Indiana Geological Survey Annual Report 1870

124
VIGO COUNTY.

On the west side of the Wabash river, on section 9, township 12, range 9, on the St. Louis & Terre Haute Railroad, Messrs. Barrick & Co., have sunk a shaft to the same seam of coal which is mined at a number of shafts, a short distance to the east and one and a half miles from Terre Haute. This shaft goes by the name of "Sugar Creek Coal Mines." The shaft commenced eight feet above the level of

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the railroad track, which is here about fifty-seven feet above low water of the Wabash river, and penetrates to the depth of fifty-four feet. The following section, including some of the strata seen above the mouth of the shaft in the road cut, will indicate the position of the coal, which I take to be the equivalent of the Crooked Creek seam L mined at Seelyville, on the east side of the river, eight miles east of Terre Haute.

           SECTION AT SUGAR CREEK COAL MINES.

     Covered space to top of hill,     -     -    0 ft.
     Arenaceous shale,     -     -     -     -    0 ft.
     Limestone, (poor in fossils,) stained on the
         outside with oxide of iron,     -    -   3 ft.
     Arenaceous shale,     -     -     -     -   8? ft.
     Sandstone,     -     -     -     -     -    10 ft.

                 Top of Shaft.
     Dark blue argillaceous shale,     -     -   24 ft.
     Shale and ironstone balls,     -     -       3 ft.
     Bluish argillaceous shale,     -     -      24 ft.
     Calcareous fossiliferous shale,     -        ½ ft.
     Black bituminous shale,     -     -     -    2 ft.
     Caking coal good quality,    3 ft.  6 in.
     Fire clay,     -      -      0 ft.  ½ in.
     Caking coal,      -     -    0 ft. 10 in.
     Fire clay,     -     -       0 ft.  3 in.
     Caking coal,     -     -     0 ft.  6 in.
                                 ________________ 5 ft. 1½ in.

The coal in this shaft is about eleven feet above the horizon of low water of the Wabash river, and forty-six feet below the level of the railroad track. The shaft at the foot of the hill, one and a half miles west of Terre Haute, commencing just above high water mark, reaches the same seam at a depth of from twenty-five to thirty-five feet, showing a dip from the river to the west. At "St. Mary's in the

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Woods," five miles northwest of Terre Haute, it is one hundred feet below the level of the railroad.

I have already called attention to the fact that the Wabash river runs on an anticlinal axis. At Terre Haute, on the east side of the river, coal L is cut out by the drift, and is reached at one hundred feet below the level of the railroad at Seelyville.

In my First Report, I endeavored to show that we had in Indiana, beneath the coal measures, the oil-bearing rocks in great force, and that, though up to that time but little oil had been obtained from the few wells then bored, yet I felt assured that oil might and would be found in paying quantities somewhere in the district. The prediction then made has been fully verified by a well bored last year, a quarter of a mile northeast of the Rose Well. This is the third well bored at Terre Haute, and the second one bored in search of oil. They all penetrate to the corniferous limestone, which immediately underlies the black slate (Genessee slate) of the Ohio survey. The first, or Rose Well, was sunk to the depth of seventeen hundred and ninety-three feet. It was bored for water, and strict attention was not paid to the character of the rocks after passing through the coals in the upper part of the section. At sixteen hundred and twenty-nine feet, a vein of oil was struck which yielded about two barrels per day. The oil was shut out and the bore continued to the depth mentioned above, having reached an abundant flow of good sulphur water. The second well was bored on the bank of the Wabash river, about one mile west of the first. This work was undertaken by a company expressly for oil. Experienced borers were employed and the record of the strata passed through may be relied on as accurate. A little oil was found, but not enough to justify pumping.

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      _________________________________________________________________
     |    SECTION OF ARTESIAN WELL ON RIVER BANK, AT TERRE HAUTE.      |
     |_________________________________________________________________|
     |DEPTH.| SPACE |        |FEET.| IN.|                              |
     |______|_______|________|_____|____|______________________________|
     |      |       |        | 100 |    |  Sand and Gravel.            |
     |      |       |        |     |    |                              |
     |  100 |       |        |     |    |                              |
     |______|       |________|_____|____|                              |
     |      | 164.6 |        |  64 |  6 | Soap Stone.                  |
     |      |_______|________|_____|____|                              |
     |      |   6.2 |XXXXXXXX|   6 |  2 | COAL I ?                     |
     |      |_______|________|_____|____|                              |
     |      |       |        |   2 |  3 | Hard Sandstone.              |
     |      |       |________|_____|____|                              |
     |      |  12.3 |        |  10 |    | Soapstone.                   |
     |      |_______|________|_____|____|                              |
     |      |   3.  |XXXXXXXX|   3 |    | COAL G ?                     |
     |      |_______|________|_____|____|                              |
     |      |       |        |   4 |  3 | Soapstone.                   |
     |      |       |________|_____|____|                              |
     |      |       |        |   5 | 10 | Gray Sandstone.              |
     |      |       |________|_____|____|                              |
     |      |  30.2 |        |     | 10 | Blue Soapstone.              |
     |  200 |       |________|_____|____|                              |
     |______|       |        |     |  6 | Gray Sandstone.              |
     |      |       |________|_____|____|                              |
     |      |       |        |  12 |  9 | Blue Soapstone.              |
     |      |       |________|_____|____|                              |
     |      |       |        |   6 |    | Soft Black Shale.            |
     |      |_______|________|_____|____|                              |
     |      |    .9 |XXXXXXXX|     |  9 | COAF F ?                     |
     |      |_______|________|_____|____|                              |
     |      |       |        |   7 |  7 | Soapstone.                   |
     |      |       |________|_____|____| (CONGLOMERATE ?)             |
     |      |  45.  |        |  30 |  3 | White Sandstone.             |
     |______|_______|________|_____|____|______________________________|

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      _________________________________________________________________
     |          SECTION OF ARTESIAN WELL --  Continued.                | 
     |_________________________________________________________________|
     |DEPTH.| SPACE. |        |FEET.| IN.|                             |
     |______|________|________|_____|____|_____________________________|
     |      |        |        |     |    | SALT WATER.                 |
     |      |        |________|_____|____|                             |
     |      |        |        |   7 |  2 | Blue Shale.                 |
     |      |________|________|_____|____|                             |
     |      |   2.3  |XXXXXXXX|   2 |  3 | COAL B ?                    |
     |      |________|________|_____|____|                             |
     |      |        |        |  10 |    | Black Shale.                |
     |      |        |________|_____|____|                             |
     |      |        |        |   3 |    | White Soap Stone.           |
     |      |  39.3  |________|_____|____|                             |
     |  300 |        |        |  15 |    | Black Shale.                |
     |______|        |________|_____|____|                             |
     |      |        |        |   8 |    | White Soap Stone.           |
     |      |        |________|_____|____|                             |
     |      |        |        |   3 |  3 | Black Shale.                |
     |      |________|________|_____|____|                             |
     |      |   3.   |XXXXXXXX|   3 |    | COAL A ?                    |
     |      |________|________|_____|____|                             |
     |      |        |        |  17 |  8 | Soap Stone.                 |
     |      |        |________|_____|____|                             |
     |      |        |        |   3 |    | Sand Rock.                  |
     |      |        |________|_____|____|                             |
     |      |        |        |  20 |    | Soap Stone.                 |
     |      |        |________|_____|____|                             |
     |      |        |        |  10 |    | Sand Rock.                  |  
     |      |        |________|_____|____|                             |
     |      |        |        |  22 |    | Blue Shale.                 |
     |      |        |________|_____|____|                             |
     |      |        |        |   2 |    | Limestone.                  |
     |  400 |        |________|_____|____|                             |
     |______|        |        |  31 |    | Blue Shale.                 |
     |      |        |________|_____|____|                             |
     |      |        |        |   5 |    | Light Shale.                |
     |      |        |________|_____|____|                             |
     |      |        |        |  60 |    | Blue Shale.                 |
     |      |        |________|_____|____|                             |
     |      |  1606. |        |   7 |    | Sandstone.                  |
     |      |        |________|_____|____|                             |
     |  500 |        |        |     |    |                             |
     |______|________|________|_____|____|_____________________________|

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      _________________________________________________________________
     |           SECTION OF ARTESIAN WELL -- Continued.                |
     |_________________________________________________________________|
     |DEPTH.| SPACE. |        | FT. | IN.|                             |
     |______|________|________|_____|____|_____________________________|
     |      |        |        |  24 |    | Blue Shale.                 |
     |      |        |________|_____|____|                             |
     |      |        |        |   3 |    | Sandstone.                  |
     |      |        |________|_____|____|                             |
     |      |        |        |  10 |    | White Shale.                |
     |  600 |        |________|_____|____|                             |
     |______|        |        | 147 |    | Blue Shale.                 |
     |      |        |________|_____|____|                             |
     |      |        |        |  11 |  7 | Hard gritty Slate Rock.     |
     |      |        |________|_____|____|                             |
     |      |        |        |  14 |  5 | Hard gray Sandstone.        |
     |  700 |        |________|_____|____|                             |
     |______|        |        |  11 |    | Hard Limestone.             |
     |      |        |________|_____|____|                             |
     |      |        |        |  24 |    | White Limestone.            |
     |      |        |________|_____|____|                             |
     |      |        |        |   2 |    | Gray Sandstone.             |
     |      |        |________|_____|____|                             |
     |      |        |        |  14 |    | Limestone.                  |
     |______|________|________|_____|____|_____________________________|

S. G. R. -- 9

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      ________________________________________________________________
     |           SECTION OF ARTESIAN WELL -- Continued.               |
     |________________________________________________________________|
     |DEPTH.| SPACE. |        |FEET.| IN.|                            |
     |______|________|________|_____|____|____________________________|
     |      |        |        |  82 |    | White Limestone.           |
     |  800 |        |________|_____|____|                            |
     |______|        |        |   3 |    | Soapstone.                 |
     |      |        |________|_____|____|                            |
     |      |        |        |  35 |    | Brown Limestone.           |
     |      |        |________|_____|____|                            |
     |      |        |        |   5 |    | Soapstone.                 |
     |      |        |________|_____|____|                            |
     |      |        |        |   9 |    | Lime Rock.                 |
     |      |        |________|_____|____|                            |
     |      |        |        |   6 |    | Soapstone.                 |
     |      |        |________|_____|____|                            |
     |      |        |        |   7 |    | White Limestone.           |
     |  900 |        |________|_____|____|                            |
     |______|        |        |   2 |    | Soapstone or Gypsum?       |
     |      |        |________|_____|____|                            |
     |      |        |        |  21 |    | White Limestone.           |
     |      |        |________|_____|____|                            |
     |      |        |        |   5 |    | Gray Limestone.            |
     |      |        |________|_____|____|                            |
     |      |        |        |   5 |    | Limestone and Soapstone.   |
     |      |        |________|_____|____|                            |
     |      |        |        |   5 |    | Gray Limestone.            |
     |      |        |________|_____|____|                            |
     |      |        |        |  15 |    | White Limestone.           |
     |      |        |________|_____|____|                            |
     |      |        |        |   2 |    | Fine blue Limestone.       |
     |      |        |________|_____|____|                            |
     |      |        |        |     |    | (SULPHUR WATER.)           |
     |      |        |        |  73 |    | Dark gray Limestone and    |
     | 1000 |        |        |     |    |   Flint.                   |
     |______|________|________|_____|____|____________________________|

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      ________________________________________________________________
     |           SECTION OF ARTESIAN WELL -- Continued.               |
     |________________________________________________________________|
     |DEPTH.| SPACE. |        |FEET.| IN.|                            |
     |______|________|________|_____|____|____________________________|
     |      |        |        |     |    |                            |
     |      |        |        |   7 |    | Light gray Limestone.      |
     |      |        |________|_____|____|                            |
     |      |        |        |   7 |    | Blue gray Limestone.       |
     |      |        |________|_____|____|                            |
     |      |        |        |  26 |    | Soapstone. (FIRE CLAY.)    |
     |      |        |________|_____|____|                            |
     |      |        |        |  24 |    | Gray Limestone.            |
     |      |        |________|_____|____|                            |
     |      |        |        |   3 |    | Gray Sandstone.            |
     | 1100 |        |________|_____|____|                            |
     |______|        |        |   5 |    | Soapstone. (FIRE CLAY.)    |
     |      |        |________|_____|____|                            |
     |      |        |        | 166 |    | Quartz and Shale mixed.    |
     |      |        |________|_____|____|                            |
     | 1200 |        |        |     |    |                            |
     |______|________|________|_____|____|____________________________|

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      ________________________________________________________________
     |          SECTION OF ARTESIAN WELL -- Continued.                |
     |________________________________________________________________|
     |DEPTH.| SPACE. |        |FEET.| IN.|                            |
     |______|________|________|_____|____|____________________________|
     |      |        |        |   3 |    | Quartz,Slate and Sandstone.|
     |      |        |________|_____|____|                            |
     |      |        |        |  21 |    | Slate Rock.                |
     | 1300 |        |________|_____|____|                            |
     |______|        |        |  33 |    | Soapstone.                 |
     |      |        |________|_____|____|                            |
     |      |        |        |   7 |    | Slate Rock.                |
     |      |        |________|_____|____|                            |
     | 1400 |        |        |     |    |                            |
     |______|        |        |     |    |                            |
     |      |        |        | 235 |    | Soapstone.                 |
     |      |        |________|_____|____|                            |
     | 1500 |        |        |     |    |                            |
     |______|________|________|_____|____|____________________________|

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      ________________________________________________________________
     |               SECTION OF ARTESIAN WELL -- Continued.           |
     |________________________________________________________________|
     |DEPTH.| SPACE. |        |FEET.| IN.|                            |
     |______|________|________|_____|____|____________________________|
     |      |        |        |     |    | STRONG SALT WATER.         |
     |      |        |________|_____|____|                            |
     |      |        |        |  10 |    | Soapstone and Sandstone.   |
     |      |        |________|_____|____|                            |
     |      |        |        |  15 |    | Fine Sandstone.            |
     |      |        |________|_____|____|                            |
     | 1600 |        |        |     |    |                            |
     |______|        |        |  40 |    | Blue Soapstone.            |
     |      |        |________|_____|____|                            |
     |      |        |        |  15 |    | Black Shale.               |
     |      |        |________|_____|____|                            |
     |      |        |        |   5 |    | Red Shale.                 |
     |      |        |________|_____|____|                  OIL.      |
     |      |        |        |  15 |    | Black Shale.               |
     |      |        |________|_____|____|                  OIL.      |
     |      |        |        |   5 |    | Lime Rock.                 |
     |      |        |________|_____|____|                            |
     |      |        |        |   5 |    | Black Shale.               |
     |      |        |________|_____|____|                  OIL.      |
     | 1700 |        |        |     |    |                            |
     |______|________|________|_____|____|____________________________|

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      ________________________________________________________________
     |           SECTION OF ARTESIAN WELL -- Continued.               |
     |________________________________________________________________|
     |DEPTH.| SPACE. |        |FEET.| IN.|                            |
     |______|________|________|_____|____|____________________________|
     |      |        |        | 149 |    | Gray Lime Rock.            |
     |      |        |________|_____|____|                            |
     | 1800 |        |        |     |    |                            |
     |______|        |        |     |    |       SULPHUR WATER.       |
     |      |        |        |  23 |    | Gray Sand Rock.            |
     |      |        |________|_____|____|                            |
     |      |        |        |     |    |       SULPHUR WATER.       |
     |      |        |        |  73 |  4 | Lime Rock.                 |
     | 1900 |        |________|_____|____|                            |
     |______|        |        |     |    |                            |
     |      |        |        |     |    |       SULPHUR WATER.       |
     |______|________|________|_____|____|____________________________|
     |      | 1912.4 |        |1912 |  4 |    TOTAL.                  |
     |______|________|________|_____|____|____________________________|

It will be perceived from the study of this section in connection with that made from the record of Bore No. 1, given in my First Report, 1869, that I have been induced to change the correlation of the coal seams through which they pass. The record of Bore No. 2, has been carefully made, and each layer of rock tested to determine its character,

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consequently, the sandstones and limestones are correctly placed.

The upper coal is referred to I ?, and the lower coal to the subconglomerate seam A ?. In the first bore there are a number of limestones represented in the upper part of the bore where none occur, and the lower carboniferous limestone, over three hundred feet thick, is almost entirely represented by shales. A similar error was committed in the record of the bore at Lodi.

A third well was bored, by the same company, a quarter of a mile east of the first, which passed through the same succession of strata detailed above. The black slate was passed through at sixteen hundred feet; and twenty-five feet lower down, in limestone, which I refer to the corniferous, a vein of oil was found which yields twenty-five barrels per day. This limestone is so referred, from the fact that I find the corniferous immediately beneath the black slate at North Vernon, in Jennings county, and the rock is here quite oleiferous. Dr. T. Sterry Hunt, of Montreal, Canada, was highly pleased to find, in this district, confirmation of views, which he had previously published, regarding the oleiferous character of the corniferous and Niagara limestones.

He read a paper, on this subject, before the American Association for the Advancement of Science, at Indianapolis, August, 1871, which is here appended:

1870 Table of Contents

Geology Library, Indiana University, Bloomington