Vinton Township (part 7 of 8)

In this deposit the ore varies from 1 to 12 feet in thickness but measures usually between 2 and 4 feet. Its position is at the base of the Oak Hill clay and from 2 to 3 feet above the Lower Kittanning coal. Both the upper and lower surfaces of the ore are irregular in outline. The material varies from red to brown to gray, depending on the state of oxidation. It was mined entirely by stripping. Elsewhere in Vinton County the Hamden member is of no value economically and has little interest stratigraphically. In a few places in Elk, Madison, and Brown townships, the horizon is marked but poorly by scattered nodules of impure ore at the base of the Oak Hill clay. Neither the limestone nor the shaly phase was observed at any place within this area.

Although the quantity yet available is small, the Hamden ore is of some interest commercially, more for its content of phosphorus than that of iron. The element phosphorus is very effective in increasing the fluidity of molten iron and in preventing the oxidation of other metals present. It thus assists in the production of sound castings in foundry work. It is combined with the iron as the phosphide, FeP. In the Hamden ore the phosphorus varies from 2 to 12 per cent but averages between 4 and 5 per cent. In general the ore richest in phosphorus is that in the lower part of the deposit. The fluctuation in iron in the material is from 25 to 55 per cent, but the average is approximately 33 per cent. This ore carries also nearly one-half the bases, lime and magnesia, needed for fluxing the silica and alumina present. Through the kindness of Mr. J. H. Frantz of the American Rolling Mill Company, Columbus, Ohio, the average analysis of 29 cars of ore is given below: (Percy Daines, analyst)

The product is a ferro-phosphide iron, hard and brittle, and silvery in appearance. Such an iron is only slightly inferior to that now considered standard and used widely in foundry work. The Hamden ore has thus a special field of usefulness in a region where such material is frequently needed and not widely distributed.

Oak Hill Clay

The Oak Hill clay, named for deposits which have been mined in a large way since 1873 at Oak Hill in Jackson County, has a known areal range from the Beaver Valley in western Pennsylvania southwestward to the Ohio River in southern Ohio. The member, however, is far from persistent as it is subject to many wants throughout the entire field. These are due more to lack of deposition than to other causes. The Oak Hill clay was laid down in a coal formation swamp of wide extent with vegetable matter and acid waters as the chemical agencies that purified the shale sediments there entering. The swamp as such was not continuous but consisted of many bogs which were separated by land, bars, and shoals, and in which alone conditions were favorable for deposition of the clay-forming sediments. Likewise the Oak Hill clay varies greatly in character from place to place, the most common representative being plastic clay of low to medium quality. Along with this in some localities is flint clay in irregular masses, lenses, and sheets. The quality of this material is good or poor, depending on the quantity of concretionary matter and diffused bases that may be present.

The Oak Hill clay is present in the interval between the Lower Kittanning and the Middle Kittanning coal, lying normally much closer to the former than to the latter. The average position of the bed is 7 feet above the top of the Lower Kittanning coal and 20 feet below the base of the Middle Kittanning; but these relations are variable. The Oak Hill clay may be present anywhere from 1 to 25 feet above the Lower Kittanning coal, may lie directly on the coal, or in the absence of this stratum, may rest with no sharp line of demarcation on the Lower Kittanning clay. All these conditions are found in the Ohio field and often in a rather small area. The Oak Hill clay has an average thickness of nearly 4 feet with a minimum and maximum of 1 and 20 feet respectively. In this State the member is of most value in Jackson County. In Vinton County the Oak Hill clay is present, but with many wants, due to lack of deposition and to replacement by sandstone, in the eastern part in Brown, eastern Swan, eastern Elk, Madison, Knox, Vinton, eastern Clinton, and western Wilkesville townships. The mean thickness of the stratum is nearly 4 feet, but the variation observed is from 1 foot 8 inches to 8 feet 6 inches. On the average the bed is separated from the Lower Kittanning coal by 8 feet of shale and sandstone and from the Middle Kittanning by 24 feet of similar materials. The variation of the interval to the Lower Kittanning coal is from 1 to 25 feet. In the Vinton County field the Oak Hill member is commonly a low-grade plastic clay, very siliceous, and in many places ferruginous in character. Flint clay is present only locally on the horizon. Most of it is poor in quality owing to the presence of concretionary matter and crystalline pyrite. These clays have not been directly employed for the manufacture of ceramic products at any place in Vinton County.

Like the other clay beds in the coal formations, the Oak Hill clay marks a horizon on which coal should also appear, as both materials represent swamp deposition but were laid down under somewhat different conditions. Coal and clay are directly related as to place and to time of sedimentation but differ in the kind of matter preserved and in some of the chemical and physical agencies operative. The Oak Hill clay is overlain by coal although the bed is commonly only a mere soot streak and at most only a thin layer of bony coal.

Pennsylvanian System 307

This impoverished stratum in southern Ohio appears to be correlative with the No. 5a or Strasburg coal with fair development in northern Tuscarawas and southern Stark counties. In the Strasburg field the bed varies from a few inches to more than 2 feet in thickness and in general lies about midway in the interval between the Lower Kittanning and the Middle Kittanning coals. In this bulletin the coal associated with the Oak Hill clay in southern Ohio is considered in a broad sense as Strasburg. The Oak Hill deposits in many places show a composite structure, that is, they are made up of two, three, or even four clay strata divided by coaly partings. Such features are also present in central and eastern Ohio and in western Pennsylvania.

Brown Township. - The Oak Hill clay is locally present along all the larger streams in Brown Township. It has little merit, however, for the manufacture of ceramic products as it is poor in quality, variable in character, and uncertain in extent. In this area flint clay is at few places associated with the plastic. The deposits vary from 1 to 7 feet in thickness but average only about 4 feet. The overlying coal is seldom more than a mere soot streak.

The above record shows the composite nature of the bed so frequently observed at other places in southern Ohio, and its association with coal, probably correlative with the Strasburg member. Its position here is also directly above the Lower Kittanning coal as it is in the main field near Oak Hill in Jackson County. Deposits from 3 to 6 feet thick are present locally along the ridges in the northwestern part of the township. Along Sandy Run the member is moderately steady. Its position is commonly from 5 to 15 feet above the Lower Kittanning coal. The stratigraphic relations of the Oak Hill clay to other beds is well shown in the following record taken along the road in the central part of Section 7:

This clay was observed also at several places in the vicinity of Hope Station and along Raccoon Creek to the west. The quality of the Oak Hill clay in Brown Township is so far surpassed by that of the Clarion and Lower Kittanning members that its use is not advised. At most it is fitted only for the manufacture of building brick and hollow block.

Swan Township. - Owing to the rise of the rocks to the west, only a few of the ridges and knobs in the eastern part of Swan Township are sufficiently high to contain deposits of Oak Hill clay. The bed lies nearly 1,000 feet above tide in Section 12, 960 feet in Section 27, and 920 feet in Section 36. It is a siliceous, plastic clay of medium quality. Neither the thickness nor the stratigraphy is unusual.

Elk Township. - In Elk Township the deposits of Oak Hill clay are confined entirely to the ridges in the eastern part. They are not attractive for ceramic use. The thickness of the Oak Hill clay at this place is from 3 to 6 feet. The following record taken in the southeastern part of Section 15 shows its position with respect to the Kittanning coals:

In both the northeastern and southeastern parts of the township, the Oak Hill member is locally replaced by sandstone. Where present its position is only a few feet at most above the Lower Kittanning coal. No flint clay was observed on the horizon at any place within the township. The overlying Strasburg coal is at few places represented by more than a soot streak of carbonaceous matter.

Madison Township. - The position of the Oak Hill member is near the ridge summits in the western part of Madison Township and not far above the valley floors in the eastern part. Along Raccoon and Wheelabout creeks in the northern part of the area the bed is moderately persistent but along Elk Fork and Flat Run in the southern part, both it and the Lower Kittanning coal are usually absent, their place being taken by sandstone. The deposits vary in thickness from 3 to 8 feet. In general the quality of the material is poor.

In the central part of Section 30 the member, lying 875 feet above tide, is a dark, plastic clay with concretionary matter in the basal portion. It is separated from the Lower Kittanning coal by 16 feet of shale and sandstone and from the Middle Kittanning coal by 17 feet of similar material. In sections 17, 23, and 29, the member is usually present with fair development. Few deposits were observed along the ridges in the vicinity of "the Pinnacle" in sections 33 and 34. The following record, taken in the northwestern part of Section 16, is representative of the Oak Hill member on the headwaters of Wheelabout Creek:

The Oak Hill member improves more in quality and becomes more unsteady on Elk Fork in sections 19, 25, and 31 and on Flat Run in Section 13. Aside from the stratigraphic features this clay is of little interest in Madison Township.

Knox Township. - In Knox Township the Oak Hill member is present not far above the floor of Raccoon Creek from the Brown- Knox Township line in Section 12 southward to near Bolins Mills in Section 32. It appears also at a few places on Tedroe, Merritt, and Russell runs. Owing to its position near the level of the flood plains or at the base of the hills, the bed is not in many places exposed for examination. Where observed it is a siliceous, plastic clay of low purity.

In Knox Township the position of the Oak Hill clay is about midway in the interval between the Lower Kittanning and the Middle Kittanning coals. No flint clay was observed on the horizon at any place within the area. The purity of the plastic clay is not such as to warrant its use for ceramic products.

Vinton Township. - In Vinton Township the Oak Hill member has few features of interest either stratigraphic or economic. Although due above drainage along all the larger streams, the bed is present at few places as it is replaced in large areas by sandstone. In general the deposits observed are thin, measuring less than 5 feet. 'The clay is plastic and siliceous and high in basic fluxes. The stratum is best developed along Pierce Run in the west central part of the township and along Zinns Run in the southeastern part.

Clinton Township. - The Oak Hill clay in parts of Clinton Township takes on some of the lithologic and geologic features it has in the Oak Hill district of Jackson County. The deposits yield both flint and plastic clay, are situated on or only a few feet above the Lower Kittanning coal, contain little concretionary matter, and have a rather uniform deposition. 'The bed is confined to the ridges in the eastern half of the township. Throughout this field the stratum is moderately persistent except in the northeastern part, where it gives way locally to sandstone.

In the eastern part of Section 15 the Oak Hill is a plastic clay more than 6 feet thick. Its elevation is 910 feet above tide and 30 feet above the Lower Kittanning coal, the intervening material being a soft, micaceous sandstone. The member is thus represented also in the central part of Section 16 and in the northern parts of sections 21 and 22 except that it lies much closer to the Lower Kittanning coal. Locally flint clay along with the plastic marks the horizon in sections 23, 24, 25, 26, and 27. The stratigraphic features are well shown in

At this place the Oak Hill clay has the composite structure that is evident in small areas elsewhere in Vinton County and south of this in Jackson, that is, it is made up of two or more strata of clay which differ in character and quality and which are separated by partings of coal, coaly smut, or carbon-stained clay. The flint clay found here is similar in texture, color, and composition to that on the Oak Hill horizon near Oak Hill in Jackson County. In a general way the thin coal lenses associated with the Oak Hill clay in southern Ohio are correlative with the Strasburg coal in the Strasburg field of eastern Ohio.

Wilkesyille Township. - The Oak Hill clay is due above drainage along all the larger streams in the western half of Wilkesville Township. The member, however, adds little to the ceramic resources of the region as the bed is wanting in large areas and as where present it consists almost entirely of low grade, plastic clay. Where observed the thickness of the stratum is less than 5 feet. Its position is about midway in the interval between the Lower Kittanning and the Middle Kittanning coals.

S12 Vinton County

In the entire field in Vinton County the Oak Hill member is wanting in some qualities essential for satisfactory ceramic work. On this account it has not been employed directly as the basis for clay products at any place within the county. It has been used only at the Puritan plant of the McArthur Brick Company near Hamden where it was mined incidentally with shale for making vitrified shale brick. The Oak Hill clay ranks far below the Clarion, Lower Kittanning, and Brookville beds upon which alone such operations should be based.

The Oak Hill clay in this field is entirely plastic in character except small lenses of flint clay, confined largely to southeastern Clinton Township. The most damaging impurities are concretions of ferruginous and calcareous matter which vary in size from microscopic dimensions to 1 foot or more. The larger masses are usually somewhat concentrated into definite layers bedded in the lower or the middle portion of the deposits. The fine, seed-like concretions are commonly disseminated through the entire stratum. Locally this clay contains also apparent quantities of pyrite crystals, mica flakes, and quartz sand. The chief coloring pigments are carbonaceous matter and iron compounds. The Oak Hill clay in Vinton County may be safely recommended only for the more common kinds of ceramic products.

Middle Kittanning Coal

The Middle Kittanning is not only the most important but is the most persistent coal bed in the Pennsylvanian system of Ohio. With few wants and not many large areas of impoverishment this coal outcrops in a narrow belt extending from the Ohio-Pennsylvania State line in Columbiana County southwestward to the Ohio River in Lawrence County. The bed is mined in either a large or a small way in Columbiana, Jefferson, Mahoning, Stark, Carroll, Tuscarawas, Holmes, Harrison, Guernsey, Coshocton, Muskingum, Perry, Morgan, Hocking, | Athens, Vinton, Gallia, Jackson, and Lawrence counties. In thickness the stratum varies from a few inches to 16 feet but the mean measurement is about 3 feet 6 inches. The Middle Kittanning coal lies, on the average, nearly 33 feet above the Lower Kittanning coal, 61 feet above the Vanport limestone, 47 feet below the Lower Freeport coal, and 95 feet below the Upper Freeport coal. It correlates with the Coalton or No. 7 coal in Kentucky to the south and with the Middle Kittanning or No. 6 coal in Pennsylvania to the east. In Ohio the bed is known locally as the Sheridan, Hocking Valley, Coshocton, Pike Run, and Washingtonville.

In Vinton County the Middle Kittanning or No. 6 coal is present above drainage in the eastern part in Brown, eastern Elk, Madison, Knox, Vinton, eastern Clinton, and western Wilkesville townships. The main reserve of minable coal is in Brown Township. In the remainder of the area the bed is thin, less than 2 feet 6 inches in thickness, except in small areas where it expands to 3 feet or more. From nearly 100 measurements taken throughout the field, the mean thickness of coal and partings is 2 feet 6 inches of which 2 feet 2 inches 1s coal and 4 inches clay shale. The maximum thickness observed is 4 feet 6 inches and the minimum 4 inches. In a general way the bed decreases rather uniformly southward from Brown Township to Wilkesville Township. |

Normally the Middle Kittanning member is divided into three coal benches by two clay shale partings. The lower bench of coal varies in thickness from 1 inch to 1 foot 3 inches but averages nearly 4 inches. It is best represented in Brown Township where the usual variation is between 4 and 8 inches. The lower parting, an impure clay shale, is very persistent and uniform and has a mean thickness of 1 inch, with little contraction or expansion. The middle bench of coal is by far the best developed, and in places it alone represents the member. It decreases southward from a maximum thickness of 2 feet 9 inches in the main basin in Brown Township to the much impoverished part of the field in Wilkesville Township where the minimum measurement is 4 inches. From the data gathered the average thickness 1s 1 foot 8 inches. The upper parting, like the lower one, is characterized by remarkable uniformity in that it changes little from the 3 inch thickness and only slightly in kind of material. The upper bench of coal, everywhere impure, is absent in many areas from various causes. It is erratic in thickness, expanding from 1 inch to 1 foot 6 inches but averaging only about 2 inches. The great thickness of the Middle Kittanning coal in the Hocking Valley field in Athens, Hocking, and Perry counties is due more to enlargement of the upper bench than to that of the middle and lower ones. In the Sheridan field of Lawrence County the middle bench of coal alone is present.

In Vinton County the Middle Kittanning coal lies commonly 38 feet above the Lower Kittanning coal, 73 feet above the Vanport limestone, 84 feet above the Clarion coal, 56 feet below the Lower Freeport coal, and 98 feet below the Upper Freeport coal. These intervals are fairly constant except where massive sandstones appear in the section. In the northern part of the field the bed is usually directly overlain by sandstone whereas in the southern part it is covered by a few feet of shale upon which the sandstone rests. The floor of the coal is everywhere an impure clay tending strongly towards shale, and the regular partings are of similar material.

The dip of the Middle Kittanning coal to the south from Section 18, Brown Township, to Section 9, Wilkesville Township, is 9.1 feet per mile; and from Section 13, Swan Township, to Section 29, Huntington Township, Gallia County, it is 13.3 feet. The descent of the bed to the east is much greater than this. Between Section 23, Swan Township, and Section 33, Waterloo Township, Athens County, it dips 30.5 feet per mile, and between Section 22, Milton Township, Jackson County, and Section 9, Wilkesville Township, 30.6 feet.

Brown Township. - The field of Middle Kittanning coal in Brown Township is much the most important reserve of fuel in Vinton County. The area of coal is 19.24 square miles. The bed is persistent, is rather uniform in thickness, is above drainage except in the northeastern part of the area, is so dissected that it is open to attack, has been little depleted by mining, and is all within reach of the present railroads. In some respects mining conditions are good. The roof is commonly a sandstone, massive and strong, and the floor is a siliceous clay, well able to carry the weight of the overburden. Under such conditions a yield of 70 per cent or more of the coal should be obtained. Further, the stratum has a rather uniform dip to the east and south which may be advantageously employed in draining the mine and in hauling the fuel. The chief objections are the small thickness of the member for mining in a large way, the presence of two clay shale partings, and the bony character of the coal in the upper bench. From thirty-five measurements in Brown Township the mean thickness of the bed is 3 feet 8 inches and that of clean coal in the middle and lower benches is 2 feet 9 inches. The upper bench of coal averages about 7 inches. Although bony in character, the bed contains some good fuel and may be economically employed for local use. The service promising most returns for the Middle Kittanning coal in this area is not for direct marketing but for converting into first-class clay products the Clarion clay, which has a wide range of usefulness and lies about 80 feet below.

In Section 6 the Middle Kittanning coal appears at the surface, 820 feet above tide, only along the stream in the northeastern part. Where exposed on the property of Sherman McDaniel it has the thickness and structure shown below:

Pennsylvanian System Slo

This coal is everywhere below drainage in Section 12 but appears along the streams in the western part of Section 18, where it shows improvement in thickness. Its position is approximately 41 feet above the Lower Kittanning coal and 120 feet below the Upper Freeport member. The Middle Kittanning coal has been mined for local use at several places. The following measurements were taken at the bank of William Carter in the central part of the area:

At this place the coal in the upper bench is of fair quality as it has only a few thin, bony layers. For many purposes, it may be used with the coal below, thus increasing the yield of the bed with only slight loss in eficiency. The fuel in the lower and middle benches is very good. The overlying shale has sufficient strength to allow mining in a large way. The member thins gradually in its extension westward through Section 24 into Section 30. Such deposits in Section 36 are confined to a few high knobs in the southeastern part, where the stratum lies 960 feet above tide. Conditions are similar in sections 35 and 29. Owing to the dip of the bed to the east and to the rise of the hills, a large body of good fuel is present in the southern part of Section 23, where the following record was taken in a prospect mine on the property of G. P. Drayer:

Fr. In Pavel ONG mIaeSINen eel omic tt Gn se hele. foe. eee cok 25 0 Goalsibon ve ee 3 Clays UMpUres....0.5; 4 Caalecood ae ena Middle Kittanning, altitude 880 feet 2 6 Clay anoles nies » é 13 Coalseoodss...-.5.. 6 TCC LO PERL Vall asp ph Mere waw a Whee Peete tM 4 nee 35 0 Coal, Lower Kittanning, reported thickness SEN se re 5 0

Where measured in a local mine on the property of Eli Weed in the northeastern corner of Section 23, the structure is as follows: lower bench of coal 1 foot, one-half inch, lower parting 1 inch, middle bench of coal 2 feet 8 inches, upper parting 3 inches, and upper bench of coal 4 inches. The member is overlain by 75 feet of massive sandstone. Its position is 26 feet above the Lower Kittanning coal and 86 feet above the Clarion coal. In Section 17 no openings were found but outcrop exposures indicate normal thickness. In a mine on the property of J. V. Hull on Sandy Run in the central part of Section 11, a sample was taken for analysis. (See page 332.) The section of the bed in detail follows:

The coal in the upper bench 1s of fair quality and hence was sampled for testing as it may be used for most purposes. At this place the position of the bed is 68 feet below the Lower Freeport limestone, 103 feet below the Bolivar flint clay, and 157 feet below the Mason coal in the Conemaugh formation. Other openings in this vicinity show that the Middle Kittanning coal retains the thickness shown above over a rather wide area. Near the head of Sandy Run in the northwestern part of Section 5, the member passes below cover at an elevation of 800 feet. The structure of the member on the property of the Hocking Coal Company is as given below:

The Middle Kittanning coal is everywhere below drainage in Section 4. West of this on Sandy Run it lies about 80 feet above the valley floor, but no openings were found to show its thickness and structure. In Section 16 this coal outcrops only in the deep valleys and was not favorably exposed for measurement. At the head of the hollow north of Hope Furnace, near the residence of Charles Hayborn, the member has good thickness and quality. Measurements secured in a local mine are given below:

Pennsylvanian System 317

On the property of G. P. Drayer south of this place, the Middle Kittanning coal was also exposed in a prospect opening. The thickness is practically the same as shown above, that is, the coal benches measure 9 inches, 2 feet 7 inches, and 9 inches respectively, and the clay partings 1 inch and 3 inches. The roof is sandstone more than 50 feet thick. The position of the Middle Kittanning coal here is nearly 80 feet above the Clarion coal. On the main ridge in the south central part of what would be Section 28 if consistently numbered, the Middle Kittanning coal has been mined in a small way on land of G. P. Drayer. The record obtained is given below:

The member is also worked for household fuel on the knob just south of the mouth of Twomile Run on the same property. The section differs little from that shown above. The mouth of the mine lies 905 feet above tide. The member lies so close to the ridge tops in Section 34 that the deposits of coal are small and unimportant. Conditions are similar in Section 33. Near the head of the west fork of Wildcat Hollow on land of G. P. Prayer, coal has been mined from the Middle Kittanning member here exposed under a sandstone cliff. A sample was taken for testing. (For analysis, see page 331.)

At this place the upper bench of coal has the quality to warrant its use for common purposes; hence it was sampled for testing. The mother coal varies from a thin, papery parting to 2 inches in thickness. In it the pyrite is concentrated into flakes and irregularly shaped concretions. The fuel in the remainder of the bed is very good. The shale lying between the coal and the sandstone is variable in thickness; and on exposure to the air it loosens, thus requiring its removal in mining. The true roof of the coal is massive sandstone which is so solid and durable that little posting is necessary in properly operated mines. In its extension southward along this stream the Middle Kittanning coal thins slightly and the upper bench becomes more bony in character. This condition is shown in the following record, taken at the "'Horse Cave"' near the mouth of Wildcat Hollow, where a sample for testing was cut through the face of the coal. (For test, see

In the vicinity of Hope Furnace the Middle Kittanning coal has been mined in a small way for local use. Where opened just west of the furnace stack, the measurements are, lower bench of coal, 5 inches; lower parting, | inch; middle bench of coal, 2 feet 4 inches; upper parting, 3 inches; and upper bench of bony coal, 6 inches. The member is separated from the overlying sandstone by 5 inches of shale, and its position is 37 feet above the Lower Kittanning coal and 101 feet above the Clarion coal. In King Hollow in the southeastern part of Section 3, the bed is mined by drifting for household use. A record taken there is given below:

Formerly near Ingham in the southeastern part of Section 2, the Middle Kittanning coal was mined in a large way for railroad shipment. The thickness and structure reported are much the same as those shown above. At this place the member lies near the base of the hills at an elevation of 750 feet. In its extension westward into Section 8 the member thins somewhat, due to a slight contraction of each coal bench. The following record, taken on land of the Ohio Oil Company in the northwestern part of the area, is representative:

Pennsylvanian System 319

In this locality the upper bench of coal is so bony that it is of little value as fuel. It is also charged with pyrite which impairs its strength as roof material. On exposure to the air the pyrite is converted into ferrous sulphate with such an increase in volume that the coal stratum is shattered and falls. At Hope Station the Middle Kittanning coal was formerly mined for shipment by the Oliver Coal Company. It is worked at several places near by for household fuel. The following section is about representative for that north of the Baltimore and Ohio Southwestern Railroad:

South of the railroad the upper bench of coal is wanting or is represented only by thin lenses of coal in clay. The middle bench averages about 2 feet 1 inch in thickness and the lower bench nearly 5 inches. The roof everywhere is massive sandstone. Along Little Sandy Run the member varies slightly in thickness, structure, and quality from that at Hope Station. No improvement was evident either in Section 26 or in most of Section 32. A small area of thick coal, however, is present in Section 31. Where mined for shipment by the Blanchard Coal Company in the northwestern part of the area, the bed has the measurements given below:

In this mine the upper bench of coal thickens to 1 foot 3 inches and the lower bench to 1 foot. The position of the member is 22 feet above the Lower Kittanning coal, 67 feet above the Clarion coal, 105 feet above the Brookville coal, and 122 feet above the Upper Mercer limestone. Formerly large quantities of fuel were mined from this bed in "Bung Hole'? Hollow in the northeastern part of Section 31, where the total thickness of the member is reported to be nearly 4 feet 6 inches and that of good coal 4 feet 2 inches. Much of this fuel was shipped to Cincinnati for making artificial gas, and to Zaleski and other points on the Baltimore and Ohio Southwestern Railroad for steam generation. In the mines here both Andrews and Orton observed the presence of quartzite bowlders bedded. in the coal and also in the overlying shale.!. Such occurrences, however, appear to be local. The deposits of Middle Kittanning coal in Section 25 are small as the bed has been largely removed by erosion. In Section 19 the bed is generally thin. A representative record taken on the property of G. P. Drayer in the south central part of the area follows:

Fe. In. Sandstone, MASSIVE xs 0% qoniwidte oot leon 5 2a ee 54 0 Clay shaleuncccan ens 3 Coal, good a in Bae Middle Kittanning, altitude 845 feet 2 1 Clay, impure........ 1 CoalP 200s. secs Gers s 5%

At this place the upper bench of coal is wanting as it was removed by erosion before the overlying sandstone was deposited; hence the member is made up of two coal benches instead of three, the normal number. The Middle Kittanning coal lies nearly 100 feet above the Clarion coal and 200 feet below the Brush Creek member, here represented by black flint. In Section 13 conditions are much the same. The thickness of the lower bench of coal is from 5 to 7 inches and that of the middle bench from 1 foot 10 inches to 2 feet 5 inches. In small areas sandstone replaces part of the middle coal stratum. The bed is mined in a small way on the farms of Albert Pinney, Ira Pinney, and John Burt. At Moonville in Section 2 the Middle Kittanning coal has been worked for shipment. In a mine on the property of A. E. Kennard a sample was taken for analysis. (See page 332.) The structure of the member is given below:

In this locality the bed lies approximately 785 feet above tide and 100 feet above the flood plain of Raccoon Creek. In Section 1 the member improves little either in thickness or in quality.

Swan Township. - In Swan Township the deposits of Middle Kittanning coal are small as they are confined to a few high knobs and ridges in the eastern part. The elevation of the bed is 990 feet in the southeastern part of Section 13, 1,000 feet in the central part of Section 23, and 950 feet in the central part of Section 36. The coal has been mined only in a small way in the eastern part of Section 36 where the following record was taken in a drift mine on the property of Mary J. Webb:

Much of the coal in this ridge has been removed through the extension of the mines formerly operated in Strong Hollow in Section 31, Brown Township. The quality of the fuel is very good.

Elk Township. - The Middle Kittanning coal is an asset of little importance in Elk Township as the deposits in the northeastern part are generally small and those in the southeastern part are thin and bony. It contributes some fuel, however, for local consumption. At present (1925) it is worked in only one locality, near McArthur.

In Section 1 the member is present near the summits of the high ridges at an elevation of 940 to 950 feet. The coal is reported to be about 3 feet thick. Small bodies of coal occur 960 feet above tide on the two high knobs in the southeastern part of Section 2. On the Stephen Cramm farm in the central part of Section 11, the member has been prospected by drifting and is reported to be more than 3 feet thick. The roof is a massive sandstone. At this place the Middle Kittanning coal lies 74 feet above the Clarion coal. The blossom of the member was also observed near the summits of a few knobs in the western part of Section 14 and the eastern part of Section 15. The area of most importance is in the northeastern part of Section 22 where the bed has been worked in a small way for many years for household fuel at McArthur. At the mine of Jacob Morgan the following measurements were obtained:

The lower and middle benches of coal are very free from impurities but the upper bench is shaly. The deposits lie in a small, synclinal basin much below the normal in elevation. In Section 24 a thin blossom of Middle Kittanning coal is present 920 feet above tide on a few high knobs in the eastern part of the area. The bed is largely replaced by sandstone in sections 35 and 36.

Madison Township. - The Middle Kittanning coal is above drainage along all the larger streams in Madison Township. It is generally thin and in some localities it is replaced by sandstone. In a general way the thickness of the member decreases gradually in its extension southward across the area. The deposits worked most for household fuel are those along Raccoon and Wheelabout creeks in the northern part of the township where the average thickness of the middle and lower benches of coal is nearly 1 foot 9 inches and 7 inches respectively. The upper bench of coal is either absent or very shaly in character. The geological features are not unusual.

In Section 36 the Middle Kittanning coal was formerly mined for shipment. The member is reported to be 4 feet 6 inches thick of which 4 inches is parting and 8 inches bony coal. The deposits are much thinner in sections 30, 24, and 18. The following record, taken in a small mine on the property of Robert F. Dixon located in the north central part of Section 17, is representative of the bed in this locality:

The bed has been mined both by drifting and by stripping at a few places south of this on the headwaters of Wheelabout Creek. Where observed the middle bench of coal measures from 1 foot 4 inches to 1 foot 10 inches and the lower stratum from 4 to 6 inches. The upper bench of coal is generally absent through lack of deposition. In the northeastern part of Section 23 the Middle Kittanning member appears with fair development in a small area. Measurements taken in a drift mine on the property of Wilson Chesser are given below:

Ft. In. (Coal stair iets acts Z Siiales coalyvee. sana: : 3 Bic | Rercore fs ate Middle Kittanning, altitude 805 feet 1 93 Clay 1Mmpunestnc: a0. 1 Goalroodens 0056.0: 1 24

No openings were found in Section 29 where the member is reported to be about 3 feet thick. South of Raccoon Creek in the vicinity of "the Pinnacle,' the Middle Kittanning coal is thin and locally absent. The horizon is poorly marked also on the ridges near Prattsville and Vinton Furnace. Outcrop exposures indicate that the best developed deposits are less than 1 foot 6 inches thick. Along Raccoon Creek and Flat Run in the southeastern part of the township the member is more often absent than present and the interval is largely taken by massive sandstone.

Knox Township. - The Middle Kittanning member in Knox Township is of interest because it provides small supplies of domestic fuel in a region where other coal beds are poorly developed. It is very persistent, at few places being wanting through replacement or through lack of deposition. From many measurements the mean thickness of clean coal in the deposits is 2 feet 2 inches. It is widely distributed throughout the area. The member appears above drainage along Raccoon Creek throughout its entire length in the township and along the lower courses of its larger tributaries, Onion Creek, Tedroe Run, Merritt Run, and Russell Run. In a general way the member thins slightly in its extension southward.

In the deep hollow west of Raccoon Creek in the central part of Section 12, the Middle Kittanning coal was exposed in a small mine on the property of Cyrus McKibben. The record follows:

At this place the middle bench of coal varies from 1 foot to 1 foot 10 inches in thickness. Its position is approximately 110 feet below the Upper Freeport coal and 220 feet below the Brush Creek limestone. Where observed along Raccoon Creek in Section 6 the structure is lower bench of coal, 6 inches; lower parting, 1 inch; middle bench of coal, 1 foot 8 inches; upper parting, 2 inches; and upper bench of bony coal, 4 inches. The member is overlain by 4 to 6 feet of shale and this in turn by massive sandstone. On Laurel Run in the southeastern part of Section 36 the Middle Kittanning coal passes below drainage at an altitude of 750 feet. The deposit has been prospected by drifting near the forks of the road on the north tributary of Onion Creek in the west central part of Section 29: The middle bench of coal is reported to be 1 foot 10 inches in thickness and the lower bench 6 inches. It lies 696 feet above tide. On Raccoon Creek in the west central part of Section 35 on the land of Elmer Webb, the member is mined for household fuel. The thickness and structure of the coal and the character of the associated rocks are shown in the record given below:

This member has also been worked in a small way at several places in the southern part of the section. The thickness of clean coal is from 2 feet 2 inches to 2 feet 8 inches. The gray shale overlying it makes a fair roof for drift mining. Conditions are much the same on Raccoon Creek in the northeastern part of Section 5, where opened on land of W. West. At a strip mine on the Robinson farm in the northwest corner of Section 5, the following strata were exposed:

The Middle Kittanning coal is everywhere below drainage in Section 11 but appears on Tedroe Run south of this where it 1s mined by drifting or by stripping at several places. In this locality the lower and middle benches of coal coalesce, the lower parting and upper bench of coal being absent through lack of deposition. The usual thickness of the stratum is between 1 foot 8 inches and 2 feet. Some of the stratigraphic relations are shown in the following record taken near

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Near by it was opened also on land of A. C. Hutchison and Miles Townsend. Little change in the thickness and the character of the coal was observed along Tedroe Run in Section 4, but some improvement is evident near the village of Knox in the northern part of Section 34. In the drift mine of Lester Canny located just south of the mouth of Onion Creek the record, given below, was secured:

' The coal here represents that in both the middle and lower benches. The lower parting is absent except for thin lenses which appear from 6 to 8 inches above the bottom of the deposit. The Middle Kittanning coal lies close to drainage level along Onion Creek in the northeastern part of Section 28 where it has been mined in the usual ways for neighborhood use. On a steep bluff near where the road crosses the stream, the following section was taken:

Along Raccoon Creek in the western part of Section 33 and in the northeastern part of Section 3, the stratum is persistent but thin. The member is present at an altitude of 760 feet on Russell Run in the northeastern part of Section 8. Where observed the coal is 1 foot 4 inches thick. It lies 14 feet above the Oak Hill clay and 100 feet below the Upper Freeport coal. On the W. M. Beckley farm in the north central part of Section 2, the Middle Kittanning coal was exposed in a strip mine. The record obtained is given below:

Along the east bank of Raccoon Creek just above the bridge near Bolins Mills in Section 32, the Middle Kittanning coal is present about 7 feet above water level. It consists of one coal stratum, 1 foot 4 inches thick. The bed is directly overlain by gray shale, 2 to 3 feet in thickness, above which is a coarse-grained, argillaceous sandstone measuring more than 40 feet. The deposit lies 670 feet above tide. On the east bank of Raccoon Creek on the property of H. L. Stanneart, located in the central part of Section 32, the bed was being stripped to furnish fuel for domestic use. The rocks exposed here are shown below:

In the extension southward into Section 31 the Middle Kittanning coal passes below drainage near the southern boundary of the area. It has been mined by stripping in a few places. Where thus worked on the Setta Gibbs farm it has the following measurement:

The evidence in Knox Township and adjacent areas shows that the Middle Kittanning coal in its extension southward from the main basin in Perry and Hocking counties to the Vinton County field thins through lack of deposition and not through loss by erosion. In both localities the three coal benches and the two normal partings are all definitely represented. The partings are especially persistent in extent, regular in thickness, and uniform in character. The contraction is due mainly to impoverishment in the upper coal stratum which decreases from several feet in thickness in Perry County to a few inches in Vinton County and which changes eventually to dark, carbona- ceous shale and then to gray shale. The middle and lower coal benches also show a progressive decrease southward with finally the disappearance of the lower one. The swamp period was approximately equal in duration in the entire basin in central and southern Ohio but conditions favorable for the growth of plant life and for the preservation of the organic matter were far greater in the Hocking field than elsewhere to the south.

Vinton Township. - Although widely distributed throughout Vinton Township, the Middle Kittanning coal is everywhere thin, averaging less than 1 foot in thickness. Further, in large areas its place is taken by sandstone. As a fuel asset even to supply local needs the bed is of trifling value. Its geological relations are much the same as they are to the north in Knox, Madison, and Brown townships where the member has better development.

Along the stream in the southwestern corner of Section 6 the Middle Kittanning coal is present near the level of the flood plain at an elevation of 690 feet. It consists of one bench of coal with a thickness of 9 inches. The roof is gray shale which is overlain by a thick sandstone. In the vicinity of Vales Mills in Section 5 the bed has been mined at a few places by stripping and by drifting. The deposits vary from 8 inches to 2 feet 6 inches in thickness. The following section taken on the property of Amos Dixon is representative of the best developed bodies of coal:

The member is poorly represented along Raccoon Creek in sections 4 and 10; along Elk Fork and its tributaries in sections 24, 23, 17, 11, and 16; along Alman Run in sections 29, 28, and 22; and along Pierce Run in sections 35, 34, 33, 27, and 21. At most the horizon is marked only by a few inches of coal, by a thin stratum of carbonaceous shale, or by small deposits of siliceous clay. Little improvement is evident in the vicinity of Radcliff. In Section 31 the member thickens locally to 1 foot 6 inches. Along the stream south of the Whiteoak School

On the south tributary of Brush Fork in the east central part of Section 3, the Middle Kittanning coal has been mined in a small way on the George Cummins farm. It is reported to be about 1 foot 6 inches in thickness and of fair quality. The deposit lies 680 feet above tide and near the level of the flood plain.

Clinton Township. - In Clinton Township the Middle Kittanning member is erratic in development as it varies irregularly from a thin stratum of bony shale to a thick bed of good coal. The deposits with sufficient thickness for drift mining are of small size, being confined largely to sections 16 and 28. The supply of fuel remaining is not large.

Along the ridge near the Tar Farm School in Section 14 a thick blossom of Middle Kittanning coal is present at an elevation of 920 to 935 feet. It is worked by drifting by Harry Carr in the northeastern part of Section 16. The bed has a thickness of 3 feet 2 inches and lies 920 feet above tide. The roof is shale. At the mine of Jackson Thompson in the north central part of the same area the following record was secured:

Along the ridges in the southern part of Section 24 and in the northern part of Section 25, the member is regularly present but 1s less than 2 feet thick. It lies approximately 825 feet above tide. Little improvement was evident in sections 26 and 27. On the high ridge in the east central part of Section 28 the member was formerly mined by drifting by the McArthur Brick Company for ceramic fuel. The usual structure of the bed is lower bench of coal, 10 inches; lower parting, 1 inch; middle bench of coal, 1 feet 2 inches; upper parting, 3 inches; and upper bench of coal, somewhat bony, 1 foot 6 inches. The altitude of the bed is 900 feet; and its position is 33 feet above the Lower

Pennsylvanian System 329

Kittanning coal, 73 feet above the Vanport limestone, and 79 feet above the Clarion coal. The quality of the fuel is reported to be very good. The coal is overlain by shale which in turn is covered by sandstone, a condition found at many places in Vinton County.

Wilkesville Township. - Through lack of development and many wants the Middle Kittanning coal in Wilkesville Township is of trifling value as a source of fuel. The average thickness of the bed is less than 1 foot and the maximum measurement scarcely more than 2 feet. It is widely distributed, however, being present locally along all the larger streams in the entire township. What little mining is done is confined to stripping the coal along stream beds.

Along the abandoned road in the northwestern part of Section 12, about 1 foot 7 inches of weathered coal was found on this horizon at an altitude of 691 feet. The bed is thin along Raccoon Creek in the vicinity of Hawk and along Rockcamp Run in sections 30 and 36. In the west central part of Section 29 the member is reported to be about 1 foot thick and somewhat shaly in character. It lies 720 feet above tide. In the central part of the township the main features of the Middle Kittanning member are as shown in the record given below and which was taken at the road forks in the southeastern part of Section 21:

Although in such a weakened condition the Middle Kittanning member at this place yet bears some structural features common to the great bed in the Hocking Valley field of Perry, Hocking, and Athens counties. The stratum is similar except that the upper bench of coal has passed into dark, carbonaceous shale.

In Vinton County the field of Middle Kittanning coal with sufficient thickness for regular drift mining is not large, yet it is of great economic importance to the region. It is capable of furnishing much fuel for the support of industries and of the inhabitants thus attracted. The largest body of good coal lies in Brown Township where the total area 1s 19.24 square miles and the minable area, after deducting for weathered coal along the outcrop and for that now removed by mining, is at least 15 square miles. The average thickness of clean coal in the middle and lower benches alone is 2 feet 9 inches. The roof is such that a yield of at least 70 per cent should be obtained. On this basis the quantity of fuel available is 33,264,000 tons. Further, in more than one-half the field the upper bench of coal, with a mean thickness of 8 inches, is of such quality that it may be used for general purposes. The additional yield for this coal bench is 4,032,000 tons of fuel. The total reserve of coal in Brown Township is thus nearly 37,296,000 tons which if locally used is capable of much development.

Aside from that in Brown Township, large quantities of fuel are yet available in adjacent parts of Athens County to the east. In eastern Madison and in Knox townships of Vinton County also is an area approximating 25 square miles in extent in which the Middle Kittanning coal has an average thickness of 2 feet 3 inches, exclusive of partings and bone. Although this is too thin to be mined in a large way, yet it may be drawn upon very satisfactorily for local, domestic purposes. The deposits in Elk, Vinton, Clinton, and Wilkesville townships are of no general importance.

In kind the Middle Kittanning is an ordinary bituminous coal common to this part of the great Appalachian field. It may be described also as a high volatile, free-burning fuel with fair heating qualities. It ignites readily, swells slightly in burning, produces some soot, and leaves a gray ash. It is always distinctly laminated through changes in the character of the coal itself and through the presence of fine laminae of mineral charcoal. The coal in the lower bench has fair cementing qualities, and that in the middle bench cokes slightly. The contents of sulphur and ash, however, prevent its use for making coke for metallurgical purposes. The lustre of the coal is rather dull owing to the presence of the mineral charcoal. The character of the fuel is much the same throughout the entire county field except where the bed is thin. In order to show the quality of the Middle Kittanning coal in the Brown Township field, four samples were taken for testing. These were all cut according to the specifications of the Federal Government except that the channels were made larger, that is, 4 inches deep and 12 inches wide. The sampling was done, in 1925, by P. R. Maxey and T. R. Meyers and the chemical work by Prof. D. J. Demorest of the Ohio State University.

The Middle Kittanning coal was sampled at the "Horse Cave," which is located on the east side and near the mouth of Wildcat Hollow about one mile west of Hope Furnace. It is on land of the Ohio Mineral Company. The bed was channelled in a small drift under the overhanging ledge and about 50 feet from the outcrop. The mine

Pennsylvanian System 331

In a small opening at the head of the west fork of Wildcat Hollow on land of G. P. Drayer, a sample of Middle Kittanning coal was taken under favorable conditions. The results are given below. (See page 317 for section.)

In a small drift mine on land of A. E. Kennard located near Moonville in Section 7, the bed was sampled in the usual manner where the coal was bright and solid. The chemical results are given below. (For section of bed see page 320.)

The Middle Kittanning coal in Vinton County is a satisfactory fuel for most purposes. Its heating value as mined is nearly 6,500 calories or 11,700 B. t. u. The mean content of ash is 8.34 per cent and that of sulphur 3.34 per cent. As the ash has a fusion point of nearly 2,500° F., it is sufficiently refractory to prevent clinkering under ordinary conditions of firing. 'This coal is high in volatile matter, hence it burns freely with a long flame. It is useful for general heating

With reference to the roof and floor, the mining conditions of the Middle Kittanning coal in Vinton County are good throughout the entire field. The roof is either a massive sandstone or a siliceous shale with excellent strength and durability. The floor is everywhere a compact, siliceous clay which supports the weight above with little or no deformation. The two partings are objectionable in that they make the fuel dirty. Where thin the upper bench of coal is very shaly and pyritiferous. Through the oxidation of the pyrite the stratum acts as a "draw slate' and must be removed in mining. The bed is broken by joint planes into rectangular blocks, which structure aids in mining. The coal mines in rather large lumps if undercut before shooting. The lumps are somewhat fragile and do not withstand handling well. On weathering this fuel slakes little but is soon discolored by the oxidation of the pyrite and by whitewashing from the clays of the partings.

Lower Freeport Sandstone

The stratigraphic position of the Lower Freeport sandstone is normally between the Middle Kittanning coal and the Lower Freeport limestone, taking up only a part of this interval. In many places, however, it coalesces with the Upper Freeport sandstone above and with the Kittanning sandstone below with the resultant disappearance of several coal, clay, limestone, and ore beds from this part of the geological column. The areal distribution, physical features, and contact relations indicate that many sandstones of this character in the coal formations are channel deposits laid down along the lines of circulation of the water in the shallow basins then existing.

In Vinton County the Lower Freeport sandstone is a rather persistent bed in Brown, Knox, Madison, Vinton, and Wilkesville townships, where it lies on or not far above the Middle Kittanning coal. In parts of the area it so unites with the Upper Freeport sandstone as tO appear as one continuous deposit. No sharp line of demarcation is evident. The member varies from 5 to 50 feet in thickness. A few sections will suffice to show the general stratigraphic relations of the Lower Freeport sandstone to other members in the upper part of the Allegheny formation. Along the road leading from Sandy Run to the ridge north in the central part of Section 11, Brown Township, the following rocks were exposed:

The Lower Freeport sandstone forms the roof of the Middle Kittanning coal in most of Brown Township. The disconformity at the base is slight but sharply defined. This is equally true where shale intervenes between the sandstone and coal. The sandstone weathers readily, and in few places forms cliffs of large dimension; but it is sufficiently resistant to give rise to steep bluffs along the hillsides. Conditions are much the same in Knox, Madison, Vinton, and Wilkesville townships. Locally the Lower Freeport sandstone coalesces with the Upper Freeport member forming deposits more than 80 feet thick. The following record, taken along the road in the northeastern part of Section 18, Wilkesville Township, shows the member with good development in the southern part of the county:

Ft, In. Sandstone and covered, Upper Mahoning................. 31 0 Shale, siliceous ;-parh EOvelPOsxccas m Vakcbak Soba ese 13 0 Clay shales red, tart foveren hpi wid p ces doa ee 16 0 Limestone, nodular, yellow to gray, Mahoning............. 8 Shale and 'corereds gicex vacmtieais tk hes cates Aen ge eer 8 4 Covered, place of Upper Freeport coal............ eee een 4 0 Limestone, nodular, yellow to gray, Upper Freeport........ 1 0 Shale'and sbaly sandstoneu anes oaks ca noe 24 0 Sandstone, massive, basal portion coarse-grained, Upper Free potion hog HERE cia iia) Aan nee RET RES a ees Peles ate 44 0 Shale, pray isc osnbs 0 oe ce TR Ae w) 0 Coal, Lower Freefort.i Quiet wd aale ale dat aide Bee 2 Shale, gray s:.. cosh oes et eh koe Eee oe ee ae ee 6 7 Sandstone, massive, soft, Lower Freeport. ....c.scererseves 50 0 Covered, place of Middle Kittanning coal...............-- 5 0

The Lower Freeport sandstone, with some interruption, continues southward through Gallia and Lawrence counties to the Ohio River. Its stratigraphic relations and lithologic features are not far different throughout the entire field in southern Ohio.

The Lower Freeport sandstone in Vinton County is of little economic interest as it has not been serviceable except in minor ways. It is loosely bonded with clay matter and iron oxides as the chief cementing components. The freshly quarried stone varies from light gray to buff in color. The particles are largely quartz sand and mica flakes the grain size of which is from fine to medium coarse. This sandstone is not sufficiently weather resistant for a satisfactory building stone and is far too impure for glass making. It may have some value for a molding sand if properly crushed and sized. The bed has not been worked at any place in Vinton County.

Lower Freeport Limestone And Ore

The Lower Freeport member in Vinton County is of no special interest as the deposits are thin, uncertain, and impure. Even where present the stratum is usually represented by nodules of ferruginous limestone and calcareous ore which are bedded in clay and lie from 2 to 10 feet below the Lower Freeport coal. The material bears only a scanty fresh water fauna, mostly of diminutive forms. Some attention is due this member for the reason that it is the first limestone of this character with wide areal extent in the coal formations of Ohio. From the Harrison member at the base of the Pottsville formation to the Lower Freeport in the Allegheny formation all the limestones of wide distribution are marine in character; from the Lower Freeport to the Skelley limestone of the Conemaugh formation some are marine and others fresh water; and from the Skelley to the Waynesburg member of the Monongahela formation or even on through the Dunkard Series thay are entirely fresh water. What is true of the limestones is also true in a broad way of the shales and sandstones in these divisions of the geological column; as is denoted not only by changes in the life that flourished but by other modifications such as color, composition, and depositive features. The Lower Freeport limestone was formed in a fresh water swamp of wide distribution, but in it conditions varied greatly, thus giving rise to deposits without close concordance.

In Vinton County, in Brown, Madison, Knox, Vinton, and Wilkesville townships, the Lower Freeport member is present with very patchy development. On account of its impoverished character it will be treated briefly. In Brown Township such deposits are locally present over nearly the entire area but consist largely of ore and limestone nodules in the basal portion of the Lower Freeport clay. No regularly bedded limestone was observed. In Madison Township conditions are not far different. The position of the Lower Freeport member in the column is shown in the following record taken along the abandoned road in the southwestern part of Section 30:

Pennsylvanian System 300

In Knox Township little of interest was observed with reference to the Lower Freeport limestone. In parts of the area the coal, clay, and limestone on this horizon are replaced by the Upper Freeport sandstone. Such conditions exist also in most of Vinton and Wilkesville townships. Where present the horizon is marked only by nodular matter in clay.

The Lower Freeport member in Vinton County has no value economically. Where much weathered along the outcrop the limestone is replaced by iron oxides, thus making it a lean ore. This was worked to a small extent at a few places in Brown and Madison townships for the charcoal furnaces. As a source of lime the deposits are entirely unsatisfactory.

The Lower Freeport coal belongs about midway in the interval between the Middle Kittanning and the Upper Freeport members. Although widely distributed in Ohio it appears with fair development only in small areas, the most valuable of which are in eastern Ohio in Columbiana and Jefferson counties. Usually the horizon is marked by not more than a few inches of coal or by a mere soot streak of organic matter.

In Vinton County the Lower Freeport coal is poorly represented, the average thickness being only a few inches and the maximum measurement approximately 1 foot. From many observations its position is normally 56 feet above the Middle Kittanning coal and 42 feet below the Upper Freeport coal. The member is present in some condition of development in parts of Brown, Madison, Knox, Vinton, and Wilkesville townships; but it has not been mined at any place within the area. The following record taken along the road in Section 6, Brown Township, is representative of the thicker deposits in the northern part of the county:

Ft. In. Sandstone, massive, soft, Upper and Lower Mahoning ....... 72 0 Covered, horizon of Upper Freeport coal...............005 6 0 Dra COMER or hn Selecta el ghia <5 ok coe a pies du d) 0 Clay, flint, gray, siliceous........... 2 6 Sandstone, 'nodular, calcareous, shaly. ; 1 4

Where observed, in Madison Township, seldom more than a soot streak of coaly matter marks the horizon. The associated clay, however, is often very thick but is always impregnated with such quantities of calcium and iron compounds as to render it unfit for ceramic purposes. Neither the coal nor clay improves in Knox Township. In some areas these beds give way to massive sandstone. Near Radcliff in Section 26, Vinton Township, the following geological relations were found:

Except for clay and nodular limestone, the Lower Freeport horizon is scarcely discernible in Wilkesville Township. The conditions in the coal formation swamps at this time were unfavorable for the preservation of the vegetable matter growing therein. The Lower Freeport coal in Vinton County is of no value even for a local supply of fuel on account of its persistent thinness and its shaly character. The deposits are of interest largely in that they aid in the correlation of thicker lenses found elsewhere in southern Ohio with small areas of fair quality coal in the central and the eastern parts of the State. This horizon marked either by coal, clay, limestone, or iron ore is fairly persistent across Ohio from Columbiana to Lawrence counties.

Upper Freeport Sandstone

The Upper Freeport sandstone belongs in the interval between the Lower Freeport coal and the Bolivar clay. It may be absent from the section, may fill only a part of the interval, may occupy all of this space, or may expand so that it replaces overlying or underlying beds. It is usually a loosely-bonded, medium-grained sandstone, decidedly micaceous and somewhat ferruginous in character. Clay matter also forms a part of the bond. It is always cross-bedded, the planes being best marked on weathered surfaces. The color of the rock varies from light gray to brownish buff, the intensity of the shade depending on the quantity of iron compounds present and on the degree of weathering. The stratum varies in thickness from | to 60 feet.

In Vinton County the Upper Freeport sandstone is due above drainage in a broad belt in the eastern part, including parts or all of Brown, Madison, Knox, Vinton, and Wilkesville townships. The bed, however, lacks continuity, giving way to shales in many places. The best developed deposits are from 30 to 50 feet in thickness. It shows no unusual features of stratigraphic interest, hence it need not be treated in detail. The Upper Freeport member in this area is too loosely cemented for building stone, pulp wheels, and grindstones; too high in impurities for glass sand, cement mortars, and wall plasters; and too low in bond for a high-grade molding sand. It has not been utilized except for minor purposes at any place within the county.

Bolivar Clay

The Bolivar clay, named from exposures near Bolivar, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, is an uncertain element in the Allegheny formation of Ohio as it is absent far more often than present. It is locally represented, however, along the entire outcrop from Columbiana County on the north to Lawrence County on the south. The deposits are likewise variable in thickness, in composition, and in position. The Bolivar clay belongs to a thin coal bed lying just under or not far below the Upper Freeport limestone. Where the limestone and coal are absent the Bolivar clay may coalesce with the Upper Free- port clay, the two thus appearing as one bed. The member may be made up of plastic clay, of flint clay, or of almost any mixture of the two. In general the flint clay occurs largely in lenticular and unsymmetrically shaped bodies bedded within the plastic. The deposits vary from 1 to 15 feet in thickness.

The plastic clay is somewhat grainy in appearance, low in bonding power, commonly siliceous and micaceous in character, and more or less stained with iron oxide. It is in many places much charged with concretionary matter and pyrite crystals. The hard clay is a true flintin kind. It breaks with a distinct conchoidal fracture and weathers into angular pieces with sharp edges and corners. The texture of the material changes from fine to coarse, depending largely on the quantity and the state of division of the free silica present. The usual color is light to dark gray, but shades of pink and brown are not uncommon. It is in many places slightly laminated and often marked by blotches and narrow veins of material having a more glossy appearance than the body of the clay. Plant markings may be present in both the flint and plastic kinds.

The Bolivar clay is evidently of swamp origin. Such a derivation is indicated by its direct association with the thin bed of coal, by root impressions in the clay, by its frequent impregnation with limestone nodules, and by the general properties of the material, which are the resultant more of chemical activity than merely of mechanical separation. Although the marshy condition was widespread, the basins were more or less detached through barriers of various kinds such as land areas, bars, shoals, etc. The floor was very uneven throughout the entire field. Within the depressions much local variation existed in such essential factors, as depth of water, duration of existence as a swamp, quantity and character of sediments filtering therein, and activity and kind of reagents operative. Such changes in the kinds of clay and the thickness of the deposits are evident along the entire outcrop of the member in Ohio.

In Vinton County the Bolivar clay holds true to form in that it lacks persistency, regularity in thickness, and constancy in kind. Local deposits are present in Brown, Madison, Knox, Vinton, and Wilkesville townships. These vary in thickness from 2 to 12 feet but average nearly 6 feet. Both flint and plastic clay are represented, the latter, however, being by far the more common. The top of the clay lies from 3 to 20 feet below the Upper Freeport coal, which is the best bench for reference. The material is in many places so ferruginous that on weathering it has a pinkish or brownish tint. Locally the Bolivar member coalesces with the Upper Freeport clay with no apparent line of separation.

Pennsylvanian System 341

that leads from Sandy Run to the ridge north in the central part of Section 11, the horizon is marked by 9 feet of flint clay underlain by 16 feet of plastic. Both materials are impure. The deposit lies 892 feet above tide and 84 feet above the Middle Kittanning coal. The member is also exposed at other places along the headwaters of Sandy Run and on the ridges in the vicinity of Hope Furnace. Some of the stratigraphic features are shown in the following record taken in the south central part of Section 7:

Sandstone, parts covered, Lower Mahoning..........0.0000 30 Clay and covered, Upper Freeport horizon... ..........4.. 5 (ler Arad eerie cre, cote eaevolen a cnn sce ecie rd sere hae Clay, flint, impure peut } Botioar, altitude 900 feet 2 Clay, plastic, grainy.... 5 SAO mcnaN eS TINCCOUS Metter preci cat ene ree ee oe eee ae 7 lays inipures Within Ore balls cigs 5). te lade avanls Sewieeeane 5 Sandstone and covered, Upper and Lower Freeports........ 81 (CUES ATEN lea ge ac, aR ce Ree marten ey Sane ah aT Re Goal ooo dma rr oiueca ce yecmsen ete |

All the high ridges in the eastern part of Madison Township contain local deposits of Bolivar clay, most of which is plastic in character. The elevation of the member is nearly 1,000 feet in Section 30; 910 feet in Section 18; 920 feet in Section 25; and 830 feet in Section 13. Where observed the deposits vary from 3 to 12 feet in thickness. The bed is due above drainage in all of Knox Township but with few exceptions it is poorly represented. Conditions are similar in eastern Vinton Township and south of this in Wilkesville Township.

The Bolivar clay in Vinton County is not recommended for use in the manufacture of ceramic products as the quality is much below the required standard. The flint clay on this horizon is very heat resistant but it is nearly always so charged with concretionary matter as to seriously impair its value for refractory products. The lack of continuity, variability in thickness, and poor mining conditions are also unfavorable for its utilization. The plastic clay associated with the flint is also high in basic fluxes, the most damaging of which are iron oxide, lime, and potash. It is grainy and plastic with poor bonding power. It fuses at a low temperature, has a short vitrification range, and has a large volume shrinkage. The body is "punky" at incipient vitrification and brittle at complete solidification. The color is usually an unattractive buff. The Bolivar clay has not been utilized at any place in Vinton County. The unnamed coal, associated with the Bolivar clay and lying below the Upper Freeport limestone, is poorly represented in this area. In many places it is absent. Commonly it consists only of a thin streak of carbonaceous matter. The maximum thickness observed is 6 inches.

Upper Freeport. Limestone

The Upper Freeport limestone. is of fresh water origin and like most limestones of this derivation it shows a decided lack of uniformity in continuity, thickness, composition, position, and bedding. It was not laid down as a sheet but as irregular lenses and patches. Conditions of sedimentation were thus very different in different parts of the widespread basin. This limestone is broadly distributed in Ohio, being present to some extent in every county along the outcrop from Columbiana to Lawrence. In general the deposits are far better developed in the eastern part of the State than they are in the southern part. The Upper Freeport limestone lies normally between the Bolivar clay and the Upper Freeport clay, or 3 to 10 feet below the Upper Freeport coal, which is the most prominent bench for reference. The Upper Freeport limestone belongs in the general period of inundation that gave rise to the Bolivar clay, the associated unnamed coal, the Upper Freeport clay, and the Upper Freeport coal.

In Vinton County the horizon of this member is only occasionally marked in a definite way. The deposits consist most largely of nodular matter in clay. These concretions vary in diameter from 1 inch or less to 1 foot or more and in composition from rather pure calcium carbonate to calcareous and argillaceous iron ore. Where definitely bedded the stratum is not often more than 1 foot thick. In places the material is disseminated throughout the body of the Upper Freeport and Bolivar clays in such a way as to lose its identity as an individual limestone member. It appears more as impurities in the clays. The Upper Freeport limestone is present in some state of development in Vinton County in local areas in Brown, Madison, Knox, Vinton, and Wilkesville townships. As it is of small interest stratigraphically and of no value economically, the member will not be treated further.

The Upper Freeport or No. 7 coal is the youngest member in the Allegheny formation, the shale or sandstone overlying it being of Conemaugh age. It is another of the inconstant beds with a wide areal range on this general horizon. The member, however, is an important source of fuel in large fields in western Pennsylvania and in eastern and central Ohio. In Ohio it is exceeded in value only by the Middle Kittanning and the Pittsburgh members. The bed is mined most actively in Columbiana, Carroll, Harrison, and Guernsey counties.

Fennsylvanian System 343

From the Cambridge field southward to the Ohio River in Lawrence County only small bodies of coal with sufficient thickness for drift mining are found along the belt of outcrop. In large areas the horizon' is marked only by a soot streak or by its associated clay. The absence of coal is due mainly to lack of deposition and not to replacement. In the main fields in eastern Ohio the thickness of the bed is between 3 and 7 feet.

In Vinton County the outcrop of the member is confined to parts of Brown, Madison, Knox, Vinton, and Wilkesville townships. It is wanting or very thin, however, except in small areas in sections 27, 28, 29, and 30, Knox Township, and in sections 32 and 33, Wilkesville Township, where it is mined in a small way for local fuel. The position of the Upper Freeport coal is normally 98 feet above the Middle Kittanning coal and an equal distance below the upper bench of the Brush Creek limestone, which are the most reliable beds for reference. Where well developed the stratum may be without partings or it may be one or more thin layers of clay or bony shale.

Brown Township. - No coal of value was found on the Upper Freeport horizon in Brown Township, although the member is due along the ridges in most of the area. The elevation of the bed is 1,000 feet in the north central part of Section 24; 910 feet in the central part of Section 6; 1,000 feet in the southern part of Section 32; and 865 feet in the northeastern part of Section 1. .

Madison Township. - The Upper Freeport coal is likewise greatly impoverished in Madison Township, appearing more often as a mere soot streak than as a bed of coal. A composite section, taken in the central part of Section 16 and given below, shows some of the main stratigraphic features: ing for a part of the fuel supply. At the mine of Wade Heckert in the southeastern corner of Section 30, the following measurements were secured:

The coal in both benches is high in sulphur in the form of pyrite which is disseminated in sheets and flakes throughout the mass. That in the upper bench is the most impure. In parts of the mine the member is reported to thicken to 4 feet or more. The overlying shale is somewhat tender, thus forming a poor roof. The position of the Upper Freeport coal here is about 75 feet below the lower bed of the Brush Creek limestone. On the property of J. A. Trout in the south central part of Section 30, Knox Township, a small mine was also in operation when the region was visited (1924). The record obtained is given below:

The thickness of the bed varies from 1 to 4 feet but averages about as shown above. 'This coal is present also in the northeastern part of Section 29 where, however, it is reported to be very unsteady. No deposits of good coal were found on the Upper Freeport horizon in the northwestern part of the 'township. It is thin through lack of deposition. The Upper Freeport coal lies about 870 feet above tide in the central part of Section 12. The other area in Knox Township in which this coal is mined for local use is along the stream in the central part of Section 27. At the drift mine of D. S. Sete: the following record was taken:

Fr. In Sandstone-and: shale, ch miericw tals atererotsere ints ences 14 0 Limestone and covered, Brisi Grek © ailecisieie)t at ne aiclsrerese 15 0 Shalep:silfceous?:. 3 ca. cern oo Reon Coca Tenner 10 0 Sandstone; 'shaly 3.72.) paras eerie ae nae ates eens fi @) Sandstone, massive, soft, Upper and Lower Mahoning........ 68 0 Coalee &. 1 ib Clay, impure pUpper Freeport, altitude 740 feet 3 Coal tear. 1 9

Pennsylvanian System 345

The coal is high in sulphur but otherwise of fair quality. The upper bench is somewhat irregular owing to the influence of the overlying sandstone. The roof is strong and durable. Near by in the central part of Section 27, E. M. and Clyde McVey also mine the Upper Freeport member for the local trade. The lower bench of coal measures 1 foot 8 inches, the parting 1% inches, and the upper bench of coal 1 foot 10inches. The coal is high in pyrite, which is distributed throughout the body of the fuel in the form of thin lenses and flakes. The roof is massive sandstone. Formerly small mines were also operated on adjacent lands in this locality. The bed varies from 1 to more than 4 feet in thickness. Along a small southern tributary of Onion Creek in the northeastern part of Section 28, the Upper Freeport coal is worked for household fuel on the property of W. M. Zimmerman. The deposit is unsteady, varying in thickness from 1 foot 4 inches to 3. feet. In the southern part of Knox Township the member is generally wanting or thin. Its altitude is 690 feet in the southeastern part of Section 25 and 820 in the southwestern part of Section 7.

Vinton Township. - In Vinton Township the Upper Freeport horizon is present well above the valley floors in the eastern part and on the high knobs of the ridges in the western part. In most of the field the bed fails to be a well-defined stratum. The thickest deposit observed is 1 foot 8 inches thick and is located on the land of J. W. Canode in the southeastern part of Section 3. The coal is directly overlain by massive sandstone and its position is 790 feet above tide.

Wilkesville Township. - Except for a few small bodies of good coal the Upper Freeport member is of no value as a source of fuel in Wilkesville Township. The deposits of most importance are present along the main ridge in the southwestern part where it is mined in a desultory way for local needs. On land of the Superior Colliery Company in the west central part of Section 33, the Upper Freeport coal has been prospected by a drift mine. The bed varies from 3 to 5 feet in thickness but averages nearly 4 feet. The irregularity is due to erosion of the upper surface, which is thus very uneven in outline. The roof is sandstone with thin bands of coaly matter interbedded in the basal portion. No clay partings and few bony layers are evident in the coal stratum. The deposit lies 870 feet above tide. The geological relations of the Upper Freeport coal to other members lower in the Allegheny formation are well shown in the following record taken in the southeastern part of Section 33:

In this general locality the Upper Freeport member lies approximately 60 feet below the Mason coal and 100 feet below the upper bench of the Brush Creek limestone, which are represented only on a few of the outstanding knobs. The thickest and purest body of Upper Freeport coal in Vinton County is present on the ridge in the northeastern part of Section 32. In a drift mine on the property of ~ Curtis Zinn the 'following measurements were obtained:

The fuel in the main bed is of excellent quality, being clean, bright, and solid. In parts of the old mine near by, the stratum expands to as much as 6 feet. Near the Cooney School in the southeastern part of Section 28, the Upper Freeport member has been opened in a few places. Its thickness is reported to be from 1 to 4 feet. In the re- mainder of Wilkesville Township, outcrop exposures indicate that the Upper Freeport coal is everywhere thin excepting possibly in the northeastern corner. Just east of the county line, in the southwestern part of Section 36, Salem Township, Meigs County, it has been opened at a few places and worked for local use. The record given below was taken on the property of Ezra Knapp:

In this locality the bed is reported to thicken to 4 feet on the land of Bert Phillips. The coal is fairly high in sulphur but otherwise of fair quality if mined in a clean manner. Where observed south of Wilkesville the stratum is shaly in character, and only a few inches in thickness.

The Upper Freeport member in Vinton County varies widely not only in thickness and in structure but also in composition. This coal in the few well developed deposits 'present in Knox Township is exceptionally high in sulphur, held in the form of ferrous disulphide or the mineral pyrite, which occurs in thin, irregular lenses lying parallel to the bedding planes, in flakes along joints and fractures, and in small crystals disseminated throughout the mass. Through this impurity the ash under oxidizing conditions burns to a deep red, spongy mass, and under reducing conditions fuses at low temperatures to a hard, nearly black clinker. Aside from the iron constituents the ash is not large. On exposure to the weather the coal whitewashes badly owing to the oxidation of the pyrite to ferrous sulphate. This fuel is of such poor quality that it is mined only for a small local trade. In comparison with this the other body of minable Upper Freeport coal in southwestern Wilkesville Township is much above the average in purity. It is low in ash and sulphur, breaks with a clean fracture, and has a bright color. This fuel is held in high esteem for domestic purposes and for steam generation. All the mines working the Upper Freeport member in Vinton County are small wagon operations, employing only a few men. Where the coal is overlain by sandstone the roof is very strong and durable, but where shale intervenes it is unsafe unless properly timbered. This member in Vinton County is a reserve of only local importance.

Conema Ugh Formation

The Conemaugh formation, named in 1875 by Franklin Platt, includes all the strata from the top of the Upper Freeport coal to the base of the Pittsburgh coal. These rocks are shales of diverse textures and colors; sandstones with many modifications; limestones of marine, brackish, and fresh water origin; coals mostly thin and impure; clays usually calcareous and ferruginous in composition; conglomerate originating from various hard materials and from both local and distant sources; and iron ores either disseminated through the shales in nodular form or occurring in thin beds with small lateral extent. Owing to the pronounced impoverishment of the coal beds the formation was formerly known as the Lower Barren Coal Measures. This group of rocks is characterized also by the conspicuous change in color of some of the strata, especially the shales, from shades of gray which are prevalent with the rocks in the Pottsville and Allegheny formations below to shades of red, buff, and brown which are common with those in the Monongahela, Washington, and Green formations still higher in the geological column. Through the faunal remains the limestones in the Conemaugh formation also show a difference in the mode of origin and represent in a general way the transitional stage in the Pennsylvanian system from sediments laid down largely in the sea to those deposited entirely in fresh water basins. As far as known at present the Skelley limestone of middle Conemaugh age represents the last invasion of the sea in the great Appalachian coal formation trough. The deposition of fresh water limestone, however, began in middle Allegheny time and that of coal and clay, assigned to swamp origin, began with the inauguration of the Pottsville. The evidence afforded by the rocks thus indicates that this great basin lying between old Appalachia on the east and the Cincinnati uplift on the west was flooded with salt water except for short but frequent periods during Pottsville and early Allegheny time, was gradually being so filled with sediments that the sea invasions were of short duration during late Allegheny and early Conemaugh time, and was so elevated that the deposition was entirely continental in character during late Conemaugh and Monongahela time, and even on through the succeeding Washington and Green ages of the Dunkard epoch. The Conemaugh formation thickens to the eastward showing that the sediments came from that direction, probably from old Appalachia. The usual measurement of this division of rocks is nearly 350 feet in southern Ohio, about 475 feet in the eastern part of the State, and nearly 800 feet in the vicinity of Charleston, West Virginia. On the whole the Conemaugh formation in Ohio is poor in mineral resources as it has provided only small quantities of coal for general use, of clays and shales for ceramic industries, of iron ore for metallurgical operations, of limestone for various needs, and of sandstones for building and abrasive purposes. Its deeply buried rocks, however, have been the source of considerable oil and gas.

In Vinton County only the lower portion of the Conemaugh formation is represented, as the section begins with the Mahoning sandstone and ends with the Cambridge limestone. The maximum thickness of such rocks in this area is not more than 150 feet which is less than half the total thickness of the formation in adjacent areas to the east and south. In general the individual beds are not especially well developed, are usually lacking in persistency, and show considerable variation in character, which features make them difficult to trace across the fleld. The Brush Creek limestone and the Mason coal are the most distinct and therefore the safest benches for reference in stratigraphic work. In an economic way the rocks of this formation are of little interest as neither the quantity nor the quality is such as to justify their utilization. Strata of this age are present above drainage in Brown, Madison, Knox, Vinton, and Wilkesville townships.

: Thickness Formation Member General Description = Ft. In. Cambridge... - Limestone, gray, fossiliferous....... 8 BUA eva A er eee, es cs 2 0 Wikia: 2s safe a Coal, impure, locally present....... 6 Conemaugh, .

Formation Member General Description aus Ce ee Ft. In. Limestone, or flint, fossiliferous..... z 0 Brush Creek..... Shales, part calcareous, with a few fossile 3302 ).¥ bate ok ee ee 27 Limestone or shale, very fossiliferous. 11 Shales, clay shales, and sandstones..| 23 1 Masonite ict ee Coal, impure, fairly pers stent Pesscuele 1 Z Clay, light, plastic, impure......... 4 6 Conensten a (Concluded) | Upper Mahoning.| Sandstone, only locally present..... 14 5 Mahoning....... Goalverynunstéadyaen, cae eee 3 Clay, plastic, light to mottled, im- DURES ciccee ates a hates eras 5 0 Mahoning........| Limestone, light, nodular, fresh water, only locally present....... 6 Lower Mahoning.| Sandstone, often replaced by shale..| 21 6 T OB) go aay ease eearere tics 132 4

Lower Mahoning Sandstone

_ The position of the Lower Mahoning sandstone is in the interval between the Upper Freeport coal and the Mahoning limestone. In Vinton County the member is present only locally in the eastern part. It occurs more in the form of narrow channel deposits and irregular lenses than in that of uniform sheets of wide extent. In a few places it coalesees with the Upper Mahoning sandstone, thus forming one thick deposit with no definite line of demarcation. In many places the bed is absent from the section, its place being taken by shale. Usually the Lower Mahoning sandstone is soft and friable, ferruginous and argillaceous in character, and fine to medium in size of grain. Aside from quartz the most conspicuous mineral is muscovite in bright, splendid flakes. Weathering rapidly reduces this rock to sand.

In Brown Township the most conspicuous exposures of Lower Mahoning sandstone are in the northeastern part where the deposits vary from 10 to 40 feet in thickness. The conditions are somewhat similar in the east central part of Madison Township along the headwaters of Wheelabout Creek. The member is more reliable and uniform in Knox Township than in any other part of Vinton County. In most of the area it lies directly on or only a few feet above the Upper Freeport coal and in places so expands that it coalesces with the Upper Mahoning sandstone, thus replacing several beds in this part of the geological column. This condition is shown in the following record taken on the hill projecting into Raccoon Valley near the boundary of sections 5 and 6: Fr. In.

In Vinton Township local deposits of Lower Mahoning sandstone are found along the ridges throughout the eastern and central parts. Its stratigraphic and physical features are not unusual. Although widely distributed in Wilkesville Township the member is not often well represented.

The Lower Mahoning sandstone in Vinton County is without sufficient merit to warrant its use. It is not fitted for building stone for on exposure it soon molders to a mass of sand. The rock is too impure for glass sand and too fine in grain for mortars. It may have some value for molding sand if properly ground and prepared.

Mahoning Limestone

The normal position of the Mahoning limestone is at the base of the Mahoning clay. It was the first deposit laid down in the fresh water swamps of this period in which clay and eventually coal were also formed. Where much impoverished the calcareous matter is frequently distributed in fine grains or small nodules throughout the body of the clay. In most of Vinton County the Mahoning limestone as a distinct bed is absent from the section. The following record

Deposits somewhat similar in character were noticed in the eastern part of Vinton Township and in the northern part of Wilkesville. The limestone is occasionally replaced by impure iron ore in the nodular form. They have no value economically.

Mahoning Coal

The Mahoning coal, the oldest member of this kind in the Conemaugh formation, is widely distributed in Ohio, extending with many wants and much impoverishment from Columbiana County on the north to Lawrence County on the south. It attains minable thickness only in parts of Columbiana, Jefferson, and Carroll counties where it is known locally as the ''Groff," "Strip," and ''Finley" bed. Elsewhere in Ohio if present the member is represented by a few inches of coal, by a mere soot streak, or by carbonaceous matter in the upper few inches of the Mahoning clay. Normally its position is about two-fifths of the way up in the interval between the Upper Freeport coal and the Brush Creek limestone.

In Vinton County the Mahoning coal is not only poorly but erratically developed. The horizon, however, is in many places marked by coaly matter in some form in parts of Brown, Madison, Knox, Vinton, and Wilkesville townships. The bed has a maximum thickness of about 6 inches and an average measurement of less than 3 inches. From a number of observations its position is 27 feet above the Upper Freeport coal, 19 feet below the Mason coal, and 43 feet below the Brush Creek limestone. The Mahoning coal is underlain by clay, known in West Virginia as the Thornton. Like the coal the clay is poor in quality as it is ferruginous and calcareous. The average thickness of the clay, however, is nearly 5 feet.