal portion of which is frequently conglomeratic. The normal color is light gray to light buff but, where weathered, the shades may vary to pinks and browns. The rock is usually highly cross-bedded, which feature is especially prominent on weathered surfaces. It appears to have been laid down as a shore deposit in Pottsville seas.

In Vinton County the Massillon sandstone is above drainage in eastern Eagle, Jackson, western Swan, eastern Harrison, Richland, and northwestern Elk townships, and is well developed in large areas. It lies near the base of the Pottsville formation and frequently replaces the Bear Run and Quakertown coals and even the Sciotoville

Pottsville formation Ft. In. Sandstone, soft, micaceous, Massillon............00055 43 0 Clayisinaless ligt ee. fi 000... 0 sit hao meee eee 5 0 Sandstone, argillaceous, and shale, siliceous........... 12 0

In this locality the Massillon sandstone is coarse in texture and yellow to brown in color. It is cross-bedded, especially on weathered surfaces. The elevation of the base of the deposit is 960 feet. The member is especially prominent also along the ridges in western Jackson Township where it makes up most of the interval from the Vinton shales to the Lower Mercer coal. In Swan Township the Massillon sandstone is more local but is conspicuous near Creola, where it varies in thickness from 20 to as much as 50 feet. Similar conditions are found along Elk Fork in northwestern Elk Township. The bed is massive and persistent in all of western Richland Township. The following record, taken along the road in the northeastern part of Section 30, is approximately representative:

The thickness of the bed in this part of the township varies from 20 to 60 feet and in most of the area it replaces both the Bear Run and Quakertown coals. This member is also fairly steady along the ridges in eastern Harrison Township.

The Massillon sandstone in Vinton County is not sufficiently weather resistant for building stone as most of it on exposure crumbles rapidly to sand. It is too impure for glass sand as the bonding matter is rather large and consists of iron oxides and clay. Mica in abundance is also present. . Its most likely use is for molding sand for iron and steel castings. The grain is medium and fairly uniform in size and the texture is coarsest in the lower part of the deposits. The quantity is large but the bed is not favorably located for shipment.

Pennsylvanian System 95 Bear Run Coal

The next member in the ascending scale worthy of attention is the Bear Run coal which was named from deposits on Bear Run in northwestern Bloom Township, Scioto County. Although lacking in continuity the bed is recognized at many places in southern Ohio. It varies in thickness from a few inches to more than 2 feet and in character from pure to shaly coal. It is overlain in some localities by a black, carbonaceous shale and in other places by nodular or black band ore. These strata frequently bear brackish water fossils.

In Vinton County the Bear Run coal is due above drainage in small areas in Eagle, Harrison, Swan, and Elk townships, and in large areas in Jackson and Richland. The member, however, is very unsteady and in general is poorly developed. It is best represented in central Elk, northern Jackson, and eastern Harrison townships. Normally its position is about 12 feet above the Quakertown coal and 86 feet below the Lower Mercer limestone but these intervals vary considerably from place to place. As the Bear Run coal has little economic value, the member will be treated only in a general way.

Along the ridges in the southeastern part of Harrison Township the Bear Run horizon is marked more by a thick deposit of black shale than by coal. This condition is shown in the following record taken at the road forks in north central Section 26:

Such deposits are also conspicuous in southern Section 24 and in northern Section 25. In western Richland Township the Bear Run coal and also the associated carbonaceous shale are replaced by a thick sandstone. The same is true in southeastern Eagle and southwestern Jackson townships. Along the ridges in the northwestern part of Jackson Township, either a thin bed of coal or a stratum of black shale marks the horizon. Near the Chestnut Grove Church in Section 5, the Bear Run coal is about 1 foot thick and lies from 6 to 10 feet above the Quakertown member. In the bed of Middle Fork in northern Section 14, the following rocks were measured:

Ft. In Sandstone. Shale, black, part bony, with fossils near center............ 4 0 Coal Bear Rung. ees fe ee Cee Oe 2 Chay: PUG Wisp caresses Mone oo 8 at kde «Soy See ee 1 0

In Swan Township black shales with a few inches of coal below are locally present along Brushy Fork in sections 10 and 15. The member is also found near drainage level along Elk Fork in sections 8, 5, and 6. The following beds were exposed near the level of the stream in the western part of Section 6:

Ft. In. DAT CBEONAN Salers St onc, 5 dow v.08. 1-405 cee Pam eee 10 0 Ore and bone shale, sparingly fossiliferous................. Z Coal Bear uRU Ts oa dala oak rah fea LOGE ae eee 2 MONEE We SAND REIT 6 chy bas escape cated Gee Pia ms ee ke 1 0

The ore is of the blackband variety and is sparingly fossiliferous. The Bear Run coal is best developed along Elk Fork in central Section 8 where on the Bancroft farm the member has the following thickness and relations:

In this locality the Bear Run coal varies from 10 inches to 1| foot 6 inches in thickness. Its normal position is about 16 feet above the Quakertown coal and 87 feet below the Lower Mercer limestone. This coal is somewhat shaly in character. The member is also found in a few places along Little Raccoon Creek in southeastern Richland Township where it expands in a few places to 1 foot 6 inches and where it lies about 90 feet below the Lower Mercer limestone.

The deposits of Bear Run coal in Vinton County are too small and the bed too thin to be of value for more than local supplies of fuel where the thicker beds are absent. So far it has been mined at only a few places and there by stripping where the cover is shallow. In composition it varies from a rather pure coal to a bony, carbonaceous shale. Locally thin lenses of cannel coal and blackband ore are present on the horizon. The Bear Run is a free-burning, high volatile coal, much resembling the Quakertown except that it is more impure. In the best developed deposits the bed varies in thickness from 1 foot to 1 foot 8 inches. Such deposits are of value only for small supplies of domestic

The clay associated with the Bear Run coal is everywhere thin, varying from 6 inches to 4 feet but averaging not more than 2 feet. It is generally quite siliceous in character and is more or less contaminated with ferruginous impurities. It has no qualities to recommend its use for ceramic products.

Lincoln Ore

The Lincoln ore, mined to a small extent near Scioto Furnace during the days of the charcoal iron industry, is, in a general way, correlative with the Sand Block ore of Jackson County and with thin, isolated deposits in Vinton County. Such strata are found above the Bear Run coal and represent more an iron ore horizon than a definite bed. The beds vary in position, thickness, and composition. In Vinton County such deposits are poorly developed and have no economic value.

Vandusen Coal

The Vandusen coal, which was named for thin deposits in southern Jackson County, is poorly represented in the area under consideration. Its position is about midway in the interval between the Quakertown coal and the Lower Mercer limestone, which are the best benches for reference. More specifically, it lies between the Bear Run and the Lower Mercer or No. 3 coals, both uncertain in extent and character. The Vandusen coal is occasionally overlain by ore, limestone, or shalebearing marine fossils. This member is poorly represented in Vinton County, being marked and there only locally by a few inches of carbonaceous shale.

Lowellville Limestone

The Lowellville or Poverty Run limestone is the oldest of the known marine limestones of the Pottsville formation in Ohio. It is well developed near Lowellville, Mahoning County, in Washington Township, Coshocton County, and in Madison and Hopewell townships, Muskingum County. Normally the member may be represented by limestone, calcareous shale, or iron ore, all bearing marine fossils in abundance. In Vinton County no deposits of this character were recognized on the horizon.

Lower Mercer Clay

In an interval averaging about 25 feet in thickness and lying below the Lower Mercer limestone, three coal beds with associated clays are distinctly defined throughout the Pottsville formation of Ohio. They are not all present in every locality, one, two, or even all three may be absent through replacement by sandstone or through lack of deposition. Both the coals and the clays vary considerably in thickness and in character. A bed prominent in a certain area may be thin or absent in another not far distant. The intervals of separation also change from place to place. In the early reports of the Ohio Survey no distinction was made between these three coal strata. Any one, if it became prominent, was considered Lower. Mercer or No. 3 coal. The lower bed, however, is the most constant in extent and thickness and is the one that has been mined in a small way at many places in southern Ohio. On this account the name Lower Mercer or No. 3 coal is retained for the oldest stratum. The middle bed is well developed in a small area on Flint Ridge in Muskingum and Licking counties and hence is called Flint Ridge coal. The upper one lying just beneath the Lower Mercer limestone has been named Middle Mercer coal by members of the Pennsylvania Survey and is known accordingly by that name in Ohio. The associated clays are designated the same as the coals, namely, Lower Mercer, Flint Ridge, and Middle Mercer.

In Vinton County the Lower Mercer clay is present above drainage in Brown, Swan, Jackson, Elk, Richland, and Clinton townships, but in some of these the areas are small. Further, the bed is not persistent, locally being replaced by sandstone. The normal position of the member is directly below the Lower Mercer coal and about 30 feet below the Lower Mercer limestone, which is the most trustworthy bench for reference. The thickness of the clay varies from 1 to 6 feet but averages approximately 3 feet. It is generally poor in quality, being siliceous and in many places ferruginous in character. The Lower Mercer clay is treated briefly, as it has little value in Vinton County.

The Lower Mercer clay is above drainage along Raccoon Creek and Twomile Run in northwestern Brown Township, but it is everywhere thin and locally absent through replacement by sandstone. Although widely distributed in Swan Township, the member is not conspicuous, at few places being as much as 3 feet thick. Its position is from 20 to 30 feet below the Lower Mercer ore. The quality of the material is poor. Deposits similar in character are locally present throughout Jackson and Richland townships. The following record, taken near the forks of the road in northeastern Section 21, Richland

Pennsylvanian System 99 Mand

In Clinton Township this clay member is present above drainage only along Little Raccoon Creek and along McConnel Run in the western part. The deposits are not attractive for ceramic work. The Lower Mercer clay is found at the surface in all of Elk Township except the southeastern part but the bed is uncertain in extent and variable in thickness and character. Its relation to other members is shown in the following measurements taken along the road in southeastern Section 31:

The position of the Lower Mercer clay in Elk Township is 15 to 35 feet below the Lower Mercer limestone. Usually it lies closer to the Flint Ridge clay than shown in the above section..

The Lower Mercer clay in Vinton County is of small value as the bed is lacking in continuity and thickness and as the material is poor in quality. It is everywhere a plastic clay with a rather high content of free silica. Locally it is contaminated with ferruginous matter in the form of iron oxides and pyrite. The best developed deposits measure from 4 to 6 feet in thickness but the average is not more than 3 feet. With few exceptions, the overlying coal is too thin to be attractive for mining both coal and clay from the same entry. Further, where the coal is thickest the clay is generally thin and impure. The Lower Mercer clay in Vinton County is not recommended as the basis for ceramic operations.

The Lower Mercer or No. 3 coal is present with a degree of constancy across the State from Mahoning County on the north to Scioto County on the south. Within this wide field, however, the bed is unimportant as a fuel supply, nowhere expanding so that it is mined in a large way. It is best developed in Mahoning, Vinton, Jackson, Scioto, and Lawrence counties where in small areas it measures from 1 foot 6 inches to 4 feet in thickness.

In Vinton County the Lower Mercer coal is locally present above drainage in western Brown, Swan, Jackson, Elk, Richland, and western Clinton townships. In general the member is poorly developed and in many areas it is wanting. At a few places, however, in Richland Township it expands so that it is mined for a part of the neighborhood fuel supply. The position of the Lower Mercer coal is 15 to 40 feet below the Lower Mercer limestone, the average interval from more than forty measurements being 28 feet. The thickness of the coal varies from | inch to 4 feet but averages not more than | foot 6 inches. It is usually a bituminous coal but in small areas a part or all of the bed changes to impure cannel. In some localities the horizon is marked only by black, carbonaceous shale.

Brown Township. - In Brown Township the Lower Mercer coal is due near drainage level along Raccoon Creek in sections 36, 35, 34, 33, and 32, and along Twomile Run in Section 29, but the bed appears to be largely replaced by sandstone. No coal of value was observed.

Swan Township. - Owing to the dip of the rocks, Lower Mercer coal is present about midway up the slope of the hills in western Swan Township and near drainage level in the eastern part. The bed is not persistent, being wanting in many localities. It is best developed in northern Section 7 where at a few places it has been mined by stripping along the outcrop. Its stratigraphic position is shown by the following record taken on the Rebecca Clarke property:

Pennsylvanian System 101

In this locality the deposits with fair thickness are small and have little value except for local supplies of fuel. In general, the bed 1s only a few inches thick.

Jackson Township. - In its extension westward from Swan into Jackson Township, Lower Mercer coal is also widely distributed but poorly developed. The variation in thickness is from a soot streak to 1 foot and in composition from a rather pure coal to bone shale. Its position in respect to the Lower Mercer limestone is shown in the following measurements taken in the southwestern part of Section 29:

Harrison Township. - The Lower Mercer member is found only along the high ridges in southeastern Harrison Township in sections 24, 25, and 36. The deposits are thin and for the most part shaly.

Richland Township. - In small areas in western Richland Township, the Lower Mercer coal thickens so that it is mined for a part of the local fuel supply. In the eastern part the bed is thin and in many places wanting. In southern Section 8, the Lower Mercer coal is present at an elevation of 920 feet and has a thickness of about 1 foot 6 inches. On the Simon Dixon farm in a small mine in north central Section 7, the following measurements were secured:

In northeastern Section 16, the bed has been worked in a small way for many years on the property of Joseph Carpenter. Measurements obtained in a mine are given below:

The coal is of good quality and is reported to thicken to 2 feet 6 inches. Its position here is about 50 feet above the Logan formation, the interval being made up largely of Massillon sandstone. Just east of the crossroads in west central Section 30. on land of Pearl Pletcher, the member has been mined for local fuel. The elevation of the stratum is 915 feet and its thickness is reported to be 2 feet 8 inches to 3 feet 6 inches. The bed is broken by thin shale and clay partings. The most extensive mining on the horizon has been done along the ridge in the southwestern corner of Section 30, where this coal has its best thickness and purity in Vinton County. Measurements given below were secured in a mine on the Barbee property:

The upper bench of coal is of exceptionally good quality but the lower one is less pure. The thickness of the deposits varies from 3 feet to 4 feet 6 inches and its position is 80 feet above the Quakertown coal. Along the road in northeastern Section 30, about 2 feet of weathered Lower Mercer coal was exposed at an elevation of 900 feet. In the head of the hollow in the central part of Section 28, a small mine is also operated for local use. The record obtained on the William Nichols property follows:

Pennsylvanian System 103

In the eastern part of the township, the Lower Mercer coal is. thin and in many places represented only by black shale. No coal deposits of value were observed.

Clinton Township. - The Lower Mercer coal is of little interest in Clinton Township as the bed is everywhere thin and impure. The areas in which the member is present above drainage are small and are confined to the valleys of Little Raccoon Creek and its tributaries in the western part.

Elk Township. - The only exposures of Lower Mercer coal in Elk Township are along Elk Fork, Puncheon Fork, and tributaries of Little Raccoon Creek in the western part. As elsewhere, the bed is inconstant in extent, thickness, and character. Its position is from 20 to 35 feet below the Lower Mercer limestone or its representative, the Lower Mercer ore.

Along Elk Fork the member is locally replaced by sandstone but where present it is marked more by carbonaceous shale than by coal. Similar conditions are found on Puncheon Fork west of McArthur. The general stratigraphy and condition of the bed in the southwestern part of the township are shown by the following composite record taken along the road in southeastern Section 31:

In central Section 30, the Lower Mercer coal thickens locally but is so divided by shale partings that mining is not feasible. Measurements in a small prospect on land of Edward Allender are given below:

Ft. In. Coal, hard, bony, semi-) Galil ss ao: derotmentees g Shale, dark, carbona-} Lower Mercer, altitude 800 feet COOUSK OF Sonics ohare 1 6 Coalcood: aa... tase 27 1 2

The Lower Mercer coal in Vinton County is not important as a source of fuel as it is generally thin and impure except in a small field in western Richland Township where it is regularly mined by drifting. In a few places elsewhere small quantities of coal are obtained by stripping along stream beds. In the best deposits the Lower Mercer is a high volatile fuel with a rather low ash content. Locally, however, it varies toward the cannel variety or changes to it.

Boggs Ore And Limestone

The Boggs member was named by Orton in. 1884 from ore deposits which were well developed and mined extensively on the Boggs farm near South Webster in Scioto County. This horizon is intermittently marked by ore deposits elsewhere in southern Ohio and by ore, limestone, or flint in central Ohio. The ore was worked at many places for iron smelting in the old charcoal furnaces. It was known in eastern Scioto and western Lawrence counties as the "flags" ore, in southern Hocking County as the "Union Furnace" ore, and in southwestern Perry County as the "Junction City" ore. Northward from there through Licking, Muskingum, Coshocton, and Tuscarawas counties the member is in more places represented by limestone or flint than by ore. The limestone and flint and locally the ore and associated shales bear an abundant fauna of marine origin. Normally the position of the member is about 25 feet below the Lower Mercer limestone and 3 feet above the Lower Mercer coal.

The Boggs member in Vinton County, as elsewhere in southern Ohio, is characterized by its lack of continuity, by its variability in thickness, and by its change in composition. It was formed in basins in which only locally were the conditions favorable for the precipitation of ferruginous sediments as rather pure deposits of siderite, as bonding material of sands, and as a component of blackband. In general, the matter was so dissipated through the body of the sedi- ments that it is unnoticed. In the area under consideration the Boggs member is only occasionally present as a well-defined ore stratum. Neither limestone nor flint was observed on this horizon at any place within the county. The bed varies in thickness from 1 inch to 2 feet but in the thicker deposits it is very impure, more a ferruginous sandstone than an iron ore. The Boggs member is generally low in iron and on this account was not extensively used in the old charcoal furnaces.

Brown Township. - Iron ore representing the Boggs member is locally present in Brown Township along Raccoon Creek in sections 36, 35, 34, 33, and 32, and along Twomile Run in Section 29. The deposits are generally thin and are in many places divided into two or even three layers. Along the outcrop the ore is a limonite but under cover it is a siderite. The stratigraphy of the member is well shown by the record given below and taken along the stream in west central

In the ditch at the east end of the bridge that crosses Raccoon Creek near the mouth of Twomile Run, fossiliferous shale is present on the Boggs horizon. No good section was obtained here as the overlying rocks were all covered. Along the road a short distance east of this, the following beds were measured:

The Boggs member was also exposed in the south bank of Twomile Run in central Section 29. The ore is only a few inches thick and poor in quality. This stratum is present in the bed of Raccoon Creek just above the bridge in southern Section 34, where it is an impure carbonate about 3 inches thick and sparingly fossiliferous. Its position is nearly 30 feet below the Lower Mercer ore. Along the road about one-half mile south of New Plymouth and at an elevation of 760 feet, the Boggs member is marked by 6 inches of dark shale bearing a few fossils. It is overlain by 15 feet of gray shale and underlain by 1 foot of siliceous shale.

Swan Township. - The Boggs member is widely distributed in Swan Township, being due above drainage along all the larger streams. The bed, however, is not persistent or well developed. In some areas it is wanting through lack of deposition and in others it is replaced by massive sandstone. At a few places shale-bearing marine fossils are associated with the ore or are present alone on the horizon. A general section is sufficient to show the main stratigraphic features. Along the road west of Orland in Section 2, the following beds were

Along Brushy Fork in the northern part of the area, the horizon is marked by iron ore, ferruginous sandstone, or ferruginous shale. The deposits lie 15 to 35 feet below the Lower Mercer ore. In southern Swan Township, the Boggs member is largely replaced by sandstone.

Jackson Township. - Lack of continuity and variability in thickness, character, and position are general features of the Boggs member in Jackson Township, where it is locally present along the main ridges in the eastern and central parts. The position of the ore is 25 to 30 feet below the Lower Mercer limestone and its character a siliceous siderite or limonite, depending on the state of weathering. The following measurements, taken near the forks of the road in southern Section 29, are representative of the bed and its stratigraphy:

Limestone, blue, fossiliferous........ } 7 Clayeand.coveréd:tsc.c; Seek ise Se ee 15 0 Shalesidark, siliceous... sac Ge eee eee 3 2 Shale; dark, carbonaceous: .c18 eee 3 10 Sandstone and siliceoussshalesotayiasn tanner mane 5 0 Ore, very siliceous, Boggs, elevation 955 feet............... 5

Pennsylvanian System 107

In this locality the position of the Boggs member is 1 to 5 feet above the Lower Mercer coal. East of this along Middle Fork and its tributaries, the bed is only locally present, in many places being replaced by sandstone. The thickness is from 2 to 6 inches.

Richland Township. - In Richland Township the Boggs member is poorly represented, its place being taken by dark, carbonaceous shale or by gray, argillaceous sandstone. Thin local lenses, however, are found along the ridges in sections 28, 32, 33, and 34, where it was mined at a few places for use at Richland Furnace. Where observed it is a siliceous limonite about 3 inches thick.

Elk Township. - The areas in which the Boggs member is above drainage in Elk Township are small and are confined to the valleys of Elk Fork and Puncheon Fork. The deposits are thin and irregular.

Clinton Township. - In Clinton Township, the Boggs ore appears at the surface only in the western part along Little Raccoon Creek. Its position with reference to other well-recognized beds is shown in the following record taken along the road in southwestern Section 19:

SALES OTA Vee ae eee crete oe eit oon oie .. pLower Mercer 2 Limestone, fossiliferous, blue........ | ] OLAV ESI AL Ce cae cee ae Tobey Pry er, Are eer dite kA Cg MU TN D

The Boggs ore in Vinton County has no value at present and was little used even in the days of the charcoal furnaces. Small quantities were obtained at a few places by stripping along the outcrop. The bed is generally thin and uncertain, in many places giving way to shale or sandstone. The measurements vary from 1 to 8 inches but average only 3 inches. The ore is siliceous in character and in places changes to a ferruginous sandstone. Under cover the material is a siderite but where weathered along the outcrop it is a soft limonite. It belongs to the foundry class of ores as it is high in phosphorus.

Flint Ridge Clay

The Flint Ridge clay, lying from 5 to 15 feet below the Lower Mercer limestone, extends with moderate continuity across the State from Mahoning County on the north to Scioto'County on the south. Normally it is overlain by the Flint Ridge coal which is usually not more than a few inches thick. This in turn is overlain by shales above which the Middle Mercer clay is found. In some localities the intervening shale and coal are absent in which case the Flint Ridge and Middle Mercer clays coalesce. Both clays are usually siliceous but otherwise of fair quality. The Flint Ridge clay has been employed at many places in the State for ceramic purposes.

The Flint Ridge clay is moderately persistent in Vinton County and is present above drainage in western Brown, Swan, eastern Jackson, central and western Elk, eastern Richland, and western Clinton' townships. The position of the member is 5 to 20 feet below the Lower Mercer limestone or its associated ore. The average interval from more than 30 measurements is nearly 15 feet. The Flint Ridge clay expands from | to 7 feet in thickness but averages nearly 3 feet. It is generally siliceous and in places approaches a ganister in composition. This clay was formerly used to a small extent on Potters Ridge in the manufacture of stoneware. At present it is not regularly employed at ° any place within the county. As the Flint Ridge clay is not especially important it will be treated only in a general way.

Brown Township. - The deposits of Flint Ridge clay above drainage in Brown Township are confined to the valley of Raccoon Creek from New Plymouth southward to Section 32 and to the valley of Twomile Run from its mouth eastward to the central part of Section 23. The thickness of the bed is generally less than 2 feet and its position about 12 feet below the Lower Mercer limestone. The clay is very siliceous.

Swan Township. - In Swan Township the Flint Ridge clay is due well above drainage throughout the entire area but in many places it is absent from the section through replacement by sandstone or through lack of deposition. Where present the bed is not attractive for ceramic work as in few places is it more than 2 feet thick and as it is siliceous in character. The following record, taken in the central part of Section 29, shows the general position of the Flint Ridge bed with reference to other Mercer members:

Near Hue the Flint Ridge and other Mercer clays were mined to a small extent for the stoneware potteries that formerly were operated in that vicinity.

Jackson Township. - The Flint Ridge member is only moderately persistent along the ridges in the eastern and central parts of Jackson Township. The thickness varies from 1 to 5 feet and its position from 8 to 15 feet below the Lower Mercer limestone or ore. It is siliceous but otherwise of fair purity. The overlying coal is everywhere thin and bony.

Richland Township. - Owing to the dip of the rocks, the Flint Ridge member is present near the summits of the ridges in western Richland Township and not far above the valley floors in the eastern part. In general the deposits are not well developed. The stratigraphy is shown in the following record taken at the Wyckoff Crossroads in northeastern Section 22:

Elk Township. - tThe outcrops of Flint Ridge clay in Elk Township are confined to the valleys in the western and the central parts. Locally the member is replaced by sandstone. Its position is from 7 to 17 feet below the Lower Mercer limestone. In general the bed is too thin and the clay too siliceous to be attractive for ceramic work. The stratigraphic features are well shown in the following section taken at the plant of the McArthur Brick Company near McArthur:

At this place a sample of Flint Ridge clay was taken for testing. (See page 111.) Along with shale and Middle Mercer clay it was used to a small extent by this company for the manufacture of building brick. Where observed elsewhere in Elk Township, the thickness of the Flint Ridge clay varies from 2 to 4 feet and that of the overlying coal from 1 to 8 inches.

Clinton Township. - In Clinton Township, Flint Ridge clay is found above drainage only in the western part along Little Raccoon Creek and its tributaries. The deposits are not above the average either in thickness or in quality. _

The Flint Ridge is not an important clay member in Vinton County as the bed is generally thin and as the material has only fair ceramic properties. It is a siliceous, plastic clay of the stoneware type, vitrifying at moderate temperatures to a dense, impervious body. The

Pennsylvanian System 111

Flint Ridge and other Mercer clays were used in a small way from 1845 to 1903 for stoneware by the potters who had country shops near Hue on Potters Ridge. The general properties of the material are shown by the following tests of a sample from the pit of the McArthur Brick Company at McArthur:

The Flint Ridge clay used on Potters Ridge near Hue was mined by stripping along the outcrop where the material was weathered. It gave good results as it vitrified well, had a long burning range, took a good salt glaze, and had low shrinkage.

Flint Ridge Coal

The Flint Ridge coal was named from deposits of cannel coal on Flint Ridge in Licking County. The member has wide areal extent in Ohio but in few places thickens so that it is mined even for local needs. In Vinton County its position is from 3 to 18 feet below the Lower Mercer limestone, but the average measurement is approximately 11 feet. The bed expands from 1 inch to 1 foot 2 inches but measures on the average about 6 inches. Further, it changes in character from rather pure'coal, to bony coal, and to carbonaceous shale. It has only fair continuity, locally being absent through lack of deposition or through replacement by sandstone. The Flint Ridge member in Vinton County is of interest chiefly for its stratigraphic features, as it is everywhere too thin or too impure to be of value as a source of fuel.

Brown Township. - The exposures of Flint Ridge coal in Brown Township are confined to the valleys of Raccoon Creek. and its tributaries in the northwestern part where it is present at or not far above drainage. The bed is poorly developed, the thickness where observed varying from 1 to 5 inches, and the member locally being represented by. coaly shale. In this region the position of the Flint Ridge coal is 5 to 10 feet below the Lower Mercer limestone.

Swan Township. - Economically the Flint Ridge member is of small value in Swan Township as the bed averages less than 6 inches in thickness and is in many places shaly in character. It is widely distributed, however, being found not far above drainage in the eastern part of the area and well up on the hills in the western part. Along the road in southwestern Section 2, the member is present at an elevation of 830 feet, where it is represented by 5 inches of cannel coal, lying 8 feet below the Lower Mercer ore. Near the valley floors in the vicinity of Mt. Pleasant from 3 to 8 inches of coal, either bituminous or cannel, is present on the horizon. The conditions are much the same near Hue in the northwestern part of the area. The general stratigraphy of the member in southwestern Swan Township is shown in the following record secured in Section 29:

Pennsylvanian System 113

Jackson Township. - In its extension westward from Swan into eastern Jackson Township the Flint Ridge coal increases neither in thickness nor in continuity. It is everywhere so thin or shaly that it has not been mined even for local needs. The following record, secured near the forks of the road in northwestern Section 36, shows the main stratigraphic features and the coal at about its maximum

Richland Township. - The Flint Ridge member is present in the eastern and central parts of Richland Township but as elsewhere the bed is thin and impure. Its position is from 5 to 18 feet below the Lower Mercer limestone and its thickness from 3 to 10 inches.

Elk Township. - Deposits of Flint Ridge coal are present at the surface in the western and the central parts of Elk Township but are so lacking in thickness and in quality that they have not been mined even for local needs. In parts of the area the Flint Ridge and Middle Mercer coals lie close together, their clays in many places being

Clinton Township. - The Flint Ridge coal presents no unusual features in either thickness, quality, or position in Clinton Township where it is present above drainage along Little Raccoon Creek and its tributaries in the western part. The best deposits are 5 to 8 inches thick and of fair quality.

The average thickness of the Flint Ridge coal from more than forty measurements in Vinton County is only 6 inches and the maximum measurement even in small areas in few places exceeds 1 foot. The variation in the character is marked as it changes from carbonaceous shale to cannel coal and to bright bituminous coal. The bed is much too thin to warrant drift mining or even stripping except along stream beds where the coal is solid and the cover shallow. At present the member has no value.

Middle Mercer Clay

The Middle Mercer clay is present over a wide area in Ohio, entering the State in Mahoning County and leaving on the Ohio River in Scioto. It is moderately persistent except in southern Ohio where the Middle Mercer clay and coal and the Lower Mercer limestone are frequently absent. The member is best developed in Hocking, Perry, Muskingum, Coshocton, and Tuscarawas counties. Throughout this large field the thickness of the bed varies from | to 10 feet but averages about 3 feet 6 inches. Its position is directly below the Middle Mercer coal which lies just under the Lower Mercer limestone.

Pennsylvanian System 115

In Vinton County the Middle Mercer clay is present above drainage with fair continuity in western Brown, Swan, eastern Jackson, eastern Richland, Elk, and western Clinton townships. From many measurements the mean thickness of the clay is nearly 3 feet 6 inches and the minimum and maximum are 1 and 7 feet respectively.. The overlying coal in few places exceeds 1 foot in thickness and measures on the average only 5 inches. The Middle Mercer is a siliceous, plastic clay of fair purity. It was formerly employed to a small extent in the manufacture of stoneware on Potters Ridge near Hue.

Brown Township. - In Brown Township the Middle Mercer clay outcrops not far above drainage along Raccoon Creek and also along the lower courses of its tributaries. The bed is generally present but varies considerably in both thickness and character. At New Plymouth it lies about on the village level. In the Hocking Valley Railway cut near by the following measurements were secured:

Ft. In. OVRS BUNT AVI TRE PR Sige Sak red Rene ORES Ie ese cnc nee 3 SINGH LGA ck tr Komen Wen eset Peete Pers Sah sh oR ee ks [Ne sic ro! Seo Sirsa cao cas 5 10 (CHOU JUAN VITRO AS shee ae eih cree s aac rye CARRE Cutan eRe MOR Rote 1 CIMa MER SDEAStle nS oie as te muds on }Mi 3 0

South of this where observed in sections 35, 29, 34, and 33, the stratum is generally thin and measures not more than 3 feet. On Twomile Run it passes below the stream bed in western Section 23. The overlying coal varies from a soot streak to 8 inches in thickness.

Swan Township. - The Middle Mercer clay member is present above drainage in all of Swan Township, lying near drainage level in the eastern part and well up on the hills in the western part. Its elevation is about 840 feet in Section 1, 950 feet in Section 6, 890 feet in Section 31, and 730 feet in Section 36. As elsewhere, the deposits vary considerably in thickness and character from place to place. On the whole they are not especially attractive for ceramic work. The following record secured in Section 30 is representative of the general stratigraphy:

Ft. In. Gio Si) i AE de ETT a ees oe ee 5 Sum berarial sitaly San GStONes . scanc si 48 lo xicta a vs'l owe eos 14 0 HO ART, ee, Ra ak A Suter 2 ee 4 0 Coal and carbonaceous shale, Upper Mercer.........0..04. 8 Meet POE OR OE hey Pes Pvt yt ee na yo iid x wiese 6.09.6 ele 4 6 0% 30 0 Shale, calcareous, fossiliferous....... 1 0 Limestone, blue, fossiliferous........ } Lower Mercer 4 Coal, weathered, Middle Mercer... 0... .cc ccc cccccccccs 2

The best deposits of Middle Mercer clay in Swan Township are present in the western and the southern parts where it expands locally to 4 feet or more in thickness and where it is rather free from visible impurities. Locally it coalesces with the underlying Flint Ridge clay. Near Hue it was formerly mined to a small extent for stoneware pottery. The material used was the soft weathered clay along the outcrop.

Jackson Township. - In Jackson Township the Middle Mercer clay occurs in all the main ridges except those in the extreme western part. The best developed deposits are found below the Lower Mercer limestone on the dividing ridge between Middle Fork of Salt Creek and Pretty Run where the clay is 3 to 6 feet thick, and of fair quality. In the southeastern part of the township, the bed is generally thin and the material very siliceous, locally changing to a clay-bonded sandstone.

Richland Township. - In its extension southward from Jackson into Richland Township few changes were noted in either the thickness or the quality of the Middle Mercer clay. In parts of the area the Lower Mercer limestone is absent, in which case the member is found 2 to 8 feet below the Lower Mercer ore. The relationship of the three Mercer clays is shown in the record given below and secured along the road in central Section 22:

Pennsylvanian System El7

Elk Township. - Exposures of Middle Mercer clay in Elk Township are confined to the valleys of the larger streams in the western and central parts. The usual thickness of the clay is from 2 to 4 feet, and that of the overlying coal from 2 to 6 inches. In this area it has not been employed for ceramic products except along with shale for building brick. A section of the bed in the pit of the McArthur Brick

At this place a sample of Middle Mercer clay was taken for testing. (See page 118.) Where observed along the headwaters of Little Raccoon Creek in Section 30 and along McConnel Run in sections 31 and 32, the member is 3 to 5 feet thick and of fair quality. In these localities the bed lies not far above drainage at elevations of 830 to

Clinton Township. - The only areas in Clinton Township in which Middle Mercer clay appears at the surface are along Little Raccoon Creek and along McConnel Run where it outcrops not far above the valley floors. The deposits are not above the average either in thickness or in quality.

places to be attractive for large ceramic operations and the overlying coal is likewise too thin to be considered as an adjunct in mining the clay. Where this clay coalesces with the Flint Ridge member, however, the two may be worked very satisfactorily. The Middle Mercer clay was formerly worked to a small extent on Potters Ridge near Hue for the manufacture of stoneware. It is plastic, always siliceous, and relatively free from concretionary matter and pyrite crystals. The lower part of the bed is far more siliceous than the upper part and locally gradates into a clay-bonded sandstone. More mica is also present in the basal portion. The clay weathers readily into good plastic material. The chemical and physical properties of the Middle Mercer clay are shown by the following tests of a sample taken at the plant of the McArthur Brick Company at McArthur:

Sand separate is small in amount and of fine grain. It consists of abundant muscovite in bright cleavage fragments, primary quartz and quartz-sericite-clay aggregates. Zircon, tourmaline, pyrite, and rutile are found in the same separate in very small amounts. 'The sand grains have yellow iron stain on the surface.

The clay separate contains a very large amount of sericite (hydromica) and considerable finely divided quartz. Rutile is present in fine needles.

Tempering Watett..4. suis ee ane 23.32 per cent. Drying linear shrinkage. 5 bcs a cae 5.66 per cent. Drying volume: shrinkage. - 0.9, 02 < ona ee 17.95 per cent.

Pennsylvanian System 119

Burns to a clear color. Shows high shrinkage. If mixed with a siliceous clay to control shrinkage it would evidently be good for stoneware and other purposes.

Middle Mercer Coal

The Middle Mercer is another of the thin Pottsville coals that is widely distributed in Ohio, extending with fair continuity from the Ohio-Pennsylvania line in Mahoning County to the Ohio River in Scioto County. Throughout this field the member expands in few places sufficiently to be mined even in a small way. The average thickness of the stratum is not more than 6 inches and the maximum about 3 feet. In character it varies from a bright, bituminous coal to bone coal, to cannel coal, or to carbonaceous shale. The position of the Middle Mercer coal is directly below or near the Lower Mercer limestone. Only locally does a thin stratum of shale intervene between the two beds where the limestone is present. Where the limestone is absent and the horizon marked by Lower Mercer ore, several feet of shale may separate the ore and coal. The member is of interest chiefly for its stratigraphic features.

The Middle Mercer coal is above drainage across the central part of Vinton County or in western Brown, Swan, eastern Jackson, Elk, eastern Richland, and western Clinton townships. The bed usually measures between 2 and 10 inches and in few places expands to more than 1 foot. The average thickness from many measurements in the county is § inches. It has not been mined except by stripping along stream beds where the cover is shallow.

Brown Township. - In Brown Township the Middle Mercer coal is rather persistent but thin where exposed along Raccoon Creek and the lower part of Twomile Run. The elevation of the bed is about 830 feet at New Plymouth and 730 feet in Section 32. On Twomile Run it passes below drainage in central Section 23. The usual thickness of the bed is between 4 and 8 inches and its position directly below the Lower Mercer limestone.

Swan Township. - The member is widely distributed in Swan Township, being present above drainage in the entire area. The bed, however, is poorly developed, for in many places it is represented only by a soot streak. In most of the township the normal roof, the Lower Mercer limestone, is absent, its place being taken by shale bearing the Lower Mercer ore.

Jackson Township. - The Middle Mercer coal in Jackson Township is best developed along the main ridge between Pretty Run and Middle Fork where it expands locally from 2 to 8 inches. In the eastern part the horizon is marked more often by only a soot streak.

Richland Township. - No coal deposits of value were observed below the Lower Mercer limestone which is present in the eastern and central parts of Richland Township. Locally the Middle Mercer coal . has a thickness of about 6 inches in sections 22, 23, 24, 28, and 35.

Elk Township. - The Middle Mercer coal lies above the valley floors in western and central Elk Township but is of no importance as it is everywhere thin and usually impure. Locally both the associated Lower Mercer limestone and iron ore are absent.

Clinton Township. - Conditions are similar in Clinton Township where the Middle Mercer coal is present above drainage along Little Raccoon Creek and McConnel Run. Locally the member swells to 6 or 8 inches in thickness but usually it is represented only by a few inches of carbonaceous clay.

The Middle Mercer coal in Vinton County, although widely distributed, is of trifling value as the bed is everywhere thin and in many places impure. At most it will yield only small supplies for local needs. The best coal on the horizon is a bright, dense fuel with high volatile matter and rather low ash. It mines in blocks, the horizontal dimensions of which are about the same as the thickness of the bed. Locally this coal assumes a cannel nature but as far as observed it changes at no place to a true cannel. The best coal is present in the thicker deposits.

Lower Mercer Limestone

The Lower Mercer limestone, although thin, is a wonderfully persistent bed in western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio and on this account it is of great service to the stratigrapher as a guide in the correlation of strata in the middle portion of the Pottsville formation. It was named in 1858 by H. D. Rogers of the Pennsylvania Survey from exposures near Mercer in Mercer County of that State. The bed enters Ohio from Pennsylvania in Mahoning County where it is well represented along the Mahoning Valley. From here the member extends southward through Portage, Stark, Summit, Wayne, Tuscarawas, Holmes, Coshocton, Muskingum, Licking, Perry, Hocking, Vinton, Jackson, Scioto, and Lawrence counties into Kentucky. In Scioto and Lawrence and locally in Vinton and Hocking counties, the horizon is more frequently marked by iron ore than by limestone. In Ohio the bed was first called Zoar limestone, being thus named by J. 8. Newberry in 1878 from exposures at Zoar in Tuscarawas County. The term Blue Limestone was also commonly applied to it on account of its bluish color. The Lower Mercer limestone is of marine origin and is everywhere fossiliferous. The fauna is large and the types represented vary considerably from place to place and with the kind of material. In Ohio this limestone lies on the average about 80 feet below the top and nearly 170 feet above the base of the Pottsville formation. These intervals, however, change from place to place.

In Vinton County the Lower Mercer is by far the most constant limestone in the Pottsville formation. It is present above drainage in a wide belt extending across the central part of the area and including western Brown, Swan, eastern Jackson, eastern Richland, Elk, and western Clinton townships. The member is not persistent by any means for in many localities the horizon is marked only by a thin ore bed or by a slender stratum of fossiliferous shale. Further, in some areas these are wanting, their place being taken by sandstone. The position of the Lower Mercer limestone is, on the average, about 40 feet below the Upper Mercer ore and limestone, 68 feet below the Brookville coal, 98 feet above the Quakertown coal, and 150 feet above the top of the Mississippian formation. In Vinton County the member varies greatly both in thickness and in character. It may be represented by a single bed of limestone, by limestone overlain or underlain by calcareous, fossiliferous shale, by two benches of limestone separated by fossiliferous shale, by dark flint, or by fossiliferous shale alone. The limestone layers vary in thickness from 1 inch to 1 foot 8 inches but they usually measure between 4 and 10 inches. The lower stratum of limestone is far more persistent than the upper one. The associated fossiliferous shales expand from a few inches to as much as 10 feet. The average of more than fifty measurements within the county shows that the mean thickness of fossiliferous shale and limestone is 3 feet 2 inches and of limestone alone 7 inches.

The lower bench of the Lower Mercer limestone is dark blue and in some places almost black. It is usually siliceous in character and changes to flint in a few places. This limestone is hard, dense, and tough. The jointing is such that the stratum breaks in rectangular blocks which are fairly uniform in size. The upper bench of limestone is lighter in color and more argillaceous than the lower one. In places it is so shaly that the blocks crumble on weathering much the same as true shale. The thickness of this bed varies from 2 inches to 1 foot but the usual measurement is between 4 and 8 inches. The limestone in both benches 1s fossiliferous but that in the upper one generally contains greater profusion of marine life. Aside from these, soft, clay-like and hard, bony shales, both fossiliferous, may be associated with the limestone in almost any order. The fossils in these are usually different from those in the more calcareous material.

Brown Township. - The Lower Mercer limestone is due above drainage only in northwestern Brown Township or along Raccoon Creek in sections 36, 35, 34, 33, and 32 and along Twomile Run in sections 29 and 23. Locally the limestone is absent, its place being taken by an iron ore. The member has fair thickness but is more largely fossiliferous shale than hard limestone.

The Lower Mercer member outcrops at an elevation of about 840 feet in the hollow east of New Plymouth. Its position here is approximately 60 feet below the Clarion coal. In the north central part of Section 35, the deposit with an elevation of nearly 800 feet consists of 4 inches of hard limestone overlain by 6 inches of very fossiliferous shale. Along the stream in the west central part of the same section the deposits are generally shaly limestone 2 to 4 feet thick. On Twomile Run the Lower Mercer limestone is exposed at an elevation of 775 feet along the road in southwestern Section 29 and again at 780 feet at the forks of the road in the east central part of the same section. The stratum is present in the bed of the stream in western Section 23 where the following measurements were secured:

Pennsylvanian System 123

Along Raccoon Creek in sections 34, 33, and 32, the horizon appears to be marked in more places by iron ore than by limestone. Its position is not far above drainage.

Swan Township. - The Mercer group of rocks is exposed at the surface in all of Swan Township. They rise from near drainage level in the eastern part to about midway on the ridges in the western part. The Lower Mercer limestone, however, is only locally present, the horizon most commonly being marked by iron ore. Moreover, the deposits are not only thin but are more largely fossiliferous shale than hard limestone.

In the hollow in the northeast corner of Section 1, the member is present at an elevation of 840 feet and consists of 4 inches of limestone overlain by 8 inches of fossiliferous shale. Its position here is 60 feet below the Clarion coal. In the vicinity of Mt. Pleasant fossiliferous shale and iron ore are the common representatives of the Lower Mercer limestone. The following composite record taken in north central Section 4 shows this condition and its relation to other members:

In the northwestern part of the township only iron ore was observed on the horizon. South of this also the member is poorly developed. The only deposits found are in southeastern Section 19 and northeastern Section 30 where the limestone is 2 to 4 inches thick and the superimposed fossiliferous shale 1 to 2 feet. Its position here is nearly 48 feet below the Upper Mercer ore and its elevation approximately 920 feet. Along Raccoon Creek in southeastern Swan Township, the Lower Mercer limestone is more persistent and better developed. Locally the structure closely resembles that in parts of Jackson County. 'This is shown in the following measurements secured at the forks of the road in southeastern Section 26:

The member was observed also along the bank near the bridge across Raccoon Creek in Section 25 and along the stream in the northern part of the same area. At the latter place the structure is much the same as that given above, the upper bench of limestone being 11 inches thick, the intercalated shale 1 foot' 1 inch, and the lower bench of limestone 4 inches. The elevation of the deposit is 745 feet.

sence in both large and small areas is due more largely to lack of deposition than to replacement. The member is most persistent along the main ridge between Pretty Run and Middle Fork and along that between Middle Fork and Elk Fork. The feature most conspicuous in this area is the shaly phase above the hard limestone which is similar lithologically and faunally to that so placed in many localities farther north in Hocking, Perry, Muskingum, Licking, and Coshocton counties. Further, in a few sections the limestone changes partially to a dark-colored flint not unlike that found on the Upper Mercer horizon in central Ohio.

Along the ridge road in northern Section 21, the Lower Mercer member is made up of both shaly and hard limestone. Measurements of the rocks exposed are given below:

Exposures at an elevation of 1,010 feet along the road in the southwestern part of this section show much the same thickness of hard and shaly limestone as given in the above record. Deposits similar in character are present at 990 feet on the knob in the southeastern part of the area. At the sharp turn of the ridge road in southeastern Section 20, the lower stratum consists of dark limestone with large masses of black flint. The thickness of the bed is about 1 foot and its elevation nearly 1,010 feet. In the southern part of Section 29 the Lower Mercer member is especially well developed and is present in all the high knobs. Just east of the forks of the road the following measurements were secured: Ft. In. Limestone, shaly, very fossiliferous......... Lower Mercer, elevation 990 feet 7 11 Limestone, blue, hard,

On the knobs of the ridge in northwestern Section 34, the member is regularly present at an elevation of approximately 970 feet. In its extension eastward the deposits are more local and have less thickness. The following record, taken in a ravine in southeastern Section 24, is representative of the member and of its relations to other stratigraphic units:

Soon Om

The fossils in these shales are not only abundant but are well preserved, thus affording good collecting. The member extends southward with little change in character or in thickness across Section 25 into the northern part of Section 36, where its elevation is 900 to

Richland Township. - In this township the Lower Mercer member shows the same erratic changes in thickness and in character that it does in Jackson Township to the north. It also lacks continuity, in many places being absent. Usually only one bench of hard limestone, 4 inches to 1 foot thick, is present. Along with this, however, 1 to 8 feet of soft clay shale or shaly limestone is found in many deposits. During this invasion of the sea, deposition took place in more or less isolated basins in which a diversity of conditions prevailed, thus resulting in different kinds of strata and in different orders of arrangement.

Pennsylvanian System 127

eastern half of Richland Township. The following record, taken along the abandoned road in central Section 1, shows its position in relation to others higher in the geological column:

In the above section the intervals from the Lower Mercer limestone to the members in the upper part of the Pottsville and the lower part of the Allegheny formations are about normal for the region. Further, the most important beds are represented. At this place the shaly phase of the Lower Mercer member, 5 feet or more thick, is almost identical lithologically with that in central Ohio, showing like conditions of deposition.

The Lower Mercer limestone is present in gullies north of the road in central Section 2 and is again exposed on several high knobs along the ridge in Section 3. In the central part of this area the shaly phase is 6 to 12 feet thick and the underlying hard limestone 5 to 10 inches. The elevation of the deposits is nearly 940 feet. Along the road in east central Section 11, the bed has the following thickness and structure:

The stratigraphic features of overlying beds in this locality are well shown in the above record as are also the main characteristics of the Lower Mercer member. Just east of the Wyckoff Crossroads along the line between sections 15 and 22, it is made up of 9 inches of hard limestone, 2 feet 6 inches of soft shale, and 5 feet 6 inches of shaly limestone, all fossiliferous. The fauna is large and the specimens are well preserved. Deposits similar in character and thickness are present in northern Section 23. Just north of the road in the southeastern corner of Section 13, the full thickness of the Lower Mercer limestone was exposed in a gully. The measurements obtained are given below:

It is thus seen that in the above deposit four rather distinct kinds of material are present on the horizon. These differ not only in physical and chemical properties but also in the quantity and range of marine life. The lower stratum may be considered general across the State, the second and third layers are best represented in southern Ohio in Hocking, Vinton, and Jackson counties, and the upper bed is most prominent in central Ohio in Perry, Muskingum, Licking, and Coshocton counties. Along the road that leads from the valley to the ridge in east central Section 29, the member is present at an elevation of 980 feet. Its position here is about 50 feet below the Upper Mercer ore and 78 feet below the Brookville coal. In a ravine on the farm of L. R. Atwood in west central Section 36, the Lower Mercer member has the following structure:

Elk Township. - In general, in Elk Township the deposits of Lower Mercer limestone are somewhat local in distribution and are rather poor in development. It exhibits somewhere, however, all the features that it has in areas farther west and north. Most of the deposits are rich in marine fauna and thus afford 'excellent collecting. The member is above drainage in the western half of the township.

Along the road in central Section 5, the Lower Mercer member is present at an elevation of 840 feet and consists of a few inches of hard limestone and about 1 foot of fossiliferous shale. The latter material alone marks the horizon in the southeastern corner of Section 8. In central Section 17, this member has excellent thickness and about all the different phases, as shown in the following record taken at an exposure along the stream:

This locally affords excellent collecting. Other exposures with much the same thickness are also present along the stream in the eastern part of the same section. The position of the member here is 43 feet below the Upper Mercer ore, 64 feet below the Putnam Hill limestone, and 82 feet below the Winters coal. Well developed deposits are also present, at an elevation of 840 feet, in west central Section 30. South of this the member is thin and uncertain. Along the road in southeastern Section 31, the horizon is marked by only 1 foot of marine shale and near the road forks in the western part of Section 32, by 8 inches of limestone and 1 foot of shale. At the latter place the bed is 830 feet above tide. In Rock Hollow in western Section 33, the Lower Mercer member has the following thickness and structure:

Ft. In. Limestone, gray, blocky, Sree fossiliferous. Rye 10 Shale, gray, foesiferous 2 6 'Shale, black, very fossi- | Lower Mercer, altitude 780 feet eros 78 ot Ji de ole 6 Limestone, hard, dark gray, fossiliferous.... 6

Fossiliferous shale, 1 foot 4 inches thick, marks the horizon along the road in west central Section 28. In the pit of the McArthur Brick Company in the southeastern part of the same section, the deposit has the following thickness and structure:

Along Elk Fork east of McArthur, the member is represented by an iron ore or by a thin shale bearing a few fossils. It is below drainage in the eastern part of the township.

Clinton Township. - The Lower Mercer limestone is present not far above the valley floors along Little Raccoon Creek and Mc- Connel Run in western Clinton Township, but owing to thick deposits of silts along these streams it is exposed for measurement at few places. No new features were observed. Locally the member is absent, its position being indicated by a thin stratum of iron ore.

In central Section 5, thin deposits of limestone and shale are present at an elevation of approximately 800 feet. Along the road in west central Section 18, the following measurements were secured:

Ft. Tn, Sandstone, soft, micaceous.. ecm se eee eee ener 10 0 Clay, silicéous, particovered cnanac scteiie ae eee 4 0 Shale, very siliceous. acdc de cmc e eee if 0 Coal, weathered, Bedford's <.c2).: sew eae eniedas & oe 7 Clay-and covered'. <2. 2c cee eee 8 5 Shale, shaly sandstone, and covered... «1 sales 15 4 Coal blossom, Upser Mercer:...can se on tee 6

Pennsylvanian System 131

The Lower Mercer limestone in Vinton County is of small economic value as the lower stratum, the only layer of fair purity, averages not more than 7 inches in thickness and at few places expands to as much as 1 foot 6 inches. The deposits are thus too thin to be worked in a large way. Small quantities, however, may be obtained at low cost along stream beds where the covering has been largely removed by erosion. In the better grades of stone the content of calcium carbonate is 80 to 90 per cent and that of magnesium carbonate 1 to 3 per cent. It is sufficiently pure for the calcined product to slake readily on exposure to moisture, hence it may be burned for agricultural purposes. In parts of the county a supply of lime sufficient for farm needs may be obtained from this source as both limestone and coal are available. One cubic foot of this stone weighs 166 pounds or 12 cubic feet nearly one ton. For the fuel in calcination of limestone in stacks either coal or wood may be used. The quantity required per ton of stone is 600 to 700 pounds of coal or nearly one-half cord of wood. The dense, tough nature of the Lower Mercer limestone recommends it for use in road building and for concrete work, but the thinness of the bed excludes its being so employed except in local areas. The fossiliferous shales associated with the hard limestone are somewhat calcareous in composition. Their value, however, is chiefly in contributing some lime to the soils derived, through decomposition, from such deposits.

Lower Mercer Ore

son, and Vinton counties for iron smelting in the charcoal furnaces, was called by the miners the "little red block," "fine kidney," and "blue limestone" ore. In the report of 1870 it is described by E. B. Andrews as the "little red block" ore. It extends from Mahoning County on the north to Scioto County on the Ohio River but it is subject to many wants. Moreover, the bed is everywhere thin, in few places expanding to more than a few inches. The member was mined most extensively in southern Ohio where it has fair continuity and good quality for a native material.

In Vinton County the Lower Mercer ore is locally present across the central part or in northwestern Brown, Swan, eastern Jackson, eastern Richland, Elk, and western Clinton townships. It was mined most extensively in Richland Township where it was used for iron smelting in Cincinnati furnace. Where both the ore and the Lower Mercer limestone are present, the position of the ore is 2 to 10 feet above the limestone. The mean intervals to the-overlying Sand Block and Upper Mercer ores are 23 and 34 feet respectively and to the underlying Boggs 31 feet. The member varies from 1 to 9 inches in thickness but averages about 3 inches. Usually it is represented by a single stratum but locally it may be divided into two or even three layers. Most of the deposits are sparingly fossiliferous, the fauna being of marine origin and similar to that in the underlying limestone. However, the species are fewer and the forms more impoverished.

The Lower Mercer ore is poorly represented in northwestern Brown Township. At the forks of the road in southern Section 34, the following measurements were secured:

Formerly the member was mined in a small way by stripping along the outcrop in many places in Swan Township. Along the road in the southwestern part of Section 2, at an elevation of 841 feet, the deposit consists of two benches of ore, 2 and 3 inches thick, respectively, separated by 4 inches of shale. The structure and thickness of the member are much the same also in the vicinity of Mt. Pleasant in Section 4. Near the forks of the road in eastern Section 6, the following rocks were exposed:

Pennsylvanian System 133

The Lower Mercer ore is 3 inches thick near the Ebenezer School in northern Section 7. It shows little change in the central and the southern parts of the township, usually being present but everywhere thin.

The position of the member is about midway up the slopes of the hills in the eastern part of Jackson Township and near the summits of the ridges in the central part. The development is not above the average in any part of the area. Its elevation above tide is about 1,030 feet in Section 1, 1,095 feet near the Chestnut Grove Church, in Section 5, 920 feet in Section 36, and 1,015 feet in Section 32.

A part of the ore supply for Cincinnati furnace was drawn from the Lower Mercer member in Richland Township where the bed is moderately persistent over most of the area. Along the road in central Section 11, the ore is 2 inches thick and lies 2 feet 4 inches above the top of the Lower Mercer limestone which measures 5 feet 6 inches. Its relation to the Upper Mercer member is shown in the following record taken along the line in the southeastern part of Section 16: which is well developed. Along the ridge in central Section 34, the bed was formerly mined by stripping. The thickness of the member is 2 to 6 inches. Old ore benches are also present at an elevation of 930 feet on the ridge in the central part of Section 33 and south of this in Section 4. Some deposits were also worked along Jackman Ridge in sections 34 and 3. The ore is regularly broken by joint planes into blocks which weather into concentric layers known to the miners as kidneys. Along the outcrop it is a limonite but under cover it is a hard siderite.

The Lower Mercer ore is not a prominent bed in Elk Township for in many localities it is wanting and where present the stratum is thin and impure. It is present above drainage only in the western half. The member is also lacking in continuity and is variable in thickness and quality along Little Raccoon Creek and McConnel Run in the western part of Clinton Township. ;

At present the Lower Mercer ore is of interest chiefly for its stratigraphic features although formerly in the days of the charcoal furnaces it was considered one of the important iron-bearing strata of southern Ohio. It belongs to the block or kidney type of ores, depending on its thickness and state of weathering. On the outcrop the material is a soft shelly limonite but under cover it is a dense siderite. Analysis of the ore usually shows from 25 to 45 per cent iron, from .200 to .400 per cent phosphorus, and .30 to .60 per cent manganese. It belongs to the class of ores well fitted for making foundry iron. Owing to its soft and porous nature, it smelted readily in the short stacks of the charcoal furnaces. In Vinton County the Lower Mercer ore was mined largely in the vicinity of Cincinnati furnace in Richland Township and near Creola in Swan.

Upper Mercer Clay

In Ohio the clay associated with the Upper Mercer or No. 3a coal is not an important stratum for the manufacture of ceramic products. It is best developed in a small field in eastern Scioto County where it is used at South Webster for making iron mottled building brick. In its extension northward across Jackson into Vinton County the member so decreases in thickness and in continuity that it has little value for such purposes. From more than thirty measurements in Vinton County the average thickness of the bed is 2 feet 3 inches and the maximum measurement 5 feet. The position of the clay is about midway in the interval between the Lower Mercer and the Upper Mercer limestones or where these. are absent between their kindred ores. More directly it lies only a few feet below the Sand Block ore, which member, however, is present at few places. The material is everywhere a plastic clay, siliceous in character, and dark to light gray in color. The associated coal is too thin to be considered' as an adjunct in mining the clay as it averages only about 8 inches. The Upper Mercer clay is present locally in western Brown, Swan, eastern Jackson, eastern Richland, Elk, and western Clinton townships. The member will be traced only in a general way.

The deposits of Upper Mercer clay along Raccoon Creek and Twomile Run in western Brown Township are local in extent, poor in quality, and their usual measurement is between 1 and 3 feet. The member is above drainage in all of Swan Township but is very erratic in distribution and in character. The general stratigraphy is well shown in the following record taken in a ravine in south central Section 29:

In some of the exposures the material is very siliceous, being more a clay-bonded sandstone than a true clay. Root impressions are common in these deposits. The thickness of the bed is ordinarily between | foot 6 inches and 3 feet.

The member is fairly persistent in the eastern part of Jackson Township but it is not above the average either in thickness or in quality. Its position with reference to the Upper Mercer ore is shown in the record given below and taken at the road forks in central Section 21:

Along the ridges in eastern Richland Township the Upper Mercer clay is local in extent and poor in quality, and the deposits are not attractive for ceramic work. The following measurements, taken along the road in northeastern Section 24, show its position with reference to the Upper Mercer flint and ore and to the Lower Mercer ore and limestone:

The Upper Mercer clay is widely distributed in Elk Township but as elsewhere it is lacking in development and in quality. The average thickness of the clay is about 2 feet and that of the overlying coal only 7 inches. It is best represented in the northeastern part as shown by the following measurements taken along the road in the southwestern part of Section 12:

In this locality the Upper Mercer clay is siliceous in character but otherwise of fair purity. The member shows no improvement in Clinton Township where it is locally present along Little Raccoon Creek and McConnel Run and disappears below drainage near Dundas and Hamden Furnace.

Pennsylvanian System 137

ness nor the purity to fit it for ceramic operations. Further, the overlying coal is too thin to aid substantially in the mining of the material and in its conversion to useful products. It belongs in the low heat duty class of clays which are best fitted for the manufacture of stoneware and iron mottled building brick. This material has fair plasticity, moderate shrinkage, both drying and burning, and good body strength, but the burning range is not wide. The Upper Mercer clay is not used at any place in Vinton County.

In the interval between the Lower Mercer and the Upper Mercer limestones, or, in their absence, between their kindred ores, two coal horizons are somewhat distinctly defined across the State. Neither bed is persistent but each occurs with fair regularity over rather wide areas. In southern Ohio this interval ranges from 35 to 45 feet in thickness but in the central and eastern portions it measures more often between 20 and 30 feet. The lowest coal bed, lying about midway in this interval, is known as the Upper Mercer or No. 3a coal. It is best developed in eastern Scioto County where it is known locally as the Webster Block coal. The upper bed, called the Bedford coal, lies directly or closely below the Upper Mercer limestone, flint, or iron ore, whichever material may mark the horizon. This member is best represented in Coshocton and Holmes counties where it is a cannel coal with excellent thickness. Other beds of coal appear in this interval, more in the nature of local, erratic lenses but these are not sufficiently continuous or distinct to warrant correlation. The most prominent is a thin coal occurring in isolated areas only a few feet above the Lower Mercer limestone.

In Vinton County the Upper Mercer coal lies on the average 24 feet above the base of the Lower Mercer limestone, 15 feet below that of the Upper Mercer ore, and 4 feet below that of the Sand Block ore. These intervals, however, are subject to considerable variation, due to the lenticular character of many of the deposits making up this group of rocks. In this county the Upper Mercer coal is thin, averaging only 8 inches, and nowhere expanding to more than 1 foot 6 inches. In character it varies from a bright, bituminous coal, to bone coal, to cannel coal, and to coaly shale. On account of its impoverished condition, the member will be traced only in.a general way.

Along Raccoon Creek and Twomile Run in western Brown Township, the Upper Mercer member is either absent or is represented only by a soot streak of coal. Many wants are also found in Swan Township. Locally, however, it is better defined, from 4 to 8 inches of fair quality fuel being present on the horizon. The best deposits observed were in sections 2, 6, 21, 29, and 30. The member is usually present but thin along the ridges in eastern Jackson Township. The following measurements, taken along the road in west central Section 10, show the main stratigraphic features:

Ore and flint, Upper Mercer, about in place............505- 4 Dhialeaitd-COvEr Cds 13 8 etna xc dade eee are ee 10 0 OTe MIO Cla Ad ODL OCK em acer: mes aut eee eee ee ee 6 ShialesoravetOnciabk + 2 025. ck sags cusnasoca tee only three Cine tele ee ee 6 0 Coal, shaly, Upper Mercer, elevation 1,050 feet............ 1 2 2 0

Deposits from 6 to 10 inches thick are also present in sections 16, 21, 35, and 36, but in some of these the coal is shaly. The member has fair continuity in eastern Richland Township but nowhere thickens sufficiently for mining even in a small way. Muchthe same is true in Elk Township. The main stratigraphic features are shown in the record given below and taken along the road in northwestern Section

In Clinton Township, the Upper Mercer coal is' best developed in the vicinity of Hamden Furnace where it thicken' locally to nearly 1 foot. Its position here is 10 to 15 feet below the Upper Mercer ore and 20 to 30 feet above the Lower Mercer member. Elsewhere in the western part of the township, the bed is thin or wanting.

The Upper Mercer, like other coals in this group of rocks, is widely distributed in Ohio' but only in very small fields is it sufficiently well developed to furnish fuel even for local needs. In Vinton County the supply from this source is negligible. The member has not been regularly mined by drifting at any place, but along stream beds where erosion has removed most of the overburden small quantities of coal are secured by stripping. This fuel is high in volatile matter and hence burns freely and with a long flame. The content of sulphur is low and the ash is clay-like in character and moderate in quantity. The bed is usually free from partings of either clay or bone shale. Like most thin strata, it is regularly broken by joint planes so that it mines in rectangular blocks, hence it is often called a block coal. In general, the Upper Mercer coal is well fitted for domestic use and in the future when the thicker beds are exhausted it may be of real service for such purposes.

Sand Block Ore

The Sand Block ore was formerly used in a small way by some of the charcoal furnaces in Scioto, Lawrence, Jackson, and Vinton counties. It was named Sand Block ore by the miners as it was blocky in structure and as it was more siliceous in character and rougher in appearance than either the underlying Lower Mercer or Little Red Block ore or the overlying Upper Mercer or Big Red Block member. It was considered least valuable of the three block ores. The general position of the Sand Block ore is about two-thirds of the way up in the interval between the Lower Mercer and the Upper Mercer ores and only a few feet above the Upper Mercer coal.

In Vinton County the Sand Block ore is an uncertain and variable element. It changes from a well stratified ore of blocky structure to concretionary nodules dissipated throughout several feet of shale. Further, in many areas it is completely wanting. The material varies also in character from a rather rich mellow ore to one decidedly siliceous or argillaceous. During this stage the conditions in the brackish water swamps were only locally favorable for the deposition of ferruginous sediments in sufficient quantities to form definite ore bodies. Under cover the ore is a siderite but along the outcrop, where weathering has been active, it is a limonite. The thickness of the ore varies from 1 to 8 inches but the usual measurement is about 3 inches. The general position of the Sand Block ore in Vinton County is 11 feet below the Upper Mercer ore, 4 feet above the Upper Mercer coal, 23 feet above the Lower Mercer ore, and 29 feet above the base of the Lower Mercer limestone. As the deposits have no commercial value at present, the member will be treated briefly.

Formerly the Sand Block ore was mined in a small way at a number of places in Swan Township. It was worked most extensively along the ridges west of Creola. The main stratigraphic features are shown in the following measurements taken in southern Section

Local deposits of Sand Block ore are present along the ridges in eastern and central Jackson Township. Near Otterbein Chapel in Section 9, this member, 4 inches thick, was exposed along the road. The elevation of the deposit is about 1,050 feet. Its position here is directly above the Upper Mercer coal, only a few inches thick, and 11 feet below the Upper Mercer member, represented by fossiliferous limestone and flint. Along the ridge in Section 10, the conditions are much the same except that the ore thickens to as much as 6 inches and the coal to 1 foot or more. Other exposures were observed in the southeastern part of the area.

The deposits appear to be thin and scattered in Richland Township and are not especially prominent in western Clinton. The member was formerly mined to a small extent in western Elk Township. The stratigraphic relation of the Sand Block ore to other members higher in the geological column is well shown in the following record taken along the road in central Section 7:

Pennsylvanian System 141

In the vicinity of Elk Fork, the Sand Block ore, known locally as the "'Dever block," was formerly mined at a number of places. The member here lies about 13 feet below the Upper Mercer or "Dunkel" ore which was worked very extensively throughout the area.

The deposits of Sand Block ore in Vinton County are too thin and too lean to be of any special importance at present. Formerly also the member was regarded by the charcoal furnace operators as of less value than either of the associated Mercer ores as it was changed in a short distance from an ore of fair purity to one very rough and siliceous. Like most of the coal formation ores, it belongs to the foundry class, being high in phosphorus. The composition of the best Sand Block ore is approximately 25 to 40 per cent iron, .200 to .400 per cent phosphorus, and .50 to 1.50 per cent manganese.

Bedford Coal And Clay

The Bedford coal has fair continuity and is of some importance in central Ohio where in small fields in Muskingum, Coshocton, Holmes, and Tuscarawas counties, it is mined for a part of the local fuel supply. In Perry and Hocking counties, the member is more erratic in character and more uncertain in distribution. The most southern deposit that has been mined by drifting is in central Green Township of Hocking County. In southern Ohio or in Vinton, Jackson, Scioto, and Lawrence counties, the horizon is very poorly marked, as the member is in few places represented by more than a few inches of shaly coal and usually by only a soot streak of coal underlain by a thin stratum of impure clay. Further, in many localities both materials are wanting. The normal position of the Bedford coal is directly below the Upper Mercer limestone or its equivalents, black flint and iron ore. In Vinton County the average thickness of this coal is less than 1 inch and the maximum observed 6 inches. The associated clay is not only thin but siliceous and impure. The mean measurement is about 1 foot. As the Bedford members in the area have no economic value and little stratigraphic interest and as sections showing their relations

Upper Mercer Limestone, Flint, And Iron Ore

The limestone now bearing the name Upper Mercer was described in 1858 by Rogers of the First Pennsylvania Survey as the Mahoning from exposures along the Mahoning River near Newcastle in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania.t The deposits there examined consist of a hard, blue limestone and black flint accompanied by iron ore. Twenty years later, or in 1878, the name was changed by White to Upper Mercer as the bed was traced by him to Mercer in Mercer County, the type locality for the underlying Lower Mercer limestone? In Ohio the stratum was first designated by Orton in 1878 as the Gore limestone from exposures near Gore Furnace in Hocking County. In 1884 the name used in Pennsylvania was adopted in Ohio.