Parkersburg & Wood County Public Library 3100 Emerson Ave. Parkersburg, WV 26104 304/420-4587 BRANCHES South Wflverly V\f{ ". “< k owr> 304/428-7041 304/464-5668 304/375-6052 -----------------------------------------------------Page 1-----------------------------------------------------  Plate L—Group of Derricks in the St. Marys and McFarlan Oil Fields. -----------------------------------------------------Page 2-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY County Reports and Maps Pleasants, Wood and Ritchie Counties BY G. P. GRIMSLEY I. C. WHITE, State Geologist -----------------------------------------------------Page 3-----------------------------------------------------  TM* ACMI PUBLIIHINO COMPANY PPINTBP* AND KINDERS MOHOANTOWN ItIO -----------------------------------------------------Page 4-----------------------------------------------------  GEOLOGICAL SURVEY COMMISSION. WILLIAM E. GLASSCOCK ........................................... President GOVERNOR OF WEST VIRGINIA. E. L. LONG ............................................................. Vice President TREASURER OF WEST VIRGINIA. ARCHIBALD MOORE .................................................. Secretary PRESIDENT o f s t a t e b o a r d OF a g r ic u l t u r e . D. B. PURINTON ........................................................... Treasurer PRESIDENT OF WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY. JAMES H. STEWART ...................................... Executive Officer DIRECTOR STATE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. -----------------------------------------------------Page 5-----------------------------------------------------  -----------------------------------------------------Page 6-----------------------------------------------------  SCIENTIFIC STAFF. I. C. WHITE ....................................... SUPlikTNTKNDENT OF TITIC SURVEY. G. P. GRIMSLEY .............................. ............. Assistant Geologist RAY V. HENNEN ............................. C. E. KREBS ..................................... D. B. REGER .................................... .Temporary Field Assistant A. B. BROOKS .................................. B. H. HITE ........................................ J. B. KRAK ........................................ EARL M. HENNEN .......................... J. L. WILLIAMS ................................ -----------------------------------------------------Page 7-----------------------------------------------------  LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. To His Excellency, ITon. William E. Glasscock, Governor of West Virginia, and President of the State Geological and Economic Survey Commission : S ir : —I have the honor to transmit herewith the Detailed Report of Prof. G. P. Grimslcy on the counties of Pleasants. Wood and Ritchie, together with the topographic, geologic, and soil maps covering the entire area of the three counties in single sheets. These maps should prove of great value to every inter­ est, and especially to that of agriculture. Aside from the vast oil and gas fields that have been developed in this area, the de­ scription of which is so well set forth by Prof. Grimsley in the detailed Report submitted, the main source of natural wealth of the counties in question must always be found in its soils. True, there are splendid clays and shales for the manufacture of all manner of building and paving brick, and there is much good building stone accessible at the surface over wide areas of these three counties, but the Coal Measures, so rich in fuel farther eastward in Harrison and adjoining counties, contain practically no coal beds of commercial value at the present time. The rocky strata of the entire Coal Measures column occurring in the northern region of the State underlie this entire area, but the great Pittsburg bed so important in the counties of Har­ rison, Marion, Monongalia, Marshall, Wetzel and the northern panhandle, as well as in eastern Doddridge, western Barbour, and over considerable areas in Taylor, Upshur. Lewis, Gilmer, Brax­ ton, and a few other counties southwest from the latter, appears to be absent as a commercial deposit from Pleasants, Wood and Ritchie, while the coals of the Allegheny series, the Freeport, and Kittanning beds, so important in eastern Monongalia, Pres­ ton. Barbour, Randolph, Tucker, Grant and Mineral counties, along the mountain regions of the State, are found in only thin and meagre development,,, so far as the drill of the oil and gas developments can be relied on. over the area herein described. A few years ago the drillers for several different oil companies operating in Union District Ritchie county, in what is locally -----------------------------------------------------Page 8-----------------------------------------------------  LKTTKR OF TRANSMITTAL. vii. known as the White Oak oil fidld, reported a thickness of coal ranging from 8 to 12 feet at the proper horizon for the Pitts­ burg seam over a large region. A core drill, however, put down on the land of Zimri Flanaghan near the junction of Tuttle run with the South Fork of Hughes river, as described on pages 662 and 663, Volume II (A) of the State Survey Reports, found only 2 feet of coal under 10 feet of black slate, the oil well drill­ ers having reported the entire 12 feet as | coal. It is barely pos­ able that there may be limited areas in Ritchie where the Pitts­ burg coal bed would make a better showing than the test on the Flanaghan farm, but the matter is doubtful. When the time comes in this county (as it most certainly will in the not distant future) that it becomes commercially possible to mine and distil the oily and bituminous matter from black shales, then this blaek shale and coal horizon of the Pittsburg bed in Ritchie county may prove a valuable mineral resource, since whatever coal is present could then be readily mined and taken out separte from the bituminous shale. The thin and irregular coal deposits occurring in the Coal Measures of this area appear to be due to lack of suitable con­ ditions for the growth and preservation of great peat bogs dur­ ing Carboniferous time. As to the true cause of these unfavor­ able conditions, the writer has elsewhere indicated that this fail­ ure of deposition was primarily due to the water’s covering the central portion of the Appalachian basin to a depth greater than was consistent with the rapid growth and accumulation of the debris from land vegetation, since the coal beds in each great series from the Pocahontas to the Monongahela, disappear suc­ cessively in belts of no great width in miles, as one passes from the southeastern border of the Appalachian coal field north­ westward towards its contrail portion in West Virginia, while the rocky sediments of each series, although they greatly de­ crease in thickness, continue entirely across the basin, and ap­ pear to hold more limy material in the central portion where coal beds arc thinnest and often completely absent as commer­ cial fuel. The higher beds of the Permian series, like the Washing­ ton coal, and Wayitcsburg A., appear to be more persistent over -----------------------------------------------------Page 9-----------------------------------------------------  LETTER OE TRANSMITTAL. this area than any of the others, and when coal becomes scarce in the Appalachian field, even these thin and impure beds may- have considerable value. It is quite possible that the Waynes- burg A. bed may have been confused with the Washington coal in some portions of the area covered by this Report, since Mr. Hennen’s work of 1909 in Callhoun, Wirt and Roane counties appears to demonstrate that in the area he studied, the Waynes- buTg A. bed is much more persistent than the higher or Wash­ ington coal. The thin seam of coal at Cairo, which the writer onjee identified provisionally with the Washington and which identification Prof. Grimsley followed, turns out to be the Waynesburg A., 60 to 70 feet below the horizon of the Wash­ ington coal. Owing to the uncertain and irregular deposition of coal over this area, it is impossible, as Prof. Grimsley has said, to make any close estimate of the tonnage of these sporadic and impure beds that do occur. However, if we place the total quantity of coal, both pure and impure, that may exist under the area of these 3 counties, at 2 billion tons, it is quite proba­ ble that it will not be underestimated. I. C. WHITE, State Geologist. Morgantown, April 1, 1910. -----------------------------------------------------Page 10-----------------------------------------------------  CONTENTS PACK. Members of Geological Survey Commission ......................... Ill Members of Scientific Staff .................................................. V Letter of Transmittal ................................................. VI-VIII Table of Contents ........................................................................ IX Preface ..................................................................................... XLI Chapter I.—The Historical and Industrial Development of Pleasants, Wood, and Ritchie Counties.. i Chapter II.—The Physiography of Pleasants, Wood, and Ritchie Counties ............................................... 13 Chapter III.-—The Geology of Pleasants, Wood and Ritchie Counties ............................................................ 4° Chapter IV.—Petroleum and Natural Gas in Pleasants County .............................................................. 81 Chapter V.—Petroleum and Natural Gas in Wood County 114 Chapter VI.—Petroleum and Natural Gas in Ritchie County 147 Chapter VII.—The Chemistry of Petroleum from Pleasants, Wood,,, and Ritchie Counties ........................ 205 Chapter VIII.—Asphalt and Other Mineral Resources of Pleasants, Wood and Ritchie Counties ........ 244 Chapter IX:—Climate of Pleasants, W|ood, and -Ritchie Counties ......................................................... 277 ChapterX.—Soil Survey of the Parkersburg Area ............. 298 Appendix.—Levels above Mean Tide in Pleasants, Wood, and Ritchie Counties ...................................... 339 Index ......................................................................................... 349 -----------------------------------------------------Page 11-----------------------------------------------------  ILLUSTRATIONS. MAPS IN ATLAS. Topographical Map of Pleasants, Wood, and Ritchie Counties. Map Showing Areal Geology of Pleasants,, Wood, and Ritchie Counties. Soil Map of Pleasants. Wood, and Ritchie Counties. PLATES. NO. PAGE. I. —Group of Derricks in the St. Marys and McFarlan Oil Fields ......................................................... Frontispiece II. — (A)—Birds Eye View of Town of St. Marys ............... 18 (B)—The Ohio River Valley near Eureka. HI.— (A)—View of Ohio River Valley near S't. Marys. ... 36 (B)—Ohio River near St. Marys at Low Stage Water. IV. —Birds Eye View of Portion of Town of Cairo .............. 52 V. —(A)—The Hughes River Valley at MjcFarlan ............. 60 (B) : —The Sandstone Hills on McFarlan Run. VI. —(A)—StauntonPikeBridge near McFarlan .................... 80 (B)—Bando Oil Company Well on Long Run. VII. —Sandstone Rock Floor at Ohio River Dam, No. 18... 96 VIII. —Marietta Sandstone Cliffs near Calcutta .................. 116 IX. —Waynesburg Sandstone Cliffs near Harrisville ........ 136 X. —'Waynesburg Sandstone Cliffs near St. Marys ............ 150 XI. —Upper Freeport Sandstone and Coal on Cow Creek. .. . 170 XII. —Folded Sandstone and Shales at Volcano .................. 188 XIII. — (A)—Spindle Top Oil Field near St. Marys ............ 200 (B)—Eureka Pipe Line Oil Tanks near Eureka. XIV. —Oil DerricknearMcFarlan ......................................... 220 -----------------------------------------------------Page 12-----------------------------------------------------  ILLUSTRATIONS. xi. XV. —Mount Farm Oil Field near Volcano ......................... 236 XVI. — Pumping Device in Volcano Oil Field .................... 254 XVII. —Pumping Device on Mjount Farm at Volcano ........ 268 XVIII.—Grahamite Fissure at Ritchie Mines ....................... 280 XIX. — (A)—Marietta Sandstone Grindstone Quarry at Briscoe .................................................................. 300 (B)—Grindstones cut at Briscoe Quarry. XX. —High School Buildng at Parkersburg, Marietta Sand­ stone ....................................................................... 318 XXL—Naughton Quarry in Waynesburg Sandstone at Cornwallis .............................................................. 330 FIGURES. NO. PAGE. 1. Creek Profiles in Pleasants and Wood Counties ............ 22 2. River and Creek Profiles in Wood andRitchie Countes. . 23 3. Longitudinal Profile of Ohio River Channel from Bens Run to Marietta ............................................................ 27 4. Cross Section of Ohio River Channel at Dam No. 18.. 29 5. Cross Section of Ohio River Channel at Dam No. 19. . 29 6. Geological Section along Eureka-Volcano Fold ................ 76 7. Plat showing Lot Arrangement and Oil Wells at Vol­ cano ............................................................................ 141 8. Diagram showing Mean Annual Temperature at Bens Run ............................................................................. 278 9. Diagram showing Mean Annual Temperature atPark­ ersburg ........................................................................ 280 10. Diagram showing Mean Annual! Temperature atCairo .................................................................................... 280 t t . Diagram showing Average Annual Rainfall at Bens Run ............................................................................. 286 12. Diagram showing Monthly Rainfall at Bens Run ................. 287 -----------------------------------------------------Page 13-----------------------------------------------------  Vj xii. IIJ^USTK A'l'IONS. 13. Diagram showing Average Annual Rainfall at Parkers­ burg ............................................................................... 289 14. Diagram showing Monthly Rainfall at Parkersburg. . .290 15. Diagram showing Average Annual Rainfall at Cairo..291 16. Diagram showng Monthly Rainfall at Cairo ...................... 292 -----------------------------------------------------Page 14-----------------------------------------------------  PREFACE. The following report includes a discussion of the resources, geology, economic wealth, soil and climate of the Parkersburg area, and is the third in series of county reports of the Survey. The geology of the area presents a marked-contrast to that of the Wheeling area. Most of the surface rocks belong in the high­ est scries of the Carboniferous, the Dunkard. The rocks are mostly red shales and sandstones, with limestone strata marked by limestone nuggets or thin slialy layers. The most important mineral product is not coal, but oil and gas. In this area came the earliest oil development in the state, and these three counties are today among the leading oil and gas counties of the state. There is probably no Pittsburg coal in the area that will ever be of economic importance, and over mos,t of the area it is entire­ ly absent. There is a small area of Upper Freeport coal in the vicinity of I-Iorseneck near boundary line of Wood and Pleas­ ants counties. There is another small area of the Kittanning coals in the Volcano district, both deposits located on the anti­ cline known from an early day as the “Oil Break.” The only other coal of even local importance is the Washing­ ton which has been mined here and there by farmers cither in shallow hillside entries or by stripping in stream valleys. It is thin and slaty and could hardly be included in the coal supply of the state. This coal is very persistent over the area and would be available for such local use at many places. On account of its poor quality and shallow thickness, it was not thought important to estimate total tonnage. In this report is included a chapter of analyses of over fifty samples of oil from the three counties. These analyses were made by Dr. David T. Day of the U. S. Geological Survey, and -----------------------------------------------------Page 15-----------------------------------------------------  XIV. I' K EFA C K - are the first complete analyses of West Virginia oils that have come to my notice. They show the high quality of West Virginia petroleum and should prove of interest to the producers. The soil survey of the area in cooperation with the Division of Soils of U. S. Department of Agriculture is a continuation of this excellent work from the counties to the north and should prove very valuable to the farmers of the area The survey is under obligation to Prof. Milton Whitney, (chief of Bureau of Soils at Washington for advance proof sheets and soil map for use in this report. The data on climate has been kindly furnished by If. C. Howe, Section Director of U. S. Weather Bureau at Parkers­ burg, and he has written for this report a short account of the climate of the state. The field work for this report was done in the summer of 1908. but delays in analyses of oils and engraving of maps has postponed the publication of this report to the present time. G. P. GRIMSLEY. Martinsburg, W. Va., February 22, 1910. -----------------------------------------------------Page 16-----------------------------------------------------  CHAPTER I THE HISTORICAL AND INDUSTRIAL DE­ VELOPMENT OF PLEASANTS, WOOD, AND RITCHIE COUNTIES. _( LOCATION AND HISTORY. The three counties whose geology and resources form the subject of the present report are located in the western portion of the State in the Ohio river valley; and two of them, Pleasants and Wood, border the river. They contain important oil and gas fields, rich agricultural lands, especially near the river, and one of the largest cities of the State out­ side of Wheeling; viz., Parkersburg with its varied industries. TRANSPORTATION ROUTES. Ohio River. The early settlements of this area were along the Ohio river which afforded the easiest and best route of access to the territory. From an early day its value was recognized and before the days of the railroads, most of the supplies and most of the products of the wilderness and farms passed in and out by river boats. At the present time it has an impor­ tant place in the traffic of this area, both passenger and freight. The Little Kanawha river is improved with Govern­ ment locks and dams, and the commerce of this valley cen­ ters at Parkersburg where the river reaches the Ohio. -----------------------------------------------------Page 17-----------------------------------------------------  2 HISTORICAL AND INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT. Highways. The value of good roads was appreciated more highly ir the early days than apparently at the present time, and pikes were built and maintained over which passed the stage coaches and the freighters. Between 1848 and 1850 the St. Marys pike was built from St. Marys in Pleasants county to Parkersburg, and is the main road today through that area. The Northwestern Turnpike from Winchester, Virginia, to Parkersburg was completed in 1837, and a line of through stages established. This was one of the early roads constructed to connect the east with the western country. In 1843 the pike from Staun­ ton, Virginia, to Parkersburg was completed. In 1832 the Old State Road was built through Ritchie, Pleasants, and Wood counties and was an important highway for many years, but now has been abandoned over much of the way. Ohio River Railroad. This road known as the Wheeling and Parkersburg rail­ road was chartered April 18, 1881, and the name changed in December, 1882, to the Ohio River railroad. Its leading promoters were Senator J. N. Camden of Parkersburg and Robert H. Cochran of Wheeling. The road was opened for traffic June 15, 1884, with its northern terminus at Benwood where.it connected with the Pittsburg, Wheeling,'and Ken­ tucky railroad. It was completed to Pt. Pleasant in Jan­ uary 1886 and extended to Huntington in April 1888. The road is now operated by the Baltimore and Ohio company. Baltimore and Ohio Southwestern. The following account of the Baltimore and Ohio rail­ road is taken from the writer’s report on the Pan Handle Counties forming the first volume of the county reports of the West Virginia Geological Survey (p. 5.) The plan of building a railroad from Baltimore to the -----------------------------------------------------Page 18-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 3 Ohio river was first proposed at a meeting of business men in Baltimore, February 12, 1827. A week later a plan for the organization of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad was formulated and a committee was appointed to secure an act of incorporation from the legislatures of Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, which act was passed February 27, 1827, fixing the capital stock at $3,000,000 in 30,000 shares of $100 each. . The board of directors was organized April 23, 1827, the work of construction commenced, and the road was opened to Frederick, Maryland, December 1, 1831. The line was completed to Cumberland, November 5, 1842, and no further work done until 1849, when the construction was resumed westward and completed to Wheeling, January 1, 1853. The Parkersburg division was commenced as a branch road from Grafton in December 1852, and completed May 1, 1857. During 1857 the Marietta and Cincinnati railroad was completed from Ilarmar across the Muskingum river from Marietta, to a point on the Ohio river ten miles above Belpre at Scotts Landing, and passengers were ferried to Parkers­ burg. Later the road was extended to Belpre, and the Ohio river bridge was built in 1872 when a short line 'was built to Athens there connecting with the main line of the Marietta and Cincinnati. From this date the main traffic line passed through Athens, Parkersburg, and Grafton to the east. Little Kanawha Railroad. This railroad extends from Parkersburg up the Little Kanawha river to Palestine, a distance of 30 miles and is operated at the present time by the Baltimore & Ohio rail­ road company. The railroad from Cairo to Ritchie Mines was built in 1877 with wood rails and known as the Calico railroad. It was later sold to H. S. Wilson who built a narrow gauge railroad to Rutherford and in 1890 extended it to Melin and -----------------------------------------------------Page 19-----------------------------------------------------  4 HISTORICAL AND INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT. then to McFarlan, and sold it to the present company. A narrow gauge railroad extends from Pennsboro to Harrisville with a branch to Pullman. GENERAL DESCRIPTION. Pleasants County. Pleasants county, the most northern of the three counties described in this report has an area of 142 square miles, and a population of 9,341. 1 The mean annual rainfall is 40 to 50 inches, and mean annual temperature 50 to 55 0 . The county was formed in 1851 from parts of Wood,-Tyler, and Ritchie Counties and named in honor of James Pleasants, Jr., Gov­ ernor of Virginia in 1822. It is bpunded on the north and east by Tyler county, on the south by Wood and Ritchie, and on the west by Washington county, Ohio, separated by the Ohio river along the full length of the county. St. Marys, a town of 825 peo­ ple, is the county seat. It is reached by the Ohio river boats, and by the Ohio river division of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, (see plate No. 1). By rail, the town is 6\ miles south of Wheeling, 132 miles from Pittsburg, and 30 miles north of Parkersburg. It is not a manufacturing town, the only industrial plant being a small hoe factory controlled by Mr. V. E. Morgan, with a capacity of 1,000 hoes daily, but it is only in operation a portion of the time. ITere is the center of a number of oil companies engaged in the develop­ ment of the oil fields of the county. It has a foundry and oil supply machinery shops, and many of its citizens are en­ gaged in the oil industry which at the present time is less prominent than some years back. Wood County. Wood county has an area of 357 square miles and a pop­ ulation of 34,452. The county was formed in 1799 from a 1. Statistics for these counties taken from U. S. G. S. Bull, 233, Gazeteer of West Virginia. -----------------------------------------------------Page 20-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. portion of Harrison county and named from James Wood, Governor of Virginia in 17C6. It is bounded on the north by Pleasants, and Wash­ ington county Ohio; on the east by Ritchie and Wirt counties; on the south by Jackson; and on the west by Ath­ ens and Washington counties, Ohio. The Ohio river flows along the entire western border, and along a portion of the northern border of the county. Parkersburg, a city of 25,000 or 30,000 people, is the county seat and is located on the Ohio river at the mouth of the Little Kanawha river. It is reached by the Ohio river division of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, and also by the Baltimore and Ohio Southwestern railroad. It is 162 miles from Pittsburg, 195 miles from Cincinnati, and 358 miles from Washington. A branch of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad extends from Parkersburg via Marietta to Zanes­ ville, Ohio. The Little Kanawha railroad, now operated by the B. & O., extends up the river to Elizabeth and Palestine in Wirt county. These roads with the river transportation on the Ohio and Little Kanawha, afford excellent shipping facilities. Both Pleasants and Wood counties are dotted with small villages, but have no large towns except the county seats. History of Parkersburg and Vicinity. It has been difficult to find any accounts of the early his­ tory of Pleasants and Wood counties, but an interesting and valuable paper on the histoi'y of Parkersburg and vicinity was prepared by Mrs. Margaret Henderson Bartlett of Par­ kersburg and read by her before the Parkersburg Literary Club, February 21, 1903. Through the courtesy of Mrs. Bartlett a copy of this paper has been kindly furnished the Survey, and it is made the basis of the present section. In 1773 an entry and preemption right was made by Robert Thornton on 400 acres near the present site of Par­ kersburg, and three years before this date the Tomlinson members piade a similar entry at the present site of Williams- -----------------------------------------------------Page 21-----------------------------------------------------  6 HISTORICAL AND INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT. town. The Thornton claim was sold to Alex. Parker of Pittsburg for $50, and it was surveyed in 1783. In 1785 Captain James Neal with a number of men from Pennsyl­ vania settled a few miles up the Little Kanawha at a place named Neals Station which became a place of refuge in the Indian raids, and a stopping point for travelers across this counfry. Fort Harmar was built at the mouth of the Muskingum river at the present site of Marietta in 1786, and Farmers Castle at Belpre across from Parkersburg in 1789, giving bet­ ter security against the Indian attacks. A block house was built at Belleville in 1785 by Mr. Tilton who had claims for several thousand acres in that section. In 1800 Parkersburg was known as Newport or Stokelyville, and commonly called the Point. It contained a few log cabins, a store, and a tav­ ern. “In 1798 there was sufficient population to warrant the division of Harrison county (formed from Monongalia in 1784). The first act of the legislature creating the county of Wood was in December 1798, giving the boundaries and directing that the justices of the peace meet at the house of Hugh Phelps, take oaths of office, organize a coiinty, and fix upon a place for holding courts, at or near the center thereof.” In August 1798 the justices met and elected of­ ficers for the county. Vienna and Williamstown were con­ sidered as locations for the court house, but it was decided to locate it on the land of Col. Phelps. “At a full meeting of the court in 1800, it was agreed that the Point above the mouth of the Little Kanawha river on lands owned by John Stokely was the proper place, and an order made for public buildings, John Stokely giving the land not to exceed two acres.” The first log court house had the upper story for a court room, and the lower for a jail, and a whipping post and stocks were added. The first higher court was held here in 1819. In 1810 an act was passed establishing the town of Parkersburg adjoining the town of Newport and including the same. A deed for the public square was made in 1811 -----------------------------------------------------Page 22-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 7 by Wm. and Mary Robinson, the latter being a daughter of Alexander Parker. The grant included one acre and a third. The survey of the town was made by Geo. D. Avery, a sur­ veyor and lawyer of Belleville. In 1812 or 1813 a contract was made for a new court house 40 by 40 feet, two stories high, and it was decided to locate it in the public square of Parkersburg. The first tavern licensed by the court was built by Hugh Phelps on the south side of the Kanawha in 1789. The sec­ ond was built by John Neal in 1801 and known as “The Rest.” Between 1812 and 1815 a hotel still in existence (The Commercial) was built on the northwestern corner of the Public Square by Caleb Bay ley, the contractor for the court house. In 1811 the first steam vessel, the New Orleans, passed Parkersburg. It was built in Pittsburg for the river trade. By 1818, fifteen steamers had been built at various points on the river. Tile town charter was granted in 1820 and another one in 1832. At this time the population was 400, reaching 1,400 in 1844, 1,500 in 1851, and 2,800 in i860. In 1847 or 1848 a covered bridge was built across the Little Kanawha. At the present time Parkersburg is a city of 25,000 to 30,000, and covers an area of four square miles. It has 50 miles of streets of which 15 miles are paved. The as­ sessed valuation in the city is $26,172,842. There are ten banks with resources over $9,000,000 and $5,000,000 of de­ posits. The total capital invested in the manufacturing in­ dustries is estimated at $4,554,000, and 3,500 people are thus employed in the 65 manufacturing plants. There are 20 wholesale stores and between 300 and 400 retail stores. There are five city and three suburban lines of street railroad. There are over 20 churches and 16 school buildings. Parkersburg’s Industries. In this section only those industries will be described which have connection with mineral lines, and the clay in­ dustry is given in the chapter on mineral resources. The United States Engine Co. was incorporated in 1902. -----------------------------------------------------Page 23-----------------------------------------------------  I 8 HISTORICAL AND INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT. The plant covers six acres of ground with four distinct de­ partments; machine, blacksmith shop, pattern shop, and foundry with a daily capacity of io tons. They manufacture gas and steam engines, steam pumps, vacuum pumps, pump­ ing powers for oil wells, and gray iron castings of all descrip­ tions. The J. J. Crotty Company, established in 1897, manu­ facture oil drilling and fishing tools, and deal in oil well sup­ plies. Kesselman and Co. operate here a similar plant as a branch of their main plant at Butler, Pennsylvania. The Parkersburg Iron and Steel Co. was incorporated December 15, 1900, and the plant constructed in 1901, and first operated December 18, 1901. It is located on the Ohio river and on the Ohio river division of the B. & O. railroad at Beecliwood just north of the city on a 20* acre tract. Elec­ tric a”nd steam power arc used with natural gas fuel. The finished steel products are used in the manufacture of the following specialties: gas and gasoline stoves, stamped ware, tacks, roofing, milk cans, powder kegs, soda drums, metal ceilings, umbrella rods, bicycle tubing, enameled ware, metal lath, metal screen frames, automobile parts. Their special product of “Parkersburg Blue” sheet metal is used for stove pipes, elbows, drip pans, etc. The Budke Manufacturing Co., the factory department of the above described company, is claimed to be the largest exclusive manufacturer of stove pipe, drip pans, bread pans, box bands, etc., in this country. Their trade mark is the “Acme” controlled by this company for 22 years. The Acme Fishing Tool Co., was established December 4, 1903, and has numerous branch offices in the different oil fields. They make various forms of oil well fishing tools, cutters, casing pullers, rimmers, also a large assortment of special tools. The Parkersburg Rig and Reel Co., was organized in 1897 to manufacture drilling machines, rig irons, sand reels, and wooden tanks, which are used in the West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky and Illinois oil fields. The Parkersburg Machine Co., established in 1900, -----------------------------------------------------Page 24-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 9 makes a specialty of oil, gas, and artesian well packers, and also carry on a business in general machine work and forg­ ing. The Mountain State Boiler Works manufacture boil­ ers and do general boiler and engine repair work. Kelleys Foundry, engaged in general casting work, was established in 1847. The Oil Well Supply Co. branch office and works was started in 1900 to manufacture the necessary equipment for drilling and equiping oil and gas wells. The National Sucker Rod Co. was organized in 1903 to manufacture wood­ en sucker.rods for oil wells. The Stiles Foundry and Sup­ ply Co. operate foundry, machine, and pattern shops and act as jobbers of mine, mill, oil and gas well, steam, and plumb­ ers supplies. The Parkersburg Artificial Stone Co., established in 1903, manufacture • concrete building and ornamental stone with a daily production of 1,000 square feet. The Citizens Concrete Co. is also engaged in this same line of work. The Baltimore and Ohio division railroad shops are located at Parkersburg and employ nearly 400 mechanics with a month­ ly pay roll of $16,000. The Camden Oil Works of the Standard Oil Co. are lo­ cated at the eastern edge of the city on the Baltimore and Ohio railroad. The Parkersburg refinery was erected in 1868 and later known as the Camden Consolidated Oil Com­ pany. Tn 1892 it became the property of the Standard Oil Company. The oil is received from the Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia fields through pipe lines and stored in six re­ ceiving tanks with a capacity of 30000 barrels. The crude oil is refined in 12 stills; six of these have a capacity of 1,000 barrels each and six hold 600 barrels. The illuminating oils are further purified in four agitator tanks with a capacity of 3,500 barrels. Illuminating oils, gasoline, naptha, and lubricating oils arc'sold from this refinery which has a daily capacity of 3,000 barrels. The residue of the crude oil after removal of the oils is a wax which is shipped in tank cars to other plants for manufacture of candles, etc. At Williamstown is located the plant of the Fenton Art Glass Company^ making table glass ware and novelties. The -----------------------------------------------------Page 25-----------------------------------------------------  10 HISTORICAL AND INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT. glass is mjade up in various co-lors, with a specialty of irrides- cent ware, very popular in art novelties. The plant includes a 12 pot furnace and one tank furnace, and the ware is tem­ pered in five liers and one annealing lier. The value of out­ put is given as $250,000 a year and 200 people are employed. The buildings are constructed of concrete blocks ancf were erected in January 1907. Ritchie County. Ritchie county has an area of 457 square miles and a population of 18,901. It was formed in 1843 from portions of Wood, Harrison, and Lewis counties, and named in honor of Thomas Ritchie, editor of the Richmond Enquirer. The first census showed a population of 3,856. It was divided in 1863 into four districts: Union, named for the Union cause, and first settled at Harrisville in 1803; Clay, named in honor of Henry Clay, and first settled at Pennsboro in 1800; Murphy, named after the Murphy brothers who settled at Webbs Mill in 1800; Grant, named in honor of General Grant, and first settled at Cairo. The county is bounded on the north by Pleasants and Tyler Counties; on the east by Tyler and Doddridge; on the south by Gilmer, Calhoun, and Wirt; on the west by Wood and Wirt. The northern part of the county is traversed from east to west by the Baltimore and Ohio rail­ road, and two branch railroads lead into the interior por­ tion of the county; one from Pennsboro to Harrisville, and one from Cairo to McFarlan. History of Ritchie County. Miss Minnie Lowther of Smithville has written a num­ ber of interesting articles on the history of Ritchie county which were published in the Ritchie Standard of Plarrisville in 1906. This lady, though an invalid for many years, has in these articles made an important contribution to the his­ tory of the State, and deserves high praise for a work ac­ -----------------------------------------------------Page 26-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 11 complished under such circumstances. Her articles form the basis of this section. According to Miss Lowther, the first school was taught in the county by John Ayres in 1810 in a log cabin near Webbs Mill, and the first school house was built in 1814 near the mouth of Cedar, run. Ther^ are now 179 school houses in the county. The first house or cabin was built by John Bunnel in 1800 at the present site of Pennsboro. The county was first explored by Col. Wm. Lowther, Jesse and Elias Ilughes, who started from the present site of Clarksburg in the fall of 1772, and the river of the county was named in honor of Jesse Plughes. Plarrisville, a town of 500 people, is the county seat, and was settled in 1822 on the land of Thos. Iiarris. A post office was established in 1825 under the name of Solus, later changed in name to Ritchie Court House, and then to Plar­ risville. The town was incorporated February 26, 1869, and the first train over the Pennsboro and Plarrisville railroad entered on Thanksgiving day 1875. The first court in the county was held at the home of John Plarris, April 4, 1843. In addition to the nine mile narrow gauge railroad to Penns­ boro, an electric line is under construction, six miles long to Cornwallis on the B. & O. main line. Cornwallis was first settled by Jesse C. Lowther, and namd by Wm, Cunningham in 1896 in honor of Corn­ wallis' surrender to Washington. Pennsboro was named for a civil engineer from Baltimore who laid out the town, and the post office was established in 1820. Smithville was settled in 1844, Berea in 1848, Pullman in 1883, and incor­ porated as a town in June 1901. Oxford was settled in 1825, Plighland in 1868, Burnt Plouse in 1882, Ellenboro in 1840, Petroleum in 1854. Toll Gate on the Northwestern Turnpike was the location of a toll gate established in 1849 and abandoned during the Civil War. It was kept during this time by Mrs. Edmund Lee. The first settler in the Cairo region was a squatter who located near the mouth of Addis run and was dispossessed in 1818 by Mr. Addis who had a title to a large tract of land -----------------------------------------------------Page 27-----------------------------------------------------  12 HISTORICAL AND INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT. at this place. Cairo was settled in 1821 and called Egypt, and its first school house was located on Rush run, one mile from 'the present town. In 1856 James Merchant built the first hotel, the Alpha. The first store was started in 1855 by Wm. Skelton. The real development of the town came in 1856 with the completion of the J 3 . & O railroad. It is a center for the oil development of the county and has a pop­ ulation of 650. The important mineral industries of Ritchie county are oil and gas, (also formerly the asphalt from the Ritchie mines) and the discussion of these products is given in a later Chapter. -----------------------------------------------------Page 28-----------------------------------------------------  CHAPTER II THE PHYSIOGRAPHY OF PLEASANTS, WOOD, AND RITCHIE COUNTIES. An outline of the atmospheric, and aqueous forces of erosion, and their relation to the development of the sur­ face features of the land was given by the writer in the first of the county reports of the West Virginia Geological Sur­ vey (Ohio, Brooke, and Hancock Counties). It is there shown how rivers and land forms, hills and valleys, pass through a cycle of development, a study which gives added interest to these types. The reader is referred to that vol­ ume for the discussion of this subject, and in the present chapter a description will be given of the drainage basins and topography of the three counties which form the sub­ ject of this report. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAINAGE BASINS. Middle Island Creek. The largest stream in Pleasants county is Middle Island Creek which rises in the southeastern portion of Doddridge county and flows northwest to Middlebourne in Tyler county, where it turns southwest across the northern por­ tion of Pleasants county, reaching the Ohio river at St. Marys. It flows in a winding channel and is 65 miles long, 163^ miles of which is in Pleasants county. The creek has an elevation of 615 feet where it enters the county and 600 feet at its mouth, or a fall of less than one foot to the mile. -----------------------------------------------------Page 29-----------------------------------------------------  14 PHYSIOGRAPHY OF PLEASANTS, WOOD, RITCHIE COUNTIES. Its channel bends in sharp meanders and it is bordered over much of the distance by steep cliffs or high hills. Its tributaries from the north in Pleasants county are small short creeks or runs known as Cedar, Tates, Stouts, Bogart, Wolf, and Fishpot, which extend back to the di­ vide between Bens run and Middle Island creek. This di­ vide is marked by the county road from St. Marys by Mt. Carmel to Lytton, which reaches an elevation of 1163 feet A. T., at the Mt. Carmel church, and 1080 feet at Lytton. The two largest tributaries at the south are Sugar Creek and McKim, both of which enter the county from Tyler, and are fed by a number of smaller creeks. McKim is the larger stream and with its tributaries, Shawnee, Rock, and Panther creeks, drains a large area in the central and south­ eastern portions of the county. Other southern tributaries of Middle Island Creek are Broad run, Willow Island creek Croolced, Big, and Allen runs. The total drainage area is about 75 square miles. Nearly all the streams of the county flow in parallel northwest direction in winding nar­ row channels. French Creek. French creek rises in the southern portion of Pleasants county and reaches the Ohio just above Belmont, with a length of 12 miles. The Right and Left forks unite just east of Calcutta, and from this point to the Ohio, the creek follows a very winding channel with the drainage area three to four miles wide. Its main tributary at the north is Long run which follows a nearly due west course in a deeply cut valley. Its tribu­ taries at the south are Henry Camp, Alum Cave, Schultz, Wright, and Burnt Cabin runs. Cow Creek. Cow creek rises near the southern boundary of Pleasants county and flows northwest to the Ohio at Willow Island. Its length is 9 miles and its channel is less winding than -----------------------------------------------------Page 30-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 15 the other streams to the north. It cuts across the Eureka- Belmont fold, giving good exposures of the strongly dip­ ping rocks. All of these streams near the Ohio river cut into the river alluvial deposit. The main tributaries of Cow creek from the north are: Robbins, Pedro, Keeners, and Feeny runs; and from the south, Triplett, Sled, Limestone, and Sharp runs. The northern runs are short with steep slopes, while the south­ ern tributaries reach farther back, cutting into the divide between Cow and Bull creeks. Back of Eureka, McElroy’s run flows from the divide into the Ohio; and at Harness, Calf creek comes down from the Eureka fold to the Ohio; both streams following the dip of the rocks. Bull Creek. Bull creek forms the boundary between Pleasants and Woocl counties and has its source in the high ridge which forms the boundary of Pleasants and Ritchie counties. It is 13^ miles long to the Ohio river at Waverly. It mean­ ders in a deeply cut channel and like Cow creek cuts across the Belmont-Eureka fold. Both of these creeks represent antecedent streams which have preserved their courses dur­ ing the uplift of the rocks of the fold. For some distance up the creek there are no large tribu­ tary creeks until the fold is reached. At Chester, Horse- neck creek cuts back along the dip of the rocks. Right Fork and Isaac Fork flow north nearly parallel to the fold, into Bull creek. Williams Creek. The northwestern portion of Wood county is drained by a number of small streams, the largest being Williams creek which reaches the Ohio two miles below Williams- town. This stream for its last two miles follows closely the alluvial line bordering the. river hills. Its left Fork fol­ -----------------------------------------------------Page 31-----------------------------------------------------  16 PHYSIOGRAPHY OP PLEASANTS, WOOD, RITCHIE COUNTIES. lows a very winding channel and is longer than the main creek. At Parkersburg, Pond run follows the river plain from a point four and a half miles north of the city. Little Kanawha River. After the Ohio, the next largest river in the area is the Little Kanawha which flows through the center of Wood county, reaching the Ohio at Parkersburg. This river rises in the northwestern part of Upshur county and is 150 to 200 miles long by its meanders to its mouth. Through Wood county it is bordered by a wide alluvial terrace and has a slightly meandering channel. The river is provided with locks and dams, and is navigable for a distance of 25 miles above the mouth. This river like the Ohio, described in a later paragraph, has been changed in its course by the indirect action of the glaciers of the Glacial Period. The old channel near its mouth formerly passed around the present city of Parkers­ burg and left the rock island shown on the m|ap. An ex­ amination of the topographical map given in this report shows by arrangement of the brown contour lines, the path of the old stream. This channel as well as the present chan­ nel of the river are filled with a deposit of gravel and silt so that the river is superimposed on its old rock floor. This alluvial fill at Parkersburg-, according to the Camden Oil Co. well is 85 feet deep, while opposite Kanawha Station, ac­ cording to the Butcher well record, it is 41 feet. According to W. G. Tight, 1 the deflection of the north­ ward courses of the streams took place during the First Glacial epoch, while the flood of waters from the melting ice in the Interglacial epoch caused the erosion of the valleys below the present levels. The filling of the channels with gravel and silt was caused by the flood waters of the last Glacial epoch. The present depth of channel in this gravel and sut fill has been reached since the Glacial Period. A number of abandoned channels are seen along the 1. U. S. G. S. Profess. Paper No. 13. -----------------------------------------------------Page 32-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 17 Little Kanawha valley. Neal run to south of Parkersburg now flows to the river through part of the old river valley. The river has at some past time cut across this bend leaving the rock island at Newport. Another similar island is seen at Pettyville. Near Creels the old valley was much wider than the present one, and the sharp bend has been cut across. At the mouth of Stillwell creek a northward bend has ap­ parently been shortened by the present cut off. From the north it receives the following long tributary streams: Worthington, Stillwell, Walker creeks, and the Hughes river. Worthington creek empties into the Little Kanawha, one mile and a half east of Parkersburg, and has its source south of Waverly, giving a length of 14 miles. Tt is fed by a number of long tributary runs; Laurel, Gillespie, and Berry, and also by a number of shorter creeks. Stillwell creek, 15 miles long, reaches the Little Kan­ awha, one mile west of Kanawha Station, and has its source in the hills near Deerwalk. Its main tributaries arc Little Stillwell and Left Fork. Walker creek empties into '.the riv­ er, one mile east of Kanawha Station and rises in the north­ western part of Wood county near Sand Ridge. It is fol­ lowed by the main line of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad from the river east seven miles where the creek turns to the north. It is 17 miles long with two important tributaries; Tug Fork near Walker station, Whiteoak run from the Volcano area. Walker creek flows along the western edge of the Volcano fold, while Whiteoak run flows down the dip of the rocks of the fold. In its northern portion, Walker creek has cut its channel across the fold. From the south, the river receives the waters of Neal run, Tygart creek, and Slate run. Neal run rises in the Ohio river hills opposite Blenncrhassett island and follows a chan­ nel parallel to the Ohio river to the Little Kanawha oppo­ site Parkersburg. Tygart creek has its source near the south line of Wood county and flows north in a winding channel, 15 miles to the Little Kanawha opposite Nicolette. Slate creek follows a course nearly parallel to the south- 2 -----------------------------------------------------Page 33-----------------------------------------------------  38 PHYSIOGRAPHY OP PLEASANTS, WOOD, RITCHIE COUNTIES. eastern border of Wood county and one-half mile distant to the river opposite Leacjitown. Hughes River. The Hughes river reaches the Little Kanawha at the Wirt-Wood county line, 18 miles above Parkersburg. Its lower course is a series of sharp bends. In an air line dis­ tance of three and a half miles above its mouth, the chan­ nel is ten miles long and throughout most of its length the river follows a meandering course. Near the southwestern corner of Ritchie county, the river divides into the North and South Forks. The South Fork rises in the southwestern part of Dod­ dridge county and flows across the southern part of Ritchie, with a length of 54 miles, while air line distance is about 36 miles. The river meanders are sharp and some of them reach a mile in length from the direct course. The valley walls are steep and rugged with small areas of alluvial bot­ tom lands here and there. The tributary streams reach far back into the north and south divides and with their numerous branches give a very rough country. At the north arc: McFarlan, Indian, Lamb, Long, Jesse Cain. Turtle, and Whiteoak creeks. McFarlan creek is seven miles long, rising in the highland near Cant­ well and its Left Fork has its source near Mellin. It flows over a rocky floor with high cliffs on either side. Many of the county roads follow these streams, the road first on one side, then on the other, and in places in the bed, making rough travel. Indian creek rises one mile west of Pullman and flows 18 miles southwest past Star Settlement and Washburn to the river at Beatrice. Its branches from the north on the North Fork divide, include among the larger streams, Indian, Dog, and Den runs; and from the south come numerous shorter creeks. The important tributary creeks of the South Fork of Hughes river from the south arc: Island, Bear, Laurel, Dutch- -----------------------------------------------------Page 34-----------------------------------------------------  Plate II—a.—Birds Eye View of the Town of St. Marys. Plate II—b.—The Ohio River Valley near Eureka. -----------------------------------------------------Page 35-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 19 man, Leatherbark, Grass, Spruce, Bone, Otterslide, and Mid­ dle Fork. These creeks reach the Little Kanawha divide which forms the southern line of Ritchie county. They nearly all flow in parallel northwest courses, and with their tributary runs reach all parts of this southern area. Prac­ tically the entire county of Ritchie is drained by the two forks of the Hughes river. Goose creek, 28 miles long, reaches the Hughes river at Freeport, and rises near the north line of Ritchie county at the divide to French creek of Pleasants county. It follows a winding channel which is a series of sharp turns in the lower part of its course. The Baltimore and Ohio railroad follows this creek six miles from near Laurel or Volcano Junction east to beyond Petroleum. It forms for six and a half miles north of its mouth the county line between Wood and Ritchie. Its important trib­ utaries at the north are Laurel Fork, Oil Spring, and Myers runs, which are parallel to the Volcano fold; also Marietta, Brushy Fork, Layfields, and Douglas runs. Its southern tributary creeks are: Ellison, Long, and Nutter Fork. The main creek cuts across the fold near Petroleum giving good exposures of the lower rocks involved in the uplift. The North Fork of the Plughes river which is the cen­ tral drainage stream of the northern portion of Ritchie county rises in the extreme northeastern corner of the county, and flows southwest in a very meandering channel, 57 miles long, to its junction with the South Fork. Its northern tributary runs and creeks are: Cabin, Sheep, Silver, Big, Bukey, Bear, Bonds, Lost, Stewart, Bunnell, Spring and Pop­ lar Lick, of which the largest are Bonds creek and Bunnell run. , Bonds creek rises in the northeastern part of the county and flows 18 miles southwest past Vilas, Highland, Pike, to its mouth near Cornwallis. The B. & O. follows its main eastern tributary, Hushers Fork from above Cornwallis, eight miles east past the towns of Ellenboro and Admiral. Bun­ nell run rises to the north and east of Pennsboro and reaches -----------------------------------------------------Page 36-----------------------------------------------------  20 PHYSIOGRAPHY OF PLEASANTS, WOOD, RITCHIE COUNTIES. the river eight miles southwest. The Pennsboro and Harris- ville railroad follows this run. The southern tributaries of the North Fork are Gilles­ pie run, Devil Hole creek, Elm, Addis, Rush, Third, Rock camp, Beason, Lynn camp, Cabin, and Buck runs. Gilles­ pie run has its source near Mellin on the divide to South Fork and flows six miles northwest and west to the North Fork one mile below Rusk. Devil Hole creek flows from the divide near Cantwell in a winding channel past Ruther­ ford. Elm and Addis runs follow nearly parallel west courses less than a mile apart from the divide to South Fork, five miles to the North Fork,. 4 and 2J/2 miles, respectively, below Cairo. The other tributary runs of the North Fork reach the river in nearly parallel northwest courses with an average length of four to five miles. Lynn camp run rising on the divide to the north of Pullman flows three miles in a northeast direction and then turns back to the northwest parallel to the other streams for three miles to the river. The southwestern portion of Wood county is drained by Island creek, North and South Forks of Lee creek, and Pond creek with their smaller tributaries. Island creek rises in the divide south of Neal run and northwest of Lu- beck, flowing two and a half miles southwest, then turns west three miles to the river at Meldahl. Lee creek empties into the Ohio river two miles above Belleville and winds back through the river bluffs two and a half miles where it divides into the North and South Forks. The North Fork rises in southern part of the county on the divide to Pond Creek, one-fourth mile to east of head of South Fork. It follows a north to northeast meandering channel eleven miles to Eli, where it turns to the west, and then southwest, making a wide bend nine miles to the forks of Lee creek. It flows in this direction nearly parallel to the northwest channel three and a half miles to the east. In this southwest course the channel is a series of sharp bends. The South Fork of Lee creek follows a northwest course from source to the forks in a winding channel, twelve miles long. The two creeks thus inclose a large area of western -----------------------------------------------------Page 37-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 21 Wood county and carry most of the water of this part of the county. The area between the two forks is reached by the tributary creeks, Gunners, Pine, Gilpin, Middle Fork runs, while Woodyard, Long, Lick, and Willow runs reach the surrounding divides. At the extreme southwestern border of Wood county is Pond creek, running nearly parallel to the Wood-Jackson county line. The channel of this stream, 18 miles long, is meandering especially in the lower eight miles of its course. It rises in the high point at Limestone Iiill and reaches the Ohio at Pond Creek station at the southwestern corner of Wood county. Its northern tributaries are: Thomas, Short, Long, Otter, Wolf, Jerry, Bear, Josh and Buck runs. The southern tributaries in Wood county are Pennike, Buffalo, and Indian runs. In figures i and 2 the profiles of a number of the streams of these three counties are shown with datum plane taken as the Ohio river level at Parkersburg. The streams are sim­ ilar in the steep slopes near their sources and low grades through middle and lower portions of the channels. -----------------------------------------------------Page 38-----------------------------------------------------  ■tntnrue M'KIM GffCCH, PLEASANTS COUNTY ! PROFILE FRENCH CREEK, PLEASANTS COUNTY. PROFILE BULL CREEK, PLEASANTS COUNTY. PRO File WALKER CREEK, WOOD COUNTY. P r o f il e po n d c r e e k , w o o d c o u n t y . J . I V* 2 ------2— £R0 FILE f y o a r t c r e e k , w o o d c o u n t y . -----------------------------------------------------Page 39-----------------------------------------------------  WORTH FORK- CCE CREEK, WOOO COUNTV. ' GOOSE CREEK, RITCHIE COUNTY. SOUTH TORK- HUGHES R/UER, RITCHIE COUNTY. O) HUGHES HIVER %.NOffTH FORK Fig. 2. River and Creek Profiles in Wood and Richie Counties. I -----------------------------------------------------Page 40-----------------------------------------------------  24 PHYSIOGRAPHY OF PLEASANTS, WOOD, RITCHIE COUNTIES. Ohio River. The Ohio river flows along - the entire western edge of the area described in the present report, a distance of 58 miles. The low water level at the northern edge of the area (Bens Run) is 580.5 feet A. T.; at Marietta, 570 feet; Parkersburg, 564 feet; and at Belleville, 550 feet; giving a fal'.l of 30.5 feet in the 58 miles, or but little over six inches to the mile. The difference between high and low water level at Marietta is 51 feet; at Parkersburg, 54 feet; and at Belleville, 56 feet. The width of the river at low water is 1.320 feet opposite Bens Run, 1,056 feet at St. Marys and Waverly, 1,584 feet at Marietta, 1,188 feet at Parkersburg, and 1,056 feet at Belleville. The river flows southwest to Waverly where it bends northwest to Marietta, then southwest to Parkersburg. It bends due west to Washington Bottom, then southwest to Harris Ferry, then almost south past Belleville to the south­ west corner of Wood county. The flood plain is three- fourths mile wide at the north, one mile at Waverly, one mile and a half at Marietta and below Parkersburg, one mile at Washington Bottom, and three-fourths mile near Belle­ ville. The flood plain alternates from one side to the other, and is found on the West Virginia side at Bens Run, from St. Marys to point four and a half miles north, from Bel­ mont to a point three miles below Waverly or a total length of eleven miles, from Williamstown five and a half miles down the river, from Parkersburg six and a half miles up the river, three miles at Washington Bottom, from Belleville five miles up the river. The flood plains are composed of fine silt and gravel, and form two terraces, the upper 20 to 40 feet above the lower. The different islands of the river form part of the lower flood plain and are 20 to 40 feet above low water. These islands included in the present area from north to south are: Grape, Bat, Middle, Broadback, Brothers or French, Eureka, Willow, Kerr, Muskingum, Vienna, Neal, Blenncrhassett with its interesting historical associations of -----------------------------------------------------Page 41-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 25 the ill-fated Burr expedition, Newberry, Mustapha, and Belle­ ville. The River Channel. By act of Congress, June 3, 1896, the sum of $25,000 was appropriated for a survey of the Ohio river from Marietta to Pittsburg. This survey was made under the direction of Major W. H. Bixby, Corps of Engineers, who made his re­ port December 28, 1898. This report was published by the House of Representatives as document No. 122 of Fifty-fifth Congress (third session). January 7, 1899, and forms the basis of the following discussion: Dam No. 8 is to be located two miles below East Liver­ pool and will give a stage of water of 14.5 feet. No. 9 is to be located three miles and a half below New Cumberland and will give a stage of 19.3 feet. No. 10 will be located two and a fourth miles above Steubenville and will give a stage of 19.2 feet. No. 11 is completed two miles and a half below Wellsburg and will give a 18.5 foot stage. No. 12 will be located three-fourths mile above Martins Ferry and will give a stage of 15.4 feet. No. 13 is now under construction, one mlil.e and two-thirds below the B. & O. railroad bridge at Benwood Junction, and will give a stage of 16.7 feet. No. 14 is to be located just below Powhattan, Ohio 1 ; No. 15 about one mile above New Martinsville; No. 16 about two miles below Matamoras, Ohio; No. 17 just above Waverly, West Virginia, and will give a stage of 17.4 feet; No. 18 about two miles below Marietta, Ohio, and will have a stage of 15 feet. The locks are made at least 600 feet in length, at least no feet in width, and movable dams averaging 6 fedt nav­ igable depth in the lower podl, and 7.6 feet of lift, with a navigable pass of at least 600 feet in length, and with weirs of at least 240 feet available openings. In this report it was estimated that the cost of each dam would be $850,000; or for the twelve dams from No. 7 to No. 18, a total cost of $10,200,000. The profile of the channel of the Ohio river as given in -----------------------------------------------------Page 42-----------------------------------------------------  26 PHYSIOGRAPHY OP PLEASANTS, WOOD, RITCHIE COUNTIES. this report shows a very irregular floor (see figure 3). At the northern end of the area described in this report, oppo­ site Bens Run, the depth of the floor below low water level is 2.3 feet, but a short distance below is 7 feet, and then 19 feet. Opposite St. Marys the depth reaches 20 feet; and op­ posite Newport, 23 feet. Near Waverly the depth reaches 19.5 feet and the depth opposite the mouth of the Mus­ kingum river at Marietta is 20.5 feet. The greatest depth of the floor of the channel below low water shown by the sur­ vey from Pittsburg to Marietta was 31.2 feet just above the location of dam No. 10, near Steubenville. -----------------------------------------------------Page 43-----------------------------------------------------  Fig. 3.—Longitudinal Profile of Ohio River Channel from Bens Run to Marietta. DA/V7 /yo/8 -----------------------------------------------------Page 44-----------------------------------------------------  28 PHYSIOGRAPHY OP PLEASANTS, WOOD, RITCHIE COUNTIES. Dam No. 17 just above Waverly will be 164.3 miles be­ low Pittsburg and will give a pool 20.7 miles long with a lift of 7.8 feet. The upper pool will have a level of 586.6 feet A. T., or 12.6 above low water; and the river bed is at a level of 569.2 A. T. The river is 1,110 feet wide at this point. Dam No. 18 is 173.9 miles below Pittsburg and will give a pool 9.6 miles long and a lift of 9.2 feet which will be de­ creased to 5.8 feet by the construction of dams further down the river. The level of the upper pool will be 578.8 feet or 9.2 feet above low water. The river bed at this place has a level of 563 feet A. T., and width at low water of 1,110 feet. This dam was started May 1, 1903 and completed in December, 1908 except for the installation of operating ma­ chinery which is delayed for new appropriation from Con­ gress. The contracting companies carried on the prelimi­ nary work, but on account of financial difficulties surrend­ ered their contracts in June, 1906, and the government com­ pleted the work under the supervision of Capt. Wm. M. Hall, U. S. Engineer at Parkersburg. The following description of this dam was given by Captain Iiall and printed by C. B. Smith in the Pittsburg Dispatch. The dam has 1,100 feet of clear openings; 700 feet of which affords a navigable pass, and 400 feet is the weir for regulating the water in the upper pool. The lock is no feet wide and 600 feet long. It is the only Ohio river dam that has a foundation wholly of rock. Plate III. was made from a photograph of the rock floor of this dam and shows tfie grooves made by erosion of the floor by the old river before the channel was filled with the silt and gravel. The whole structure is made of concrete and its two automatic gates will be operated by compressed air and hydraulic power, and the wickets by steam power. A tow boat with 14 barges can be locked through in from 12 to 30 minutes. The lock can be filled in four min­ utes and emptied in the same length of time. This dam will give a pool of 10 feet of water at Marietta, and two feet at St. Marys, 23 miles north. Dam No. 19 will be located seven miles south of Parkersburg. -----------------------------------------------------Page 45-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 29 CROSS SECTIONS OF THE RIVER. In the preliminary work on the location of the Ohio river dams, borings were made across the river channel to determine the amount of filling in the old river valley, or depth to the rock floor. These records have been kindly fur­ nished by the U. S. Engineers’ offices at Wheeling and Park­ ersburg through Capt. Wm. M. Hall, of Parkersburg. Figure 3 taken from U. S. Engineers report on the Ohio river shows a longitudinal profile of the river from Bens Run to Marietta. The channel floor and depth of water are shown, also the pool surfaces which will be formed when the two dams are constructed. Fig. I. Cross Section of Ohio River channel at Dam No. 18 above Parkersburg. Figures 4 and 5 from maps of U. S. Engineers survey show cross sections of the Ohio river at dams 18 and 19 The gravel and clay filling at dam 18 reaches 20 feet, and 20 to 22 feet at dam 19 located seven miles below Parkersburg. At Wheeling this fill was 30 to 32 feet. Fig. 5. Cross Section of Ohio River Channel at Dam 19 below Parkersburg. -----------------------------------------------------Page 46-----------------------------------------------------  30 PHYSIOGRAPHY OP PLEASANTS, WOOD, RITCHIE COUNTIES. Maximum and Minimum River Stages at Parkersburg. The following data on maximum and minimum river stages at Parkersburg have been furnished by Mr. H. C. Howe, section director of the United States Weather Bureau at Parkersburg. These records for a period of 21 years show the highest stage of the river in this time to be 47.8 feet in March, 1898. In January, 1903, a stage of 44 feet was recorded and 44.6 feet in February, 1891. The lowest stage reached during the 21 years was —0.3 foot in October, 1908. Minimum River Stages at Parkersburg, 1888-1909. < w > r C5 § s ?! 1 5 5 8 % 5} < a l V, ! 1 a R s 3..9 2.9 4.0 3.7 7.8 6.2 1889 7.9 G.O 6.5 6.9 5.8 7.6 6.0 2.91 1.7 2.9 8.1 8.5 1890 8.9 11.5 8.4 6.8 11.0 G.O 2.8 2.7 4.9 G . 9 7.4 6.2 1891 9.2 16.0 10.4 G.O 3.8 5.7 5.2 4.4 2.2 1.8 2.7 8.0 1892 G.G 6.0 7.6 8.4 7.0 G.O 4.3 2.7 l.*9 1.0 0.8 5.4 1892 4.9 10.5 9.5 8.2 8.0 4 . G2.1 0.5 0.7 1.2 2.8 6.9 1894 8.0 8 . G9.5 8.0 5.6 3.6 0.6 0.6 0.3 0.7 1.8 5.0 1895 4.4 6.5 9.3 6.6 4.0 0.8 2.2 1.0 1.0 0.7 0.5 3.1 1896 5.1 7.4 8.5 9.5 5.0 6.1 G.O 4.5 3.1 6.9 G.O 5.8 1897 G.S 8.3 11.0 8.0 6.4 5.0 5.0 4.2 1.4 0.9 0.9 7.7 1898 8.3 8.0 8.1 S.5 8.4 5.2 2.8 6.2 2.5 2.3 7.0 7.1 1899 8.9 6.0 10.7 8.2 7.0 G.O 4.2 1.9 1.9 1.5 2.2 5.1 1900 4.3 7. S 9.8 7.4 4.7 4.6 4.6 2.1 1.2 0.8 2.3 5.2 1901 3 . 5 4 . 8 4 . 4 1 2 . 0 7 . 4 8.3 2.8 1.9 4.3 2.0 1.9 8.0 1902 5.2 3.4 8.0 7.3 5.8 3.8 7.8 3.0 1.9 2.7 2.9 8.0 1903 7.8 10.0 10.G 8.0 3.5 5.6 5.4 2.8 3.4 2.6 3.3 3.2 1904 5.4 6.6 9 . G7.4 6.5 6.0 4.8 2.7 1.7 .1.6 6 19,00 9 . 0 5 . G 8 . 5 9 . 0 5 . 2 5 . 5 2 . 7 3 . 2 3.0 3 . 2 5.3 7.2 1907 8.5 8.3 9.6 8.8 9.0 7.5 7.2 3.8 4.2 4.5 7.0 5.4 1908 8.0 8.0 12.0 9.0 9.4 4.7 3.4 1 . 6- 0 . 2 - 0 . 3 0 . 2 ! 0 . 6 1909 7.a 9.0 10.0 7.3 1 X aj ! % a ( B 1905 G . 36.0 9.0 S.O 6.5 6.3 5.6 5 . 4 3 . 0 3 . 8 H . 2 7 . 4 -----------------------------------------------------Page 47-----------------------------------------------------  a -6 w !* WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 31 Maximum River Stages at Parkersburg, 1888-1909. •c & < 1888 24.0 28 5 1 2 51 5 2 1889 20.2 22.2 17.9 19.0 14.0 23.8 12.8 8.5 4.4 9.7 19.5 20.0 1890 29.0 2G.2 35.0 20.0 28.9 10.2 13.3 13.2 27.2 23.2 18.7 10.2 1891 34.5 44.0 21.9 24.8 11.0 10.0 12.8 13.9 7.3 4.0 14.0 17.8 1892 27.0 19.3 21.7 17.0 19.0 21.8 9.9 7.0 5.0 2.3 0.2 11.0 1893 18.0 38.0 20.1 24.4 31.0 9.5 7.8 3.0 0.0 8.2 7.3 20.0 1894 12.9 24.0 18.7 10.1 25.9 11.0 4.0 1.2 12.4 3.5 7.4 12.0 1895 37.0 8.3 23.9 23.5 7.0 3.8 5.3 3.0 1.7 1.7 9.7 19.0 1890 15. G 21.2 25.5 30.0 10.7 14.2 33.2 27.2 7.1 10.8 15.2 15.0 1897 10.5 37.5 30.3 21.8 18.7 9.0 13.5 8.8 3.0 2.0 10.3 18.0 1898 31.0 22.1 47.8 20.2 18.9 9.5 7.0 10.9 0.5 17.5 20.8 23.5 1899 20.0 20.9 29.0 20.9 20.0 11.8 8.8 7.0 0.8 3.1 7 . S17.2 1900 22.2 25.3 25.2 11.8 7.0 8.7 8.9 7.5 4.8 4.0 30.0 20.8 1901 17.8 9.5 29 .0 43.7 25.0 22.8 7 . G 7.0 9.0 5.0 14.0 28.8 1902 23.8 17.0 40.0 34.2 9.0 9.2 23.0 11.0 3.5 9.8 11.8 29.0 1903 44.0 35.0 39.4 27.0 8.5 13.4 11.5 11.3 10.8 11.0 14.9 9.4 1904 42.0 24.5 38.G 34.8 23.4 18.1 15.5 4.8 4.3 5.2 4.5 15.0 1905 17.0 9.8 42.4 15.0 19.9 10.8 9.4 12.4 10.5 15.0 10.0 29.8 1900 22.9 9.8 30.1 30.0 11.3 14.8 7.7 14.0 0.3 9.3 18.8 21.1 1907 40.1 10.9 51.0 20.8 15.4 18.0 21.0 9.9 11.2 10.2 15.2 25.3 1908 19.0 41.2 38.0 23.1 28.8 11.3 8.7 7.2 1.5 0.3 0.5 7.7 1909 20.4 37.2 27.0 21.9 34.2 The following data are compiled from the records of the United States Weather Bureau from July, 1888 to May, 1909. Ohio River Flood Records at Parkersburg. (Flood stage at Parkersburg 36 feet). Day of Day of Year month Stage Year month Stage 1832 February. 16. 49.5 1898 March 26. 48.2 1852 April 20. 44.0 i901 April 23. 43.9 1800 April 16. 44.7 1902 March 4. 40.0 1801 September 30. 45.1 1903 March 3. 39.9 1802 April 23. 37.0 1904 January 26. 42.4 1873 December 15. 38.7 1904 March 5. 39.3 1874 January 9. 38.8 1905 March 23. 42.4 1881 February 21. 40.0 1907 January 21. 40.1 1883 February 19. 45.2 1907 March 16. 51.6 1884 February 7. 52.9 1908 February 18. 41.2 1891 February 21. 44.8 1908 March 21. 38.0 1893 February 11. 3 8.0 1909 February 27. 37.2 1895 January 11. 37.0 -----------------------------------------------------Page 48-----------------------------------------------------  32 PHYSIOGRAPHY OP PLEASANTS, WOOD, RITCIIIE COUNTIES. Geological History of the Ohio River. In the Quarternary Period of the geological history of the North American continent, the northern seas and land were covered with an onward moving ice sheet of great areal extent and thickness. As this mass of ice moved south­ ward across the courses of the rivers, they were often changed in direction and character. The wall of ice if thrown across the downward course of the river, would pond or dam back the waters causing them to overflow at some low point in the enclosing valley walls. By further erosion of this low point, a new course for the river would be established which might be retained when the ice barrier was removed, or it might then return to its old course. With the melting of the large mass of ice, there would be added a silt laden body of water which might overload the stream beyond its capacity for waste removal, and then fill up its channel wholly or in part. The river would then fol­ low a new path which might be over the old one or to one side and thus be superimposed on its former bed. The terminus of the northern glacier was io to 15 miles north of the northern end of West Virginia and northwest in cen­ tral Ohio, so the ice mass did not reach this state, but the effects of the flood of waters extended to the southern por­ tion of the State. The studies of a number of prominent glacial geologists have shown that the pre-glacial drainage was quite differ­ ent from the present. There was no Ohio river flowing south- westward to the Mississippi, though rivers occupied a por­ tion of the valley now drained by the Ohio, but these rivers flowed north and northwest. Leverett found the evidence of a former divide below Moundsville, the waters flowing south from there to about the location of Point Pleasant, then turning north-westward across Ohio, a river named by Pro­ fessor Tight, the Marietta. From the Moundsville divide, there flowed northward the old Ohio to near the mouth of the Beaver, where it emptied into a river flowing north to the site of Lake Erie, a river which has been named the Pittsburg. -----------------------------------------------------Page 49-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 33 When the great ice wall crossed the paths of the Pitts­ burg, Marietta, and other northward flowing streams, their waters were held back before the ice obstruction, filling their valleys which stood at much higher level than at present. The waters spread outward on their higher slopes forming the high level terraces so characteristic of the upper Ohio valley. The rivers finally cut their way through low por­ tions of the divide taking a southern course. The Ohio cut through the divide near Moundsville, joining the Marietta river, whose northern outlet was also cut off, and the pres­ ent Ohio river came into existence cutting through the di­ vides further south, probably following closely its present path. i, During the period following the first Glacial Epoch, the great volume of water in the new river caused rapid erosion of its channel which was cut deep into the plateau or plain. The old terraces left here and there along its banks mark the elevation of the channel in its different stages. These terraces reach 1,000 and 1,050 feet above the sea near Wheel­ ing, while the present river is about 610 feet. Near Parkers­ burg the highest terrace is about 700 feet while the river level is 564 feet, but in this area the higher terraces are very indistinct. The river is bordered by two well marked ter­ races, the lower representing the flood plain 30 feet above low water and the second 30 to 50 feet higher. The flood of silt laden waters after the last Glacial epoch filled the old river channel with mud, silt, sand, and gravel to varying depth, 84 feet at Parkersburg on the upper terrace. At dam No. 18 the floor of the present river channel is 12 to 20 feet above the old rock floor, the interval filled with silt and gravel. According to Leverett 1 the Ohio river from Moundsville to Parkersburg apparently follows the line of an old stream whose old gradation plain now preserved in form of terraces along the valley borders descends from 800 feet above tide level at New Martinsville to 700 feet at Parkersburg. The remnants of this plain are poorly preserved along the Ohio T. U. S. G. S. Mono. XLI. 8 -----------------------------------------------------Page 50-----------------------------------------------------  34 PHYSIOGRAPHY OP PLEASANTS, WOOD, RITCHIE COUNTIES. but are seen on many of the tributary streams. The former channel probably passed around the rock island opposite St. Marys, a similar condition to that at mouth of Little Kan­ awha in the city of Parkersburg. The island at St. Marys is 300 feet above the river while the abandoned channel is but little above the present river level, and in high water the river flows partly around this hill. TOPOGRAPHY OF THE LAND AREA. The three counties described in this report form a part of a deeply dissected plateau of 1,000 to 1,300 feet elevation. The surface rocks over most of the area belong in the Dunk- ard Series, composed of red shales, thin shaly sandstones, with a few heavy, coarse sandstones, and thin limestones, thin coal seams in places. The rocks are readily disinte­ grated and rapidly crumble away under the atmospheric and aqueous agencies of weathering and erosion. As the streams cut their channels downward, frost action, wash of rains and land slips widen the upper portion of the valley. The number of small tributary runs and creeks work­ ing backward into the divides and the slips of the minor divides between these runs give the head of the valley an ir­ regular channeled amphitheater form. The head waters fall rapidly while the lower courses with greatly decreased slope have usually a slow current, with back water from the river some distance up stream. The lower portions of the valleys are strongly meandering, the outward bend cut sharply back into the soft shales. The volume of water is seldom large enough or the current swift enough to allow the stream to cut across the narrow portion of the bends, so that cut off bends in the creeks are rarely found. Even the little roadside runs with their crumbly walls develop in miniature the typical fur­ rowed amphitheater structure of the larger streams. Slips and landslides occur in nearly all the valleys resulting often in a hilly or hummock structure within the valleys. The side hill roads are very difficult to maintain on account of the frequency of these landslides which will sometimes remove -----------------------------------------------------Page 51-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 35 whole sections of road and deflect streams producing a bend in the stream in a single day. A considerable portion of the water from rains percolates downward, emerging along a more solid or more compact stratum as springs, and the wet shale becomes a slippery mass which sooner or later slips downward. The creeks with their numerous tributaries form a net­ work often intricate in pattern, and their head waters work backward into the divides which become very narrow, and winding in direction. Many of the divides are unsymmet- rical with long branches on one side and short on the other, but there is apparently no regular distribution of these streams. In some cases the long creeks are to the north and again to the south. The ridge roads are therefore crooked and us­ ually uneven in elevation, passing over higher hills and into lower gaps. The shales weathering to red, sticky clay make in bad weather exceedingly rough travel, and the absence of good rock makes road material almost impossible to obtain. During a dry period, the roads become hard and where travel is heavy are ground down to a smooth bed. In the narrow valleys there is little room for roads which wind from side to side with numerous creek crossings, and often the creek bed is the road bed. The railroads fol­ low the creek valleys requiring numerous bridges and tun­ nels across the stream bends. From Pennsboro to Kanawha Station, a distance of 32 miles, the Baltimore and Ohio rail­ road has 18 tunnels. The connecting roads between ridge and valley are steep and winding, usually following the side of a small stream. A road map is thus nearly as complex in pattern as a drainage map. The dendritic pattern of the drainage system and the irregular direction of the divides re­ sult in roads climbing over ridges into the valleys and again over the next ridge to the next valley, increasing the labor of travel in almost any direction followed. As the larger streams cut down through the red shales and thin sandstones, they finally reach at the base of the Dunkard Series, the coarse, thick, Waynesburg Sandstone, resulting in water falls, rapids, and narrow gorge walls. -----------------------------------------------------Page 52-----------------------------------------------------  36 PHYSIOGRAPHY OP PLEASANTS, WOOD, RITCHIE COUNTIES. The channel is obstructed by large boulders of sandstone and affords rough and wild scenery. These characters are es­ pecially well shown in many of the streams of Ritchie county. The rapid removal of soil from the hill slopes gives much poor land where farming with profit is almost impos­ sible. The farm lands are found on the ridges, the gentler slopes, and in the valleys. Along the river bottoms are many rich farms especially along the Ohio river. The pop­ ulation of the interior of the counties is scattered. Here and there a country store and post office becomes the cen­ ter of a group of houses, and a village is located. Many of the towns marked on the maps accompanying this report are of this character. In some of the broader valleys where there are many acres of good farm lands, the towns have a few hundred population. (See plate IV.). Along the railroads are still larger towns, and lumber camps along the branch railroads are towns with a population of ioo to 200 for a few years. The oil centers are also marked by towns, but with few exceptions there are no large towns away from the Ohio river valley. Along the B. & O. main line, there are several towns of some size whose growth has been due to the oil industry and as distributing centers to the interior. Pleasants County. The divide in the northern portion of Pleasants county between Bens Run at the north and Middle Island creek at the south runs northeast-southwest, and rises from a level of 996 feet in the Ohio river hills to 1163 feet at Mt. Car­ mel. From the last point to Lytton the average level is 1,- 100 feet, and drops to 938 feet at the northeastern corner of the county and slopes to the 700 foot level of Sheets run. Its average width is one-eighth mile increasing in places to one-fourth mile. It slopes rapidly in both directions. One mile south of the highest point (1163 feet) the level is 463 feet lower, and over most of the area the slope is not less than 250 feet to the mile. The streams on the two sides of the divide are about equal in length and size, but those on -----------------------------------------------------Page 53-----------------------------------------------------  Plate ITT —a. —View of Ohio River Valley near St. Marys. Plate III —b. —Ohio R'ver and Valley near St. Marys at very Low Stage of Water, September 9, 1908. -----------------------------------------------------Page 54-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 37 the northern side flow westerly to the river, while those on the southern side flow south-east, the streams thus being nearly at right angles in direction. The divides between Sugar and McKim creeks, McKim and French creek trend northwest-southeast with an eleva­ tion of 1050 to 1100 feet. They are narrow, winding, and uneven in level. The French creek divide at southeast curves to the northeast forming the county boundary, and extends entirely across the county. The Ohio river hills reach a height of 900 to 1000 feet and are usually steep, in places vertical. The highest points in the county reach 1225 and 1232 feet on the south line of the county, one mile and a fourth south of Poynette, or two miles and a fourth southeast of Pleasants. The next highest point in the county is 1207 feet in the southeastern part of the county, three-fourths mile west of Adlai or two miles east of Nine Mile School- house. The Old State road now practically abandoned over most of the way forms a portion of the south county line and fol­ lows a winding ridge of 1100 to 1150 feet elevation. The streams over the county have cut deep channels to from 650 to 750 feet elevation, and with their numerous branches form a very intricate network leaving irregular ridges and hills between so that the surface of the area is very rough. The western portion of the county and adjoining portions of Wood are broken into hills, but there is an absence of ex­ tended ridges, so that nearly all the roads follow stream valleys. Wood County. In the northwestern portion of Wood county the hills rise to 1088 and 1200 feet, while to the northeast they reach 900 feet. The ridges to the north of the Little Kanawha run 900 to 1000 feet and are very irregular in outline. The main divide to the north is about equidistant from the Ohio -----------------------------------------------------Page 55-----------------------------------------------------  38 PHYSIOGRAPHY OP PLEASANTS, WOOD, RITCHIE COUNTIES. river at the north and the Little Kanawha, giving long streams in both directions, but it winds back and forth and is very narrow. The highest point in the county is 1204 feet at Sandhill on northeastern line. South of the Little Kanawha the main divide runs nearly north and south with elevation 1000 to 1050 feet. The high­ est hills in this area reach 1140 feet near the southern county line one mile south of Rockport. The Ohio river hills reach 600 to 650 feet elevation. Over much of the area long ir­ regular hills are characteristic, their tops protected from rapid erosion by a sandstone cap, and at the south by a stratum of limestone. The streams have cut deep valleys in the soft red shales. The Little Kanawha and Ohio rivers are bordered by broad areas of bottom land 600 to 645 feet in elevation. Ritchie County. The area of Ritchie county north of the Hughes river is cut by long southwest flowing creeks with long south­ east flowing tributaries. This parallel arrangement of streams is a prominent feature in the topography of this region and as the county roads fofllow the streams, they have long and mostly low grades. The hills and ridges follow the same direction. There are a number of these hills reach­ ing 1200 feet in elevation and a few reach 1260 and 1280 feet. One knob at northwest edge of the county north of Stanley reaches 1380 feet, the highest point in the three counties. The topography is more irregular to south of the North Fork of Hughes river. The ridges are 900 to 1100 feet and run east and west,, northwest and southwest: but they are very irregular winding back and forth between the head waters of the streams. The land is very rough with steep slopes. The streams have cut into the massive Waynesburg sand­ stone resulting in very rough topography. The highest point in this southern area is 1192 feet on -----------------------------------------------------Page 56-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 39 the ridge south of Cokely, but a number of hills in this area are over noo feet. The eastern portion of the county with its long parallel streams resembles the northern area. The hills here reach 1150 and 1200 feet. King Knob two miles southwest of Pullman, 1367 feet high is the second high­ est point in the county. -----------------------------------------------------Page 57-----------------------------------------------------  CHAPTER III THE GEOLOGY OF PLEASANTS, WOOD, AND RITCHIE COUNTIES. The rocks of the earth’s surface have been classified by geologists in a scries of divisions based for the most part on the life of past ages as preserved in a fossil state in these rocks. The main divisions of the geological column so con­ structed on these characters arc the following: Cenozoic—Recent life forms. Mesozoic—Less recent forms. Paleozoic—Oldest forms of life. Archaean—Grystalline rocks with no undisputed evi­ dence of life. The geology of the state of West Virginia is included in the Paleozoic division and the greater portion of the State consists of rocks belonging to one subdivision of this era, the Carboniferous. The subdivisions of the Paleozoic are: ( Upper. Carl oniferovs I Lower. Devon! m , /Silurian, Cambrian. The geology of these three counties is included wholly in the Upper Carboniferous, and the exposed rocks are above the Pottsville series, and outside the Volcano-Eureka uplift, are included in the Dunkard and Monongahela. The subdi­ visions of the Carboniferous in West Virginia are given in the following table: -----------------------------------------------------Page 58-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 41 UPPER CARBONIFEROUS. Dunkard or Permo—Carboniferous—(noo to 1200 feet). Monongahela Series—(260 to 400 feet). Conemaugh Series—(450 to 600 feet). Allegheny Series—(225 to 350 feet). Pottsville Series—(250 to 2000 feet). LOWER CARBONIFEROUS. Mauch Chunk Red Shales—(300 to 2,000 feet). Greenbrier Limestone—(100 to 1,200 feet). Pocono Sandstone (Big Injun oil sand)—(500 to 1,200 feet). THE DUNKARD SERIES. The Volcano-Eureka uplift exposes rocks of the Cone­ maugh and Allegheny Series, and the larger streams have in many places cut their valleys into the Monongahela rocks; but with these exceptions practically the entire area of these three counties belongs in the Dunkard Series. This series has lost many of its typical formations in this area. Coals and limestones which form important strata at the north have disappeared or are replaced by shales and sandstones. A brief description of the typical Dunkard formations at the north will be given for comparison with those exposed in this area. The series was named in 1891 by Dr. I. C. White from Dunkard creek in southern Pennsylvania, where excellent exposures of the rocks are found. On account of the sup­ posed absence of coal seams of economic value in this series, it was named in the early days of the study of geology in this country, the Upper Barren Measures. From the presence of fossil plants of Permian age in the shales of this series, and the failure to find Permian animal remains, it was for a long time placed under a compromise term of Permo-Carboniferous. The base of the Dunkard Series has been placed by Dr. White at the horizon where -----------------------------------------------------Page 59-----------------------------------------------------  42 GEOLOGY OP PLEASANTS, WOOD, RITCHIE COUNTIES. Permian plants have first been observed in the fossil flora, namely the Cassville shales just above the Waynesburg coal. The discussion of the Permian age of the Dunkard Series is given in the county report of the Panhandle counties (pp. 69-77) of reports of the Survey. It is there shown that with the evidence now available and the opinions of able scien­ tists based on this evidence, there would seem to be little ground for doubting the Permian age of a large portion of the Dunkard, if not all. The fossil plants in the upper por­ tion of the series certainly indicate a Permian age, and the fossil insects found in the lowest part would indicate these strata to be Permian. The following description of the Dunkard Series is giv­ en by Dr. White in the coal report of the West Virginia Geo­ logical Survey (Vol. II, p. 101): “As exhibited in West Virginia, the rocks of this series consist of a succession of brown and gray sandstones, inter- stratified with much red shale, many beds of limestone, a id several thin, impure, and unimportant coal beds, the entite series being slightly gypsiferous throughout, though no ac­ cumulations of gypsum have taken place owing probably to the absence of any considerable thickness of limestone beds. “In Ohio and northern Marshall counties, like Greene ard Washington of Pennsylvania, this series holds less red shale and a greater proportion of limestone and gray limy shales than further to the southwest. The coal beds are al­ so more numerous, and the sandstones less massive, the whole resulting in a gentle rolling topography, finely adap­ ted to' grazing and agriculture, except along the immediate gorges of the streams. “As we pass southwestward, however, the coal beds all disappear except one (the Washington) before we reach the Tittle Kanawha river, and the limestones with one or two exceptions thin away into great masses of marly red shales, holding only nuggets of lime, while the sandstones thicken up, and, capping the ridges in long lines of cliffs, often make a rugged topography better fitted for grazing and fruit cul­ ture than for agriculture. When the massive sandstones dis- -----------------------------------------------------Page 60-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 43 appear from the ridges or uplands, however, there frequently occur limited areas of beautiful rolling lands which yield abundant crops, the red marly shales being quite fertile from the disseminated limestone nuggets. “The soils formed by the disintegration of the Dunkard beds have the reputation of producing a fine quality of wool in which the fiber is peculiarly firm and strong, so that its area is often known as the “sheep belt” of West Virginia, since probably 90 per cent of the sheep raised in the State are grown upon the outcrops of the Dunkard series. These rocks occupy a belt about 40 to 60 miles in width bordering the Ohio river and extending east from the same over por­ tions or all of the following named counties: Ohio, Mar­ shall, Wetzel, Tyler, Monongalia, and Marion (west of the Monongahela river), western Harrison and Lewis, Dodd­ ridge, Pleasants, Wood, Wirt, Ritchie, Calhoun, Gilmer, Roane, Jackson, and the uplands of Mason and southern Putnam, but tailing out into a narrow belt, which soon over­ shoots even the highest hills of Wayne, a short distance east from the Big Sandy river at the Kentucky boundary.” The succession of rocks in the type section on Dunkard creek from the head of the Pennsylvania fork in Gilmore township, Greene county, Pa., to Mount Morris is given below 1 : 1. I. C. White in W. Va. Geol. Sur. Vol., II, p. 102. -----------------------------------------------------Page 61-----------------------------------------------------  44 GEOLOGY OP PLEASANTS, WOOD, RITCHIE COUNTIES. Dunkard Creek Section. Ft. In ' Ft. Concealed from top of Shougli’s Knob ....................... 1G5 Sandstone, massive, Gilmore .................................................... 40 Shales, with limestone at base ............................ 15 Sandstone and shales and concealed ....................... 100 Shale, red ..................................................................................... 2 Shaes, gray ................................................................................. 20 Shale, marly ................................................................................. 2 Sandstone and shale .................................................................. 35 Red shale ..................................................................................... 3 Sandstone and shale .................................................................. 50 Red shale ..................................................................................... 3 Shales and sandstone, Nineveh ................................................. 25 Shales ........................................................................................ 20 480 Coal Nineveh ............................................................................... 1 Shales ......................................................................................... 28 Limestone (No. X), Nineveh ...................................................... 7 Shales, sandstone and concealed ............................................. 100 Sandstone, massive, Fish Creek ............................................... 20 Shales with fossil plants ............................................................ 10 \ coal ... .0' 5" "1 G Coal, Dtiiiknrd -j slate . . . . 0 1 > ...................... 1 [ coal . . . . 0 6 J | 223 1 Limestone .................................................................................... 1 Sandstone ................................................................................... 10 Shates ....................................................................................... 17 Limestone, Jollytown .................................................................. 1 Shales and sandstone ................................................................. 25 Coal, Jollytown ............................................................................ 1 Calcareous shales, fossiliferous, fish teeth ............................................................................ 0 Limestone, Upper Washington ............................................. 4 Shales and sandstone ............................................................. 115 Limestone, Middle Washington ............................................ 3 Shales ..................................................................................... 40 Sandstone ............................................................................... 35 Shale ...................................................................................... 5 coal, impure 1' 2" fire clay ... 2 G 4 coal ................. 0 G Shales and sandstones ........................................................... GO Limestone, Lower Washington ............................................. 5 Shales ..................................................................................... 5 Coal Washington, slaty ............................................................... 5 Shales and sandstones, including coal bed near center ................................................................... 110 Coal, Waynesburg “A” ............................................................... 2 Shales ........................................................................................ 10 Sandstone, Waynesburg ............................................................ 50 Shales, with fossil plants (Cassville) .......................................... 5 Waynesburg coal. Total 11G2 { -----------------------------------------------------Page 62-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 45 As the Dunkard Series is followed south across the state, the coals practically disappear, and the limestones become thin and are often represented by a calcareous red shale with limestone nuggets. The only persistent coal in Pleas­ ants, Wood, and Ritchie Counties is the Washington which is too thin and slaty to be of much economic importance, and while its outcrop is found at many places, few attempts are made to mine it. The rocks of the present area are red shales, shaly sandstones with some massive layers, thin often nodular limestones, and thin blossoms of coal. These characters may be illustrated by the following section measured in the hills just east of St. Marys: Ft. In. Red shales .......................................................................................... 30 Red clay and shales ............................................................................ 45 Red shales and thin sandstones .......................................................... 20 Red and buff shales ........................................................................... G4 Flag sandstone .................................................................................... 40 Flinty limestone ...................................................................................... 1 8 Red and buff shales ............................................................................ 40 Nodular limestone ................................................................................ 1 Red shales ........................................................................................... 20 Shaly sandstone ...................................................................................... 4 • Red and buff shales ............................................................................ 40 Shaly sandstone .................................................................................... 7 Shales and sandstone layers ............................................................... 50 Coarse huff sandstone, Waynesburg .................................................. 50 Red shales ............................................................................................. 2 Coal blossom, Waynesburg (?) .............................................................. 0 3 Blue nodular limestone .......................................................................... 0 10 Blue shales .......................................................................................... 25 Nodular limestone ................................................................................ 2 Red clay and shales ...................................... • .................................. 25 Shaly sandstone .................................................................................... 6 Gravel and silt to B. & O. level ......................................................... 80 When this section is compared with the typical one above, a great contrast is noticed. Above the Waynesburg sandstone, it is impossible to accurately correlate the strata. This monotonous succession of red shales and sandstones is characteristic of the entire area. The 40 feet of flag sand­ stone probably represents the Marietta Sandstone horizon, and the nodular limestones below may represent the rem­ nant of the Washington limestones. The blossom of coal -----------------------------------------------------Page 63-----------------------------------------------------  46 GEOLOGY OP PLEASANTS, WOOD, RITCHIE COUNTIES. and limestone below the Waynesburg sandstone are about ioo feet higher than the coal formerly mined around St. Marys, and the blossom at this horizon is seldom seen. It may represent the Waynesburg coal. To the north the sandstone comes down to the lower level of the lower coal, suggesting erosion of the upper portion of the lower series, so that according to oil well data the interval is decreased, and apparently there the Waynesburg sandstone rests on the Uniontown coal. GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TYPICAL DUN- KARD FORMATIONS. For purposes of comparison of the area under consid­ eration with the typical Dunkard rocks further north, brief descriptions will now be given of these strata, many of which are absent in this area. A more complete account may be found in the coal report of this Survey by Dr. I. C. White (Vol. II), in Ray V. Iiennan’s report on the Marshall-Wet- zel-Tyler area of W. Va., now in press, and in the writer’s report on the Pan Plandle Counties. Proctor Sandstones. Windy Gap Limestone. Windy Gap Coal. Gilmore Sandstone. Gilmore Coal. Gilmore Limestone. Taylor Sandstone. Nineveh Sandstone. Nineveh Coal. Nineveh Limestone. Burton Sandstone. Plostetter Coal. Fish Creek Sandstone. Fish Creek Coal. Rush Run Sandstone. Dunkard Coal. Jollytown Sandstone. -----------------------------------------------------Page 64-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 47 Jollytown Coal. Upper Washington Limestone. Hundred Sandstone. Hundred Coal. Upper Marietta Sandstone. Washington “A” Coal. Middle Washington Limestone. Lower Marietta Sandstone. Washington Coal. Washington Sandstone. Little Washington Coal. Mannington Sandstone. Waynesburg “B” Coal. Waynesburg “A” Coal. Waynesburg Sandstone. Elm Grove Limestone. Cassvillc Plant Shale. The Windy Gap coal is the highest known coal in the Dunkard Series, and with its slate attains two feet in thick­ ness. It is found high in the hills of Marshall county, about 1050 feet above the Waynesburg coal. The Nineveh coal has been mined to some extent in Monongalia, Marion, Wetzel, and Marshall counties, rang­ ing in thickness from six inches to two feet. In the typical Dunkard creek section this coal is 165 feet above the Dun­ kard coal. Below the Nineveh coal 25 to 30 feet is the Nine­ veh Limestone. Dr. I. C. White states (Vol. II, p. 109) that this limestone in Marshall county is 960 feet above the Pittsburg coal, and that it "crops through Wood, Wirt, and Jackson counties, extending nearly through to the Big Ka­ nawha river, and occurring well up in the summits of the hills. It is known south of the Little Kanawha river as the 'Ridge’ limestone from its occurrence along the ridges, and it adds much to the fertility of the soil. It gives name to Limestone Hill P. O., on the Parkersburg and Charleston turnpike, near the corner of Wirt, Wood, and Jackson coun­ ties, where it crops on the summit.” The Fish Creek sandstone is 135 to 150 feet below the -----------------------------------------------------Page 65-----------------------------------------------------  48 GEOLOGY OF PLEASANTS, WOOD, RITCHIE COUNTIES. Nineveh coal and forms large cliffs in southern Pennsylvania also in Marshall and Wetzel counties this state. The Dun- kard coal, according to Dr. I. C. White, “is seldom more than 12 to 15 inches thick, but ’is almost always double bedded, having a thin layer of slate near its center. It covers a con­ siderable area in western Marion, Monongalia, Wetzel, and Marshall counties, and has occasionally been mined by strip­ ping along the streams.” Its position is usually 140 to 160 feet below the Nineveh coal, 50 to 60 feet above the Jolly- town, and 260 to 300 feet above the Washington coal. The Jollytown coal in Monongalia county reaches a thickness of two feet. There are seldom any coals below it for an interval of 250 feet. It is 700 to 800 feet above the Pittsburg coal, and 40 to 50 feet above the Washington limestone. This limestone in typical exposure is divided into three strata; the upper, middle, and lower, the last be­ ing over the Washington coal. As the Dunkard series is followed southward in West Virginia, the interval between the Washington and Jolly- town coals includes a large sandstone deposit, 100 feet or more in thickness, separated into ledges by shales. This sandstone horizon has been named by Dr. I. C. White, the Marietta Sandstone from its occurrence at Marietta, Ohio, where it has been quarried for building stone and grind­ stones. The Washington coal is the most important seam in the Dunkard series, and with its included shales or slates reaches a thickness of eight to ten feet in Ohio, Marion, and other counties at the north. In Pleasants, Wood, and Ritchie counties it reaches in places a thickness of three feet, but is usually only one to two feet. In Ohio this seam is called the Hobson vein. Dr. I. C. White in the coal re­ port of the Survey (Vol. II, p. 114), gives the following notes on this vein in the area described in the present report. “At Parkersburg it is at low water just below the mouth of the Little Kanawha, and is slaty and worthless, being only i]/2 to 2 feet thick. “On the Parkersburg branch of the B. & O. railroad, this -----------------------------------------------------Page 66-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 49 coal is first observed in the roof of the tunnel just east of Cherry Camp, Harrison county, and it passes below water level at the eastern line of that village to come out again on Middle Island waters two miles east of Long Run station in Doddridge county, and is frequently visible-along the rail­ road to Cairo and beyond, cropping out a few feet above the great cliff sandstone well up in the hills, but only one to two feet thick and of no economic importance. “In the region of Ritchie mine, this coal bed is left un­ changed by the dike of Grahamite which intersects all the strata from the bottom to the tops of the hills. It is also to be seen near Ritchie Court House where it is only 12 to 18 inches thick. It is mined for local!' supply at Smithville where it is less than two feet thick and 150 feet above the bed of Hughes river.” The Waynesburg “A” coal, according to Dr. White, is 80 to 90 feet below the Washington coal and the same in­ terval above the Waynesburg, and is usually a low grade coal. The base of the Dunkard Scries is marked by a thick, coarse textured, sandstone, named the Waynesburg. Dr. White in Volume II of this Survey states; “There is some evidence in the southwestern portion of the state that there may have been considerable erosion of the underlying Monon- gahela series in that region during the deposition of the Waynesburg sandstone, since the thickness of the Monon- gahela is about 100 feet less than it is to the northward, and the Waynesburg coal is seldom to be found * * * * * The great, coarse, Waynesburg conglomerate so different from any of the beds in the section for several hundred feet below it. and entirely unlike any of the beds above, coming as it does at the beginning of the Dunkard epoch, is certain­ ly good evidence for a marked change in physical conditions and therefore the proper horizon to expect a change in the fauna and flora. “The Waynesburg sandstone has a very wide distribu­ tion, extending as a great, coarse deposit entirely across the state. Being seldom less than 50 feet and often 75 feet in thickness it makes a line of rugged cliffs along its eastern 4 -----------------------------------------------------Page 67-----------------------------------------------------  50 GEOLOGY OP PLEASANTS, WOOD, RITCHIE COUNTIES. outcrop from where it enters the state in Monongalia county * * * !|! to where it leaves the Appalachian trough in Wayne county near the Big Sandy. “This same stratum conies out of the Ohio river along the Ohio shore in the vicinity of Blennerhasset Island, and its massive top is frequently visible at low water in the bed of the Ohio at many localities between Parkersburg and Le- tart. Here the Ohio river veers to the northwest and the emergence of the Waynesburg sandstone makes ‘Letart Falls.' It appears to 1 be this same stratum that forms the great cliffs along the B. & O. railroad between Ellenboro and Cairo, as well as along Hughes river for long distances above McFarlan. “It usually makes a good quarry rock for piers and other large structures, as it splits readily into great blocks of any desired size, dresses easily, and resists weathering action fairly well. It has frequently been used for bridge piers along the line of the B. & O. railroad in Marion, Harrison, Ritchie, and other counties. * * * * From the fact t hat this stratum always makes a conspicuous bluff it has been dubbed the ‘Bluff Sand’ by the petroleum drillers in the logs of their well records." THE DUNKARD FORMATION IN PLEASANTS COUNTY. In Pleasants county the upper portion of the Dunkard above the Marietta sandstone horizon consists of red shales, sandstones, and limestone nodules in the red shales. There is an absence of well defined limestone strata and coal seams, so that it is impossible to safely correlate this portion of the series with the areas in the northern part of the state. It is probable that some of the heavier sandstone outcrops in this portion of the series represent the Fish Creek or even the Nineveh. The nodules of lime in the shales may repre­ sent the remnant of the Washington and Nineveh limestones. The sandstones of this portion of the series are usually not massive on outcrop, but are flaggy and shaly, weather- -----------------------------------------------------Page 68-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 51 ing into sandy shales. The rapid erosion of these soft rocks formjs deep talus slopes, and it is difficult to find exposures of solid rock of any extent. The lime nodules are rounded and elongated, loosely set in the red shales and often coated with red clay. They vary in size from a gravel to nodules three and four inches across, and do not appear to be contin­ uous for any great distance. Marietta Sandstone. The Marietta sandstone horizon is found in the hills of the northern and central portions of the county, but here through weathering and erosion usually present a shaly or flaggy outcrop. The high ridge to the east of Raven Rock presents an almost perpendicular face of this sandstone 40 to 50 feet in height and has protected the ridge from rapid erosion so characteristic of the area. One mile and a half east of Pleasants along the Right Fork are solid cliffs of this sandstone which form the lower portion of the valley walls. Sugar Run in the eastern part of the county is bordered by Marietta sandstone cliffs, 30 to 40 feet high, and the floor of the upper portion of the stream appears to be this same stratum. The Marietta sandstone is well exposed on the hill to the north of Calcutta in solid ledges with the Washington coal below, and also at a number of places on the ridge road to the east from St. Marys. It forms the rocky valley of Panther run south of Crisp, and is seen in most of these streams in the eastern portion of the county. Just west of Hebron it is shaly on outcrop and is seen in the hills above the Washington coal. It usually, in fresh exposures, has a greenish gray color full of mica flakes and shows a tendency to break flaggy. It is used locally for foundations, but there are no quarries opened in this sand­ stone in this county except for this temporary local supply. -----------------------------------------------------Page 69-----------------------------------------------------  52 GEOLOGY OP PLEASANTS, WOOD, RITCHIE COUNTIES. Washington Coal. The Washington coal is the most persistent coal of the Dunkard Series and its outcrop is seen in many places across Pleasants county. It is slaty in character, and while it reaches a thickness of two feet, it is practically worthless and no attempts are made by the farmers to mine it. It leaves a heavy black blossom in the road and hill-side cuts and often gives the appearance of a valuable seam. It is probably much poorer in quality than north in Ohio county where it contains 26 per cent ash and 10 per cent sulphur. It usually has a cover of buff shales with the Marietta sandstone above. Its blossom is seen at the eastern line of the county east of Twiggs, near I-Iebron at a level of 760 feet A. T. At the northern line of the county on Bens Run its level is 789 feet. Southeast of Schultz it outcrops on the county road along Cow Creek at 900 feet elevation. About one mile south of St. Marys a coal blossom is seen on the ridge at an elevation of 966 feet. The oil wells near this point reach the top of Keener sand 1470 feet below this level. The interval from the Washington coal to the base of Waynesburg sandstone appears to be about 180 to 200 feet, and from Washington coal to the top of the highest hills above its outcrop is 300 to 350 feet, giving a thickness of the exposed rocks of the Dunkard Series in this county of 500 to 540 feet. North of Calcutta the Washington coal blossom is seen in the road cut, and another blossom 50 feet above, which is 10 inches thick, while the Marietta sandstone comes above. The lower blossom is here 728 feet above the First Cow Run Sand, or about 150 feet above the horizon of the Waynes­ burg coal. A section of this hill shows the following strata: Ft. In. Shales ...................................................... 1 ........................................ 18 Sandstone ........................................................................................... 45 Shales ............................................................................................... 23 Coal ...................................................................................................... 0 Shales and sandstone 50 10 -----------------------------------------------------Page 70-----------------------------------------------------  Plate IV.—Birds Eye View of Portion of the Town of Cairo. -----------------------------------------------------Page 71-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 53 Ft. In. Coal, Washington ................................................................................ 1 Shales and concealed ......................................................................... 36 Sandstone ........................................................................................... 10 Red shales .......................................................................................... 90 Sandstone, Waynesburg .................................................................... 63 The 63 feet of sandstone at the base of the Calcutta hill represents the Waynesburg sandstone so the base of th£ Dunkard would be just below this sandstone, though no coal is there found. The 45 foot stratum of sandstone about 75 feet above the Washington coal probably represents the Marietta sandstone. The Washington coal in this section is 896 feet A. T. A coal blossom also outcrops on the north slope of this hill to Long Run at an elevation of 1,000 feet, or 104 feet above the Washington coal, which is about the horizon of the Dunkard coal and may represent that seam. Waynesburg Sandstone. The Waynesburg sandstone outcrops as a massive stra­ tum along the western side of the county in the valley cut by the Ohio river and also for some distance to the east in the stream valleys. Its resistant nature causes the rock to stand out in bold cliffs and forms often narrow valleys along these creeks. The sandstone varies in its physical char­ acters, but it is usually a coarse grained gray to buff sand­ stone with white kaolin spots and mica flakes through it. It forms at many places a good quarry stone; but it is only used locally, and there are no large quarries in the county. In some places this sandstone has a greenish gray color and breaks along parallel lines or planes. It is well exposed along Middle Island creek, also near the mouths of McKim and Sugar creeks, along French creek below Calcutta. It forms the floor of the creek above Calcutta, and the walls of the stream below; but followed to the east, it passes below the water level in all the streams. A fine exposure of this sand­ stone with its typical texture is seen on the hill to the east of St. Marys, 50 feet thick, with a coal blossom below. In nearly all localities it is overlaid by red shales. Its average -----------------------------------------------------Page 72-----------------------------------------------------  54 GEOLOGY OP PLEASANTS, WOOD, RITCHIE COUNTIES. thickness is 40 to 50 feet. As the Eureka-Belmont fold is approached, this sandstone is carried high on the hills. THE DUNKARD FORMATIONS IN WOOD COUNTY. Over the greater portion of Wood county the base of the Dunkard Series is below the stream level, except along the Volcano fold. The rocks are sandstones, red shales, and limestones, especially at the south. The presence of lime­ stone capped hills in southern Wood shows a contrast with Pleasants county where the hills are capped with sandstone. The higher formations of the Dunkard are here exposed as the Washington coal has passed below water level at the mouth of the Little Kanawha river at Parkersburg. The following section 'measured north of Kingsbury near McKusic Hill illustrates the character of the strata in southern Wood county, and shows the sandy and shaly character of the formations. The top of the section is prob­ ably not far from the Nineveh sandstone horizon according to the depth of the Berea sand in a well to the west on the Poling farm (2172 feet) and 60 feet higher at well top than base of the section: Ft. In. Sandy shales ...................................................................................... 27 Sandstone ............................................................................................. 3 Shales and shaly sandstone ............................................................... 15 Sandstone ............................................................................................. 5 Shales ................................................................................................ 10 Lime nodules ........................................................................................ 1 Buff and red shales ............................................................................ 36 Sandstone ........................................................................................... 27 Sand .................................................................................................... 10 Shales and sandstone ........................................................................ 18 Lime nodules ..................................................................................... 0 10 Shales ................................................................................................. 18 Sandstone ............................................................................................. 3 Shales and thin sandstones ................................................................ 24 Sandstone ............................................................................................. 3 Shales ................................................................................................ 15 Sandstone ............................................................................................. 5 Shales and sandstone ......................................................................... 36 Flag sandstone ..................................................................................... 8 Shales ................................................................................................. 32 Flag sandstone ..................................................................................... 8 Shales and sandstone ......................................................................... 14 Limestone nuggets ................................................................................. 0 8 Shales and sandstones ....................................................................... 72 Shaly flag sandstone at Kingsbury. -----------------------------------------------------Page 73-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 55 Nineveh Sandstone. The high ridges near the southern line of Wood county are capped by a heavy sandstone, while 40 to 50 feet lower is a well defined limestone stratum. The limestone is re­ garded as the Nineveh, so the sandstone above is probably the Nineveh. It forms an escarpment on the ridge to the west of Limestone Hill on the Jerry Run side of the divide at about 1100 feet A. T. It is here 30 to 40 feet thick on out­ crop, and can be followed for some distance. Other high knobs to the north and east also show a sandstone cap ap­ parently at this same horizon. Nineveh Limestone. The limestone ledge mentioned above as below the mas­ sive sandstone ledge is seen four feet in thickness on the road just north of Limestone Hill. It has a light gray color and breaks in small blocks, and where long exposed to the weather shows a mass of small irregular nodules. It caps many'of the ridges forming the north divide of Jerry’s Run. From Powers east along the ridge south of Sloan the outcrop is seen along the road, and the limestone here ap­ pears to be 8 to 10 feet thick. Its level is 1,000 to 1,020 feet, and at the south county line it is 1,070 feet A. T. Over the hill three-fourths mile southwest of Wadesville, the lime­ stone outcrops at a level of 960 feet. Near McKinley its level is 1..040 feet with a heavy outcrop in the road leading to Rockport. A small outcrop of limestone is seen near the old McKinley store 70 feet above the heavy limestone ledge. Limestone nuggets are found 160 feet below the heavy ledge, but no well defined stratum. One mile north of McKinley a two foot stratum of limestone is found at a level of 980 feet. East of Fountain Spring on the divide between Tygarts creek and Sugar Camp run, a limestone outcrop is found at a level of 860 feet, and another one mile east at a level of 980 feet, the upper one probably represents the Nineveh. -----------------------------------------------------Page 74-----------------------------------------------------  56 GEOLOGY OP PLEASANTS, WOOD, RITCHIE COUNTIES. Marietta Sandstone. To the south of Williamstown, the Marietta sandstone outcrops on the hill roads making very rough travel across the ridges. It has been quarried on a large scale at Briscoe north of Parkersburg, and in the city, also to the south and southeast. The stone in this section is blue to greenish blue in color, weathering buff. It forms solid ledges, medium coarse grained in texture, and full of mica flakes in some ledges causing the stone to split along parallel planes. It is held in high favor as a grindstone grit to the north of the city and is a popular building stone as obtained from the quarries near the city. ' The outcrop of this sandstone is seen in the northern central portion of the county near Tallyho and up Laurel Fork where it forms the lower 15 to 20 feet of the valley walls. Near Boreman it has been quarried for buildings and for county bridge piers. It is here a yellowish brown sandstone of fairly coarse texture and is foynd 40 to 50 feet above the creek bed. Further east it caps the hills as a resistant stratum. East of Vienna it occurs on the ridge road in a heavy out­ crop. After passing to the south of the Little Kanawha a few miles it has apparently gone below the level of the streams. It is quarried one mile and a half south of Blen- nerhassett Island. To the east at Kanawha Station it forms the west portal of the B. & O. tunnel where the lower 20 feet is solid, over­ laid by 27 feet of shaly sandstone. The sandstone near this place has a greenish blue color, is fine grained and breaks along parallel planes. It is quarried to the east for local use. Washington Coal. One mile west of Waverly is a heavy coal blossom two feet or more in thickness at about 640 feet level, which rep­ resents the Washington coal horizon. A small blossom at -----------------------------------------------------Page 75-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 57 little higher elevation is found about the same distance south of town which may represent the same coal. One mile southeast of Williamstown a two foot coal blossom is found in the creek bank and the dump piles of waste show that attempts have been made to mine it in past years. Its level is near the 660 foot contour line. Three miles south of town on Big Run the blossom is found at a level of 620 feet. Two miles southeast of Briscoe and the Ohio river, a coal blossom is found near the forks of the road at a level of 880 feet, with 30 feet of flag sandstone below resting on red shales. The level of the bottom of this sandstone is about 200 feet above the Marietta, and the coal may represent one of the higher Dunkard coals, possibly the Jollytown or the Dunkard. The Washington coal is under the bed of the river at the mouth of Little Kanawha at Parkersburg at level 560 feet A. T., and through the southern portion of Wood county no coal blossoms were found. Waynesburg Sandstone. The Volcano-Belmo'nt fold brings up the Waynesburg sandstone on its western side in Wood county, but outside of this area this stratum is not exposed in the county. It is below low water of the Ohio river at Williamstown, and again below Parkersburg a few miles, it is near the low water mark. At the north along the west line of the fold and to the south of Plarness this sandstone is near the 800 foot contour line. One mile east of Doyle is a flaggy sand­ stone forming cliffs at level 789 feet probably at the Waynes­ burg horizon. The same stratum is seen further south along the North Fork of Stillwell creek at level 760 feet. South­ east of Dallison near Walkers creek, the sandstone appears on top of the ridges and hills, in massive form and very coarse in texture. -----------------------------------------------------Page 76-----------------------------------------------------  58 CiKOLOOY OF PLEASANTS, WOOD, RITCHIE COUNTIES. THE DUNKARD FORMATIONS IN RITCHIE COUNTY In the northwestern portion of Ritchie county, the Vol- cano-Belmont fold brings to the surface the lower rock formations of the Conemaugh and Allegheny. The various streams over most of the county have cut their valleys into the Monongahela Series, but with these exceptions the sur­ face rocks of this county belong in tire Dunkard. The upper portion of the Dunkard Series in Ritchie county is represented by red shales, slialy and usually thin sandstone ledges, and a few outcrops of nodular limestone. It is almost impossible to correlate the strata above the Marietta Sandstone. Two miles southeast of Frederick Mills in the southern portion of the county the following section was measured: Feet. Red shales. Nodular limestone ......................................................................................................... 5 Shaly sandstone ............................................................................................................ 3 Red shales with sandstone ledges .............................................................................. 40 Flag sandstone and shales .......................................................................................... 72 Red shales and concealed ........................................................................................... 90 Sandstone, shaly ......................................................................................................... 15 Shales ............................................................................................................................ 5 Coal blossom, Washington .......................................................................................... 2 Shales. The nodular limestone 225 feet above the Washington coal is also seen one mile south of Mahone in a solid ledge of four feet nodular. It is there 200 feet above the Washing­ ton coal, with a second limestone 100 feet above the coal. The level of the upper limestone is about 960 to 980 feet A. T., and may represent the Nineveh horizon. The flag sand­ stone and shales, 72 feet thick, may represent the Marietta sandstone. At Iris two miles and a half southeast of Smithville up the steep hilil to the east, the following section was measured: Feet. Red clay and shales to top of rid go ....................................................................... 100 Sandstone and shales .............................................................................................................. 50 Red shales and sandstone ledges ............................................................................... 15 Nodular limestone ........................................................................................................ 3 -----------------------------------------------------Page 77-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 59 Feet. Buff and red shales ..................................................................................................... 70 Sandstone ...................................................................................................................... 4 Red shales ................................................................................................................... 40 Sandstone .................................................................................................................... 15 Red and buff shales .................................................................................................... 36 Sandstone ...................................................................................................................... 3 Red and buff shales ...................................................................................................... 9 Sandstone ...................................................................................................................... 5 Red shales ................................................................................................................... 18 Sandstone and shales .................................................................................................. 36 The three foot ledge of limestone 165 feet below the top of the section is at the level of 960 feet A. T., so is probably the same limestone (Nineveh) as given in the last section, but the Washington coal was not found. This section also shows the prevailing character of the rocks of the Dunkard Series, thin sandstones and red shales. Near Berea the rocks form perpendicular cliffs along the Hughes river. In the town are one or two good gas wells drilled to the Keener sand. The following section was measured on the hill to the south of town, and the levels connected with the Waggoner gas well in town. The Wash­ ington coal was not seen, but it probably comes near the base of the hill covered by talus, or may be just below the level of the valley. Feet. Red shales ................................................................................................................... 18 Limestone nuggets In greenish clay ............................................................... 2 Red shales and sandstone ledges .................................................................... 40 Sandstone .................................................................................................................... 10 Red and buff shales .................................................................................................... 40 Shaly sandstone .......................................................................................................... 22 Red shales .................................................................................................................. 10 Limestone nuggets (976 ft. A.T.). . . . ............................................................ 1 Red shales and sandstone ledges ................................................................. 40 Flag sandstone .............................................................................................................. 8 Red shales ............................................................................................................ 36 Sandstone ................................................................................................................... 12 Red shales ................................................................................................................... 32 Sandstone ...................................................................................................................... 0 Red shales ................................................................................................................... 15 Sandstone, Marietta .................................................................................................... 45 Red shales and thin sandstones .......................................................................... 36 to level Waggoner well (depth to Keener sand 1683 feet). -----------------------------------------------------Page 78-----------------------------------------------------  60 GEOLOGY OP PLEASANTS, WOOD, RITCHIE COUNTIES. The one foot layer of limestone near the top of the sec­ tion at level 976 feet may represent the Nineveh; and the one next the top, a higher horizon. From the well record the base of the section should be about 480 feet above the Pitts­ burg coal so the 45 foot ledge of sandstone is probably the Marietta. This section also shows the similar succession of sandstones and red shales. Characteristic horizons are not often found and it is impossible to make any satisfactory correlations in the upper portion of the Dunkard Series. Marietta Sandstone. The Marietta sandstone is found in this area at 15 to 20 feet above the Washington coal. It often weathers on out­ crop into shaly or flaggy ledges concealing the solid rock, but at a number of places it forms high cliffs. It is 40 to 60 feet in thickness, greenish in color in unweathered blocks, compact in texture and full of mica flakes. It forms the walls of Bear run one mile and a half south of Goose Creek postoffice. It is seen on the ridge to the north and south of Cokeleys store. It is found at the B. & O. railroad tunnel just west of Pennsboro and along the rail­ road grade to the west. It is this sandstone which forms the bold escarpment of the valley one mile and a half west of Eva in the southern part of the county. The Marietta sandstone comes above the old coal mine just east of Hartley and forms cliffs along Bone and Spruce Creeks between Berea and Lawford where its base is 10 feet above the Washington coal. It is the cliff rock in the Prunty oil field southwest of Oxford and its outcrop is seen in most of the stream valleys in the eastern and southern por­ tions of the county and in the northeastern portion. It is not quarried at any place visited, though it doubtless has been used for house and barn foundations over these por­ tions of the county. After passing east and south of the Waynesburg sandstone outcrop, it is the only massive sand­ stone found in the hills and valleys. Plate V. shows this sandstone outcrop near Calcutta. -----------------------------------------------------Page 79-----------------------------------------------------  Plate V—a.—The Hughes River Valley at McFarlan. Plate V—b.—The Sandstone Hills on McFarlan Run near Ritchie Mines. -----------------------------------------------------Page 80-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 61 Washington Coal. The Washington coal is quite persistent over this county and its heavy blossom is found at many places. Attempts have been made to mine it over the county, but outside of a few small local mines it is no longer used. Mr. Wm. Col­ lins has a small mine on his farm four miles northeast of Pennsboro on North Pork Hughes river at the mouth of Pop- larlick run. It is mined two and a half miles south of Ox­ ford, also southeast of Smithville. At the latter place, Mr. J. H. Hyman has a small mine up the' farm road two miles south of Smithville where the coal runs from 18 inches to 3 feet and averages two feet, at level 870 feet A. T. Two miles up I Y eatherbark creek, James Hardman has a mine in this coal. Old strip mines are found in the creek valley on Two- lick run two miles east of Washburn where the coal is about on 900 foot contour line. It has been opened in a similar way for over a mile to the west of Lawford, and at a num­ ber of places abandoned hill side openings are seen. The coal outcrops three miles southeast of Schultz near the north county line, also around the town of Highland on the 820 foot contour line. The heavy blossom of this coal is found one mile west of Pennsboro near the 800 foot contour, again on the hill to the southeast of Cornwallis. It is seen one mile southeast of Plarrisville and to the west of this town, also to the east on Rock Camp creek. It is usually found in the creek valleys and hillside roads wherever the proper level is reached, and it is a most persistent stratum over the county. South of Berea, one and a fourth miles, a small coal blossom is seen 160 feet higher than the Washington coal and may represent the Dunkard coal horizon. On the hill to the west of Silver Run station on the B. & O. railroad, a blossom of coal is found 80 feet above the base of the Waynes- burg sandstone, which may represent the Little Washington coal. -----------------------------------------------------Page 81-----------------------------------------------------  62 GEOLOGY OP PLEASANTS, WOOD, RITCHIE COUNTIES. Waynesburg Sandstone. The Waynesburg sandstone occurs in Ritchie county in the creek and river valleys as a massive stratum of coarse sandstone forming vertical cliffs, and it is an important quarry stone at a number of places. In the northern portion of the county it is seen along Goose Creek and its branches, but its base is below water level. It forms the cliffs in the Wolf Pen Oil field, and is well exposed along the North­ western turnpkie from Pike west to beyond League. The North Fork of Hughes river through Ritchie county is bordered by high cliffs of this sandstone which has been quarried on a large scale in past years from Cairo to Corn­ wallis, and at a number of places to the east and west. To the northeast of Cornwallis the sandstone is near the river level and forms a narrow gorge through which the B. & O. railroad passes, with tunnels through the sandstone spurs where the river makes its numerous bends. It has been quarried around Harrisville where its base is below water level. (See plate VI.) It here reaches a thickness of 80 feet and its top is 18 feet below the Washing­ ton coal. The various roads in northern Ritchie pass across this stratum on the hillside slopes making very rough travel. Addis and Elm runs to the south of Cairo have walls of this sandstone. Near Washburn similar cliffs of Waynesburg sandstone occur with the base below creek level. The South Fork of Plughes river like the North Fork is bordered by this sand­ stone forming bold cliffs. The wild and rough scenery of the McFarlan region is due to the presence of this massive sandstone. It has been quarried for local use at a number of places in the interior of the county. Near Frederick Mills a quarry has been opened in the upper portion of the stratum and shows a 20 foot face which has been worked back 10 feet for a distance of 30 or 40 feet. On outcrop it has a buff color but farther back in the quarry its color is blue to gray; and some of the ledges are foliated with parallel mica planes. In Ritchie county the Waynesburg sandstone appears to -----------------------------------------------------Page 82-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 63 be divided into two ledges separated by io to 15 feet of red shales. The rock contains abundant white kaolin spots which are very characteristic in most of the outcrops. In other places it is foliated, and has a greenish color without the kaolin spots. Its structure in the quarries at Cairo and Harrisville is given in another chapter. The geological map accompanying this volume shows the outcrop of this sand­ stone over the area, since the base of this sandstone is taken as the base of the Dunkard Series, and the underlying Waynesburg coal is absent in this county. THE MONONGAHELA SERIES. This series was named by Prof. PI. D. Rogers many years ago on account of the great development of its coal seams along the Monongahela river. The series extends from the base of the Pittsburg coal to the roof shales of the Waynes­ burg coal, an interval varying in thickness from 263 feet along the Ohio river to 400 feet near the interior of the Appalachian basin. Dr. I. C. White gives the following description of this series in Volume II of the reports of the West Virginia Geo­ logical Survey (pp. 124-125) : “In the northern part of the State nearly one-half of the rock material composing the Monongahela series is lime­ stone,, red shales are unknown, while massive sandstones are seldom found except along the eastern side of the Monon­ gahela outcrop. The disintegration of these limestones, limy shales and other soft rocks at the north, gives origin to a gentle topography and an extremjely fertile soil, thus form­ ing in Monongalia, Marion, I-Iarrison, Lewis, Marshall, Ohio and Brooke counties, as well as in portions of Upshur, Bar­ bour, and Taylor, the finest agricultural and grazing regions in the State. “In passing southwest from I-Iarrison, Taylor, and Lewis counties, however, the limestones practically disappear, along with most all of the coal beds, while red shales come in as the limestones go out,,, apparently replacing the latter, and the -----------------------------------------------------Page 83-----------------------------------------------------  64 GEOLOGY OP PLEASANTS, WOOD, RITCHIE COUNTIES. sandstones grow more massive than in the northern area, thus giving origin to a rugged topography and less fertile soils. “These rocks extend over a wide area along the Ohio river and for many miles south of it, as far as the Great Kanawha, -and in a narrow belt from that point to the Big Sandy, where in the center of the Appalachian trough, the lowest of these beds passes into the air before reaching the Kentucky line.” The rock strata of the Mbnongahela Series were first studied in detail in Pennsylvania, and the names given to these formations are for the most part taken from localities in that State. The order and character of the formations in this series may be illustrated by two sections made in other areas of the State. The section on Chapline Hill at Wheeling taken from the report on the Pan Handle Counties (p. 39) represents the conditions along the Ohio river in the northern portion of the State. The section at Hartford in Mason county, 61 miles south of Parkersburg, and taken from the Coal Report of the State Survey (Vol. II, p. 142) illustrates the characters further south. Chapline Hill, Wheeling, Section. (Measured with hand-level). Top of hill, sand. Sandstone and shaly sandstone Gray limestone .................................. Buff sandy shales ............................... Gray Limestone ................................. Shaly sandstone ................................ Buff shales .......................................... Limestone ........................................... Ft. 60 3 27 10 27 8 1 In. ) Ft. In. Ft. In. 136 Washington coal .............................................. 3 Buff sandy shales ........................................... 50 Faint blossom coal, Waynesburg "A”. . Gray limestone ................................................ 3 Buff shales ....................................................... 12 10 11 OI6 Gray limestone .................................................. 1 6 Shales and sandstone layers ........................... 25 10 Limestone, Elm Grove .................................... 2 Shales ................................................................. 4 4 -----------------------------------------------------Page 84-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 65 Waynesburg coal ............................ Shales .............................................. Black slate ....................................... Buff shales ....................................... Shaly sandstone .............................. Buff shales ....................................... Gray limestone, Waynesburg. . Thin sandstone and shales... Clay blossom, Uniontown Coal Horizon (?) ................................. Sandstone ........................................ Buff shales ...................................... Limestone, Uniontown ................. Buff shales and sandstone.... Green shale .................................... 2 1 C 4 4 1 3 3 2 30 4>103 2 0 8 0 0 G 4 I 41 4 )263 4 8 Limestone and shales, Benwood Sowickley Coal ................................. Limestone, Sewickley ...................... Redstone Coal .................................. 86 81 06 33 8i Limestone, Redstone ....................... Shales (in part of area) .................... roof . . 1' shales . 1 Pittsburg coal [ coal ... 6 Sandstone . . . 18 35 + J Hartford, Mason County, Section. Ft. In. Ft. In. Coal, Waynesburg, absent .............................................................. 0 0 Red shale .......................................................................... 10 01 Gray shale .......................................................................... 5 0 Sandstone ........................................................................... 6 0 I Shales, brown and sandy ................................................ 10 0 I Shales, red .......................................................................... 2 0 | Red shale with limestone nodules .................................. 10 0 Sandstone ......................................................................... 20 0 [_ Shales, variegated with limestone nodules near base ........................................................ 28 0 Concealed ........................................................................ 20 0 Red' shale ........................................................................... 5 0 Concealed ......................................................................... 20 0 Red shale .......................................................................... 15 0 Sandstone, massive, Pittsburg ........................................ 70 0| .250 0 Shales, gray, fossil plants. ......... ..................................... 15 0 j Coal, Pittsburg ................................................................................. 5 6 Total 255 6 10 I G '.ICO 6 -----------------------------------------------------Page 85-----------------------------------------------------  6G GEOLOGY OP PLEASANTS, WOOD, RITCHIE COUNTIES. GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TYPICAL MONONGAHELA FORMATIONS. For purposes of comparison, brief descriptions will be given of the important strata of the Monongahela Series as shown in the typical areas at the north. Those interested further in this discussion will find more detailed accounts in the coal report of this survey by Dr. I. C. White (Vol. II) and in the writer’s report on the Pan Handle counties. The following formations are included in this series but most of these are absent in these counties or at least cannot be correlated with the strata further north: Waynesburg Coal. Little Waynesburg Coal. Waynesburg Limestone. Gilboy Sandstone. Uniontown Coal. Uniontown Limestone. Fulton Green Shale. Benwood Limestone. Sewickley Sandstone. Upper Sewickley Coal. Lower Sewickley Coal. Sewickley Limestone. Redstone Coal. Redstone Limestone. Upper Pittsburg Sandstone. Pittsburg Coal. The Waynesburg coal or No. n seam of Ohio is an im­ portant coal for local supply in Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia, and is found a short distance below the Waynesburg sandstone. It is usually high in ash and moist­ ure, and reaches in places 6 feet in thickness. Its position is about 275 feet above the Pittsburg coal near Moundsville. Dr. White states that in this vicinity the coal is thin and worthless, but retains a double bedded structure,' and that it -----------------------------------------------------Page 86-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 67 is of no economic importance at any point yet known along the Ohio river. The Waynesburg limestone is found in the typical sec­ tion, 20 to 40 feet below the coal. Its average thickness in Ohio county is 2 to 3 feet. Dr. I. C. White' 2 states, “The thickness in Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia is seldom less than eight feet, and frequently double that, but southwestward, toward the Great Kanawha region, the lime­ stone disappears entirely.” The Gilboy sandstone comes in 5 to 10 feet below the Waynesburg coal frequently along the eastern outcrop of the coal, and is prominent in Marion, Lewis, and Gilmer counties, as a hard, line grained rock. The Uniontown coal comes 90 to 125 feet below the Waynesburg coal. The following description of this seam is taken from the coal report by Dr. White (Vol. II, p. 150): “It is seldom more than three feet thick, often only two, and sometimes represented merely by black slate, so that from an economic standpoint it is of little present value, since in most cases it is rather high in ash and other impurities. * * * * It appears possible that the coal often found under a massive sandstone through Lewis, Gilmer, Roane, Jack- son, Mason, (also Pleasants), and usually considered as identical with the Waynesburg, may really be the Union- town bed. Should this suggestion of identity prove true, it would show as heretofore intimated a widely spread erosion of at least 100 feet of strata from the top of the Monongahela series, by the rapid currents which deposited the Waynes­ burg conglomeratic sandstone, bringing with them the new, or Permian flora, which characterizes the Dunkard series. The Macksburg coal of Ohio is regarded by the Ohio geol­ ogists as identical with the Uniontown coal. Between the Uniontown coal and the Sewickley coal, 200 feet lower, in northern portion of the state and in Penn­ sylvania there is a mass of limestone and limy shales known as the Uniontown or the Great Limestone. “Some of the limestone layers are highly magnesian and otherwise im­ pure, and these are so interstrati lied with the purer layers 2. U. S. G. S. Bull. G5, p. 58. -----------------------------------------------------Page 87-----------------------------------------------------  68 GEOLOGY OP PLEASANTS, WOOD, RITCHIE COUNTIES. that very little economic use has ever been made of them.” Dr. White further states (Vol. II, p. 152): “As already stated, these limestones disappear and are largely replaced by red shale and sandy beds in passing from the northern end of the State southwestward, so that when one reaches the Little Kanawha river only a few thin layers of impure limestone can be found in the entire series, and this con­ dition of affairs continues on southwestward to the Great Kanawha and beyond.” The upper portion of this limestone below the Union- town coal is known as the Uniontown, and the lower portion the Benwood limestone. Along the eastern outcrop of the Monongahela Series a massive sandstone frequently comes in, cutting out all or a portion of the Uniontown limestone. It overlies the Sewickley coal and is called the Sewickley Sandstone. It is well exposed along the Monongahela river between Morgantown and Fairmont, reaching 60 feet in thickness. Dr. I. C. White states (Vol. II, p. 152), “Through Har­ rison, Lewis, and Gilmer, and other southwestern counties along the line where the Monongahela series crops to the surface, the Sewickley sandstone, together with the under­ lying Pittsburg sandstone, often forms a bold cliff rising to a height of 125 to 150 feet above the horizon of the Pitts­ burg coal.” The Sewickley coal, 70 to 100 feet above the base of the series, is a valuable scam in Marion and Monongalia counties, with a maximum thickness of 6 feet. It is known as the Meigs Creek coal in Ohio. According to Dr. White (Vol. II, p. 153), “although so constantly present in the northern portion of the Appalachian basin, this bed thins down and disappears entirely southwestward from Marion county, so that little of it is found in workable thickness in I-Iarrison, except for a few miles west of the Marion county line. It appears to thin out entirely as a workable vein be­ fore passing the Parkersburg branch of the B. & O. railroad. * * * * There are no areas of the Sewickley coal south -----------------------------------------------------Page 88-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 69 from the Grafton-Parkersburg branch of the B. & O. rail­ road that will furnish coal of commercial thickness.” A short distance below the Sewickley coal is the Sewick- ley limestone in typical section, which varies in thickness from 5 to 20 feet; then comes the Redstone coal 50 to 75 feet below the Sewickley seam and 30 to 50 feet above the Pitts­ burg coal. Below the Redstone coal is the Redstone lime­ stone, and the Upper Pittsburg sandstone. The sandstone forms large cliffs at a number of localities along the Ohio river between Plartford and Iiuntington, also in Lewis, Gil­ mer, and Braxton counties. The lowest member of the Monongahcla Series, and the most important stratum in the Carboniferous from an eco­ nomic standpoint is the Pittsburg coal, which is the princi­ pal coal mined in Marion, Harrison, and Taylor counties, and is found further south. It is the important coal seam at Pittsburg and is the cokeing coal of Connellsville. It reaches its greatest thickness, 22 feet, in the southern end of the Georges creek basin Maryland. Dr. I. C. White has es­ timated the area of workable Pittsburg coal remaining in Ohio, West Virginia, and Maryland, to be about 6,000 square miles. The oil well drilling has shown this coal to be generally absent over an area of 4,000 to 5,000 square miles where its horizon is passed by the drill. This is true of the following counties in the state according to Dr. I. C. White: Calhoun, Roane, Ritchie, Pleasants, Wood, Doddridge, Jackson, Tyler, and probably half of Wetzel. Dr. White states in Volume II of the Survey reports (p. 194) : “In the vicinity of Parkersburg and elsewhere in Wood county, the Pittsburg coal has not been reported in the hundreds of oil wells that have there been drilled, though just northwest from Parkersburg it is found by the drill in Washington county., Ohio, although thin and patchy. It is also absent in Pleasants county so far as the oil well rec­ ords can determine, and when its horizon is brought up to daylight by the great Volcano-Burning Springs anticlinal arch -----------------------------------------------------Page 89-----------------------------------------------------  70 GEOLOG if OP PLEASANTS, WOOD, RITCHIE COUNTIES. at Eureka, Belmont, etc. no coal whatever is visible at the Pittsburg horizon.” In Wood county outside the Volcano fold, the Monon- gahela Series is not exposed, and in Ritchie where the streams have cut below the Waynesburg sandstone, very lit­ tle of the series is seen, and the rocks are mostly shales. In Pleasants county near the Ohio river, the upper por­ tion of the Monongahela rocks arc seen. The Waynesburg sandstone in this area is often underlaid by a coal with shales below, corresponding in relation to the sandstone to the Waynesburg coal horizon, but its interval to the Cow Run and Keener sands in the oil wells is too short. Just east of St. Marys the coal formerly mined is 1430 feet above the top of the Keener sand which would place it 230 feet above the Pittsburg coal horizon, or about the Uniontown coal. The upper portion of the Monongahela series • apparently has in this area been extensively eroded, 90 to 100 feet, before the deposition of the Waynesburg sandstone, especially to the northeast of town. Waynesburg Coal. With the erosion of the upper portion of the Monon­ gahela series in this area, the Waynesburg coal has been re­ moved, and at but one place in the area was the blossom of this coal found. This was just east of St. Marys on the county road at a level 750 feet A. T., or nearly 100 feet above the Uniontown coal. Here a two inch blossom was found under a heavy cliff of Waynesburg sandstone. The general absence of this seam through the area has made it difficult to ac­ curately map the lower line of the Dunkard series, which line in the present report is taken as the base of the massive Waynesburg sandstone. Waynesburg Limestone. The Waynesburg Limestone is also usually absent in the sections of this area, but a 10 to 15 ledge of limestone is found at Bens Run at a level 638 feet A. T., or 135 feet above -----------------------------------------------------Page 90-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 71 the Sewickley coal in a near by oil well, and it may repre­ sent the Waynesburg limestone. Near Raven Rock and below at Riggs and Engles runs, an 8 to 10 foot ledge of limestone outcrops above the coal at a level of 640 feet A. T., representing the same horizon. Be­ low the coal just cast of St. Marys is a nodular limestone at the Waynesburg limestone horizon. Uniontown Coal. A coal was formerly mined to the north and east of St. Marys under the Waynesburg sandstone. It was 14 to 16 inches in thickness and is 1430 feet above the top of the Keener sand which would make it 230 feet above the Pitts­ burg coal horizon, or about that of the Uniontown coal. Its outcrop is-found along the river hills and up the various runs to the east. It has been mined in recent years by Mr. O. S. Bailey at De Kong up Middle Island creek, but at present time is not mined at any place in this region. Up the tan yard hollow south of St. Marys, the coal out­ crops below a heavy sandstone, and 1430 feet above the Keener sand and is probably the Uniontown coall. The coal breaks in prisms and is banded and rather slaty with appear­ ance of a bone coal. Its relation to the rocks above and be­ low is shown in the following section: Ft. In. Coarse sandstone, Waynesburg ............................................ 25+ Brownish shales ........................................................................ 2 Blue and black shales ........................................................... 2 Coal, Uniontown ....................................................................... 1 Gray and blue clay and shales ............................................... 10 Sewickley Coal. To the south of St. Marys, the rapid rise of the strata carries the Waynesburg sandstone high in the hills and brings to the surface in ravines a lower coal which is T230 to 1280 feet above the Keener sand. The coal was formerly mined along the railroad track opposite Newport, and it rises rapidly to the west. At two openings near here the -----------------------------------------------------Page 91-----------------------------------------------------  72 GEOLOGY OP PLEASANTS, WOOD, RITCHIE COUNTIES. coal shows a difference of 18 feet in elevation in a short dis­ tance. Its thickness is io to 12 inches and it is 1280 feet above the Keener sand in the wells a short distance south. A heavy ledge of sandstone comes in above the coal. At Cooper Hollow one-half mile below the lower edge of the town of St. Marys, the coal outcrops 1230 feet above the Keener sand in the Cooper well. It is below a heavy sandstone and the following section was measured at this place: Ft. Sandstone ............................................................................... 20 Buff flaky shales ...................................................................... 3 Black slate ................................................................................ 2 Coal, Sewickley ....................................................................... 0 Black slate ................................................................................ 1 Blue shales with coal nodules ................................................ 4 As the strata rise westward in the fold, lower rocks of the series are exposed along the B. & O. railroad track. Near the mouth of Greens run east of Vaucluse, the following sec­ tion was measured: Feet. Shales ........................................................................................................ 8 Sandstone ................................................................................................. 3 Blue shales ................................................................................................ 4 Thin black slate ....................................................................................... 1 Limestone, gray ....................................................................................... 6 Shales ....................................................................................................... 4 Sandstone ................................................................................................... 2*4 Shaly sandstone ....................................................................................... 6 A three inch coal blossom is seen at the track level across Greens run and probably 50 feet lower than the base of the above section. The top of the section is probably 100 feet or more below the old coal mines, so that it would belong in the Conemaugh Series, but there is no indication of the Pittsburg coal. Pittsburg Coal. The base of the Monongahela Series is marked by . the floor of the Pittsburg coal, but this coal is absent in most of -----------------------------------------------------Page 92-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 73 the oil and gas well. Near its horizon on the outcrop near the Belmont fold, occur shales and sandstones with no trace of coal blossom, so that it is impossible to mark this line on the map, and the Monongahela and Conemaugh are desig­ nated by a single color on the geological map with this vol­ ume. The Pittsburg coal is marked in a few oil well records to northeast of St. Marys, and below Pritchard at the mouth of Turkey run in Ritchie county, but it is only a few inches in thickness. The whole area is a barren zone with respect to the Pittsburg coal. In the Barker well on Middle Island creek, one foot of coal is found at a depth of 164 feet, which Dr. White identifies as the Pittsburg. It is 1175 feet above the top of the Keener sand, and 1257 feet above top of Big Injun sand. In the Collins well two miles and a half northeast of Pennsboro, the Pittsburg coal was found five feet thick at 510 feet, to 1340 feet above the Big Injun sand. In the Baumgardner well in Whiskey-Run oil pool of Ritchie county seven feet of Pittsburg coal was reported at a depth of 498 feet, and 1279 feet above the Keener sand. In the Prunty and Flannagan oil fields on South Fork of Hughes river in eastern part of Ritchie county, this coal is reported in many of the wells, 1305 to 1345 feet above the Big Injun sand. The Pittsburg coa'l in these wells, 380 to 500 feet below the surface, was reported as five to six feet thick and led to prospect work with diamond drill, but the results were not satisfactory. The record of one of these test holes is given by Dr. I. C. White in the last report of the Survey (Vol. II, (a), p. 662). This hole was drilled on the Zimri Flannagan farm on South Fork Hughes river near the mouth of Turtle run in the Flannagan oil field, northeast of Berea. The hole was drilled by W. W. Bruce and J. B. Cheuvront, and begins 40 feet below the Washington coal, with the following record: -----------------------------------------------------Page 93-----------------------------------------------------  74 GEOLOGY OF PLEASANTS, WOOD, RITCHIE COUNTIES. Bore Hole on Zimri Flannagan Farm. Thickness. Depth. Ft. In. Ft. In. Surface .................................................... .................. 10 0 10 6 Red shale ................................................ .................. 5 0 15 6 Gray sand ............................................... .................. 2 0 18 0 Red shale ................................................ .................. 3 0 21 0 Green sand ............................................. .................. 7 0 28 0 Red shale ................................................ .................. !) 0 37 0 Green sand ............................................. .................. 10 0 47 0 Red shale ................................................ .................. 2 0 49 0 Green sand ............................................. .................. 2 0 51 0 Red shale ................................................ .................. 3 0 54 0 Green sand ............................................. .................. 3 G 57 G Red Shale ................................................ .................. 3 G 61 0 Green sand ............................................. .................. 14 0 75 0 Gray sand ............................................... .................. 20 0 95 0 Gray sand ............................................... .................. 20 0 95 2 Slate ........................................................ .................. 1 10 97 0 Sandy slate .............................................. 0 110 0 Coal, Little Waynesburg ...................... .................. 0 4 110 4 .................. G 8 117 0 Slate and clay ......................................... 127 0 Gray shale .............................................. .................. 8 0 135 0 Red shale ................................................ .................. 10 0 145 0 Gray shale .............................................. 0 150 0 Red slialo ................................................ .................. 10 0 1G0 0 Gray shale .............................................. .................. 9 0 169 0 Red shale ................................................ 0 217 0 Green sand ............................................. .................. 39 0 256 0 Red shale ................................................ .................. S 0 2G4 0 Gray sand ............................................... 0 272 0 Red shale ..................... .......................... 0 277 0 Green sand ............................................. 0 295 0 Red shale ................................................ .................. 2 0 297 0 Green shale ............................................ .................. 31 0 328 0 Red shale ................................................ 0 340 0 Sand rock ............................................... .................. 20 0 3 GO 0 Lime ........................................................ .................. 11 0 371 0 Black slate .............................................. .................. 10 0 381 0 Coal, Pittsburg ....................................... 0 383 0 Fire clay .................................................. .................. 1 0 384 0 Dr. White comments on this record as follows: “The record shows that in a region where the Pittsburg coal had been reported with a thickness of 12 feet, 10 of it was only black slate. A sample of the 2 feet of coal, found in the boring was sent the Survey by Messrs. Bruce and Cheuvront for analysis which gave to Hite and Patton the results shown in table No. 10, page 667. The analysis reveals a coal quite similar in composition to the same bed in the Clarksburg -----------------------------------------------------Page 94-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 75 region. It is barely possible that at some of the localities reported in the White Oak-region thicker coal may be found. “The little coals struck at 95 and no feet appear to rep­ resent the Waynesburg and Little Waynesburg coal horizons respectively, since Mr. Bruce states that the Washington coal crops at 30 to 40 fe.et above where the test boring be­ gan. This would give an interval of 421 feet from the Wash­ ington coal to the Pittsburg in this region, and 286 feet from the Waynesburg coal to the Pittsburg coal.” THE EUREKA-VOLCANO-BURNING SPRING ANTICLINE. The most marked geological disturbance in the rocks of the western portion of the state is seen in the western portion of Pleasants county extending south past Volcano, along the Wood-Ritchie county line to Burning Springs in Wirt county. This fold or anticline has been known from an early day as the “Oil Break,” and the early oil drilling of the ’6o’s was near this arch. It follows a somewhat irregular course and crosses the Ohio river at Belmont flattening out in Ohio. The rocks on the two sides of the arch incline steeply to the east and west, and the uplift has exposed the lower forma­ tions of the Allegheny Series. The center of the fold in southern Ritchie county passes to the east of California House, then about one-half mile west of Petroleum, a short distance east of Volcano, just west of Sand Hill. It crosses Bull creek just west of of Borland post office, Plorseneck creek just west of Plorse- neck post office, Cow creek just west of the mouth of Pedro run, then bends to the east reaching the Ohio river just west of Belmont. The width of the disturbed rocks is three to four miles. From a point between Borland and Plorseneck the fold pitches north to the Ohio river, and south to Volcano. Its trend varies in direction from the south line of Ritchie county to the Ohio river. From California House to Vol­ cano its direction is N 10 0 E; from Volcano to Sand Hill, N 8° E; from Sand Plill to Borland, N i8° W; from Borland -----------------------------------------------------Page 95-----------------------------------------------------  76 GEOLOGY OF PLEASANTS, WOOD, RITCHIE COUNTIES. to Horseneck, N 2° E; from Horseneck to Cow creek, N 9 0 W; from Cow creek to the Ohio river, N 36° E. The Berea oil sand along the center of the fold is struck at the following depths: near the mouth of Conley’s run in Ohio opposite Belmont, the sand is struck at 1,000 feet below sea level: on Brothers Island at Belmont, at 750 to 800 feet below sea level; near Sand Hill at 180 feet above sea level; at Volcano, at sea level. Mr. Minshall gives the following sections of this fold along the B. & O., between Volcano Junction and Petroleum, and at Horseneck (U. S. Census Report, 1880). Section of Horseneck •Section of Laurci ForK and Petro/eom. Fig. G. Geological Sections along the Eureka-Volcano Fold near Horseneck and Petroleum. 3-5. Lower Coal Measures. 6. Fossil Limestone. 7. Pittsburg Coal. 8. Uniontown Limestone. 9. Waynesburg Coal. 10. Dunkard Limestones and Coals. 11. Marietta Limestone and Sandstone. The arch is not as flat as represented in these sections, for even at the center of the fold, a decided dip is found to the east and west, but at the two edges of the break, a very steep dip is seen at Volcano, Volcano Junction, Petroleum, but toward the north the dip on the sides is less, giving a flatter arch. -----------------------------------------------------Page 96-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 77 Mr. Minshall states he foynd the Ames limestone in Conley run in Ohio opposite Belmont, also in the bed of Cow creek, and on the high hill to the north of Iiorseneck. This should bring the Pittsburg coal horizon in the high hills to the south of Belmont, but no trace of this coal is found in this portion of the Ohio river valley. He states that near the head of Calf creek, the Cow Run sand outcrops 200 feet be­ low the Ames limestone and has an 18 inch coal under it, which he correlates with the Upper Freeport horizon. Near the mouth of Conley’s run in Ohio, E. B. An­ drews measured the following section given in the reports of the Ohio Geological Survey (Vol. II, p. 502) : Ft. In. Fossil lime (230 feetbelow Pittsburg coal) .............................. 1 6 Yellow shales ........................................................................... 18 0 Slaty coal .................................................................................... 0 8 Clay and coal ............................................................................. 0 G Fire clay ..................................................................................... 0 G Coal ............................................................................................ 0 6 Unexposed ............................................................................... 20 0 Sandstone, some pebbles(First Cow Run) ............................ 25 0 Iron ore, adhering to sandstone ............................................... 1 5 Blue clay shale, iron ore nodules ...................................... 1 6 On Cow creek just cast of the mouth of Pedro run a massive sandstone ledge is exposed, in places full of cavities, with a coal one foot thick below it (see plate —). The coal probably represents the Upper Freeport seam with the Ma­ honing Sandstone above it. This sandstone is locally called the Cow Run Oil Sand, but would correspond to the oil sand 500 feet below the Pittsburg coal, or the Dunkard sand, while the true Cow Run sand should be 200 feet higher. One mile west of Horseneck in the creek bank the fol­ lowing section was measured: Ft. In. Blue shales ................................................................. 20 Black fossil limestone (Brush Creek) ..................... 0 10(U.S. 72G) Black slate ................................................................... 4 Nodular limestone ...................................................... 1 Shales ........................................................................ 10 Bone coal (Brush Creek) ............................................. 1 2 The coal mined in this valley under the heavy sandstone ledge is 60 feet below the black limestone and would be cor- -----------------------------------------------------Page 97-----------------------------------------------------  78 GEOLOGY OF PLEASANTS, WOOD, RITCHIE COUNTIES. related with the Upper Freeport. This coal has been mined by Mr. Wise east of Borland Springs where it shows the fol­ lowing structure: Ft. Sandstone roof. Coal .......................................................................................... 1 Blacksmith coal ....................................................................... 1 Mud streak ............................................................................ Coal .......................................................................................... 0 Total ................................................................................ 3 A heavy sandstone forms the bed of the creek, eight feet lower. This coal is also mined by Mr. Childers near the Horse- neck store where it shows a thickness of three feet, four inches, and is 8o feet above the Childers oil well which reaches the Iiorseneck oil sand at 200 feet. This would place the sand 280 feet below the Upper Freeport coal, or about the horizon of the Clarion sandstone. This same interval is found at the church southwest of Horseneck where the sand is 278 feet below an old mine at surface of ground. A bright block coal is found 100 feet below the Childers coal, and is one to two feet thick with blue shales below, and represents the Lower Freeport vein. One-half mile west of Horseneck up a farm road to the north of the main creek, J. I-I. Flowers has opened a mine in the Upper Freeport coal which shows the following struc­ ture : Ft. In. Coarse sandstone. Shales .......................................................................................... 4 0 Draw slate .................................................................................. 0 6 Coal ............................................................................................ 2 7 Clay ............................................................................................. 5 0 A well was drilled in 1908, 18 feet below this mine, which struck at 220 feet a sand called by driller the MJacks- burg 300-foot with a coal below it; but the Macksburg 300- foot sand is equivalent to the Mahoning sandstone, which comes above the coal at the mine. The sand in this well -----------------------------------------------------Page 98-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 79 may represent a sandstone over the Lower Kittanning coal, and is locally called the Herbst sand. The Upper Freeport coal is mined three-fourths mile north of Borland by R. N. Corbett and shows three feet of coal covered by six inches of bone coal. It is also mined east of Borland opposite the Wise mine by John Marden. A number of mines in this coal are found to the north and south of Horseneck. The fossil lime and coal are found to the north of Iiorseneck about three-fourths mile on Sled Fork. The Brush Creek limestone and coal below are seen on Walker creek near Mr. Christy’s house to the west of Sand Hill. Around Volcano two coal seams have been extensively mined and their relation to each other is shown by the oil well records. In these wells two coals are found 63 feet apart, and two to three feet thick, with a third coal 25 feet lower. The upper coal is 435 feet above the top of the Big Lime, and the oil sand is over the Big Lime, therefore it is the Maxton. The Salt sand above also is an oil sand, and the Keener below. The upper coal has a sandstone roof and in its distance above the top of Big Lime would correspond to the Lower Freeport coal. The next coal, 63 feet lower with a shale roof, is 370 feet above the Big Lime, or at the Middle Kit­ tanning horizon, and the coal 25 feet lower, 345 feet above Big Lime, would be at Lower Kittanning horizon. Both the Middle and Lower Kittanning coals are mined at Volcano, but the Lower Kittanning 'has greater thickness reaching 4 to 5 feet, and the Lower Freeport has been open­ ed in the hills, but it is not regarded as equal in quality to the lower coals, being more or less slaty. The Lower Kittanning vein is about 28 inches thick with a sandstone roof. The Middle Kittanning vein Shows the following structure: Sandstone. Ft. In. Slate .................................................................................. 2 to 4 0 Top coal ...................................................................................... 3 6 Slate ........................................................................................... 0 4 Coal ............................................................................................ 1 6 Bone coal .................................................................................... 0 10 Shale or clay. -----------------------------------------------------Page 99-----------------------------------------------------  80 GEOLOGY OP PLEASANTS, WOOD, RITCHIE COUNTIES. Along the B. & O. railroad track between Petroleum and Volcano Junction, the rocks of the fold are well exposed in the cuts. Just past the second bridge over Goose creek to west of Petroleum the following section is found, the * -s dipping heavy to the east: Jn Sandstone ................................................................................... 8 0 Black slate .................................................................................. 1 6 Bone coal .................................................................................... 2 0 Sandstone ................................................................................... 1 2 Black slate ................................................................................. 5 0 Sandstone to track .................................................................... 3 0 Further west in the cut between the next two bridges, the following section was measured, the rocks showing a slight dip apparently to the west: Ft. In. Sandstone .................... Coal .............................. Shaly sandstone . . . . Buff shales ................... Blue shaly limestone Blue shales ................... Bope slaty coal Blue shales to track 12 0 1 6 3 0 4 . 0 0 10 1 0 1 0 2 0 In the cut beyond the last bridge over Coos : creek there is a 20 foot stratum of sandstone, with a coal below which soon passes under the track, and the next few cuts show a very white sandstone dipping west. The upper coal in the last section may represent the Clarion with the Clar­ ion sandstone above; and the bone coal, the Brookville. Just south of Petroleum at the forks of the road on top of the hill is a mass of red shales with coal 10 feet lower and nodular limestone 100 feet lower, but the east dip at this point would make the intervals larger than the above .surface meas­ urements. The red shales are apparently at the horizon of the Pittsburg Red Shales, making the coal the Brush Creek with the Pine Creek or Lower Cambridge limestone on be­ low. Three miles and a half southwest of Petroleum, the Ames limestone outcrops on the hill to west of a church on the road to California House, at level 1020 feet A. T., and farther on at level of 980 feet. At California Plouse is a massive cliff of sandstone 40 or 50 feet in height, probably at the Ma­ honing Sandstone horizon. -----------------------------------------------------Page 100-----------------------------------------------------  Plate VI—b.—Bando Oil Company Well No. 1 on Long Run, Ritchie County. -----------------------------------------------------Page 101-----------------------------------------------------  CHAPTER IV PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN PLEASANTS COUNTY. West Virginia holds second rank in the value of produc­ tion of the higher grade of oil and gas. The oil production culminated in 1900 when it reached 16,195,675 barrels, and has declined since that time. According to the reports of the United States Geological Survey, the production in 1906 was 10,120,935 barrels, 9,095,296 barrels in 1907, and 9,523,176 barrels in 1908. The value of natural gas in West Virginia in 1907 was $16,670,962. The modern oil development in this country began in 1859 with the completion of the Drake well in the Oil Creek valley of Pennsylvania. In the next ten years the success­ ful search for oil was made over the country from the Ap­ palachian area to the coast of California. The history of petroleum in West Virginia dates from the early days of the last century, when the oil scum removed from the surface of the oil springs along the Great and Lit­ tle Kanawha rivers was sold by the quart and gallon as a cure for the ills of mankind. The, first well bored for oil in the State was completed in i860 near Burning Springs, on the Little Kanawha. A few of the wells drilled in this area in these early days are today, according to Dr. I. C. White, producing one to two barrels daily, although nearly 50 years old. The real development of the petroleum industry in West Virginia began in 1889 with the Opening of the Dolls Run, Eureka, and Mannington oil pools, and culminated in 1900. -----------------------------------------------------Page 102-----------------------------------------------------  82 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN PLEASANTS COUNTY. The history of this development and a general discussion of the subject of oil and gas in this State are given in Volume 1 (a), and the Pan Handle Counties report of the West Virginia Geological Survey. The modern development of the natural gas industry began in 1887 with the opening of the northern Ohio and Pennsylvania fields and their utilization. In the Pan Handle Counties report, a resume is given of the different theories of origin of oil and gas. It is there shown that while there is some controversy over the origin of these substances, the more generally accepted the­ ory holds that the vegetable and animal remains in a pro­ cess of decay formed gaseous and oily compounds, which were imprisoned in the soft sediments along the seashore or in lakes and rivers, and later when these sediments were consolidated into solid rock, these rocks still held the im­ prisoned gases and oil. In other words the oil and gas were formed at or near the time the rock sediments were deposited in which they are now found. The process of oil forma­ tion, according to this theory, ceased long ago in all but the more recent rocks. If gas or oil are present in the rocks of a given locality and distributed uniformly through these rocks over a wide area the total quantity of oil or gas would be very large, while the available supply in a well might be nothing. Dr. I. C. White (Vol I (a), p. 46) has estimated that “the amount of oil obtainable from a good producing sand in West Virginia will not average more than a gallon to the cubic foot, and also that the depth or thickness of pay streaks will not average more than five feet, and taking these factors as a basis, we would get about 5,000 barrels of 42 gallons each to the acre as the total production of fairly good oil territory.” In order to have an accumulation of oil and gas four conditions are necessary. There must be a reservoir. in the form of a porous rock, in which the oil and gas are held in the interspaces of the rock. In Pennsylvania, West Virginia, southeastern Ohio, and Kansas, the reservoir is -----------------------------------------------------Page 103-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 83 a sandstone. Such a porous sandstone is never empty, but it will contain water, oil or gas. Second there must be a tight cover or the products will escape upward and be lost. This cover is usually in the form of a compact shale varying in thickness from a few feet to several hundred. When this cover is penetrated by the drill, the gas or oil released under heavy pressure may reach the surface. Third, there must be pressure to force the gas or oil out of the rock. Fourth, there must be present, the proper rock structure in the form of a fold, anticline, syncline, or monocline. A fold in the rocks would give a favorable place for the accumulation of gas and oil, which without the fold might be distributed uniformly throughout the reservoir rock. The gas and oil fields of this State, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, and many other sections, have been proved to be associated with folds in the rocks. A careful review of the anticlinal or fold theory and its application are given in the oil and gas report of this Survey. OIL AND GAS HORIZONS IN WEST VIRGINIA. Dr. I. C. White in Volume I (a) of the West Virginia Geological Survey (p. 506) groups together the oil and gas horizons of the State as follows: -----------------------------------------------------Page 104-----------------------------------------------------  84 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN PLEASANTS COUNTY. Monongahela Series. Carroll Sami. fMoundsville (Morgant’n). Conemaugh Series .................... ■ First Cow Run sand, Upper and Lower. ^Dunkard sands. Second Cow Run sand. Carboniferous Allegheny Series PottsviliD Series Gas sand of Marion and Monongalia counties. Gas sand of Cairo. Salt sand, Cairo. L Cairo? Mauck Chunk Red Shale. (Maxton, Cairo?) Greenbrier Limestone. (Beckett saml of Milton?) ("Keener sand. Pocono Sandstone .................... Big Injun sand. [Squaw sand. Gantz sand (Berea Grit). Pifty-foot sand. Thirty-foot sand. Catskill Red Beds, Stray sand. Gordon sands. McDonald or Fifth sand. Devonian.... Bayard or Sixth sand. f No well defined oil or gas Chemung. Hamilton and Corniferous Beds. . . . I horizons yet. discovered 1 in West Virginia, but found in Pennsylvania. The oil and gas sands are usually identified by their distances below the Pittsburg coal, but as this coal is usually absent in Pleasants, Wood, and Ritchie Counties, the proper correlation of the sands becomes more difficult, so that the same sand in different pools often receives different names from the drillers. A producing sand at very shallow depth in this field is known as the Horse Neck al,ong the Ohio river, while a little deeper sand is nearly always called Cow Run. The Cow Run and Dunkard sands are regarded as the same, the names being used as synonyms with the first name preferred; and yet these are entirely different sands. The sand above the Big Lime in Pleasants county is correctly ( -----------------------------------------------------Page 105-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 85 called the Maxton, while the same sand in Ritchie county is cailled the Salt sand. Horsenqck Sand. The Horseneck sand has produced a considerable quan- . tity of oil in past years, and was named from the early devel­ opment along Horseneck creek in Pleasants county where the sand is reached at a depth of 185 to 1 330 feet. This sand is 280 feet below the Upper Freeport coal and may represent the Clarion sandstone, probably 800 feet below the Pittsburg coal horizon. It has been traced from Horseneck field north to the Ohio river, and In a number of the ear-ly wells gave a very large daily production for a limited time. Its produc­ tion has usually been short in duration, and at the present time is only producing a little oil in a few scattered pools on or near the fold. Cow Run and Dunkard Sands. The Big Dunkard sand, one of the important oil sands in southern Pennsylvania and named from that area, is found 500 feet below the Pittsburg coal at the Lower Ma­ honing Sandstone horizon, while the Upper Mahoning or Little Dunkard sand is 400 feet below the Pittsburg coal. The so called Cow Run sand in a number of wells of Pleas­ ants and northern Wood county are Big Dunkard. The First Cow Run sand is 300 feet below the Pittsburg coal, corresponding to the Saltzburg Sandstone horizon, and the Second Cow Run sand is about 400 feet lower at the Lower Freeport or possibly Homewood Sandstone horizon. The main oil production of Pleasants and Wood counties comes from the Dunkard and Cow Run sands, some of the wells showing long life with fair production. The earlier wells gave very large daily production. In this area the drillers place the Second Cow Run sand 200 to 225 feet below the First Cow Run, and it usually is to be correlated more correctly with the Dunkard. The -----------------------------------------------------Page 106-----------------------------------------------------  86 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN PLEASANTS COUNTY. Dunkard sand is about 650 feet above the Keener and 540 feet above the Maxton, while the First Cow Run sand would be about 850 feet above the Keener and 740 feet above the Maxton. In Pleasants county, for example, the distance be­ tween the First Cow Run and Keener sands as identified by the drillers, varies from 630 to 870 feet, due to the confusion of the Cow Run and Dunkard sands, and the latter name is seldom if ever used in the county. Salt Sands. The Salt sands are sometimes designated as first, second, and third; but’ in this district they are usually not numbered. They belong in the Pottsville Conglomerate horizon, and are productive at a few places. The Cairo Salt sand comes just above the Big Lime in the Mauch Chunk series, and is correlated with the Maxton sand so named from its develop­ ment on the Maxton farm near Sistersville. Keener and Big Injun Sands. Below the Big Lime or Greenbrier Limestone is the Po- cono sandstone. The upper portion of this sand is usually called the Keener sand, named from a farm near Sistersville. It is separated from the lower portion, the Big Injun sand, by a shale break. When the shale is absent the whole stra­ tum is usually called Big Injun sand. In a number of places a shale break below separates the Big Injun from the Squaw sand, which is the oil sand near Harrisville. The Keener sand is about 1200 feet below the Pittsburg coal. , Berea Sand. The Berea sand is found about 500 feet below the Big Injun, or 1650 to T700 feet below the Pittsburg coal. It be­ longs in the Catskill division of the Devonian Series, and is usually regarded as identical with the Berea sandstone or -----------------------------------------------------Page 107-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 87 grit quarried near Cleveland, Ohio. It is the producing oil sand near Belmont, also in southern Wood County, and a number of other places in this area. A number of wells have been drilled in these counties to sands below the Berea, but no productive sands have thus far been found. OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT IN PLEASANTS COUNTY. The first successful oil well drilled in Pleasants county was on Horseneck creek on the Eureka-Volcano fold on the Jacob Ilendershot farm. It was drilled in 1864, 400 to 500 feet in depth, and is said to have flowed 1,000 barrels a day. The farm of 81 acres was sold in November, 1864 for $100,000 cash to Hartley and others, but the later wells proved fail­ ures at this time. The field was ten miles back from the river and it cost about three dollars a barrel to haul the product to the river. Numerous shallow wells were drilled with the spring pole, but only a small production was obtained In 1884 Squire Boss drilled a well on Robbins run on the Friend Cochran farm, two miles back of Belmont near Cow Run, which produced two barrels daily. In 1885 George W. Boss and Frank Brown drilled the so called “burnt well” back of Eureka on the Russ Hammett farm which produced 40 to 50 barrels daily. In 1886 a good gas well was drilled back of Belmont. In 1888 a well with good oil production was drilled on the Mcjim farm on McElroy creek. At this time Belmont was a town of three houses, and Vaucluse was about the same size. In 1888, Brockunicr and Hart of Wheeling drilled their No. 1 well on the island at Belmont. This well flowed 300 barrels a day for several weeks, and Belmont became a cen­ ter of oil excitement which culminated in 1890-1 and com­ menced slowly to decline in 1892. The place had been known as Parkerville named from a Colonel Parker who owned the farm on which the town was built. After the oil development, the name was changed to Belmont by George Boss and Mr. R. T. Brouse. In 1888, T. N. Barnsdall be­ -----------------------------------------------------Page 108-----------------------------------------------------  88 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN PLEASANTS COUNTY. gan drilling near Eureka and opened that field. In 1891 the New York Petroleum Company and New York Producers Oil Company entered the field, and these two companies composed of the same people now control the output at Bel­ mont. In 1889 or 1890 the Little Gulch Oil Company drilled several good wells in Cooper Hollow just below St. Marys, but the great activity in the St. Marys field was from 1898 to 1904. In 1905 a number of northern operators came into the field and began to buy up the wells for production, one of the largest holders of wells being Dinsmore & Co. The Arvilla field was opened by M. L. Zahneiser, one of the pioneer oil operators of the county, and in 1899 the Na­ tional Oil Company, further developed the field. In 1905 with the drilling of the Schultz well No. 1, giving a daily production of 200 barrels, the Spindle Top field was opened five miles east of St. Marys. The Schultz farm on one side of the county road, and Hauldron farm on the other side, became active centers of drilling, and the wells were placed close together forming a forest of derricks on this ridge. The oil development in the county spread north to Bens Run where Zahneiser drilled successful wells on the Bell and Doty farms. The drilling then extended down Middle Island creek, then along French creek, and east to Federal and Hebron, and over the county line into Tyler and Ritchie counties. At the present time drilling operations are scattered over the county, but the new production is small. During the season of 1908 a number of good wells were drilled near St. Marys, Raven Rock, and on French creek. Near the Ohio river and for some distance to the south and east many wells have been drilled below' the Cow Run sand to the Keener and Big Injun; near Belmont and Eureka, the wells reach the Berea, but in the interior of the county most all of the production comes from the Cow Run sands. The pro­ ducing sands in Pleasants county are: First and Second Cow Run, Dunkard, Salt Sand, Maxton, Keener, Big In­ jun, and Berea. -----------------------------------------------------Page 109-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 89 WELL RECORDS IN PLEASANTS COUNTY. Most of the wells in Pleasants county to the east of the Belmont fold are drilled to the Cow Run sands named from the early development to the northwest along Cow Run in Ohio. The following record of a well drilled at this locality shows the relation of the Cow Run sands to the Pittsburg coal horizon and to the other deeper sands. This record is given by J. A. Bownocker in Bulletin No. i of the Ohio Geological Survey and was quoted by Dr. I. C. White in Volume I (a) of the West Virginia Geological Survey (p. 270): Centennial Well, No. 6. Cow Run. Thickness of Total Stratum. Depth. Feet. Feet. Conductor .................................... .. Pittsburg (Pomeroy) Coal Calcareous shale .......................... Lime ............................................. Red soapstone .............................. Red shale ..................................... White shale .................................... Lime ............................................... Mixed shale .................................... Shale and water .............................. Red shale ........................................ Sand ............................................... White shale .................................... Red shale ........................................ White shale .................................... Sand .............................................. Red roclc .................... ................... Sand ................................................ White slate ...................................... Sand ................................................ Sand ................................................ Coal, smut rock .............................. White Slate ..................................... Lime ............................................... Gray shale ....................................... Lime ............................................... Fire clay .......................................... Lime ................................................ First Cow Run Sand ....................... Red rock ......................................... White shale ..................................... . 11 to 11 . l to 12 to 21 . in to 31 . 5 to 36 . 8 to 44 . 42 to 86 . 1 n to 96 to 101 . 19 to 120 . 10 to 1 30 . 5 to 135 . 20 to 155 22 to 1.77 to 200 . 3 to 203 32 to 235 . 11 to 24 6 . 40 to 286 . 4 to 290 . 4 to 294 . 1 to 295 . 4 to 299 . 8 to 307 . 2 to 309 ) 9 to 314 . 4 to 318 . 7 t,o 325 . 47 to 372 . 23 to 395 . 46 to 441 -----------------------------------------------------Page 110-----------------------------------------------------  90 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN PLEASANTS COUNTY. Feet. Feet. Dark shale .................................................................................................. 50 to 491 Sand ........................................................................................................... 10 to 501 White shale ................................................................................................ 14 to 515 Pale red shale, very hard ........................................................................... 04 to 579 Lime .............................................................................................................. 5 to 584 Sand ............................................................................................................ 10 to 594 Black shale ................................................................................................. 10 to 010 White shale .................................................................................. ,.... 80 to 040 Sand ............................................................................................................ 10 to 050 Coal .............................................................................................................. 1 to 051 Sand ........................................................................................................... 39 to 090 Dark shale .................................................................................................... 5 to 09 5 Sand, gas ...................................................................................................... 7 to 702 White shale ................................................................................................ 11 to 713 Coal, smut rock ............................................................................................ 1 to 714 Fire clay ..................................................................................................... 20 to 734 Sand .............................................................................................................. 2 to 730 Sandy shale .................................................................................................. 0 to 742 Black shale ................................................................................................... 4 to 740 Slate, black ............................................................................................... 30 to 770 Second Cow Run sand .............................................................................. 04 to 840 Black slate ................................................................................................... 3 to 843 Black slate ................................................................................................. 97 to 940 Sand ........................................................................................................... 83 to 1023 Dark shale .................................................................................................. 57 to 1080 Sand ........................................................................................................... 12 to 1092 Black shale ................................................................................................. 53 to 1145 Salt Sand (no water) .................................................................................... 9 to 1154 Light shale ................................................................................................... 0 to 1100 Black shale ................................................................................................. 23 to 1183 Rig Injun Sund ............................................................................................. 2 to 1185 Dark shale .................................................................................................. 39 to 1224 Sand ............................................................................................................. 2 to 1220 Dark shale .................................................................................................... 7 to 1233 Sand ............................................................................................................. 7 to 1240 Sandy shale, hard. ..................................................................................... 22 to 1202 Dark shale, hard ......................................................................................... 03 to 1325 Dark shale, softer ...................................................................................... 20 to 1345 Dark shale .................................................................................................. 20 to13G5 Dark shale, hard ................................................................................. 10 to 1375 Dr. I. C. White in the volume quoted above adds the following explanation of the well log: “This record shows that the true First Cow Run sand comes 313 feet below the Pittsburg coal, and its bottom extends to 360 feet below that well-known horizon, thus making it the equivalent of the Saltsburg sandstone of the Conemaugh series, entirely above the Mahoning sandstones; with which it has so frequently been confused, since the Dunkard sand, which is so fre­ quently termed “Cow Run” by the drillers in West Vir­ -----------------------------------------------------Page 111-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. ( J1 ginia, is a member of the Mahoning series, and its top under­ lies the Pittsburg coal about 425 feet at the original locality, on Dunkard creek, Greene county, Pa., its thickness being 50 to 60 feet. The Second,Cow Run sand lies 406 feet below the First Cow Run, and is therefore either the Lower Freeport sandstone, or else the top member (Homewood) of the Potts- vile formation. UNION DISTRICT. The northern portion of Pleasants county is included in Union district, the southern boundary of which is marked by Middle Island and Sugar creeks. The following well records are given by Dr. White in Volume I (a) (pp. 272- 274), the wells being located mostly in the northern portion of the district. Luther Brown Well, No. 1. Two miles east of south from Bens run, Union district. Authority, South Penn Oil Company. Feet. Feet. Salt Sand ................................................................................................ 1220 to 1310 131 g Lime ............................................................................................. 1700 to17GG Keener Sand ........................................................................................... 1766 to 1701 Slate ....................................................................................................... 1791 to 1811 Big Injun Sand, hard (oil, 1812-1G') .................................................... 1811 to 1905 Squaw Sancl .......................................................................................... 1912 to 1935 Total depth ........................................................................................... 1940 “Three-barrel well.” Mercer-Pool Well, No. 1. Near Lytton postoffice, Union district. Authority, South Penn Oil Company. Feet. Feet. Cow Run Sand (coal, 790') ............................................................... 784 to 794 Salt Sand ............................................................................................ 1080 to 1190 Maxton Sand ...................................................................................... 1498 t.o 1516 Big Lime ............................................................................................ 1575 to 1635 Keener Sand (gas, 1 640') ................................................................. 1635 to 1670 Big Tnjun Sand, very hard and broken ............................................. 1 690 to 1770 -----------------------------------------------------Page 112-----------------------------------------------------  92 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL OAS IN PLEASANTS COUNTY. Sarah Arn Well, No. 3. Near Lytton postoffice at level U. S. 1030 A. T., and owned by South Penn Oil Co. Feet. Feet. Cow Run Sand ............................................................................ 950 to 9G5 Salt Sand ................................................................................................ 1210 to 1300 Maxton Sand ......................................................................................... 1G70 to 1700 Gas ....................................................................................................... 1G70 Big Lime ................................................................................................ 1710 to 1770 Keener Sand .......................................................................................... 1770 to 1815 Break ..................................................................................................... 1815 to 1838 Big Injun Sand ......................................................................... 1838 to 1990 Oil .......................................................................................................... 1838 to 1848 Total depth ................................................................................................... 199G J. L. Pool Well, No. 2. Union district. Authority, South Penn Oil Company. Feet. Feet. Cow Run Sand .......................................................................... 87G to 905 Salt Sand ................................................................................................ 1180 to 1255 Maxton Sand (oil andgas show, 1624') .......................................... 1588 to 1GG7 Big Lime ............................................................................................... 1G67 to 1678 Keener Sand (gas, 1710') ...................................................................... 1698 to 1755 Big Injun Sand (showoil, 1804') ................................................... 1774 to 1866 Total depth ................................................................................ 1871. M. J. Beagle Well, No. 1. Two miles south of east of Bens Run, Union district. Authority, South Penn Oil Company. Feet. Feet. Salt Sand ................................................................................................ 1150 to 1450 Maxton Sand ......................................................................................... 1G00 to 1635 Show oil ............................................................................................... 1696 Big Lime ................................................................................................ 1715 to 1730 Keener Sand ........................................................................................... 1730 to 1765 Big Injun Sand, little oiland gas at 1779' ....................................... 1779 to 1840 Squaw Sand ........................................................................................... 1840 to 1900 Hubbard (purchase) Well No. 16. Three miles east of Bens run. Authority, Carter Oil Company. Feet. Feet. Cave (bad) .............................................................................................. 685 to 885 Cow Run Sand (oil andgas at 901') .............................................. 895 to 919 "About twenty-barrel well.” -----------------------------------------------------Page 113-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 93 C. B. Barker Well, No. i. On Middle Island creek. Owners, Philadelphia Com­ pany. Authority, Prof. John F. Carll. Feet. Feet. Clay ......................................................................................................... 10 to 10 Sandstone ................................................................................................ 20 to 30 Gravel ...................................................................................................... 20 to 50 Sandstone and lime ............................. ................................................... 30 to SO Red sandstone ......................................................................................... 15 to 95 Lime, white, hard (water) ......................................... ............................. 20 to 115 Red lime .................................................................................................. 10 to 125 Lime white, hard .................................................................................... 5 to 130 Slate, white and soft ............................................................................... 10 to 140 Sandstone, dark and hard .......................................................................... 15 to 155 Slate, white, soft ..................................................................................... 5 to 1G0 Lime, white, soft ..................................................................................... 4 to 104 Coni (Pittsburg) ........................................................................................... 1 to 165 Slate, white and soft ................................................................................... 10 to 175 Red shale .................................................................................................... 10 to 185 Slate, white ................................................................................................ 20 to 20 5 Sandstone, dark, close ................................................................. 40 to 245 Rod shale, soft ......................................................................................... 20 to 205 Lime ........................................................................................................... 10 to 275 Rod shale .................................................................................................... 10 to 2S5 Lime, white ............................................................................................. 5 to 290 Red shale .................................................................................................... 70 to 3GO Slate, white ................................................................................................ 20 to 380 Red shale ................................................................................................... 20 to 400 Lime, white ................................................................................................ 20 to 420 Red cave ..................................................................................................... 45 to 465 Unrecorded ................................................................................................. 25 to 4 90 Lime, white ................................................................................................ 20 to 510 Coal (Halcerstown) ...................................................................................... 5 to 515 Slate, white .............................................................................................. 30 to 545 Lime, white ................................................................................................ 15 to 560 Slate, white, caves .................................................................................. 4 0 toGOO Sandstone, dark, closo (Dunkard) ............................................................. 20 to 620 Sandstone and lime, hard and soft ............................................................ 10 to 630 Slate, dark and soft .................................................................................... 40 to G70 Slate, white ................................................................................................. 30 to 700 Slate, white, soft ........................................................................................ 80 to 780 Sandstone, white, close,(Second Cow Run) ............................................. 70 to 850 Slate, black, soft ........................................................................................ 60 t.o 910 Sandstone, white (Salt Sand) .......................................................... 90 to1000 Slate, black, soft ........................................................................................ 80 to1080 Sandstone, white, (Salt Sand) .......................................................... 45 to1125 Slate, b’ack, soft ........................................................................................ 25 to1150 Sandstone, white ................................... 10') Slate ...................................................... 25'[-Maxton ............................. 65 to 1205 Sandstone, white and soft. . . .20' 1 Slate, black and soft ................................................................................... 65 to1270 Lime, white and hard, (Big Lime) ............................................................. 70 to1340 -----------------------------------------------------Page 114-----------------------------------------------------  94 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN PLEASANTS COUNTY. Feet. Feet. Sandstone, white, (little gas) (Keener) . . . . to 1345 Lime, dark and hard ......................... .................... 10 to 1355 Lime, white ....................................... to 1375 Sandstone, hard and soft. . . .................... 30 to 1405 Slate, white and soft ......................... .................... 16 to 1421 Sandstone, white, Big Injun, (oil and water at 1440') .179 to 1600 Slate and shell, white ....................... ...................... 50 to 1650 Sandstone and slate .......................... .................... 50 to 1700 Slate, white ....................................... ................... 175 to 1S75 Slate, black and soft ......................... .................... 57 to 1932 “The one foot of coal struck at 164 feet appears to be­ long at the horizon of the Pittsburg bed, since it comes 1,175 feet above the top of the Keener Sand, and 1,257 feet above the top of the main body of the Big Injun Sand.” The following very complete record was preserved by Prof. John F. Carll and given by Dr. I. C. White in Volume I (a) (p. 269). The well is located near the north county line on south bank of Bens Run and near Bens Run station of B. & O. railroad. The top of the well is 622 feet above sea level. Dr. White’s comments on this record are given below the log of the well. Jim Wells Well No. 1. (U. S. 622 A. T.) Near Bens Run Station, Union District. Feet. Feet. Water at ................................................................................................. GO Coal (Sewickley) at .............................................................................. 12 0 Cow Run Sand ........................................................................................... 702 to 782 Slate ......................................................................................................... 7S2 to 79 2 Sandstone ................................................................................................. 792 to 800 Slate ......................................................................................................... 800 to 815 Lime ......................................................................................................... 815 to 900 Slate ......................................................................................................... 900 to 995 Sandstone, white ........................................................................................ 995 to 1005 Slate, black (gas) ...................................................................................... 1005 to 1050 Slate, white ............................................................................................... 1050 to 10G8 Slate, black ........................................................................................... 1 008 to 1150 S ate and Sandstone ................................................................................ 11.50 to 1160 Sandstone, clear, oil, black ...................................................................... 1160 to 1186 Slate and shells ...................................................................................... 1186 to 1.243 Sand (Maxton) good, (oil, 1243') ........................................................... 1243 to 1264 Slate ........................................................................................................ 1264 to 1286 Sandstone and lime (Big) ............................................................... 1286 to 1347 Sand, Keener ............................................................................................ 1347 to 1412 “Break” (slate) .......................................................................................... 1412 to 1436 Sandstone, close and hard. .. .14' 1 (?) ................................................... 10' f Big Injun ....................... 1436 to 1525 Sandstone, white .................................. 55' ' Slate, white, to bottom ......................................................................... 1525 to 1605 -----------------------------------------------------Page 115-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 95 “The coal bed noted in this record at 120 feet is most probably a representative of the Sewickley bed, since it comes 1,227 feet above the Keener Sand, 80 feet more than that shown for this interval at Sistersville, 14 miles to the north­ east, hence the horizon of the Pittsburg coal would come at about 200 feet in this well. It is needless to say that the stratum called “Cow Run” Sand by the driller is not either the first or second of these oil horizons since the first Cow Run Sand conies about 300 feet below the Pittsburg coal, while the second Cow Run sand, on Cow run, in Ohio, comes 400 feet lower, or about 700 feet below the Pittsburg coal, and thus makes it most probably in the Lower Freeport sandstone horizon of the Allegheny formation. Near Arvilla postoflice on Middle Island creek a num­ ber of wells were drilled to the Cow Run sand, and a few of the records are added to show the relation of this sand to sea level at this place. Morgan Lot No. 1 (U. S. 625 A . T). Feet. Casing 10 inch ......................................................................... 00 Casing 814 inch .................................................................... 235 Casing CVi inch .................................................................... 504 Top of First, Cow Run sand ................................................... 580 Bottom of First Cow Run sand .................................................... 615 This well is located on east bank of the creek near the old mill to south of the iron bridge at Arvilla while the next well is located at the east end of the bridge, and the Five Acres well is just north of west end of the bridge. Copenhaver No. 6. (U. S. 634 A. T). Feet. Casing 814 inch ................................................................... 42 Casing 614 inch .................................................................. 205 Casing 4 % inch .................................................................. 572 Top First, Cow Run sand ............................................................. 587 Bottom First Cow Run sand ........................................................ 614 Five Acres Tract (U. S. 625 A. T.) Feet. Casing 814 inch .................................................................. 4 0 Casing 614 inch .................................................................. 215 Casing 4% inch ................................................................... 557 Top First Cow Run sand .............................................................. 575 Bottom First Cow Run sand ........................................................ 59 8 -----------------------------------------------------Page 116-----------------------------------------------------  9G PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN PLEASANTS COUNTY. These records show the sand is dipping to the south five feet in little less than one-fourth mile. The lower level sand well (MJorgan) had the largest initial production, about 40 barrels a day. No coal was reported in these wells. Near the Sugar Valley store on Middle Island creek the following well records were obtained from Mr. S. P. Carll, formerly of the Associated Producers Oil Company: Smith Heirs No. 11. Thickness. Feet. Casing 10 inch ................................................................ . . . . 60 Casing 8*4 inch .......................................................................... 163 Casing 6Vi inch ......................................................................... 1000 Sa:t sand ...................................................................................... 879 Sand and sheila to ...................................................................... 1455 Keener sand ................................................................................ 1455 Feet. 42 10 Big Injun sand ........................................................................... 1470 Depth of hole ............................................................................. 1561 This well was drilled on north bank of Middle Island creek to West of the store and proved dry. The number 12 well was drilled about 500 feet to the south of the creek at the side of the county road leading south. It was drilled in July 1901 and produced about one barrel a day after shooting in 30 foot interval from 1508 to 1538 feet. Smith Heirs No. 12 (U. S. 656 A. T.) Thickness. Feet. Feet. Casing 8% inch .................................. ........................... 200 Casing 6*4 i n °-h .................................... .......................... 1028 Big Lime ............................................... 72 Keener sand ........................................... 20 Big Injun sand ...................................... ........................... 150 8 Bottom of hole ..................................... ........................... 1620 In the No. 17 well about 100 feet south of No. 12. the Big Lime was 50 feet thick. The Keener sand was 10 feet and struck at 1543 feet. This well also showed 60 feet of Salt Sand at 1140 feet. The Cow Run sand was struck in a num­ ber of wells in this area at 585 to 615 feet. Up Sugar Creek on the Mahlon Williamson farm, a well was drilled by this same company through the Big Injun -----------------------------------------------------Page 117-----------------------------------------------------  Plate VII.—Sandstone Rock Floor in Coffer Dam at Ohio River Dam No. 18. Under 80 feet of gravel cover.) -----------------------------------------------------Page 118-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 97 sand which was very thick and hard with several slate breaks in it, and proved dry. A little gas was found at 1555 feet. • Mahlon Williamson No. 1. Thickness. Feet. Feet. Casing 8 Vi inch ..................................................... 900 Cow Run sand ....................................................................... . . 978 4 70 Big Lime ............................................................................... ..1770 55 Keener sand .......................................................................... ..1825 10 Big Injun sand ...................................................................... ..1841 172 Bottom of hole ...................................................................... ..2037 These records show an interval between the Salt Sand and the Keener of 458 and 576 feet, and a break of 15 and 16 feet between Keener and Big Injun. The interval in the Williamson well between Cow Run and Keener sands is 847 feet. In the western portion of Union district north of Raven Rock, Mr. Dunham of the Toledo Oil and Gas Company gives the following average log of their wells drilled on the first river terrace: Feet. Cow Run sand ............................................................................. 500 Salt sand ............................................................................. .. .. 950 Maxton sand .............................................................................. 1175 Keener sand ................................................................................ 1275 Big Injun sand ............................................................................ 1310 Further south near the head of Middle Island, several wells are producing oil from the Squaw sand. The number 5 well of the Wild Cat Oil Co., on the Bills farm is at level 610 feet A. T., and reaches the top of Squaw sand at 1440 feet, and the bottom at 1465 feet, with gas and black oil at 1444 feet. On the Bills farm at the north end of railroad bridge at St. Marys, the Squaw sand well was drilled and showed the following record: Bills Well. (U. S. 611 feet A. T.) Feet. Salt sand, top ............................................................................... 889 Salt sand, bottom ......................................................................... 908 Keener sand ................................................................................ 1203 Squaw sand ............................................................. 1432 to 1400 7 -----------------------------------------------------Page 119-----------------------------------------------------  98 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN PLEASANTS COUNTY. The Squaw sand is here 169 feet below the Keener and shows a slight rise to the south in these two wells and is 25 to 28 feet thick. In the southeastern portion of Union district west of Twiggs and near the mouth of Wolf run, Sellers and Dins- moor drilled a well on the Smiley Wagner farm at about level 700 feet A. T., which reached the Cow Run sand at 675 feet. This sand was 23 feet thick with the oil pay sand 678 to 686 feet. LAFAYETTE DISTRICT. Dr. I. C. White in Volume I (a) (p. 276) gives a record of the A. W. Gorrell well in the Hebron district, on authority of the South Penn Oil Co. A. W. Gorrell No. 2. TTpot Tl’ppt Salt sand .................................................................. 11GG to 1200 Maxton Sand ......................................................... 1G73 to 1703 Big Lime .................................................................. 1721 to 1762 Keener Sand ......................................................... 1792 to 1810 “Break” (slate) ...................................................... 1810 to 1816 Big Injun Sand ..................................................... 1816 to 1905 Berea (shells) ........................................................ 2273 to 2288 Red rock ................................................................... 2434 to 2446 Gordon Sand (shel's) ............................................ 2553 to 2568 Fifth Sand ................................................................ 2656 to 2668 Total depth ............................................................ 2750 Dr. White in this volume comments on the record as fol­ lows : “This is a very interesting record, since in it are found some traces of the Venango Oil Sand Group, notably the red beds at 2,434 feet which belong just under the “Fifty-foot” Sand; also, the Gordon and Fifth Sands appear to be indicated by “Shells,” or hard, fine, sandy beds, at 2,553 ancl 2*656 re­ spectively. If we put the interval of the Pittsburg coal above the Keener Sand at say 1,200 feet, the horizon of that coal would be found at about 600 feet in the above record, or 1.- 673 feet above the “Berea” Sand, 1,834 feet above the red beds, 1,953 feet above the Gordon Sand, and 2,056 feet above the Fifth Sand, all of which measurements agree with the westward thinning of the beds.” North of Hebron on the ridge is located the Shingleton -----------------------------------------------------Page 120-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 99 well of Bettman and Watson company. The following record from Volume I (a) (p. 275) shows the depth of sands in this area: Shingleton Well No. 11. Feet. Feet. Top of cave ...................................................... Cow Run Sand ................................................. Salt Sand ........................................................... Big Lime, top ................................................... Break (Slate) .................................................... Keener sand ...................................................... Hard, fine, dark sand (salt water at 1970') .................................................... Big Injun Sand, top .......................................... Show of oi] and gas ......................................... Salt water ......................................................... Slate .................................................................. 900 1080 to 1090 1300 to 1500 1870 to 1946 1946 to 1950 1950 1965 1998 to 2025 2002 2007 .2007 to 2012 Just north of Hebron are the Morgan and Defibaugh wells of American Oil Development Co., with the following records: T. W. Morgan Well No. 18 (U. S. 1040 A. T.) Feet. First Cow Run sand .............................................. 1031 to 1056 Salt sand ................................................................ 1325 to 1385 Maxton sand (gas at 1850 ft.) .............................. 1822 to 1860 Total depth ............................................................ 1871 B. W. Defibaugh Well No. 1 (U. S. 856 A. T.) Feet. Cow Run sand ........................................................... 880 to 896 Oil and gas at ............................................................. 880 Total depth ................................................................. 90 6 A large number of wells have been drilled to the Cow Run sand near Federal by the Log Cabin Oil Co., of Mead- ville, Pa., and other companies, with fair production. Sugar creek valley is dotted with producing oil wells, and has proved for some years desirable oil territory. McKIM DISTRICT. I11 the northern portion of McKim district along Willow Island and McKim creeks and Shawnee run there have been drilled numerous wells mostly to the Cow Run sand which are -----------------------------------------------------Page 121-----------------------------------------------------  100 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN PLEASANTS COUNTY. still productive. A small field was developed in the western portion of the district on the Left Fork of French creek just east of Calcutta. The following records of wells at the last place show the depth of the Cow Run sand, and were fur­ nished by Mr. Mat. Iierron, field manager of the oil company. Sol Pethtl No. 36 (U. S. 701 A. T.) Feet. Top of shale ................................................................................. 506 Top of lime .................................................................................. 527 Top of First Cow Run sand ............................................... 550 Bottom of First Cow Run sand ................................................. 561 Five barrel well. Pethtl No. 31 (U. S. 684 A. T.) Feet. Top of shale ............................................................... 509 Top of lime ................................................................ 522 First Cow Run sand .................................................. 549 to 564 Threo barrel well. Sol Bills No. 27 (U. S. 720 A. T.) Feet. Top of shale ............................................................... 538 Top of lime ................................................................ 553 First Cow Run sand .................................................. 580 to 602 The lime reported in these records is given as 25 to 30 feet in thickness and is often replaced in part by a pink or red mud. The shale is probably the Pittsburg Red Shale which belongs above the First Cow Run sand, and the so called lime represents harder • portions of this shale more or less cal­ careous. In the northeastern portion of McKim district on the road from Union Mills to Crooked run, on the high ridge is the Spindle Top oil field in Cow Run sand, where the derricks form a forest. The top of the First Cow Run sand was struck at 1013 feet and the bottom at 1044 feet in the Holdren No. 9. The following records of wells on the Powell farm near the line between McKim and Lafayette districts were furnished by Mr. Frank Lawrence of St. Marys, and Ellsworth and Davis of the same place. The wells were drilled near close of 1906 and spring of 1907. -----------------------------------------------------Page 122-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 101 Jonathan Powell No. i (U. S. 1050 A. T.) Feet. Top First Cow Run sand ........................................................... 974 Best oil at ................................................................................... 9 80 Bottom of sand .......................................................................... 990 Bottom of hole ........................................................................... 997 Jonathan Powell No. 2 (U. S. 1030 A. T.) Feet. Top First Cow Run sand ........................................................... 943 Show of oil ................................................................................ 9 59 Bottom of sand .......................................................................... 977 Bottom of hole ........................................................................... 9 87 Powell No. 5. Feet. Top First Cow Run sand ....................................... 1052 Oil ......................................................................... 1054 to 1070 Bottom of sand ..................................................... 1071 Powell No. 6 (U. S. 1100 A. T.) Feet. Top of First Cow Run sand .................................. 1020 Oil ......................................................................... 1040 to 1054 Bottom of sand ...................................................... 1057 WASHINGTON DISTRICT. This district borders the Ohio river and includes the town of St. Marys. Oil wells have been drilled in all portions of its area, opening a number of very productive pools. Middle Island just north of St. Marys and the river ter­ race opposite are dotted with Cow Run and a few Keener wells whose production has held up for a number of years. In May, 1908, Sweeney Brothers drilled a well to the Keener sand which showed the following log: Sweeney Middle Island Well (U. S. 615 A. T.) Thickness. Feet. Feet. Sand and gravel ........................ Black slate ................................. Top First Cow Run sand Stray sand ................................. Salt sand .................................... Maxton sand ............................... .410 27 . 523 10 . 887 26 .1121 27 Keener sand ............................... Casing 10 inch .......................... Casing 8 inch ............................ Casing G-% inch ...................... .1262 . 59 . 160 . 622 28 -----------------------------------------------------Page 123-----------------------------------------------------  102 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN PLEASANTS COUNTY. On Broad run to the east of St. Marys, the South Penn Oil Co. has drilled a number of wells to the Cow Run sand. There has been some doubt as to proper identification of this sand whether Cow Run or Dunkard, but the top of the sand is 500 feet below the base of the Waynesburg sandstone which would place it at the First Cow Run horizon. The first well was drilled in. this field about one mile above the mouth of the run, May 25. 1895. The level of the top of the well is 699 feet above sea, and the top of the sand was struck at 548 feet and the bottom at 563 feet. Farther down stream the three inch coal under a heavy sandstone is seen 45 feet lower. One-half mile up the stream from this well at a level of 736 feet above sea, the sand was struck at 593 feet and was 45 feet thick. The top of the sand is here 8 feet lower, showing a dip to the southeast of about 16 feet to the mile. These wells are now small producers averaging 1-2 to 3-4 barrels daily. In and close to the corporate limits of the town of St. Marys many wells have been drilled mostly to the First Cow Run sand. At the northeast edge of town are the C. W. Bills farm wells' of Dinsmoor & Co., which are producing oil from the Keener sand, the first completed in September, 1903. C. W. Bills No. 1 (U. S. 742 A. T.) Feet. Top of Keener sand .................................................................. 1350 Bottom of Keener sand ............................................................. 1370 Casing 6% inch ........................................................................... 820 The Bills No. 2 higher on the hill reached the Keener sand at 1502 feet, and on top the hill the Bills No. 3 struck the sand at 1539 feet, while over the hill the No. 4 well reach­ ed the sand at 1497 feet which was 30 feet thick. Below the No. 1 well, 82 feet, the Uniontown coal was formerly worked, giving an interval between the coal and Keener sand, of 1268 feet, and 1358 feet to the Waynesburg coal and sandstone east of town. Back of the court house at St. Marys is the Bartwell farm well owned by Dinsmoor and Co., and pumping from the Salt Sand at 805 feet, the well being plugged just below this sand. -----------------------------------------------------Page 124-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 103 Bartwell Well (U. S. 645 A. T.) Feet. Top of First Cow Run sand ....................................................... 49 G Bottom of First Cow Run sand ................................................. 500 Maclcsburg or Salt sand, some gas .......................................... 795 Salt sand ............................................................... 805 to 881 Big Injun sand, oil .................................................. 1444 to lb49 The Salt Sand is regarded by the company as equivalent to the Maclcsburg 500 foot sand of the Ohio fields, and the first streak of Salt Sand as the Maclcsburg. On the ridge road three-fourths mile south of town, the depth of the oil sands are shown by the following records of wells of the Dinsmoor Company on the Smith farm: J. F. Smith Well No. 4 (U. S. 1128 A. T.) Feet. Feet. Top of shale .................................................................................. 900 18 Top of limestone .......................................................................... 9C0 G Top of First Cow Run sand, gas ................................................. 970 First oil, small quantity ............................................................... 984 Bottom Cow Run sand ................................................................ 995 Bottom of ho'e ........................................................................... 1019 Casing 8 J /i inch .......................................................................... 24G Casing 6 1 /, inch ........................................................................... 963 J. F. Smith Well No. 7 (U. S. 1031 A. T.) Feet. Top of Big Injun sand, first gas ................................................ 1620 First oil, some gas ...................................................................... 1673 Hard shell ................................................................................... 1687 Casing 8V1 inch ......................................................................... 210 Casing 5-% inch ........................................................................ 1142 This well produced 50 barrels in the first twenty-four hours and after shooting, 100 barrels. Salt water was struck at 1480 and 1525 feet. Blocks of coal were found with the sand. J. F. Smith Well No. 6 (U. S. 1076 A. T.) Feet. Top First Cow Run sand, dry ................................................. 940 Top Keener sand ..................................................................... 1580 Pay sand ................................................................ 1732 to 1742 Bottom of hole ........................................................................ 174 8 Casing 5-% .............................................................................. 114 2 -----------------------------------------------------Page 125-----------------------------------------------------  Iff 104 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN PLEASANTS COUNTY. From top of Keener to bottom of the well there appeared to be no break in the sand in this well. About one mile due east of this group of wells on the Smith farm, the following record -is given by Dinsmoor and Co., of a well drilled September 21, 1896.: J. Smith Well No. 4 (U. S. 1107 A. T.) Feet. Top of black shale ....................................................................... 880 Bottom of black shale ................................................................. 914 Top of lime .................................................................................. 914 Top First Cow Run sand ............................................................. 935 First gas at ................................................................................... 945 Gas, not strong flow, to .............................................................. 950 First oil at .................................................................................... 955 Oil increased flow to .................................................................. 9G5 Bottom Cow Run sand ............................................................... 9G0 Total depth ................................................................................... 977 Casing, 6% inch .......................................................................... 937 Mr. R. Bolard of St. Marys has furnished the following records of wells drilled in 1903 and 1904 near Tanyard hollow just south of St. Marys. The number 1 Riggs is located near the head of the run. No. 5, Z. T. Riggs, is located in the bed of the run, one-fourth mile back of the river with its top six feet above the coal in this run (U. S. 642 A. T.). The num­ bers 3 and 5, E. T. Riggs, are located on the hill above the run and to the north. Riggs Well No. 1 (U. S. 810 A. T.) Feet. Conductor ...................................................................................... 16 Casing 8Vi inch .......................................................................... 160 Top First Cow Run sand .......................................................... GOO Bottom First Cow Run sand ...................................................... G20 Casing 614 inch .......................................................................... 812 Top Second Cow Run sand ........................................................ 820 Gas at .......................................................................................... 880 Bottom Second Cow Run sand .................................................. 935 Gas at ......................................................................................... 1280 Gas and black oil at .................................................................. 1320 Top Keener sand ....................................................................... 1450 Oil at .......................................................................................... 1460 Bottom Keener sand ................................................................. 1485 Top Big Injun sand ................................................................... 1495 First-oil at ................................................................................. 1496 Bottom of pay sand ................................................................... 1508 Second pay sand .................................................. 1518 to 1530 Bottom of hole in sand ............................................................. 1543 -----------------------------------------------------Page 126-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 105 The Z. T. Riggs well in the bed of quarry run was drilled by the Log Cabin Oil Co., in November 1904. It was shot at 1318 to 1334 feet with 80 quarts and produced two barrels. It was tubed with two inch pipe, but was later pulled and abandoned. Z. T. Riggs Well No. 5 (U. S. 636 A. T.) Feet. Casing 6 % inch .......................................................................... 757 Top Maxton sand ....................................................................... 1329 Oil at ........................................................................................... 1333 Bottom Maxton sand ................................................................. 1350 Top Keener sand ........................................................................ 1392 Bottom Keener sand .................................................................. 1409 E. T. Riggs, No. 3 (U. S. 768 A. T.) Feet. Conductor ...................................................................................... 10 Casing 6% inch ........................................................................... 795 Top oL’ Maxton sand, oil .............................................. 1322 Top of Keener sand ................................................................... 1435 Oil at ......................................................................................... 1460 Bottom Keener sand ....................................................... 1485 Top Big Injun sand ................................................................... 1495 Oil and salt water ..................................................................... 1500 Bottom of hole, still in sand ........................................... 1509 E. T. Riggs Well No. 5 (U. S. 773 A. T.) Feet. Conductor ...................................................................................... 15 Casing 8V1 inch ......................................................... ■>.... 170 First Cow Run sand .............................................. GOO to 004 Casing <5*4 inch ............................................................. 830 Gas at ................................................................................ 830 Gas at .......................................................................................... 870 Maxton sand ......................................................... 1310 to 1340 Top of Keener sand ................................................................... 1440 Oil at .......................................................................................... 1442 Bottom of Keener sand ............................................................. 1454 Bottom of hole .......................................................................... 1477 On the hill just west of the next ravine to the west known as Cooper or Rocky Hollow, Dinsmoor & Co., own a Cow Run well which produced 100 barrels the first twenty-four hours and is now producing 5 to 6 barrels daily. The depth of the sand is shown in the following record: -----------------------------------------------------Page 127-----------------------------------------------------  106 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN PLEASANTS COUNTY. Rodney Reynolds Well No. 2 (U. S. 735 A. T.) Feet. Casing G 1 /* inch ......................................................................... 540 Top First Cow Run sand ............................................................. 546 Gas at .......................................................................................... 548 First oil ...................................................................... 650 to 5G5 Bottom of sand ............................................................................ 575 Total depth .................................................................................. 576 At the mouth of Cooper Hollow on the river bank Swee­ ney Brothers drilled a Berea well which proved dry. The driller, Mr. Charles Newell, has furnished the following rec­ ord of this well drilled in June 1908: Cooper Well No. 1 (U. S. 613 A. T.) Feet. Top First Salt sand ...................................................................... 620 Bottom First Salt, sand ............................................................... 770 Second Salt sand ..................................................... 970 to 1035 Maxton sand ............................................................ 1065 to 1165 Keener sand, show of oil ........................................ 1185 to 1201 Top of Big Injun sand ............................................................. 1205 Break in sand .......................................................... 1360 to 1370 Bottom of Big Injun sand ....................................................... 1420 Berea grit, shells ........................................................................ 1765 Bottom of hole in black slate .................................................. 1822 Some oil in Injun sand at 1306. On the hill a short distance to the southwest of Cooper Hollow, Chas. Newell drilled a dry hole in the Big Injun sand in July 1908. 'The top of the sand was very hard, but 30 feet of bottom was a fine white sand but without oil: Reynolds No t 20 (U. S. 782 A. T.) Feet. Top of Salt sand .......................................................................... 810 Bottom of Salt sand .................................................................... 925 Oil at ..................................................................... 1200 to 1205 Top of Maxton sand .................................................................. 1260 Show of oil ............................... .. ............................................ 134 5 Bottom Maxton sand ................................................................ 1370 Keener sand ............................................................ 1405 to 1415 Big Injun sand ...................................................... 1415 to 1545 Black slate. One half mile west of the last well on the school house lpt is the Sweeney Brothers and Smith well with its top at -----------------------------------------------------Page 128-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 107 level U. S. 701 feet A. T., and the coal to the north on river bank formerly mined on small scale is at level 667 feet. Sweeney School House Lot Well (U. S. 701 A. T.) Feet. First Cow Run sand ..................... .............................. 490 to 495 Salt sand, show oil and gas ........................................ 090 to 840 Gas sand .................................................................... 9G0 to 985 Maxton sand, show gas ............................................ 1188 to 1310 Keener sand, show oil ............................................. 1312 to 1325 Bottom of hole ...................................................... 1327 In the West Virginia and Ohio Oil Co., well across the road and at level U. S. 715 oil is obtained from Salt Sand at a depth of 1130 feet, and top of Keener was struck at 1330 feet. In the flowing well of this company to the north of the latter and at level U. S. 756, the top of Cow Run sand is found at a depth of 563 feet and the top of Keener at 1365 feet. In the well north of flowing well and across the road at level U. S. 755, 10 feet of Maxton sand was found at a depth of 1247 feet and the top of Injun sand at 1392 feet. Gas for drilling these wells is supplied from a well east of last where gas was found at 998 feet in what is termed the Second Streak Salt sand. On the river bank at the mouth of Greens run the oil comes from a sand 300 to 309 feet in depth and 100 feet above First Cow Run, and locally called Horseneck sand. One half mile south at the Hiner No. 1 well at level U. S. 741 feet, the top of Cow Run sand is struck at 546 feet and bottom at 590 feet with oil at 556 feet. The following records as given by the driller, Mr. Raschman, show the relation of the sands north of this area in Ohio, two miles north of New­ port. These wells were drilled in the spring of 1908. John Upphole No. 1. Feet. First streak Salt sand ........................... ................. 1100 to 1175 Second streak Salt sand ........................................ 1200 to 1.310 Big Lime ............................................................... 1505 to 1041 Top Keener sand ....................................................................... 1041 Oil pay at ................................................................................... 1655 Bottom Keener sand ................................................................. 1005 Bottom of hole .......................................................................... 1069 -----------------------------------------------------Page 129-----------------------------------------------------  108 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN PLEASANTS COUNTY. E. W. Thomas No. 2. Feet. First Streak Salt sand ............................................ 920 to 980 Second streak Salt sand ........................................ 1090 to 1150 Big Lime ............................................................... 1401 to 1484 Top Keener sand ....................................................................... 1484 Oil pay at ................................................................................... 1504 Bottom of Keener sand ............................................................. 1514 Top of Big Injun ....................................................................... 1519 Three-fourths mile north of Calcutta are the Barrett wells of Dinsmoor & Co., with production from Cow Run sand. Barrett Well No. 2. Feet. Casing 8Vi inch ......................................................................... 460 Casing 6% inch ............................................................................ 883% Top First Cow Run sand ................................................ 883 First oil at .................................................................................. 896 Good flow oil ............................................................ 901 to 906 Bottom Cow Run sand .............................................................. 918 Barrett Well No. 3 (U. S. 1031 A. T.) Feet. Casing 8 Vi inch ......................................................................... 400 Casing 6 i n c h ......................................................................... 851 First Cow Run sand ................................................... 863 to 901 Bottom of hole ........................................................................... 90 5 In the summer of 1908 a very productive oil pool was opened about two miles southwest of St. Marys near French creek on the Shippeau and Cook farms. Out of nine wells drilled by the Everson Oil Co., eight were good producers. The following record of the 300 barrel well on the Cook farm has been furnished by Mr. M. W. Everson, president of the company: E. H. Cooke Well No. 21. Feet. Cow Run sand ......................................................................... 541 Salt sand, show of oil ............................................................. 925 Top Big Injun sand, oil and gas .............................................. 1271 -----------------------------------------------------Page 130-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 109 On the Shippeau farm, the 200 barrel well of this company was drilled in the summer of 1908 and struck Cow Run sand at 434 feet, and the pay in Big Injun at 1260 or 40 feet below the top of the Injun. This was the most important recent development in the county and four drills were soon at work, but the wells drilled late in the fall of 1908 showed much smaller production. GRANT DISTRICT. Grant district borders the Ohio river in the western por­ tion of the county and includes the towns of Belmont, Eureka, and Waverly. The eastern side of the district is traversed by the Belmont-Volcano fold which brings the Berea sand nearer the surface. The wells in the Berea pools at Belmont were drilled in 1890. The following records show the depth of the Berea sand on the eastern side of the fold in the wells of the New York Petroleum Co. Ruttencutter Wells. No. t No. 3 No. 4 Near R. R. Bridge Top of Berea sand ............................ 1395 1419 1412 1338 1347 1363 Bottom Berea sand ........................... 1407 1422 1422 1363 1364 1380 Depth of well .................................... 1416 1447 1447 1392 1396 1395 These wells are along the first terrace so not very much difference in elevation. The conductor through the clay and gravel to scllid rock averages about 70 feet. To the east of the railroad bridge over French creek is the Jones farm on the nearly level first river terrace and the depth of Berea sand is shown in the following records of the New York Petrole­ um Co., drilled 1890 to 1892: Jones Farm Wells. No. 1 No. 2 No. 4 No. 5 No. 6 No. 7 Top of Berea sand .................... ..1344 1354 1358 1363 1274 1365 Bottom of Berea sand. . . .1364 1383 1378 1383 1388 1381 Depth of well ............................ ..1389 1394 1412 1419 1413 1406 The Smith wells were drilled at the south edge of the town of Belmont by the Brown Oil Co., in 1898. -----------------------------------------------------Page 131-----------------------------------------------------  1 110 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN PLEASANTS COUNTY. Smith Well No. 3. Feet. Conductor 8 inch ................................................................. 34 Horse neck sand,show of oil ........................................................ 110 Oil at ............................................................................................. 222 First Cow Run sand ................................................... 404 to 452 Oil flow at ..................................................................................... 491 Just northeast of the town of Belmont, across French creek, is the Hendrix No. 6 well drilled in September 1905. Hendrix Well No. 6. Feet. Casing 8 inch ................................................................................ 50 Water flow at ................................................................................. 80 Sand, Cow Run ....................................................... 350 to 456 Black oil at. ................................................................................. 890 Water at ........................................................................................ 915 Big Injun sand, little gas .......................................... 970 to 1130 Casing 5-% inch ....................................................................... 1154 Squaw sand, show of oil ........................................................... 1196 Berea sand ............................................................... 1578 to 1586 Bottom of hole ........................................................................... 1610 On the island at Belmont known as Brothers Island also French Creek island, there have been 12 or more wells drilled to the Berea sand. This island separated from mainland only during high water comprises 17 acres and was first drilled by W. C. Brockunier and Hart of Wheeling, but the wells are now owned by the New York Petroleum Co. The record of the first well as taken by Mr. Brockunier is given as fol­ lows by Dr. I. C. White (Vol. I (a), p. 280): Brockunier Well No. 1. Feet. Feet. Drive pipe (through clay and gravel) ......................................... 80 to 80 Unrecorded ............................................................................... 120 to 200 Sand, heavy oil, (1st Cow Run) ........................................... Unrecorded ............................................................................... 215 to 415 Sand, oil show with water .......................................................... 25 to 440 Unrecorded ............................................................................... 100 to 540 Second Cow Itun Sand ............................................................... 60 to 600 Unrecorded ................................................................................. 40 to 640 Salt Water Sand ("Salt Sand” and "Rig Injun”)330 to 970 Shales, with 40 feet of black slate at bottom. . 378 to 1348 Berea Grit, oil. -----------------------------------------------------Page 132-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 11L Dr. White also gives in this volume (p. 280) the record of a well on Cook farm on French creek, one mile from the river, which is here reprinted with his comments on the record. Cook Farm Well, Near Belmont. Thickness. Feet. Feet. Unrecorded (cased 7-% inch at305 feet) . . . . 390 to 390 First Cow Run Sand .................................................................... 50 to 440 Dark shales ................................................................................ 1G0 to 60 0 Sand ............................................................................................. 48 to 648 Shales .......................................................................................... 62 to 700 Sand ............................................................................................ 60 to 750 Shale, black ................................................................................. 95 to 845 “Salt Sand” ("Salt sand” proper and “Big Injun,” oil 945 ft., oil and gas 1090 ft., with big pebbles, salt water at 1125 ft ................. 375 to 1220 Slates and shales, oi! show at 1415 ............................ 347 to 1567 Berea Sand .................................................................................... 4 to 1571 Unrecorded to bottom ................................................................. 31 to 1602 “The Berea Sand varied from o to 35 feet in thickness in this region, and some of the wells flowed 20 to 30 barrels an hour. The field was of limited area, owing to the rapid dip on each side of the great arch, and the available territory was soon drilled over. “The sand at 390 feet is called the First Cow Run by the drillers, and is the same as that struck at 200 feet in the Broth­ ers Island well, while that at 700 feet is supposed to be the Second Cow Run Sand.” The following records of wells on Brothers Island at Belmont all with nearly the same surface elevation were fur­ nished by New York Petroleum Co. Brothers Island Wells. No. 2 No. 3 No. 4 No. 5 No. 6 No. 7 ■Top Berea sand .................. . . . .1357 1381 1352 1392 1381 1375 Bottom Berea sand. . . ___ 1380 1402 1378 1415 1391 1403 Depth of well ....................... . . . .1420 1462 1409 1447 1433 1436 No. 8 No. 9 No. 10. No. 11 No. 12 C'b’tt Top Berea sand .................... . . . .1396 1422 1361 1348 1407 1396 Bottom Berea sand . . ____1417 1442 1381 1375 1431 1416 Depth of well ....................... . . . .1455 1479 1431 1405 1471 1446 -----------------------------------------------------Page 133-----------------------------------------------------  112 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN PLEASANTS COUNTY. Up a small ravine one mile west of Belmont are the Cor­ bitt farm wells drilled by Smith Brothers and now owned by Ellsworth and Davis of St. Mlarys who have furnished the following records. The wells were drilled in 1904 and 1905. Corbitt No. 1 (U. S. 704 A. T.) • Feet. Casing 8% inch ........................................................................... 300 Casing 6% inch ......................................................................... 1156 Top Berea sand, oil ................................................................... 1480 Bottom Berea ............................................................................ 1492 Corbitt No. 2 (U. S. 879 A. T.) Feet. Casing 6% inch ......................................................................... 1360 Top Berea sand ........................................................................ 165 j Bottom Berea ............................................................................ 1662 Corbitt No. 3. Feet. Casing 8% inch ........................................................................... 280 Casing 6V4 inch ........................................................................ 1225 Top Berea sand .......................................................................... 1581 Bottom Berea ............................................................................. 1590 One mile south of Harness on the ridge road is the Page Triplett group of wells of Union Oil Co., in the Big Injun. The record of the No. 1 well and also of the Sharp well on the river terrace at Harness are given as follows by Dr. I. C. White in Volume I (a) (p. 278) : P. Triplett Well No. 1 (U. S. 730 A. T.) Feet. Big Injun sand ......................................................................... 1461 Show of oil .............................................................................. 1480 Water .......................................................................................... 1481 Casing 8y 4 inch. ........ ............................................................. 788 Casing 6 Y 1 inch ..................................................................... 1326 Sharp Well, No. 1 (Near U. S. 600 A. T.) Thickness. Feet. Feet. Unrecorded ................................................................................................... 0 to 618 Cow Run Sand ..................................................................................... 12 to 630' Unrecorded .............................................................................................. 510 to 1140 Salt Sand (water 1180-1220') ................................................................. 100 to 1240 Slate ........................................................................................................... 40 to12 80 Sand (Maxton) ........................................................................................... 20 to 1300 Big Lime .................................................................................................... 40 to 1340 Mixed shale, merging into black slate ............................. 4 73 to 1413 Big Injun Sand (Gas 1413', oil1423'and 1428') . . . . 25 to 1438 -----------------------------------------------------Page 134-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 113 At Eureka is located the pumping station of the Eureka Pipe Line Co. This station is equipped with two pumps with a capacity of 1,000 barrels of oil an hour, and was built in 1890. There are seven 30,000 barrel storage tanks, and across the river in Ohio are five 35,000 barrel tanks connected with the Buckeye Pipe lines, with two six-inch lines to Cor­ ning, Ohio. The Eureka station pumps the oil to Braden in Doddridge county, while the next station on the sea board pipe line is at Morgantown. JEFFERSON DISTRICT. In the eastern portion of Jefferson district along Right Fork of French creek a large number of wells have been drilled to the Cow Run sand and to the Maxton which is here locally called the Salt sand. Near the Pleasants store level U. S. 752, the top of Cow Run sand is struck at 635 feet. The wells up Wrights run south of Pleasants, are producing from the Maxton sand. The wells along Henry Camp run are producers in the Cow Run sand. On Cow Run to the east of Schultz are a number of gas wells in the Maxton. The Cornell No. 2 well is 1549 feet deep but plugged at 1481 and the gas comes from 1295 feet. The oil and gas development reaches some distance up Sharps run to south of Schultz. In the western portion of the district is the Horseneck oil field in a series of shallow wells which reach the socalled Horseneck Sand. The sand in these wells across the fold is found at depths of 330, 272, 210, 207, 185 feet, the last on the crest of the fold. This development began in 1868 with great excitement in 1870. The wells averaged when first drilled 6 to 8 barrels daily but are now small. -----------------------------------------------------Page 135-----------------------------------------------------  CHAPTER V PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN WOOD COUNTY. Wells have been drilled in nearly all portions of Wood county but the important development has been north and east of the Little Kanawha. The eastern portion of the county is traversed by the Belmont-Volcano-Burning Springs fold with the great development near Volcano which was opened in the 6o’s. WILLIAMS DISTRICT. This district is the most northern one in the county and borders on the Ohio river. The only town of any size is Williamstown, across from Marietta, Ohio. Just south of this town near the river bluffs several wells have been drilled and are producing oil from the Big Injun sand. The Lei- decker well on the Biddle farm reached the top of Big In­ jun at 1389 feet and is producing about one-fourth barrel a day. The Fisher well higher on the hill struck Big Injun sand at 1405 feet and is producing about two barrels daily. Up Williams creek about two miles south of Williams­ town and near the pike are the Athey wells of South Penn Oil Co. The record of the No. 1 well is given by Dr. I. C. White as follows (Vol. I (a) p. 458). -----------------------------------------------------Page 136-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 115 M. W. Athey Well, No. i. Feet. Feet. White sand ............................................................. Sand ...................................................................... Coal (?) .................................................................. Red rock ................................................................ Cow Run Sand ...................................................... Salt Sand ............................................................... Shale and Shells .................................................... Broken Sand (Maxton?) ....................................... Keener Sand .......................................................... Big Injun Sand (gas, oil and water, 1588') ............................................................... 230 to 260 520 to 530 550 to 558 600 to 700 818 to 840 970 to 1046 1046 to 1435 1435 to 1457 1490 to 1520 1520 to 1673 Three miles above Williamstown near the river is the Compton well of South Penn Co., the record of which was given by Dr. White in Vol. I (a) (p. 457). W. H. Compton Well, No. 1. Feet. Feet. Lime ........................................... 36 to 51 Red rock ..................................... 51 to 128 Coal ............................................ . . 128 to 233 Lime ............................................. . . 233 to 248 White Slate .................................. . . 218 t.0 275 Lime ........................................... . .. 275 to 305 Red rock ....................................... . . 305 to 325 Lime ............................................. . . 325 to 335 Red rock ....................................... . .. 335 to 350 White slate ................................... . . 350 to 370 Red rock ....................................... . . 370 to 400 Lime ................................................ 400 to 415 Red rock ...................................... ... 415 to 450 White slate ................................... ,.. 450 to 470 Lime ............................................. . .. 4 70 to 495 Red rock ....................................... .. 495 to 550 Lime shale and sand. . .. . . . 550 to 580 Red rock ....................................... . . 580 to 610 White slate ................................... to 630 Black slate .................................... . . 630 to 645 Lime ............................................. to 670 Pale red rock ................................ . . . 6 7 0 to 705 First Cow Run Sand .................... . . 705 to 735 White slate .................................... , .. 735 to 771 Second Cow Run Sand. . . . . . 771 to 813 White slate ................................... to 833 Sand ............................................. to 853 Shale ............................................. to 883 Sand . . . : ..................................... 9 76 Slate ........................................ to 1000 -----------------------------------------------------Page 137-----------------------------------------------------  116 PETROLEUM AND .NATURAL GAS IN WOOD COUNTY. Sand to 1090 Slate .......... 1090 to 1150 Sand to 1210 Slate ......... 1210 to 12G0 Sand to 1335 Slate, shell ........................ .......... 1335 to 1405 Big Injun Sand ..................... .......... 1405 to 1G05 Black slate ........................ ......... 1G05 to 1G15 Slate .......... 1G15 to 1705 Sand .......... 1705 to 1717 Hard shell ........................ .......... 1717 to 1719 Black shale ........................ ............ 1719 to 1737 Berea Sand ........................ .......... 1918 to 1920 Total depth ........................ 1948 Two miles and a half below Williamstown on the Ohio river at Pohick on the Pugh farms, a number of wells were drilled in 1901 and 1902 which are now owned by the ©ins- moor Oil Co. The record of the No 7 well was given by Dr. I. C. White in Volume I of the Survey reports (p. 289), the other records have been furnished by Mr. Aaron Pugh. The No. 7 is located on the second river terrace just east of the county road. The No. 13 is still farther east, on the highest land of the farm, while Nos. 3, 4, 8, 14, 15 are on the lower river terrace west of the railroad track. Aaron Pugh Well, No. 7 (U. S. 644 A. T). Thickness. Depth. Feet Feet Drive pipe through gravel and quicksand... 107 107 Limestone ................................................................................ 10 117 Red rock ................................................................................... 55 172 Sand, white, coarse .................................................................. 35 207 Red and blue shales .............................................................. 4G8 G75 First Cow Run sand, with oil .................................. 41 716 Dr. White adds the following comments on this record: “This well produced 30 to 40 barrels an hour when first drilled in. The wjiite sand at 172 feet appears to be identical with the massive cliff rock which overlies the coal mined 60 to 90 feet above the river level at St. Marys, Pleasant county, **** “In the No. 3. J. R. Uhl, near this and only a few feet lower, the Cow Run sand was struck at 705 feet, but being thin and unproductive the well was drilled on below, and -----------------------------------------------------Page 138-----------------------------------------------------  Plate VIII.—Marietta Sandstone Cliffs between towns of Calcutta and Pleasants, Ritchie County. -----------------------------------------------------Page 139-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 117 struck a producing sand at 1138 feet which is possibly the top of the Macksburg 800 foot sand, since the Big Injun would be struck at about 1475 feet in this boring if continued on down. Pugh Well, No. 13. Feet. Conductor .................................................................................... 128 First Cow Run sand ................................................ 709 to 718 Second Cow Run sand, some oil ............................ 850 to 932 Macksburg sand ...................................................... 1060 to 1080 Top of Maxton sand ....................................................... 1153 Oil and gas ................................................................................. 1155 Bottom Maxton sand .................................................................. 1197 Bottom of hole ............................................................................ 1216 Pugh Well, No. 3 (U. S. 600 A. T). Feet. Cow Run sand ..................................................... 624 Top Macksburg sand ........................................... 957 Bottom Maxburg sand, oil .................................. 982 Top Maxton sand ................................................. 1042 Oil ........................................................................ 1097 Pugh Well, No. 4 (U. S. 614 A. T). Feet. Bottom Macksburg sand ..................................... 1002 Coal ................................................................. 9 inches Top Maxton sand ................................................. 1060 Good oil at ........................................................... 1086 Bottom Maxton sand ........................................... 1095 Bottom of hole ..................................................... 1110.5 Pugh Well, No. 8 (U. S. 606 A. T.) Feet. Top of Second Cow Run sand . . . . 787 Top Maxton sand ................................................ 1087 Bottom Maxton sand ........................................... 110 8 Bottom of hole ...................................................... 1118 Pugh Well, No. 14. Feet. Casing, 3 2 inch ............................................. 107 Casing, 8*4 inch .............................................. 160 Top First Cow Run sand ..................................... 678 Top Second Cow Run sand ............................. 827 Casing 6-% inch .............................................. 863 Oil, small quantity ............................................... 893 -----------------------------------------------------Page 140-----------------------------------------------------  118 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN WOOD COUNTY. Feet. Macksburg sand. . Maxton sand, gas. Top Salt sand. . . Gas ............................. Bottom Salt sand Sand at ......................... 1042 to 1062 1142 to 1166 ............... 1286 ................. 1333 ................. 1338 ................. 1349 Pugh Well, No. 15 (U. S. 602 A. T). Feet. Casing, 10 inch ...................................................... 68 Casing 8Vi inch ..................................................... 808 Cow Run sand ........................................ 625 to 652 To show the relation of the Macksburg sands to the other sands in the wells of the Ohio river area, the following typical record from the Macksburg field in Noble county, Ohio, is given by Dr. I. C. White on the authority of Mr John Garber (Vol. I, p. 298). George Reis Well No. 18, at Macksburg, Ohio. Feet. Conductor .................................... 10 to 10 Coal, Macksburg ........................ 5 to 15 Soapstone ................................. 8 to 23 Sandy shale .................................. 117 to 140 Limestone, blue ........................... 13 to 153 Slate, blue ................................... 10 to 163 Limestone, b'uo ........................... 12 to 175 Slate, blue .................................... 45 to 220 r red rock. . ...................... 10 ) Red "cave” j blue slate. . .................... 7 \ 35 to 255 ( red slate.. ...................... 18 Slate, blue ................................... 15 to 270 Slate, red ...................................... 7 to 277 Slate, blue ..................................... 38 to 315 Limestone, blue ........................... 28 to 343 Sand (“140-Foot Sand,” “First Cow Run") ....................................... 35 to 378 Slate, b’ue ..................................... 32 to 410 Slate, black ................................. .. 10 to 420 Slate, blue .................................... 5 to 425 Slate red ....................................... 27 to 4 52 Slato, blue (cased) ....................... 4 to 456 Limestone .................................... 14 to 470 Slato ............................................. 72 to 542 Limestone (water) ........................ 12 to 554 Sand (“ROO-foot" sand, Mahoning, l)ii 11 kind) ......................... 78 to 632 Slate .............................................. 53 to 685 Sand (“500-foot" sand) . . 17 to 702. -----------------------------------------------------Page 141-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 119 Feet. Slate .......................................................... Sand ......................................................... Limestone ................................................. Sand, pebbly (“800-foot” sand) . Slate .......................................................... / sand, hard ................. G8 \ s'ate, black ................. 54 "Salt Sand” •\ sandstone, hard, ( white ....................... G8 Slate, dark ..................................................... Sand, dark, pebbly, ("Salt Sand” "Big Injun") .............................................. Slate, light, black at bottom .......................... Slate, black .................................................... Shells and black slate .................................... Macksburg (Berea) oil rock .......................... } J 39 to 741 9 to 750 25 to 775 51 to 82G 79 to 905 190 to 1095 21 to 111G 214 to 1330 293 to 1G23 11 to 1G34 44 to 1678 17 to 1G95 Dr. White comments on this record as follows: “The sand at 1,116 feet is the one which was always known as the Salt sand by the Macksburg operators, but its - upper half only belongs in the West Virginia operators Salt sand, while its lower half is the Big Injun; the Mountain limestone us­ ually separating them, having thinned away and permitted the two distinct formations to combine practically into one rock. Whether the sand at 685 feet, or that 775 feet repre­ sents the Second Cow Run, is not known certainly, but more probably the latter.” Further south near Boaz there is a group of oil wells, partly owned by South Penn Oil Co., and by Crumly and Brother. On the lower river terrace the First Cow Run sand is reached at 634 feet and is 14 to 20 feet thick. A few wells reach the Macksburg sand. Two miles east are the wells of the Raymond Oil Co., and the Henderson Oil Co. The First Cow Run sand is found at a depth of 850 to 860 feet on the J. W. Owen farm. The Eppelein well, two miles north of Valley Mills is a flowing well in the Second Cow Run sand at a depth of 920 feet. On the Left Fork of Williams creek, three miles and a half southeast of Williamstown, a small but very productive field was opened in 1893 by the Consolidated Oil Co., of Pittsburg. The wells produced 450 to 700 barrels the first day, and at the present time average about one barrel. The -----------------------------------------------------Page 142-----------------------------------------------------  120 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN WOOD COUNTY. top of the well to the south of the road is at level 691 feet A. T., and the top of Cow Run sand was struck at 770 feet. In the southwestern corner of Williams district near Vienna station Dr. I. C. White gives the following record of a well on the authority of Prof. John F. Carll (Vol. I (a), P- 459 ): Greer Well, No. 1. Thickness. Depth. Feet. Feet. Unrecorded ................................................................. 790 to 790 Dow Run Sand (oil, 794'; water, 840'; oil, 870') ................................................................ 10G to 89G Unrecorded ................................................................... 49 to 945 Sand .............................................................................. 20 to 9G5 Unrecorded ................................................................... 75 to 1040 Salt sand ........................................................................ 16 to10 5G Unrecorded ................................................................. 314 to 1370 Big Lime ....................................................................... 30 to 1400 Big Injun Sand (gas, 1420' and 1507'; water, 1498') ................................ ...................... 203 to 1G03 Unrecorded (5%" casing, 1G33') _____________ 2G8 to 1871 Black slate ............................................................... 28 to 1899 Slate and pebbles (“cap”) ....................................... 2 to 1901 Berea.....{ ^ S'}" » «• «« Unrecorded to bottom .................................................. 10 to 1924 Dr. White also gives the record of a very deep well in southern part of Williams district, five miles northeast of Parkersburg, drilled by the South Penn Oil Co., on the Jackson farm (Vol. I, pp. 296, 297): Judge John J. Jackson Well No. 1. Feet. 25 50 Sand, gray ...................................... to 100 Slate, white .................................... to 125 Sand, gray ...................................... to 150 Red rock ....................................... to 1G5 ......................... 10 175 Slate, white ................................... ........................ 25 to 200 Red rock ....................................... ......................... 15 to 215 Sand, gray ...................................... to 230 -----------------------------------------------------Page 143-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 121 Feet. Slate, white ................................................................... 10 to 240 Red rock ....................................................................... 25 to 265 Sand, white ............................................................. 25 to 290 Red rock ...................................................................... 100 to 390 Slate, white ............................................................. 10 to 400 Sand, white ............................................................... 5 to 405 Slate, white ............................................................. 15 to 420 Limestone ..................................................................... 10 to 430 Sand, white .............................................................. 15 to 445 Red rock ........................................................................ 20 to 465 Limestone ..................................................................... 10 to 475 Slate, black .............................................................. 25 to 500 Red rock ....................................................................... 30 to 530 Slate, black .............................................................. 20 to 550 Sand, white ............................................................. 25 to 575 S’ate, white ................................................................... 25 to 60 0 Red rock ..................................................................... 105 to 705 Slate, white ............................................................. 50 to 755 Sand, white ............................................................. 20 to 775 Slate, white ............................................................. 10 to 785 Sand, white ............................................................. 15 tq 800 Red rock ....................................................................... 30 to 830 Slate, white .............................................................. 20 to 850 Sand, white ............................................................. 15 to 865 Slate, black .............................................................. 25 to 890 “Cow Run” .sand (Mahoning), water at 915 feet ............................................................... 110 to 1000 Slate, white ............................................................. 50 to 1050 Sand, gray ................................................................ 30 to 1080 Slate, white .............................................................. 37 to 1117 Slate, black ............................................................... 30 to 1147 Sand, white ........................................................... 120 to 1267 Slate, white ............................................................. 30 to 1297 Slate, black .................................................................... 60 to 1357 “Salt Sand” (water at 1390) ....................................... 100 to 1457 Limestone ..................................................................... 15 to 1472 S’ate, white .............................................................. 15 to 1487 “Big Lime” .............................................................. 18 to 1505 ( said, white, \ water 1525.140 j “Big Injun" sand, black.. 10 V . . 205 to 1710 | sand, white.. 40 ( ^ sand black... 15 ' Slate and shells ....................................................... 283 to 1993 Slate, black .............................................................. 30 to 2023 Shells (Berea), dark and poor, no oil or gas ....................................................................... 52 to 2075 Slate and shells ........................................................... 375 to 2450 She Is (Gordon) and white slate, soft and smelled oily ................................................. 566 to 3016 Bottom ..................................................................... 3016 -----------------------------------------------------Page 144-----------------------------------------------------  122 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN WOOD COUNTY. Union District. From Waverly at the northern end of Union district on the Ohio river to Dallison at the southern end are scat­ tered important producing oil pools. The river terrace around Waverly is dotted with wells. Just east of Waverly on the Corbitt farm the First Cow Run sand is reached at a depth of 680 to 683 feet and is 17 to 20 feet thick. The Second Cow Run is reported 100 feet below the bottom of the first sand. Two hundred and thirty- five feet below the bottom of the First Cow Run sand is a 35 foot sand locally called the Peeker sand regarded as equiva­ lent to the Macksburg—500 foot sand. One well was drilled to a depth of 115 feet reaching a sand 35 feet thick. Small oil pools have been opened one mile south of Waverly, also at Corbin, Doyle, and Ogdin. The Ogdin field three miles southwest of Waverly was leased by Mr. Noah Ogdin in 1864 and a number of shallow wells were drilled in 1865 but were mostly failures. The real develop­ ment came in 1894 when the Ogdin No. 1 well was drilled with a daily production of 35 barrels and is at the present time producing 10 barrels daily. A few of the wells flowed 200 barrels the first day. The average production of the present wells is about 5 to 6 barrels. Following down the creek to the northeast opposite Ogdin store and below are several gas wells. The following records of wells in the Ogdin pool are given by Dr. I. C. White in Volume I (a) (pp. 450, 451) on the authority of the McCalmont Oil Co., and Union Oil Co.: Makin Well, No. 2 (U. S. 68r A. T.) Feet. Feet. Berea sand (oil at 2033 ft) ................................... 2029 to 2040 Total depth ..................... - ...................................................... 2042 Makin Well, No. 1 (U. S. 762 A. T). Feet. Casing 10 inch ....................................................................... 350 Casing 8 1 /i inch ..................................................................... 777 Casing G-% inch ................................................................. 1185 Casing 5 3-1G inch ............................................................. 1745 Berea sand (oil at 2112 ft.) .................................. 210G to 2118i/ 2 Total depth .............................................................................. 212G -----------------------------------------------------Page 145-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 123 Noah Ogdin Well, No. 2. Feet. Feet. Cow Run sand ....................................................... 1033 to 1073 Big Injun sand ....................................................... 1670 to 1704 Berea sand (gas and oil) ...................................... 2154 to 2103 Bottom of hole ...................................................... 2182 One mile and a half southeast of Ogdin on the ridge, Sweeney Brothers and South Penn Oil Co., have opened a very productive pool in the Berea sand, and this was an active center in 1908. Two miles south of Ogdin on Laurel Fork is the Hend- ershot field which has been very productive for many years. The following records are taken from the report of Dr. I. C. White (Vol. I (a) pp. 452-455. and Vol. I, pp. 292-294) : J. B. Hendershot Well No. 1 (U. S. 714 A. T.) Thickness. Depth. Feet. Feet. Unrecorded ................................................................... 20 to 20 Red rock ....................................................................... 20 to 40 Limestone, gray .......................................................... GO to 100 Red rock ....................................................................... 20 to 120 Limestone, white ......................................................... 20 to 140 Red rock ....................................................................... 60 to 200 Limestone, white ......................................................... 40 to 240 Sand .............................................................................. 20 to 200 Red rock ....................................................................... 30 to 200 White slate and limestone ............................................ 40 to 330 Limestone ..................................................................... 30 to 300 Sand .............................................................................. 80 to 4 40 Slate, white ................................................................. 60 to 500 Red rock ....................................................................... 80 to 580 Limestone ...................................................................... 20 to 00 0 Red rock ..................................................................... 150 to 750 Sand .............................................................................. 25 to 775 Red rock ........................................................................ 60 to 835 Limestone and shells .................................................. 100 to 935 White drilling ............................................................... 65 to 1000 Red rock ....................................................................... 40 to 1040 Cow Run Sand .............................................................. 20 to 1060 Slate, white ................................................................... 30 to 1090 Limestone, black .......................................................... 20 to 1110 Black cave .................................................................... 44 to 1154 Slate, black ................................................................. 136 to 1290 "Salt Sand," top ............................................................ 40 to 1330 Slate, black ................................................................. 160 to 1490 Sand .............................................................................. 20 to 1510 Slate ............................................................................... 30 to 1540 -----------------------------------------------------Page 146-----------------------------------------------------  124 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN WOOD COUNTY. Feet. Cairo Sand ............................................................... 30 to 1570 Slate, black ............................................................. GO to 1630 Sand (bottom o£ “Salt Sand”) ..................................... 20 to1G50 Limestone, black .......................................................... 20 to1670 “Big Injun” Sand ....................................................... 200 to 1870 Slate, black ..................................................................... 5 to 1870 Limestone ..................................................................... 10 to 1885 Slate ................................................................................ 5 to 1890 Limestone, hard ............................................................ 10 to 1900 Slate and shells ........................................................... 100 to 2000 Slate ............................................................................. 20 to 2020 Slate and shells ............................................................ 40 to 2060 Slate, black ................................................................. 160 to 2220 Shale, black .................................................................. 16 to 2236 Berea Sand ................................................................... 11 to 2247 Limestone, blue ............................................................ 14 to 2261 Oil increased from top to bottom of Berea sand. Dr. White comments on this record as follows: “The driller probably placed the Cow Run sand too low in this record, and the top of the Salt sand too high, since what he has termed the salt sand is probably the Second Cow Run. and it is also possible that the upper portion of the 200 feet which has been classed in the Big Injun should belong in the Salt sand horizon unless the 20 feet of black limestone represents the Mountain Limestone.” J. B. Hendershot Well, No. 2 (U. S. 714 A. T). Thickness. Depth. Feet. Feet. ...................... 20 20 Clay, yellow ................................... ........................ 20 to 40 Red shale ................................................................ 40 to 80 White shale ...................................... ...................... 30 to 100 Red shale ........................................ ...................... 100 to 200 White shale ..................................... ...................... 50 to 250 Red shale ........................................ ...................... 100 to 350 White shale ..................................... ...................... 100 to 450 Red shale ....................................... ...................... 50 to 500 White shale ...................................... ..................... 50 to 5 50 Sand, white ...................................... ..................... 10 to 560 Shale, white .................................... ....................... 90 to 6 50 Shale, pink, cave ............................ ...................... 100 to 750 Shale, red ....................................... ...................... 50 to 800 Slia'e, white .................................... ...................... 50 to 850 Sand, white ...................................... ..................... 10 to 860 Shale, red ........................................ ...................... 40 to 900 Sand, white ...................................... ..................... 10 to 910 Shale, white .................................... to 960 -----------------------------------------------------Page 147-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 125 Sand, white ................................................................... 15 to 975 Shale, white .................................................................. 25 to 1000 Limestone, black .......................................................... 10 to 1010 Shale, white .................................................................. 40 to 1060 Shale, white ................................................................. 30 to 1080 “Cow Run” Saiul .......................................................... 45 to 1125 Shale, white .................................................................. 50 to 1175 Sand, white ................................................................... 25 to 1200 Shale, white .................................................................. 75 to 1275 “Salt Sand” ................................................................. 125 to 1400 Shale, black .................................................................. 50 to 1450 Shale, white .................................................................. 60 to 1500 Shale, black ................................................................ 100 to 1600 Sand, gray, (base of“Salt Sand”) . . . . 80 to 1680 “Big Injun” sand ......................................................... 120 to 1800 Slate and hard lime shells .......................................... 370 to 2170 Shale, black .................................................................. 12 to 2182 Sand, Berea Grit (oil) .......................................... 9 to 2191 Slate, white, to bottom ................................................. 17 to 2208 Dr. White says of this record: “Here is a good illus­ tration as to the way the “Cow Run” horizon is passed up and down at the driller’s whim, since in the No. 2 well, its name is given to a rock which lies 90 feet lower than the stratum which was given the same name in Well No. i. while the real First Cow Run sand horizon probably lies a consid­ erable interval above both. It is also probable that the top of the “Salt Sand” has been placed too high in the record, and that the stratum in question should be called the “Sec­ ond Cow Run sand,” while what is called the “Cow Run” is really the Upper Mahoning sandstone or Dunkard oil sand which is so often termed the “Cow Run” sand, by the. dril­ lers, but which we have just seen in the Marietta region, is not equivalent of either the First or Second “Cow Run” Sand, but lies about midway between them.” J. B. Hendershot Well, No. 3 (U. S. 734 A. T). Feet. Feet. Dunkard sajid ........................................................... 1168 to 1204 Salt sand ................................................................... 1500 to 1690 Big Injun sand .......................................................... 1690 to 1.908 Berea sand ................................................................ 2240 to 2250 Bottom of hole ...................................................... 2259 (Well dry.) On the high hill to the south of the creek are the Eschen- backer and Elgie Grant wells of the U. S. Oil Co. and the South Penn Oil Co. -----------------------------------------------------Page 148-----------------------------------------------------  126 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN WOOD COUNTY. Eschenbacker Well, No. 2. Feet. Feet. Cow Run Sand ......................................................... 1095 to 1140 Gas Sand (water, 1410') ........................................... 1400 to 1440 Salt Sand (oil show) ................................................. 1540 to1G00 Big Injun sand (water, 1710') ................................... 1G90 to 1890 Berea Grit ................................................................. 2217 to 2227 Bottom ................................................................... 2332 Ten-inch casing ..................................................... 265 Eight and one-fourth-inch casing. . . . 1095 Six and five-eights-inch casing ............................ 1890 Eschenbacker Well, No. 3. Feet. Feet. Cow Run Sand ...................................................... 1155 to 1185 Salt Sand ............................................................... 1500 to 1580 Big Injun Sand (water) ................................. . .. 1822 to 1940 Berea Grit ............................................................. 2291 to 2302 Bottom .................................................................. 2314 Elgie Grant Well, No. 2. Feet. Feet. Cow Run Sand Salt Sand ............... Maxton Sand. . Big Injun Sand Berea Grit. . . . Bottom .................. 1095 to 1115 1300 to 1435 1635 1720 to 1910 2236 to 2251 2263 Elgie Grant Well, No. 4. Feet. Feet. Cow Run Sand ......................................................... 1028 to 1058 Salt and Maxton Sands .............................. 14 08 to 1648 Big Injun Sand ......................................................... 1648 to 1848 Shell ........................................................................................... 2128 Berea .................................................................... 2143 to 2156 Total depth ................................................................................ 2171 The Ruth Wharton wells of South Penn Oil Co., and the Dye well of United States Oil Co. are near the western edge of the Iiendershot pool about one mile west of the J. B. Hendershot wells: -----------------------------------------------------Page 149-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 127 Ruth Wharton Well, No. i. Feet. Feet. Cow Run Sand .......................................................... 1005 to 1625 Salt Sand ................................................................... 1150 to 1400 Maxton Sand ............................................................. 1520 to 1560 Big Lime ................................................................... 1560 to 1625 Big Injun Sand ......................................................... 1625 to 1830 Berea Grit .................................. .......................... 2116 Total depth ................................. .......................... 2144 Ruth Wharton Well, No. 2. Feet. Feet. Cow Run Sand ........................................................ 1000 to 1130 Salt Sand, Maxton .................................................. 1 560 to 1670 Big Injun Sand .......................................................... 1750 to 1930 Berea Grit ................................................................ 2215 to 2228 Total depth .............................................................. 2242 Dye Well, No. 1. Feet. Feet. Red cave ................................................................... 850 Black cave .............................................................. 1000 Cow Run Sand ......................................................... 1045 to 1080 Salt Sand (water, 1380') ............................ 1 380 to 1425 Maxton-Keener Sands(water, 1575'). • 1 555 to 1615 Big Injun Sand (water, 1625') ........................ 1625 to 1825 Berea Grit (oil) ......................................................... 2170 to 2184 Ten-inch casing ........................................................ 200 Right-inch casing .................................................... 1045 Six and flve-eightlis-lnch casing.... 1825 The Charles Shattuck wells of the South Penn Oil Co. are on the hill to the south of Laurel Fork. Charles Shattuck Well, No. 19. Feet. Feet. Limestone ..................................................................... 92 to 112 Red cave ..................................................................... 880 to 890 Red rock ...................................................................... 940 to 1000 Sand (water) ............................................................. 1540 to 1620 Keener and Big Injun Sands ........................... 1840 to 1995 Lime, hard ................................................................. 2095 to 2145 Berea Sand .............................................................. 2333 Bottom ..................................................................... 2335 -----------------------------------------------------Page 150-----------------------------------------------------  128 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN WOOD COUNTY. Charles Shattuck Well, No. 20. Feet. Feet. Cow Run Sand.. Salt Sand .................... Maxton Sand.... Big Injun Sand. Berea Sand (oil) Bottom 1170 to 1190 1430 to 1480 17C0 to 1775 1800 to 1924 2272 to 2284 2298 Near Tallyho and on the road one mile south, produc­ tive wells were drilled a number of years ago, opening two or three pools. Dr. I. C. White gives the following record of a well drilled one mile northeast of Tallyho by the Hope Natural Gas Co., (Vol. I (a) p. 448). James A. Kelley Well, No. 1. Feet. Feet. Dunkard sand ....................................................... 1070 to 1085 Salt sand ............................................................... 1336 to 1410 Big Injun sand ...................................................... 1690 to 1876 Berea (gas, heavy at 2184 feet) ............................ 2184 to 2198 At Dallison in the southeast corner of Union district a number of good oil wells have been drilled by Patterson and Tait, and Pope Brothers on the Fox and adjoining farms. Fox Well, No. 1 (U. S. 700 A. T). Feet. Top of Second Cow Run sand .................................................. 933 Bottom of Second Cow Run sand ............................................. 961 Fox Well, No. 2. Feet. Top Second Cow Run sand ...................................................... 961 Bottom Second Cow Run sand ................................................. 980 Hendrick Well, No. 1 (U. S. 700 A. T). Feet. Top Second Cow Run sand .................................................... 93 6 Bottom Big Injun sand ............................................................. 1703 Top of Berea sand ..................................................................... 2088 First oil ................................................................. 2090 to 2098 Total depth ................................................................................ 2101 -----------------------------------------------------Page 151-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 129 PARKERSBURG DISTRICT. There has been but little oil well drilling in the Park­ ersburg district. One deep well was drilled by the Camden Consolidated Oil Co. on the refinery grounds at the eastern edge of the city of Parkersburg, now owned by the Standard Oil Co. The well was shot with ten quarts in the Berea sand between 1940 and 1950 feet With little improvement. Later it was shot with eighty quarts in the Big Injun sand between 1500 and 1550 feet resulting in a slight increase in salt water and oil, and the well was abandoned. The fol­ lowing record was given Dr. I. C. White by Mr. Cole, the superintendent of the oil company and printed in Volume I (p. 285): Camden Consolidated Oil Company Well at Parkersburg. Thickness. Depth. Feet. Feet. Loam, clay and quicksand ........................................... 70 to 70 Sand, gray .................................................................... 15 to 85 Slate, soft, reddish blue ............................................... 45 to 130 Sand, gray ..................................................................... 15 to 145 Slate, soft, red and blue ............................................... 85 to 230 Sand gray (some fresh water) ...................................... 10 to 240 Slate, red and gray ....................................................... 04 to 304 Sand, gray ..................................................................... 31 to 335 Slate and soapstone, red, blue and gray, soft and Irregular, (cased 5-%-inch) 415 to 750 Slate, gray .................................................................... 70 to 820 Sand, hard, some salt water (Mahoning, Dunkard) ............................................................... 105 to 925 Slate, gray and black (trace of gas) .. 170 to 1095 Bituminous coal, (Lower Kittanning). 7 to 1102 Slate, gray ........................................................ .. . 208 to 1310 Sand, hard, white (“Salt Sand”) .............................. 50 to 1360 Slate, black ................................................................... 25 to 1385 Sand, hard, gray (“Salt Sand”) ..................................... 50 to 1435 Slate, gray ..................................................................... 35 to1470 Slate and sand .............................................................. 30 to1500 Sand, white (“Big Injun”) (strong gas and sa't water, cased) ............................................. 120 to 1620 Slate, gray ................................................................... 280 to1900 Slate, black (odor of oil and gas ............................. 45 to 1945 Berea Oil Sand (slight trace of oil and gas) ............................................................................. 2 to 1947 Slate, gray ..................................................................... 88 to2035 -----------------------------------------------------Page 152-----------------------------------------------------  130 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN WOOD COUNTY. CLAY DISTRICT. Clay district is located east of the Parkersburg district and north of the Little Kanawha river. A number of scat­ tered wells have been drilled over the district with little pro­ duction, except near Murphytown where a productive field was opened. Four miles east of Parkersburg near Stewart station on the B. & O. railroad, the Oxford Oil Co. drilled a well on the river bottom in December, 1896, a record of which is given by Dr. I. C. White on the authority of Prof John F. Carll (Vol. I (a), p. 460): Marsh Well, No. 1 (U. S. 600 A. T). Thickness. Depth. Feet. Feet. Conductor .................................................. Shells and sand (water, 1.15') Shale, black ............................................... Red rock ..................................................... Shale, black ................................................ Sand ........................................................... Lime, Slate, black .............................................. Sand, hard ............................................... Slate, black .............................................. Sand ......................................................... Slate, black .............................................. Sand ......................................................... S’ate, black .............................................. Limy sand ................................................ _. _ , ) sand, yellow and hard. Big Injun j gan{1) t,iaelc and soft. Sand, black and soft ................................ Slate and shell (cased, 1725') . Clear shale ............................................... 90 120 . 115 235 105 400 75 475 15 490 . 125 015 05 680 20 700 , 190 890 ') .. no 1000 40 1040 25 1005 40 1105 20 1125 , 10 1135 40 1175 125 1300 105 1405 90' l 205 1610 15' 115 1725 80 1805 190 2001 13 2014 216 2230 The drilling near Murphytown covers a wide area to the east, west, and south of the town. Three-fourths mile west and just north of the northwestern turnpike is the Burge well of the Associated Producers Oil Co., completed August 29, 1896. The record is given by Dr. I. C. White (Vol. I (a). p. 456): -----------------------------------------------------Page 153-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 131 Joshua Burge Well, No. i (U. S. 710 A. T). Thickness. Depth Feet. Feet. Conductor ........................................................ 10 Red shales ............................................................... 140 150 Sand (10" casing, 245') ...................... 25 175 Slate, lime thin shells, sand and lime 375 570 Lime and shells .................................................... 5 57 5 Sand .......................................................................... 25 000 Red cave, etc ........................................................... 200 800 Slate and shells ....................................................... 130 930 Sand (8i/ t " casing, 940') ..................... 30 960 Slate, dark ................................................................. 50 1010 Sand (little water, oil show, 1040') 105 1115 Slate ......................................................................... 130 1245 Salt sand (little water) ...................... 95 1340 Slate, dark, occasional shells ................................. 145 1485 Sand (salt water, 1555') ....................................... 80 3 565 Slate .......................................................................... 25 1690 Sand (very soft, white: 6‘/i" casing, 1625') ............................................................... 35 1625 Big Lime, white ........................................................ 45 1670 Sand, Big Injun (water, 1710-15')... 90 1760 Slate, shell v5" casing, 1810') ............... 115 1875 Lime, white, sandy .................................................... 10 1885 Slate, shelly ......................................................... 24 5 2130 Slate, black ............................................................... 20 2150 Shells, place of Berea ............................................... 10 2160 Slate to bottom ........................................................ 205 2365 J. D. Walker Well, No. 6. Dr. I. C. White gives the following records of Wells in the Murphytown district in Volume 1 (a) (p. 456, 457): Feet. Feet. Cow Run Sand Salt Sand ................ Big Injun Sand Berea Grit. . . . Total depth . . , 1165 to 1195 1470 1700 to 1949 2301 2327 John Alleman Well, No. 1. Feet. Feet. Berea Sand ............................................................ 2192 to 2200 John Alleman Well, No. 2. Feet. Feet. Dnnkard sand Salt Sand .................. Big Injun Sand 1180 to 1210 1420 to 1550 1750 to 1950 Berea Oil at . . Total depth.... 2293 2311 -----------------------------------------------------Page 154-----------------------------------------------------  132 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN WOOD COUNTY. John Alleman Well, No. 5. Feet. Feet. Cow Run Sand. Salt Sand ................ Big Injun Sand Berea Sand.... Total depth. . . Susan Grant Well, No. 2. 1172 to 1202 1457 to 1G30 1720 to 1935 2292 to 2299 2311 Feet. Feet. Cow Run Sand ........................................................... 1180 to 1190 Salt Sand ................................................................ 1200 Maxton Sand ............................................................ 1605 to 1640 Big Injun Sand ......................................................... 1710 to 1870 Berea Sand (oil, 2247') ............................................. 2242 to 2254 Susan Grant Well, No. 3. Feet. Feet. Cow Run Sand. . Salt Sa‘ d ................. Maxton Sand. . . Big In^un Sand Berea Sand ............... 1095 to 1122 1296 to 1635 1635 to 1715 1725 to 1910 2230 to 2262 D. C. Farrow Well, No. 1. Feet. Feet. Cow Run Sand .......................................................... 1141 to 1211 Salt Sand ................................................................ 1400 Big Injun Sand .......................................................... 1680 to 1870 Berea Grit ................................................................ 2266 Total depth .............................................................. 2285 Two miles northwest of Murphytown near the old post office of Red Hill the McPherson well was drilled and the record preserved by Prof. John F. Carll is given by Dr. I. 0 . White in Volume I (a) (p. 459 ) : Elias McPherson Well, No. 1. Thickness. Depth. Feet. Feet. Conductor ............................................................. 10 Rod and Idmo shells, thin .................................... 190 200 Sand, soft, white .................................................. 25 225 Coni (Washington?) ............................................ 5 230 -----------------------------------------------------Page 155-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 133 Feet. Feet. Red and lime shells ............................................. 190 200 Slate, lime and dark shells ................................... 155 500 Sand ...................................................................... 50 550 Slate, gray and soft .............................................. 110 600 Sand ..................................................................... 15 675 Red sand, varying light and dark. . . . 105 840 Sand ...................................................................... 30 870 Lime ...................................................................... 30 900 Sand (water) ........................................................ 35 935 Slate, black .......................................................... 30 905 Shell, limy (oil, .smell) ........................................ 15 980 Slate, dark ............................................. .............. 25 1005 Slate, white ........................................................... 25 1030 Shells ................................................................... 20 1050 Slate ...................................................................... 70 1120 Sand ..................................................................... 20 1140 Slalo ..................................................................... 35 1175 Slate, dark and light ............................................ 35 1210 Sandstone, dark gray ........................................... 20 1230 Shells .................................................................... 80 1310 Sand (water, 1320') .............................................. 50 1300 Shells and slate, dark ........................................... 115 1475 Slate ..................................................................... 25 1500 Sand, light, little water ........................................ 30 1530 Sand, dark ............................................................ 10 1540 Slate ...................................................................... 25 1505 Sand, limy (water, 1590') (Maxton) 40 1005 Big Lime .............................................................. 50 1055 Sand (Keener) ...................................................... 15 1670 Slato ..................................................................... GO 1730 Sand, dark (Big Injun) ......................................... 15 1745 Slato ..................................................................... 10 1755 Sand, dark and impure ........................................ 15 1770 Slate (occasional thin shell) ................................ 70 1840 Lime (shell, sandy, very hard) ............................. 5 1845 Slate, thin shells ................................................... , 100 1945 Shells ................................................................... 5 1950 Slate ..................................................................... 20 1970 Shell (oil smell) ................................................... 5 1975 Slato .. .................................................................. , 150 2125 Slate, black ........................................................... 30 2155 Shells (place of Berea) ........................................ 25 2180 Slate, light, to bottom .......................................... , 93 2273 LUBECK DISTRICT. During the fall of 1908 Mr. J. M. McCormick drilled two test wells back of Lubeck on the Woodyard farm which proved dry. -----------------------------------------------------Page 156-----------------------------------------------------  134 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN WOOD COUNTY. Nick Woodyard Well, No. i. Feet. Feet. Conductor ...................................................................................... 16 Casing, 10 inch ........................................................................... 160 Sand ............................................................................ 500 to 590 First Cow Run Sand ................................................... 775 to 810 Second Cow Run Sand .............................................. 855 to 882 Casing, 8 inch .............................................................................. 856 Gas Sand .................................................................. 1010 to 1030 Salt Sand ................................................................... 1180 to 1195 Maxton Sand ............................................................ 1355 to 1445 Big Injun Sand ......................................................... 1495 to 1655 Casing, 6% inch ........................................................................ 1655 Berea Sand Cap (no sand .......................................................... 1965 Total depth ................................................................................ 2200 SLATE DISTRICT. Slate district is located in eastern portion of Wood county, south of Little Kanawha river. The surface rocks are high in the Dunkard series. A few wells have been drilled in the district, but proved dry. Opposite Kanawha Station on the river flood plain on the Butcher farm a well was drilled to the Berea, and the record is given by Dr. I. C. White on the authority of Dr. Hopkins, in Volume I (a) (p. 447) : E. S. Butcher Well, No. 1 (near U. S. 620 A. T). Thickness. Depth. Feet. Feet. Quicksand ........................................................... 15 Conductor ........................................................... 26 Limestone and shells . . . .......................................... 34 60 Hard limestone ......................................................... 90 150 Limestone, shells and slate ..................................... 268 418 Coal (Redstone?) ........................................................ 1 419 Sand, show of oil .................................................. 27 446 Coni (Pittsburg?) ........................................................ 1 447 r Limestone, shells and slate ................................. 13 8 585 Red cave ........................................................ 240 825 Unrecorded and hard sand shell.... 30 855 Very black slate ............................................. 15 870 Boulder “cave” ......................................................... 25 895 Second Cow Run Sand (show of oil) . . 205 1100 Sand, water, gas and flow of salt water 50 1150 Sand .......................................................................... 20 1170 Sand ........................................................................ 130 1300 Broken sand and slate .................................... 90 1390 Salt Sand ....................................................... 110 1600 -----------------------------------------------------Page 157-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. Feet. Feet. Big Lime ................................................................... 90 1590 Slate .......................................................................... 10 1G00 White sand .................................................................. 5 1G05 Hard, dark, broken sand and lime. ... 320 1925 Unrecorded ............................................................ 120 2045 Black slate, with shell, (Berea) at top (show of oil) ................................................... 15 20G0 Limy sand, black and grayish black shale, with much lime ........................................... 146% 2206% One mile south of Chesterville, three wells were drilled on the Poling farm to the Berea. Dr. I. C. White gives the following record of one of these wells on the authority of Miller and Sibley (Vol. I (a), p. 462): Poling Farm Well, No. 1 (near U. S. 680 A. T. Thickness. Depth. Conductor .................................................................. 14 14 Unrecorded .............................................................. 161 175 Sand ............................................ • ...................... 30 205 Unrecorded .............................................................. 330 535 Sand .......................................................................... 15 550 Unrecorded .............................................................. 150 700 Sand .......................................................................... 15 715 Unrecorded (oil in shell at 870') . . . . 243 958 Sand .......................................................................... 20 978 Unrecorded ................................................................ 40 1018 Sand, B’ig Cow Run (Water, 1090' and 1165') ............................................................ 150 1168 Unrecorded ................................................................ 67 1235 Sand .......................................................................... 25 1260 Unrecorded ................................................................ 10 1270 Sand ........................................................................... 61 1331 Unrecorded ................................................................ 25 1356 Sand .......................................................................... 56 1412 Slate ........................................................................... 78 1490 Big Lime ................................................................... 80 1570 Big Injun Sand ........................................................ 105 1675 Lime, break ............................................................... 10 1685 Big Injun Sand .......................................................... 48 1733 Lime, Gritty ............................................................... 67 1800 Slato and shells ....................................................... 347 2147 B ack shale ................................................................ 25 2172 Shells, place of Berea .................................................... . . . . -----------------------------------------------------Page 158-----------------------------------------------------  136 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN WOOD COUNTY. TYGARTS DISTRICT. This district is located just west of Slate and one or two wells have been drilled at the western edge of the district near Wadesville. Dr. I. C. White gives in Volume I (a) (p. 461) the record of a well drilled on the Deval farm, as fur­ nished by Prof. John F. Carll, and drilled by Lubec and Lehman: Deval Farm Well. Thickness. Depth. Feet. Feet. Unrecorded ..................... 090 Shale, black .................... ................. 1G0 850 Sand (salt water) . . . 960 Shale, black .................... . ................. GO 1020 Sand, white ....................... 1035 Shale, blue ........................ 1000 Sand, white ....................... 1095 Shale, black .................... 1115 Sand, whlto ....................... ................. 15 1130 Shale, black .................... ................. 20 1150 Sand, whlto .................... .................. 50 1200 Shale, black ...................... ................. GO 12G0 Salt Sand ......................... ................. 110 1370 Shale ................................. 1390 Rig Lime ........................... 1400 Sand, gray (Keener) ................. 40 1440 Slate .................................. 1445 D ‘s ■ j K gray white. . . . .145'} 150 1635 Sand, gray ....................... 750 1900 Shale, blue (cable measurement, 193G'; wire. 19 35U ................. 43 1943 Sand (gas and oil) Berea . . ................. 6 1949 Slate, black ....................... 2220 Sand, dark ......................... 2245 Shale, black to bottom . . . . ................. 7 5 5 3000 HARRIS DISTRICT. Idarris district forms the southwestern portion of Wood county bordering the Ohio river. Its most important town is Belleville. A number of wells were drilled on the Middle Fork of Lee creek three miles northeast of Belleville and a -----------------------------------------------------Page 159-----------------------------------------------------  Plate IX.—Waynesburg Sandstone Cliffs South of Harrisville. -----------------------------------------------------Page 160-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 137 mile south of Renius. The wells produced some oil and drilling was resumed in the summer of 1908 but the produc­ tion was small. The following record of the Eaton farm well was furnished by Mr. McCormick of Parkersburg. Eaton Well, No. 1 (near U. S. 620 A. T). Feet. First Cow Run sand .................................................................... 820 Second Cow Run sand ....................................................... 936 Big Injun sand ........................................................................... 1480 Berea sand ................................................................................. 1946 The Berea sand was struck at the following depths in the other wells on this farm. The Schultz well was farther down the creek. Feet. Eaton No. 2 ...................................................................... 1920 Eaton No. 3 ...................................................................... 1966 Eaton No. 4 ...................................................................... 1990 Schultz farm No. 1 .................................................................... 1845 Dunbarger Well, No. 7. Feet. First Cow Run sand .................................................................... 748 Second Cow Run sand ................................................................ 835 Big Injun sand ............................................................................ 1390 Berea sand .................................................................................. 1886 Total depth (no more sand) ....................................................... 2006 One mile southeast of Belleville on Selers farm Mr. J. B. Braden drilled in February, 1904, a well to the Berea which showed a little oil. E. J. Selers Well, No. 1. Feet. Conductor ...................................................................................... 16 Water sand .................................................................... 17 to 490 Sand ............................................................................ 562 to 572 Little Dunkard sand .................................................................... 720 Big Dunkard sand ....................................................................... 850 Salt water .................................................................... 865 to 935 Gas sand ..................................................................... 990 to 1040 Salt sand .................................................................................... 1100 Water ......................................................................................... 1120 -----------------------------------------------------Page 161-----------------------------------------------------  138 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN WOOD COUNTY. Feet. Break of 8 feet ......................................................... 1185 Hole filled up with water at .................................... 1290 Big Injun sand ........................................................ 1290 to 1380 Berea sand, shells with little oil .............................. 1925 Bottom of hole .......................................................................... 2018 Casing 10 inch ............................................................................ 600 Casing 8*4 inch .......................................................................... 855 Casing 6 % inch ......................................................................... 1380 WALKER DISTRICT. The eastern border of Wood county is included in Walker district in which are two well known oil fields, Sand Hill., and Volcano, the former on the eastern side of the fold, and the latter on the western side. Both have yielded a large production in past years. Volcano was noted for a yield of heavy lubricating oil as well as the lighter grades. A large number of wells have been drilled in this dis­ trict to test the various portions of the area. While some of these have yielded a small quantity of oil, they have been re­ garded for the most part as failures to the present time. In the western'part of the district on Stillwell creek just north of Stillwell, a well was drilled to the sand below Berea in an attempt to reach the Gordon. The record of this well has been furnished by Thomas Ii. Murphy of Parkersburg: Richardson Well (near U. S. 68o A. T.) Feet. Big Injun sand (show oil, salt water) 1580 to 1700 Casing 6% inch ....................................................... 1760 Berea, very poor. 2 feet .......................................... 2150 Slate (no trace of Gordon sand) ....2150 to 2490 The driller placed the Gordon horizon at 2410, but there was no trace of sand in the 340 feet of slate. About one mile up Rock Run from Stillwell creek a well was drilled on the Tavener farm, and record furnished by Mr. Murphy: -----------------------------------------------------Page 162-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 139 Tavener Well (Between U. S. 700 and 800 A. T). Thickness. Depth. Feet. Feet. Conductor ................................................................ 4 Shales, red and olive ............................................... 26 30 Sandstone ................................................................. 40 70 Casing 10 Inch ......................................................... 85 Shales, red and blue ................................................ 100 170 Sandstone ................................................................ 35 205 Sandstone and blue shales ............................................ 65 270 Sandstono ................................................................ 12 282 Shales, red ................................................................... 143 425 Shales, blue, nlggerheads ............................................. 25 450 Sandstone, gray ....................................................... 40 490 Red clay ................................................................... 15 505 Sandstone and shales .................................................... 35 540 Red clay .................................................................. 20 660 Blue sandstone ............................................................. 85 595 Red shale ................................................................ 20 615 Sandstono, shells .......................................................... 25 640 Red shale ...................................................................... 40 680 Sandstono, blue ............................................................... 20 700 Red shale ...................................................................... 25 725 Ames or crlnoldal limestone ............................................. 5 730 Sandstono ..................................................................... 10 740 Shales, blue ..................................................................... 20 760 Shales, red .................................................................... 15 775 Sand, blue ....................................................................... 15 790 Sandstone, blue ............................................................... 30 820 Shale, red’ ....................................................................... 10 830 Shale, dark red .............................................................. 17 847 Sandstone, gray ............................................................ 43 890 Sandstone, black ........................................................... 10 900 Soapstone, last cave ....................................................... 15 915 Blue sandy shale ........................................................... 20 935 f gray sandstono 5 ) Dunkard | show oil sand . . 9 sandstone .............. -J pebble layer . . 13 .. 45 980 oil sand .................... 8 [ white sand .... 10 Shale and nlggerheads ................................................. 20 1000 Sandstone, gray ............................................................ 40 1040 Sandy shale .................................................................... 30 1070 Shale, with 2 feet coal .................................................. 22 1092 Shale, gray .................................................................... 26 1118 Limestone ....................................................................... 8 1126 Sandstone, gray ............................................................ 10 1136 Shale and nlggerheads ................................................... 12 1148 Sandstone ..................................................................... 19 1167 Shales ............................................................................ 35 1202 Coal ................................................................................. 5 1207 Sandy shale ................................................................... 28 1235 Sandstone, pepper and salt, show oil . . 27 1262 Black shale .................................................................... 17 1279 Dark sandstone ............................................................ 193 1472 -----------------------------------------------------Page 163-----------------------------------------------------  140 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN WOOD COUNTY. Feet. Feet. Slate ............................................................................ 15 1487 Sandstone, white ................................................. 245 1732 Shale, dark sandy ................................................ 15 1747 Shale, gray ......................................................... 305 2052 Black shale ........................................................... 40 2092 Berea sand, oil ........................................................ 8 2100 Shale .............................................................................. 14 2114 The Volcano oil field was plotted in early days into two acre lots and numbered, and the whole field divided into larger sections designated by letters. The town of Volcano and the present producing oil fields are located on the west­ ern side of the fold or anticilne, the center being a half mile to the east. A number of records of the older wells are pre­ served by the Stiles Brothers of Parkersburg, and were leveled by their father with a spirit level, the datum plane being the top of the old Barber well in front of the old par­ sonage at the western edge of town, which reached the Berea sand at 86i feet. In the present work the level of this well was tied with the U. S. Geological Survey mark at the cen­ ter of the town, and is 86o feet A. T. -----------------------------------------------------Page 164-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. m sy. W Ft 4^, 3r 77 •67 *7 K7 0 37 • n 76 66 b'G A(, 36 $ • 65" !rtr * hr 3«r % (0 4 6 3 V3 hli 34 • 3 *33 Gt S'l 41 31 57 U 3f 'GO !ro liO !>'9 4? 39 c U* a ,To''> Vol J.O.NO Figure 7.—Plat showing Lot Arrangement and Oil Wells in a Por­ tion of the Volcano Oil Field. The following records furnished by Stiles Brothers of wells marked on the sketch plat, figure 7 illustrate the order of strata at Volcano and with the levels determined by Mr. Stiles, Sr., show the dip of the strata in this disturbed field. These levels are here corrected to the tide water levels, in­ stead of the reference to the Barber well: -----------------------------------------------------Page 165-----------------------------------------------------  142 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN WOOD COUNTY. Well Section B. Lot 57 (U. S. 1131,56 A. T). Thickness. Depth. Feet. Feet. Conductor ............................................................... 10 Sha'e ................................................................................ 5 15 Coal ................................................................................. 2 17 Shale, light .................................................................... 03 80 Coal ................................................................................. 2 82 Shale, blue .................................................................... 12 94 Sand, light .................................................................... 14 108 Black slate ...................................................................... 3 111 Shale, blue ...................................................................... 0 117 Sand, gray ..................................................................... 39 156 Black s’ate ...................................................................... 4 160 Coal ................................................................................ 5 165 Black slate .................................................................... 24 189 Sand, gray ..................................................................... 22 211 Shale, blue .................................................................... 13 224 Gray sand and shale .............................................. 19 243 Sand, gray ..................................................................... 21 264 Shale, dark ...................................................................... 5 209 Sand, white, hard ........................................................... 2 271 Gray sand and mud ................................................ 9 280 Shale, blue ...................................................................... 8 288 Shale, light .................................................................... 27 315 Sand, gray ..................................................................... 43 358 Gray sand and shale .............................................. 34 392 Sand, gray ..................................................................... 18 410 B'ack shale .................................................................... 37 447 Pebble rock, good show oil ......................................... 10 457 Sand, white ................................................... 43 461 Pebblo rock, show oil .................................................... 3 464 Sand, white ................................................................... 18 482 Pebblo rock ................................................... 11 493 Sand, white ..................................................................... 4 497 Fine pebble rock ............................................................. 9 506 Sand, white ..................................................................... 8 514 Pebble rock ................................................................... 10 524 Sand, whito .................................................... 27 551 Well, Section B. Lot 33 (U. S. 952.25 A. T). Thickness. Depth. Feet. Feet. Conductor . . . Black shale . Shale, blue . . Coal and slate Sand, gray . . Sha'e .................... Sand, gray .. . Shale, blue . .. Sand and shale Sand ....................... 10 8 18 ... 15 33 ... 11 44 ...17 61 ... 12 73 ... 58 131 ... 48 179 ... 23 202 ... 82 284 -----------------------------------------------------Page 166-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. US Feet. Feet. Sand and shale .............................................................. 28 312 Shale ............................................................................. 28 340 Pebble rock .................................................................. 2G 306 Sand, gray ....................................................................... 2 308 Pebble rock, line ........................................................... 10 378 Oil rock ......................... '......................................... 4 382 Lime .............................................................................. 17 399 Oil rock .......................................................................... B 404 Pebble rock, fine, hard ................................................... 3 407 Coarse pebble rock, softer .............................................. 5 412 Sand, gray ..................................................................... 12 424 Sandy shale ................................................................... 16 440 Sand, white, water .......................................................... 9 449 Sand, gray ..................................................................... 11 400 Well, Section B. Lot 35 (U. S. 986.5 A. T). Thickness. Depth. Feet. Feet. Conductor ................................................................ 7 Sand, gray ..................................................................... 12 19 Sand and shale ................................................................ 8 27 Black slate and coal ...................................................... 19 46 Shale, blue ................................................................... 21 67 Sand, dark gray ............................................................. 35 102 Sand, light gray ............................................................ 31 133 Sand, gray ....................................................................... 6 139 Black sandy shale ......................................................... 23 162 Black shale ..................................................................... 9 171 Sand, fine dark gray ..................................................... 32 203 Sand, fine gray ............................................................. 47 250 Sand, coarse gray ......................................................... 53 303 Black shale .................................................................... 44 347 Pebble rock, coarse, show ofoil ............. 19 366 Pebble rock, fine, and gray sand ................ 9 375 Sand, dark gray, odor of oil ......................... • ............ 20 395 Sand, dark gray, odor of oil ........................................... 3 398 Lime ............................................................................... 8 406 Sand, yellow and pebbles, show oil ... . 4 410 Sand, fine white ............................................................ 37 447 Sand, shelly .................................................................. 11 458 Sand and shale .............................................................. 12 470 Sand, light gray ............................................................... 7 477 Sand, gray and pebbles .................................................. 6 483 Sand, dark gr-ay ............................................................. 7 490 Total depth in light gray sand ................................. 498 Just north of the big iron tank in Volcano, a producing well was drilled to the Keener sand by Stiles Brothers on lot 48. -----------------------------------------------------Page 167-----------------------------------------------------  144 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN WOOD COUNTY. Well, Lot No. 48. Feet. Feet. Conductor ..................................................................................... 18 Sand .............................................................................. 18 to 60 Coal and slate ............................................................. GO ” 75 Sand ............................................................................. 75 “ 100 Slate ........................................................................... 100 ” 115 Sand ............................................................................ 115 ” 130 Slate ............................................................................ 130 ” 220 Sand ........................................................................... 220 ” 290 Slate ............................................................................ 290 ” 328 Salt sand ..................................................................... 328 “ 368 Slate ......................................................................... 358 " 3G3 Big Lime ..................................................................... 363 ” 388 Sand, yellow, Keener ................................................. 388 ” 407 Well, Section B, Lot 78. Feet Feet. Conductor ...................................................................................... 12 Sand, clay, shale ........................................................... 12 to 50 Sand .............................................................................. 50 ” 112 Shale ........................................................................... 112 ” 116 Upper coal .................................................................. 116 ” 119 Shale ........................................................................... 119 ” 147 Sand ............................................................................ 147 ” 230 Shale ........................................................................... 230 ” 270 Sand ........................................................................... 270 ” 420 Pebble rock ................................................................. 420 “ 455 Oil sand ...................................................................... 455 ” 473 Pebble rock ................................................................ 473 ” 487 Lime to bottom of hole .............................................. 487 ” 489 Well, Section B, Lot 88. Feet Feet. Oil sand ...................................................................... 368 to 388 Pebble rock ................................................................. 388 ” 392 Lime ........................................................................... 392 ” 410 Sand, yellow gray ...................................................... 410 ” 425 Sand, gray ................................................................... 425 ” 430 Gas sand ..................................................................... 484 ” 506 Berea shale at .............................................................................. 546 Berea Sand ................................................................ 927 Total depth .................................................................................. 970 Just south of the town of Volcano on the high ridge and extending across the Ritchie county line is the Mount farm which is dotted with the numerous wells of the Mbunt Farm Oil Co. (sec Plates xv. and xvi.). The deepest well on this tract -----------------------------------------------------Page 168-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 115 was the No. 16, a record of which is given by Dr. I. C. White in Volume I (pp. 299, 300) on the authority of Mr. J. F. Part­ ridge. Mount Farm Well No. 16. Thickness. Feet Conductor .................................. ........................... 14 ........................... 14 Depth. Feet. 14 28 Sand ............................................ . . . 11 39 Coal ............................................ 41 Soapstone .................................. . . 15 5G Sand, dark .................................. . . 12 68 Shale .......................................... . . G2 130 Coal ............................................ 3 133 Shale .......................................... 59 192 Sand, gray .................................. . . 57 249 Shale .......................................... . . 99 348 Sand, gray .................................. . . 28 376 Sand, dark, pebbly ..................... . . 10 386 Shale .......................................... 9 395 Sand, gray .................................. . . 24 419 5 424 Sand, gray .................................. . . 50 474 Shale .......................................... 5 479 Sand, pebbly (base of “Salt Sand’’) . . G 185 Limestone, (Mountain) . , . . 44 529 Sand, wlilto (“Big Injun”) ................................. , . . 121 650 Shale .......................................... . . 3GS 1018 Maeksburg sand (Berea) .................................... . . 10 102 8 Shales and hard shells . ..1G10 263S “Grit,” (sandy material) . . 19 2657 Shales, soft, caving . . .. , . . 140 2797 Sha’es, caving badly . . . . . . 45 2842 Shale, blue ................................. . . 11 2853 Shale, dark, with pebbles . . 47 2900 Shale, dark, to bottom . . . 47 2947 Dr. White comments on this record as follows (p. 300) : “The coal bed at 39 feet is the one mined along the B. & O. railroad between Petroleum and Volcano, and lying 150 feet below the top of the massive, grayish white sandstone series so often called “Cow Run” by the drillers and which was struck in the Parkersburg well at 820 feet. The top of the corresponding stratum would come about no feet above the floor of the derrick on the Mount farm. “The bottom of this well cannot be very far above the Corniferous Limestone, since the rocks were penetrated at least 3500 feet below the horizon of the Pittsburg coal.” 10 s -----------------------------------------------------Page 169-----------------------------------------------------  146 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN WOOD COUNTY. The following records of wells drilled on this farm 1904 were furnished by Mr. Murphy of Parkersburg. Mount Farm Well No. 75. Thickness. Depth. Feet Feet. Shale ....................................................... ............... 100 ................. 53 153 Coal ........................................................ 160 Shale ...................................................... ................. 130 290 Cow Run sand ....................................... ............... 82 372 ............... 75 447 Sandstone, oil ........................................ ................. 63 510 Shelly rock ............................................. ............... 4 514 Sandstone, dark ...................................... 541 Sandstone, oil ........................................ ............... 20 561 Sandy shale ............................................ ............... 10 571 Sandstone, pepper and salt . . . . ............... 6 577 Sand, dark .............................................. ............... 5 582 Sand, white ............................................ ............... 7 589 Mount Farm Well No. 76. Thickness. Depth. Feet Feet. Shale ........................................................................... 73 Sandstone ..................................................................... 53 126 Coal ............................................................................... 5 131 Sandstone and shale ..................................................... 82 213 Coal ................................................................................. 2 215 Shale ............................................................................. 54 269 Cow Run sand .............................................................. 80 349 Shales ......................................................................... 100 449 Oil sand ........................................................................ 44 493 Sandstone and shale ..................................................... 21 514 Oil sand ........................................................................ 38 552 Shales ............................................................................. 8 560 Lime, white, sandstone pebbles ................................... 25 585 Big Injun sand, ye’low and white .......................... 8 598 -----------------------------------------------------Page 170-----------------------------------------------------  CHAPTER VI. ' PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN RITCHIE COUNTY. Ritchie county is one of the leading oil producing coun­ ties of the state, with many important pools in the various portions of the country. The early history of the oil industry dates between 1865 and 1870 when wild cat wells were drilled, one of these wells was near Cairo on Big Run and gave a promising show of oil,. Mr. Van A. Zevely one of the pioneer editors of the state and now a resident of Cairo, a few years ago wrote a series of articles on the oil history of the county for the Cairo Enterprise, and many of these facts are here re­ printed. In these early days the oil interest centered in the Vol­ cano field in the heavy lubricating oil which sold as high as $20 a barrel. After the great fire which destroyed most of the town, August 4, 1879, the development was carried south­ ward past Petroleum to California House and to Burning Springs, also west down Bull creek to Waverly and along the Ohio river. Ten years after Volcano field began to decline, Cairo be­ gan to show some evidence of becoming an oil center. About 1890 prospect drilling was commenced and big stories of im­ portant finds were circulated, and drilling extended to Corn­ wallis, Pennsboro, and Harrisville. August 11, 1890, A. L. Gracey leased a parcel of land near Cairo and persuaded Boden and Aiken to drill, and their first well (A. M. Douglas No. 1) is producing oil at the present time after eighteen years record. Clark and McCormick drilled the well and then drilled the No. 2 on Hatfield farm. They next drilled the McKinney Big John well. Then came the development -----------------------------------------------------Page 171-----------------------------------------------------  148 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN RITCHIE COUNTY. on the Dr. Martin farm, the J. H. Davidson farm, and the Dan Weaver farm. In 1885 the Bukey run region was a great forest through its full length with wild game and large lumber interests and a town was located here, all of which have now disappeared. In 1879 the first oil pipe line in West Virginia was laid from Volcano to Parkersburg with a relay station at Murphytown. In the ’9o’s came the oil development near Cornwallis which followed up Bear run over to Goose creek where Hugh Mearns brought in the first well on Wolf run. CLAY DISTRICT. Clay district includes the northeastern portion of the county and includes the towns of Highland and Ellenboro. In the northern portion of the district is the Big Knot run pool connected by scattered wells with the upper Bonds creek pool below Highland. These pools have been very productive. The following records furnished by Carter Oil Co. are of wells in the creek bottom land just southwest of High­ land at level 787 feet A. T. W. A. Douglas No. 1. Depth. Thickness. Feet Feet. Cave ......................................................................... 735 200 First Cow Run sand ............................ .................. 775 15 Second Cow Run sand ........................ ................. 885 25 Salt sand .............................................. ................. 1250 125 Maxton sand, show gas ...................... ................... 1550 20 Cave ........................................................................ 1615 5 Limestone ............................................ ................. 1620 80 Keener sand ......................................... ................. 1700 12 Big Injun sand ..................................... ____ ■___ 1712 122 Total depth .......................................... ................. 1872 (Dry hole). -----------------------------------------------------Page 172-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 149 Douglas Reserve, No. i. Depth. Thickness. Foot Feet. Cavo ......................... 200 First Cow Run sand ............... .................... 7G5 15 Second Cow Run sand .............. .................... 8G5 40 Salt sand ................... ................... 1090 150 Maxton sand . . . 25 Limestone ................. .................... 1G25 8G Keener sand . . . 13 Total depth . ... .................... 1733 J. O. Grayham, No. i. Depth. Thickness. Feet Feet. Cave ............................................................................ 525 250 First Cow Run sand ............................................ 775 10 Second Cow Run sand ......................................... 885 15 Salt sand ................................................................... 1225 100 Maxton sand ............................................................. 1475 25 Cave .......................................................................... 1G25 5 Limestone ....... ......................................................... 1G30 52 Keener ...................................................................... 1G82 13 Total depth ............................................................... 1708 J. O. Grayham, No. 2. Depth. Thickness. Feet. Feet. Cave ............................................................................ 575 200 First Cow Run sand ...................................................... 775 15 Second Cow Run sand ................................................. 875 30 Salt sand ................................................................... 1100 100 Maxton sand ............................................................. 1400 25 Limestone ................................................................. 1G35 G4 Keener sand .............................................................. 1009 15 Total depth ............................................................... 1720 Two miles west of Highland is the Whisky run pool, a very productive field when opened, some of the wells pro­ ducing a very light oil. It still maintains a fair production. Dr. White states in Volume I (a) (p. 411): “The first well was drilled there early in the ’ q o ’ s by Ira DeWitt. and the South Penn Oil Co., on the Hamilton farm. The well pro­ duced a little oil from the top of the Big Injun or Keener Sand, horizon at 1.749 feet, an( l such a large quantity of gas just below, that the well was utilized by the Mountain State -----------------------------------------------------Page 173-----------------------------------------------------  150 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN RITCHIE COUNTY. Gas Company in its lines for several years. Finally the Associated Producers Co. drilled in a well on the Baumgard­ ner farm early in 1898, which started off at 20 barrels an hour, and the pool was thereafter rapidly developed.” Dr. I. C. White gives the record of this first well in Volume I (a) (p. 411): Hamilton Well, No. 1. Thickness. Depth. Feet. Feet. Conductor ................. Rod rock ................... Limestone ................. Slate, blue ................ Sand, white .... Slate, blue .... Red rock ................... S'ate, blue .... Slate, brown . . . Limestone shells Red rock ................... Blue limestone . Sand, white .... Red rock ................... Slate, blue ................ Red rock ................... Slate, blue ................ Limestone ................. Slate, blue ................ Red rock ................... Slate, blue Sand, white . . . . Slate, white .... Slate, blue ................ Pink rock Slate, dark .... Slate, light blue Red rock ................... Slate, brown . . Slate, black .... Red rock ................... Sand, white .... Red rock ................... Slate, white . . . Red rock ................... Slate, blue ................ Coal, hard ................. Slate, dark ................ Red rock ................... Slate, brown .... 14 . . . . 26 40 . . . . 5 45 .... 10 55 .... 115 i70 . ... 10 180 . . . . 5 185 ,.. . 15 200 .... 5 205 . ... 3 208 ____ 10 218 . ... 15 233 . ... 30 203 . .. . 25 288 .... 20 308 .... 50 358 .... 40 398 . ... 5 403 ..: . 30 433 .... 40 473 ____ 17 490 .... 15 505 ____ 13 51.8 .... 20 538 ___ 5 543 . ... 5 548 . . . . 52 600 ___ 10 610 ,... 10 620 .... 15 635 .... 40 675 . . . . 10 685 .... 75 760 . ... 5 765 . ... 20 785 ____ 30 81.5 . . . . 5 820 ____ 15 885 . . . . 30 865 . . . . 75 940 -----------------------------------------------------Page 174-----------------------------------------------------  Plate X.—Waynesburg Sandstone Cliffs in Cooper’s Hollow South of St. Marys. -----------------------------------------------------Page 175-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 151 Feet. Feet. Coal, hard ....................................................................... 5 945 Slate, blue .................................. ; ........................... 4 0 985 Slate, black (casedG 1 /," at 1020') ___________ 35 1020 “Cow Run” Hand .................................................... 20 1040 Sand, white ................................................................ 5 1045 Slate, black .............................................................. 90 1136 Sand and limestone ...................................................... 10 1145 Slate, hue ...................................................................... 10 1155 Slate, black ...................................................... , . . . 15 1170! Slate, blue ............................................................... 90 1260 Sand and slate ............................................................... 36 1296 Slate, black ............................................ ; ............... 30 1326 Slate, white .............................................................. 10 1336 Slate, black ................................................................... 79 1415 Sand, gray ....................................................................... 5 1420 Slate, dark ..................................................................... 25 14 45 Sand, white ..................................................................... 5 14 50 Slate,, black .............................................................. 65 1515 Sand, gray ..................................................................... 75 1590 Slate, dark ..................................................................... 70 1660 “Big Lime” (.Mountain) ................................ 88 1748 “Big Injun” Sand, white (oil and some gas at 1749') .......................................................... 1 1749 Sand and limestone (gas at 1750') .. 13 1762 Slate, black ..................................................................... 4 1766 Sand, gray ..................................................................... 16 1782 Dr. White regards the Cow Run sand of this record as the Dunkard or Upper Mahoning sandstone, as it is below the horizon of First Cow Run. Dr. White gives the following record of the second well in the field on the Baumgardner farm, as preserved by Prof. John F. Carll for the Associated Producers Co. (Vol. I (a), P- 413 ) : Baumgardner Well, No. 1. Thickness. Depth. Feet. Feet. Conductor ................................................................ 7 Unrecorded ..................................................................... 8 15 Coal, Washington, trace ................................................... ... Unrecorded ..................................... ’ .............. ... 33 48 Shale, sandy .................................................................... 7 55 Sandstone, white (big water flowat 60') 70 125 S’ate ............................................................................. 25 150 Sandstone and sandy shale ..................................... 55 20 5 Shale, red ...................................................................... 25 230 Coal (Uniontown?) ......................................................... 2 232 Slate, dark red (10" casing at245') . . 83 315 Sand and slate, limy ..................................................... 55 370 Sandstone, hard, and red slate ................................ - 25 395 -----------------------------------------------------Page 176-----------------------------------------------------  152 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN RITCHIE COUNTY. Feet. Feet. Shale, red .................................................................... 45 440 Slate, sandy, gray and red ............................................ 20 4G0 Sandy slate and flaggy sandstone . . . . 38 498 Coal, Pittsburg ................................................................ 7 505 Slate ............................................................................ 120 G25 Slate, sandy, black and red .......................................... 30 G55 Slate .............................................................................. 85 740 Shale, dark “caving” .................................................... 40 780 Slate ........................................................................... 205 985 Red shale ..................................................................... 60 1035 Slate and shale, variegated ........................................... 35 1070 Slate, black (cased 8%", 1110') .................................. GO 1130 Slate, white and gray .................................................. 145 1275 Slate, dark and limy ..................................................... 80 1355 Coal, Kittanning horizon ............. .................................. 2 1357 Slate .............................................................................. 33 1390 Sand, gray, and shells ................................................... 35 1425 Slate, black ................................................................... 25 1450 Sand and shale, dark .................................................... 20 1470 Dark Slate and sand ..................................................... 30 1500 sand, white ........... 50 ‘ slate, dark ............. 80 sand, white ............ 25 Pottsville sand, light gray . .12 No. XII ■ sand, hard ................ G ■ 257 1757 “Salt Sand” sand, medium hard, flaky . . . . 2 6 | sand, white, friable 21 | [sand, white, flaky 37J Siliclous limestone (Mountain Limestone) 20 1777 Sand, fine (top “Big Injun” “Keener”) 18 1795 Sand, “pay,” sugary ................................................ 10 1805 Sand, fine, to bottom of well .................................. 22 1827 Dr. I. C. White comments on this record as follows (p. 414): “The coal reported at 498 feet comes in at the Pitts­ burg horizon, and is doubtless a representative of that stratum, but probably not so thick as represented, since only a few of the other wells have observed it so far as known. The bottom of this coal would come at 490 feet below the Washington bed, which crops’ out along the roadside just be­ low the derrick, and 1,290 feet above the top of the “Big In­ jun,” which agrees well with what we should expect here. “The Salt sand” and ‘Big Injun’ appear in the drillings to be almost continuous, but when examined with acid the limestone horizon separating them comes out very dis­ tinctly.” -----------------------------------------------------Page 177-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 153 Near the last well and on the Brooks farm, the Asso­ ciated Producers Oil Co. drilled a well to the Big Injun sand. The record as preserved by Prof. Carll showed a very peculiar coal,y substance or asphalt above the Big Lime. The record of this well as given by Dr. I. C. White, and his discussion of the asphalt material is here reprinted from Vol­ ume I (a) (pp. 414-416) : Brooks Well, No. 1. Thickness. Depth. Feet. Feet. Unrecorded .............................................................. 630 Pittsburg Coni ................................................................. 6 635 Unrecorded ................................................................. 605 1040 Limy shale and sand ......................................... 10 1050 Unrecorded ................................................................... 60 1100 Sand, grayish white ...................................................... 10 1110 Unrecorded .................................................................. 90 1200 Sand .............................................................................. 20 1220 Unrecorded ................................................................... 30 1250 Sand .............................................................................. 40 1290 Coni, thin ........................................................................... Sand ............................................................................ 10 Unrecorded ............................................... 150 Qoal ............................................................................... 5 Unrecorded ............................................... 145 Slate ............................................................................ 10 Sand, white ................................................................. 70 Coal (?) or Asphalt(saturated with oil) 8 “Big Lime” (Mountain) ...................................... G7 sand, fine, soft, 1300 1450 1455 1G00 1610 1G80 1088 1755 Big 'Injun” Sand (oil 1761') ... 10 sand, white . . . . 6 sand and slate . 4 73 1828 sand to bottom 64 “The coaly material at 1,680 feet, resting immediately upon the Mountain limestone, was saturated with petroleum, and described by the drillers as quite difficult to penetrate, ‘drilling like rubber/ as one expressed it. Its location im­ mediately on top of the limestone is so unusual that I sus­ pect it might be a substance similar to grahamite, and a proximate analysis made by Prof. B. H. Hite, the chemist of the Survey, gave the following results, compared with the composition of grahamite: -----------------------------------------------------Page 178-----------------------------------------------------  154 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN RITCHIE COUNTY. Analysis of Bituminous Matter from Brooks Well, No. i. Brooks No. 1. Grahamite. Moisture ................ Petroleum . . . . Volatile matter Fixed Carbon Ash ........................ ___ 00.21 00.26 ___ 1.40 ___ 34.21 68.37 . . . . 48.82 39.24 ____ 15.36 2.13 100.00 100.00 Sulphur ................................................... 1.13 1.25 “This analysis shows that thebituminous matter is not typical graliamite, though its anomalous stratigraphical po­ sition, limited distribution (for other wells drilled all around Brooks, No. i, failed to find the deposit), and saturation with petroleum, are all fairly conclusive evidence that the bitumi­ nous material is not coal, whatever el,se it may prove to be upon further examination. “The only other locality in the State where coaly ma­ terial has been reported at tins horizon is on Leading creek, in Calhoun county, where, in a well drilled by the Sill Oil Company upon the Metz farm, Mr. W. K. Jacobs reports that five feet of material which resembled coal in appear­ ance was encountered at 1,631 feet, only two feet above the Mountain Limestone, and 108 feet above the “Big Injun” oil sand. Hence it is quite probable that along this same line where the great fissure on Macfarlan was made and filled with the products of petroleum, to be converted into the mineral, grahamite, by subsequent chemical changes, other minor fissures would originate, thus giving rise to such de­ posits as those struck in the Brooks and Metz borings.” One-half mile north of Admiral, a small gas field has been opened on the Hay-hurst and Perrine farms. The Play- hurst wells are now owned by the West Virginia Pleat and Light Co. of Pennsboro, and the gas is piped to that town. The Perrine well opposite the school house one-fourth mile north of Admiral is owned by the Carter Oil Co. -----------------------------------------------------Page 179-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 155 H. B. Perrine Well, No. i (near U. S. 810 A. T). Depth. Thickness. Feet. Feet. Cow Run sand ................................... Salt sand ............................................ 18 45 35 Lime .................................................. 65 Keener sand ...................................... ................... 1723 10 Big Injun sand, gas .......................... . 87 Depth of well .................................... Hayhurst Well No. i. Feet. Feet. Top of Keener sand, gas ......................................... 1722 Bottom of hole ........................................................ 1729 Hayhurst Well No. 2. Feet. Feet. Salt sand ................................................................. 1400 to 1480 Maxton sand ............................................................................. 1550 Little gas ................................................................................... 1562 Bottom Maxton sand ................................................................ 1590 Top of Big Lime ...................................................................... -1614 White lime ................................................................................. 1651 Top of Keener sand ................................................................. 1768 Gas ........................................................................... 1767 to 1777 Bottom Keener sand ................................................................. 1781 Bottom hole in Big Injun sand ............................................... 1826 Dr. I. C. White gives the following record of a well drilled on the Yerkey farm, two miles north of Eflenboro, by the Carter Oil Co. (Vol. I (a), p. 409) : M. V. Yerkey Well, No. 1. Feet. Feet. Cava ........................................................................... 500 750 First Cow Run Sand .................................................. 80ft 815 Second Cow Run Sand ............................................... 900 925 Salt Sand ................................................................... 1260 1360 Maxton Sand ............................................................ 1540 1560 Cave .......................................................................... 1640 1660 Big Lime ................................................................... 1660 1740 Keener Sand ............................................................. 1740 1 750 Big Injun sand (oil, 1752' ....................................... 1750 1788 (Five barrel well.) -----------------------------------------------------Page 180-----------------------------------------------------  156 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN RITCIIIE COUNTY. About one mile and a half east of Ellenboro is the Spiker gas well of the West Virginia Heat and Light Co., in which the top of the Keener is reached at 1658 feet, and the gas pay from 1676 to 1686 feet. One mile and a half south of Tollgate on Cabin run is t'he Flannagan Heirs well, a record of which is given by Dr. I. C. White in Volume I (a) (p. 406) : Flannagan Heirs Gas Well. Feet. Feet. ............... 95 to 105 175 ............... 210 ” 230 ................. 3G4 ” 384 Blue sand ............................................... 420 480 T ||Y10 ................. 5C0 ” 580 Lime ....................................................... 720 Coal ......................................................................... 755 ” 758 Red rock ................................................ 815 ................. 856 ” 857 Hard sand ............................................ 910 Black sha'es ......................................... 920 985 Lime ...................................................... 995 Slate and shells .................................... ................. 1110 ” 1240 Sand, sharp and nice ........................... ................. 1240 ” 1300 Coni ..................................................... ................. 1300 ” 1302 Sand ..................................................... ................. 1302 ” 1312 Slate and shells .................................... 1440 Sand ..................................................... ................. 1440 ” 1500 Sand ..................................................... ................. 1530 ” 1570 Salt sand (gas, 1G20'; “break” at 1635') 1590 ” 1GG8 Big Lime ............................................... ................. 1GG8 ” 1740 Big Injun Sand, hard (gas) . ................. 1740 ” 1824 Shelly sand .......................................... 2130 Sand ..................................................... ................. 2240 ” 2255 Sand and shells (gas) .......................... ................. 2320 ” 2330 Shells ................................................... 2 oa0 Sand ..................................................... 2412 Shells ................................................... 2475 Sand, Probably Gordon ...................... ................. 248G ” 2498 Bottom ................................................. 2712 Dr. White in Volume I (a) (pp. 408, 409) gives the fol­ lowing records of wells near Pennsboro: -----------------------------------------------------Page 181-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 157 Creed Collins Well, No. i. Two miles and a half northeast of Pennsboro. Carter Co. Feet. Feet. Coal ............................................................................ 270 to 273 Coal (Pittsburg) .......................................................... 510 ” 515 Cave .......................................................................... 800 '* 1100 Cow Run Sand ............................................................. 930 ” 996 Salt Sand (water, 1332') .......................................... 120G ” 1400 Big Lime, bard (Iltt’e black oil, 1800') 1750 ” 1850 Big Injun Sand, hard (gas, 1910')_______________1850 ” 1930 Berea Sand, Soft ........................................................ 2200 “ 2235 (Dry hole.) • Cunningham Well, No. i. NearPennsboro. Bettman, Watson & Company. Feet. Feet. Cow run Sand .......................................................... 105G to 1076 Gray sand ................................................................ 1200 White sand (water, 1235') ........................... 1245 Shells and slate ...................................................... 1G0O Hard, white sand .................................................... 1G70 Slate ......................................... .- ............................ 1G80 Little Llmo ............................................................... 1G80 ” 1705 Big Lime (G'A" casing, 1715') ................................ 1705 ” 17G0 Slate .......................................................................... 1760 ” 17G5 Bluo Sand (Keener) .................................................. 1765 ” 1770 Slate ............................................................................. 1770 ” 177G White Sand (top Big Injun) ..................................... 177G " 1785 Slate ............................................................................. 1785 ” 1798 Coarse white sand (gas, 1814') ................................. 1798 ” 1825 Slate ........................................................................... 1825 ” 1830 White Sand (base Big Injun) .................................... 1830 ” 1846 Shells and slate ........................................................... 1846 ” 2040 Very hard black sand ................................................ 2040 ” 2100 Shelly ......................................................................... 2100 ” 2440 Dark gray sand (Gordon?) ........................................ 2440 ’’ 2470 Shelly sand ................................................................ 2470 ” 2600 Bottom ....................................................................................... 2615 Smith & Co’s Well, No. i, on Wilson Farm. Three miles southwestof Pennsboro. F. E. Boden. Feet. Feet. Coal (Pittsburg) ........................................................ 450 Salt sand ................................................................... 1370 to 1592 White sand ................................................................ 1670 ” 1755 Shales ........................................................................ 1755 ” 1805 Light Amber Oil .......................................................... 1805 ” 1815 Four and one-fourth-inch casing, 1780' to shut off cave at 1200'. -----------------------------------------------------Page 182-----------------------------------------------------  158 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN RITCHIE COUNTY. "Produced five to fifteen barrels per day of about 50° oil. This oil took the premium for finest crude oil in America at the World’s Fair, Chicago. Wells drilled at all points of the compass around this one failed to find any other pro­ ducers.” GRANT DISTRICT. The northern, northwestern, and central portions of Ritchie county are included in Grant district, which includes the. towns of Cairo, Cornwallis and Rutherford. It is a very productive oil district, the oil. coming mostly from the so-called Salt sand or more properly called the Maxton. In the northern portion of the district are the scat­ tered wells near League, Goose Creek, and up Pear run. On Bonds creek near the mouth of Wolf Pen run and up this run, two miles west of Ellenboro, a large oil pool was devel­ oped in the Spring of 1908 with some wells with very large initial production. In November 1905, several wells were drilled near the head of Wolf Pen run by the Associated Producers Co. The record of the No. 3 well on Robinson farm has been furnished by S. P. Carll: Robinson Well, No. 3. Depth. Thickness Feet. Feet. Casing 10 inch .............. Casing. 8*/i inch ......... Salt sand ........................ ........................... 14 60 60 Casing 0% inch ............. .................... 1169 Big Lime .................................. .................... 1015 75 Keener sand ............................... 18 Big Injun sand ..................... ........................... 1765 60 Slate ........................................... .................... 1825 Bottom of hole .......................... ........................... 1909 This well showed some gas in Salt sand and more gas in Keener sand from 1690 t 0 i6)95.Tbe Big Inj 11 n was gray poor, and no show of oil in any of the sands. The Sarber Oil Co., of P 'arkcrsburg, drilled a number of -----------------------------------------------------Page 183-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 159 wells on Bonds creek above the.mouth of Wolfpen run. The depth of the sands in these wells is given in the follow­ ing record: J. M. De Lancey Well, No, i (U. S. 920 A. T). Feet. Feet. Conductor ...................................................................................... 12 Casing 13 inch ............................................................................ 200 Casing 8 inch ............................................................................ 1020 Casing G% inch ........................................................................ 1640 Top Of Maxton sand ................................................................. 1776 Pay ........................................................................... 1 786 to 1791 Rig Lime ................................................................. 179 5 to 1850 Top of Keener sand, oil ............................................................ 1850 Bottom of pay and hole ............................................................ 1863 Northwest of Nutter farm three-fourths mile, Mr. Proper of St. Marys drilled a test well in the summer of 1908, just north of the Northwestern turnpike, and he has furnished the following record: Kelly Farm Well. No. 1. Feet. Feet. First Cow Run sand ................................................ 795 Salt sand (Maxton) ................................................... 1515 to 1536 nig Lime ................................................................... 1536 ” 1580 Big Injun sand .......................................................... 1605 ” 1652 (Dry hole). Mr. Thomas IT. Murphy of Parkersburg, has furnished the folilowpig record of a well drilled on Goose Creek, one mile above the mouth of Short run, or four miles north­ west of Cairo on the Waite farm. Waite Well, No. 1. Feet. Feet. Conductor ...................................................................................... 10 Casing 8 inch ......... ..................................................................... 110 Show of oil and gas ................................................................. 160 First Cow Run sand ................................................... 785 to 800 Sand ............................................................................ 895 “ 94 5 Slate ............................................................................. 945 “ 960 Sand ............................................................................. 960 " 1005 Slate ........................................................................ 1 005 “ 1030 Sand ......................................................................... 1 030 “ 1040 Slate .......................................................................... 1040 “ 1080 -----------------------------------------------------Page 184-----------------------------------------------------  160 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN RITCHIE COUNTY. Feet. Feet. Sand ........................................................................... 1040 “ 1080 Sand ........................................................................... 1080 “ 1195 Slate ........................................................................... 1195 ” 1242 Sand ........................................................................... 1242 “ 1270 Slate ........................................................................... 1270 “ 1285 Sand ........................................................................... 1285 “ 1354 Slate ............................................................................ 1354 “ 1368 Lime ........................................................................... 1368 “ 1385 Sand ............................................................................ 1385 “ 1430 Slate .......................................................................... 1430 “ 1450 Sand ........................................................................... 1450 “ 1485 Slate ........................................................................... 1485 “ 1524 Sand ........................................................................... 1524 “ 1538 Lime .......................................................................... 1538 “ 1624 Big Injun sand, show of oil ........................................ 1624 “ 1669 In the western part of Grant district the Volcano fold continues southward between Laurel or Volcano Junction and Petroleum. The record of the deep well on Mount farm just over the Ritchie county line from the Volcano field, h#is been given. Dr. I. C. White gives a record of a well further south on the fold and on the small branch of Oilspring run known as Steele run, one mile north of Petroleum station on the West Virginia Oil Co. tract (Vol. I, p. 301) : West Virginia Oil Tract, Well No. 1. Thickness. Depth. Feet. Feet. Coal bed 10 feet above derrick floor Unrecorded ............................................... 358 Slia'o ......................................................... 398 Sand (second oil rock) ............................ ............. 33 431 Sand, gray ................................................ ............... 14 445 Limestone, Mountain ............................... ............. 16 461 f sand, yellow ................... .24 1 | sand,, white ..................... .34 | Big Injun ■{ sand, white, hard. .40 [ .. 146 607 1 shale .............................. .14 | 1 sand, gray (Squaw) 34J Shales, dark ............................................. ............ 371 978 Berea sand, oil ......................................... ............. 10 988 Shales and shell to bottom ... . 1800 Dr. White states that the coal above derrick floor is the one along track west of Petroleum, and same as struck at 39 feet in the Mount farm deep well. The sand at 398 -----------------------------------------------------Page 185-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 161 feet is the Cairo oil sand seven miles east of Petroleum. The Berea or Macksburg sand is still producing oil. Three miles southwest of Petroleum station is the Twy- man well with the following log as given by Dr. I. C. White (Vol. I (a), (p. 439): G. W. Twyman Well. Feet. Feet. First Cow Run sand .................................................... 706 to 731 Second Cow Run Sand ............................................... 796 “ 851 Third Cow Run Sand ................................................ 1148 “ 1217 Top Salt Sand .......................................................... 1487 Blade slate .............................................................. 1540 Second Salt Sand ...................................................... 1548 " 1578 Big Lime ..................................................................... 1578 “ 1628 Black slate ................................................................ 1661 Big Injun sand ........................................................... 1661 ” 1740 “Good Sand; some oil; no water in any sand.” Three miles southeast of Petroleum station and just east of Rusk, two or three gas wells have been drilled which are furnishing a local supply. The record of the Lewis well is given as follows by Dr. I. C. White in Volume I (a) (p. 439 ) : J. M. Lewis Well, No. i. Thickness. Depth. Feet. Feet. Conductor . . . .' ....................................................... 20 Shale, white .................................................................. 10 30 Red rock ..................................................................... 100 130 Sandstone, Bluff ........................................................... 35 165 Shale, black (10-inch casing) ......................................... 5 170 Red rock ....................................................................... 75 245 Shale, white .................................................................. 25 270 Limo ............................................................................. 30 300 Red Rock ...................................................................... 40 340 Shale, black and white .................................................. 15 3 55 Sandstone ...................................................................... 10 365 Red rock ...................................................................... 130 495 Shale, white .................................................................. 20 515 Sandstone, white ...................................... ; ............ 15 530 Red rock ........................................................................ 60 590 Lime .............................................................................. 35 625 Shale, white (8% inch casing) ...................................... 25 650 Little Dunkard, First Cow Run Sand. .20 670 Red rock ........................................................................ 10 680 -----------------------------------------------------Page 186-----------------------------------------------------  162 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN RITCI-IIE COUNTY. Feet. Feet. Shale, black ...................................................... Big Dunkanl Sami (Mahoning) . . . Slate, black ...................................................... Slate, white ...................................................... Sandstone, white (gas, 970') ............................ Slate, white ...................................................... Sand ................................................................. Cave and slate (O'A" casing) ........................... Sandstone (top of PoottsviUe) . . , Slate, white ...................................................... Slate, black ...................................................... Lime ................................................................. Sandstone, white .............................................. Slate, black ...................................................... Sandstone, white (Gas Sand) .......................... Lime ................................................................. Sandstone, white .............................................. Slate, white ...................................................... Salt Sand (Cairo, Maxton) .............................. Sandstone, black .............................................. Sandstone, white ............................................. Big Lime .......................................................... Keener Sand .................................................... Sand and slate, black ....................................... Big Injun Sand (gas, 1595') .... Slate and Shale, black, to bottom 690 .. . 55 745 , . . 10 755 . . . 160 915 . . . 75 990 . . . 15 100 5 1065 ... 35 1100 . . . 62 1163 ... 47 1210 1245 ... 15 1260 ... 55 1315 8 1323 ... 54 1377 5 1382 1422 5 1427 ... 42 1469 ... 13 1482 ... 15 1497 1535 ... 30 1565 . . . 10 1575 . . . 72 1647 . . . .178 1825 Three miles northwest of Cairo on Long run, there was an active and successful oil development a few years ago, and a number of companies entered the field. One of the first wells was drilled by the Carter Oil Co., about a mile below the head of the run near a farm road to the north on the Cain farm, but it proved dry. The record of this well has been furnished by the company. C. L. Cain Well, No. i (U. S. 828 A. T). Depth. Thickness. Feet. Feet. Pittsburg coal Cave ...................... Cow Run sand Salt sand . .. . Sa't sand ................. Maxton sand . . Limestone Keener sand . Big Injun sand Show of gas at Total depth . . . ... 390 3 ____ 575 200 ... 830 25 ....1140 92 ....1270 55 ....1480 25 ....1580 40 ___ 1620 12 ____1642 135 ____1660 ___ 1835 -----------------------------------------------------Page 187-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 163 Down the creek on the north side are the wells of the Bando Oil Co., of Baltimore, and the following records of these wells were furnished by Mr. A. J. Price for many years field manager. The order of the wells passing down this run are 5, 4, 2, 1, 3 in the creek bottom, while Nos. 7, 8, 9 are on the hill to the north. The first well drilled, No. 1, flowed 204 barrels the first twenty-four hours and at present time is producing sixteen barrels daily (sec plate VI). The Salt sand of these records is the Cairo salt sand above the Big Lime and therefore represents the Maxton sand. Cain Well, No. 1 (U. S. 778 A. T). Feet. Top of Salt sand ...................................................... 1530 Total depth ............................................................... 1538 Cain Well, No. 2 (near U. S. 800 A. T.) Feet. Top of C.as sand ....................................................................... 1394 Bottom of Gas sand .................................................................. 1415 Break ............. ........................................................ 1517 to 1552 Top of Salt sand and pay .......................................................... 1552 Oil at .......................................................................................... 1555 Bottom of pay ............................................................................ 1577 Total depth ................................................................................ 1603 Cain Well, No. 3. Feet. Top of Gas sand ........................................................................ 1390 Bottom of Gas sand .................................................................. 1513 Top of Salt sand ........................................................................ 1548 Top of pay ................................................................................. 1655 Bottom of pay ........................................................................... 1566 Total depth ................................................................................ 1579 Cain Well, No. 4 (near U. S. 810 A. T). Feet. Top of Salt sand Pay ........................... Total depth 1531 1553 to 1563 1588 -----------------------------------------------------Page 188-----------------------------------------------------  164 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN RITCHIE COUNTY. Cain Well, No. 5 (near U. S: 820 A. T). Peel. Top of Salt sand ..................................................... 1525 Pay .......................................................................... 154G to 1570 Total depth ............................................................. 1578 Cain Well, No. 6. Peet. Top of Salt sand Pay ........................... Total depth . .. 1641 1656 to 1668 1688 Cain Well, No. 7. Peet. Salt sand and pay .................................................... 1640 to 1655 Total depth ............................................................. 1C90 Cain Well, No. 8. Peet. Top of Salt sand ..................................................... 1742 Pay .......................................................................... 1750 to 1754 Total depth ............................................................. 1771 At the forks of the road, one mile and a half northwest of Siilver Run and the southwestern edge of the Long Run oil field are two wells, the one on the hill drilled by Murphy and White of Parkersburg, on the Kant farm, the other near the run on the Hill farm drilled by Griffin and Stewart Oil Co., of Cairo. Kant Well, No. 1 (near U. S. 800 A. T). Peet. First Cow Run sand ............................................... 300 Second Cow Run sand ................................................................ 900 Top of Salt sand (Maxton) ........................................................ 1545 Pay at ......................................................................................... 1553 Bottom hole still in sand ....................................... 1582 Hill Well, No. 5 (U. S. 770 A. T). Peet. Cow Run sand ........................................................ 750 to 775 Top of Salt sand ..................................................... 1491 Bottom Salt sand and hole .................................... 1544 -----------------------------------------------------Page 189-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 165 A number of good producing oil wells have been drilled west of Silver Run. The following record is of a well located 40 to 50 feet above the run level just south of railroad and west of the tunnel, about one mile and a half west of Silver Run station. The well was drilled by Guffey and Gayley in August, 1903. Campbell Well, No. 3. Conductor .................................................... Casing 10 inch ........................................... .. Dunkard sand ............................................... Cased in old Salt sand (G% inch) Gas at ............................................................ Gas sand . ...... ............................................ Gas at ........................................................... Slate .............................................................. Maxton sand ................................................ Top of Big Lime .......................................... Oil at ............................................................. Keener sand .................................................. Gas at ............................................................ Big Injun sand .............................................. Little gas at ................................................... Bottom Big Injun ......................................... Squaw sand ................................................. Berea sand, shell ......................................... Total depth ................................................... Feet. 12 120 960 1376 1365 1610 1644 1672 1702 1725 1725 1800 1810 1825 1840 1880 1900 to 1920 2250 to 2258 2273 Just east of Silver Run station, one-half mile, and to south of county road, the Cairo Oil Company drilled a 3.- 000,000 cubic feet gas well in October, 1904. The record of this well has been furnished by Mr. Amos Rathbone, superin­ tendent of the company. Haga Well, No. 1 (near U. S. 780 A. T). Feet. Conductor ................................................................................... 16 Casing 10 inch ............................................................................. 123 Casing S'/t inch ........................................................................... 775 Casing 4% inch ......................................................................... 1200 Top Gas sand ............................................................................. 1413 Small gas flow ........................................................................... 1443 Bottom gas sand ........................................................................ 1445 Top Salt sand (Maxton) ........................................................... 1465 Big gas flow (2-3 of total) ........................................................ 1484 Bottom Salt sand ....................................................................... 1517 Top Big Injun sand .................................................................... 1615 Gas at (1-3 of total) ................................................................... 1718 Bottom Big Injun ...................................................................... 1728 -----------------------------------------------------Page 190-----------------------------------------------------  166 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN RITCHIE COUNTY. Three-fourths mile west of Silver Run station to the north of county road to Goose creek, Griffin & Co. drilled a well on the Moats farm with the following record: Moats Well, No. 2 (near U. S. 1100 A. T). Feet. Second Cow Run sand ............................................ 1110 to 1130 Salt sand (Maxton) ................................................. 183G to 1883 Bottom of well (4 feet in Big Lime) . . 1887 One mile and a half south of Silver Run station on Sheep creek, the following record is given by Cajro Oil Co. of a well producing from the Maxton or Cairo salt and: Deem Well, No. 2. Feet. Conductor ...................................................................................... 14 Casing 10 inch ............................................................................. 104 Casing 8Vi inch .......................................................................... 770 Casing CV4 inch ....................................................................... 1260 Top Salt sand (Maxton) ............................................................ 1445 Good gas flow at ....................................................................... 1465 Small oil flow ............................................................................ 1477 Bottom Salt sand ....................................................................... 1491 Bottom of hole ....................................................... 1500V& Further south in the North Fork of Hughes river valley are several Big Injun sand wells of the Cairo Oil Co. on the Hall farm. Hall Farm Well, No. 1. Feet. Conductor ............................................................... Casing 10 inch ....................................................... Casing 8V4 inch .................................................... Casing 6% inch ...................................................... Salt sand (Maxton) no oil or gas . . . .1395 Top Big Lime ......................................................... Top Big Injun sand ................................................ Gas ......................................................................... 1620 Oil at ....................................................................... More oil ................................................................. 1660 Bottom hole ............................................................ 20 125 725 1175 to 1426 1445 1562 to 1635 1654 to 1661 1670 In the Cornwallis region a large number of wells have been drilled mostly to the Cairo Salt sand or Maxton. The following records were furnished by Mr. Michael Naughton -----------------------------------------------------Page 191-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 167 of Cornwallis, field manager of the Hudson Oil Co., of Park­ ersburg. Naughton Well, No. i (U. S. 690 A. T). Feet. Top of Salt sand ........................................................................ 1431 Oil .............................................................................................. 1464 r Bottom Salt sand ....................................................................... 1470 This well was drilled in February, 1896, between rail­ road and river at the edge of town and north of the county bridge. It produced 40 barrels daily and has averaged one barrel for a number of years but has now been abandoned. Naughton Well, No. 9 (U. S. 780 A. T). Feet. Top of Salt sand ........................................................................ 1534 Oil at .......................................................................................... 1552 Bottom Salt sand ....................................................................... 1560 Naughton Well, No. 10 (U. S. 906 A. T). Feet. Top of Salt sand ........................................................................ 1672 Oil at .......................................................................................... 1685 Bottom Salt sand ....................................................................... 1693 The top of Naughton well No. 10 is 63 feet above the top of the Waynesburg sandstone at quarry which would place the salt sand (Maxton) about 1500 to 1550 feet below base of this sandstone. Keeler Farm ( i $4 miles east of Cornwallis). Feet. Top Salt sand ............................................................................. 1460 Top Big Lime ............................................................................ 1509 Bottom Big Lime ...................................................................... 1598 Top Keener sand ....................................................................... 1598 Gas at ........................................................................................ 1600 Bottom Keener sand ................................................................. 1619 -----------------------------------------------------Page 192-----------------------------------------------------  168 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN RITCHIE COUNTY. The Harlcness wells are located one mile west of Corn- wlallis at the bend of the river to the north, and between the county road and the river. The following records are taken from Volume I (a) (pp. 428, 429) : Harkness Well, No. 1 (U. S. 710 A. T). Thickness. Depth. Feet. Feet. Conductor .............................................................. 37 Unrecorded .................................................................. 73 110 Bluff Sand ................................................................. GO 170 Unrecorded ................................................................ 430 600 Little Dunkard Sand .................................................... 15 G15 Unrecorded ............................................................... 7/5 690 Second Dunkard Sand ................................................. 35 725 Unrecorded ................................................................. 355 1080 First Salt Sand ............................................................. 40 1120 Black slate ................................................................... 35 1155 Second Salt Sand ......................................................... 95 1250 Unrecorded .................................................................. 50 1300 Hard Sand .................................................................... 10 1310 White sand ................................................................... 55 13G5 Slate ............................................................................... 5 1370 Gas Sand ...................................................................... 20 1390 Black slate ................................................................... 38 1428 Oil sand (Maxton.) Cairo ............................................ 45 1473 (Gas, 1433-3G'; oil, 1450-70'; water, 1435'.) Harkness Well, No. 2 (U. S. 720 A. T). Thickness. Depth. Feet. Feet. Conductor ................................................... Unrecorded ................................................. Bluff Sand ................................................. Unrecorded ............................................... Big Dunkard Sand ..................................... Second Dunkard Sand ............................... First Salt Sand ........................................... Unrecorded ................................................. Second Salt Sand ....................................... Unrecorded ............................................... .. Gas Sand .................................................... Slate ........................................................... Cairo (Maxton?) Oil Sand (1st -1642'; 2nd pay. 1647') ......................... 13 . .. . 262 275 . . . . 65 340 . . . . 525 865 900 . . . . 345 1245 . . . . 45 1290 1320 ... . 100 1420 1500 .... 50 1550 1632 pay, .... 25 1657 Most of the oil in the Cairo field comes from the Cairo Salt sand or Maxton. Just northeast of the town on th« -----------------------------------------------------Page 193-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 169 north bank of the river are the McGregor wells in a nearly straight line. The records of these wells have been fur­ nished by Major Hawkins of Cairo. McGregor Well, No. i (U. S. 685 A. T). Feet. Top of Cairo Salt sand .............................................................. 1481 Show of oil and gas ................................................................... I486 Bottom Salt sand ....................................................................... 1509 Top Big Injun sand .................................................................... 1617 Break at ..................................................................................... 1621 Bottom Big Injun ...................................................................... 1652 McGregor Well, No. 2 (U. S. 658 A. T). Feet. Top Cairo Salt sand .................................................................. 1470 Show of oil at ............................................................................ 1477 Bottom Salt sand ....................................................................... 1488 Top Big Injun sand .................................................................... 1580 Show of gas and oil ................................................................... 1590 Bottom of hole .......................................................................... 1626 McGregor Well, No. 5 (U. S. 658 A. T). Feet. Top Cairo Salt sand ............................................... 1469 Oil and gas ......................................................................... 1471 Bottom Salt sand ................................................................ 1488 Top Big Injun sand ................................................................... 1583 Oil and gas .......................................................................... 1598 Bottom of sand ................................................................... 1650 McGregor Well, No. 8,' (U. S. 658 A. T.) Feet. Top of Cairo Salt sand ........................................... 1455 Show of oil ............................................................. 1460 Bottom of Salt sand ................................................ 1629 Top of Big Injun sand ............................................ 1615 Bottom Big Injun (dry) .......................................... 1700 McGregor Well No. 13, (U. S. 663 A. T.) Feet. Top Cairo Salt sand . . Show of oil .......................... Bottom of Salt sand . Big Injun sand (dry) 1446 1464 1494% 1584 to 1700 -----------------------------------------------------Page 194-----------------------------------------------------  170 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN RITCHIE COUNTY. McGregor Well, No. 17, (U. S. 663 A. T). Feet. Cairo Salt sand, oil ................................................ 1448 to 1490 Big Injun sand, gas ................................................. 1573 to 1700 The No. 15 well drilled on the hill to the south of the above wells was one of the deepest wells in Cairo field. McGregor Well, No. 15. Feet. Top of Cairo Salt sand ........................................... 1575 Show of oil ................................................................................ 1593 Bottom of Salt sand .................................................................. 1638 Top of Big Injun sand ............................................................... 1717 Break, show of oil ..................................................................... 1742 Bottom of Big Injun .................................................................. 1831 Squaw sand ............................................................ 1865 to 1883 Slate and shell to ....................................................................... 2300 Sand, broken ............................................................................. 2305 Slate and shell to ....................................................................... 2340 Lime, hard ................................................................................. 2370 Slate and shell ................................................................... 2410 Gordon sand, thin ...................................................................... 2703 Slate and lime, shell .......................................................... 2850 Slate to ....................................................................................... 2902 There is a large number of wells within the corporate limits of the town of Cairo, belonging to several companies. The following records of wells of the Cairo Oil Co. have been furnished by Mr. J. H. Rathbone. The first well drilled in Cairo field was near the southern edge of town drilled by Boden and Aiken in October, 1890, and now owned by Cairo Oil Co. This record is given by Dr. T. C. White in Volume I (a) (p. 433): Douglas Well, No. 1, (U. S. 687 A. T.) Thickness. Depth. Feet. Feet. Conductor ............................................................. 16 Limestone .................................................................... 12 28 Shale ........................................................................... 12 40 Sand ....................................................................... 15 55 Shale ............................................................................ 30 85 Shale, light .................................................................. 45 130 Sand, sharp, white (Carroll Oil Sand) 43 173 Shale (7%" casing, 175') ............................................ 36 209 -----------------------------------------------------Page 195-----------------------------------------------------  Plate XI.—-Upper Freeport Sandstone and Coal on Cow Creek back of Belmont. -----------------------------------------------------Page 196-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 171 Coal ............................................................ Sand, dark .................................................. 1 11 210 221 Shale, light ................................................. 12 23 3 Slate, red .................................................... , 1G 249 Shale, light ................................................. , 12 2G1 Slate, red .................................................... . 10 271 Sand, dark gray .......................................... 7 278 Slate ............................................................ . 11 2S9 Slate, red .................................................... , 19 308 Shale, soft, blue .......................................... . 20 328 Shale, red .................................................... 9 327 Limestone ................................................... , 10 347 Shale, light ................................................. 52 399 , 10 409 Shale, light ................................................. 7 41G Red rock ..................................................... 2 418 Shale, light ................................................. 5 423 Red rock ..................................................... 44 467 Shale, light ................................................ 1G 483 25 508 15 523 Shale, light ................................................. 11 534 Red rock .................... •.............................. 9 543 Shale, light ................................................. 30 573 Red rock ..................................................... 5 578 Sand ............................................................ 55 633 26 659 Shale, light ................................................. 19 678 Red rock ..................................................... 20 G98 Sand (5% inch casing, 725') ... . 78 776 Shale, light ................................................. 12 788 Shale, dark ................................................. 25 813 Shale, red, sandy ....................................... 13 826 Shale, light ................................................. 92 918 Sand ........................................................... 5 923 Shale, black ................................................ 10 933 Shale, light ................................................. 135 10G8 Sand, light .................................................. G4 1132 Shale, light ................................................. 2G 1158 Shale, black ............................................... 20 1178 Sand, gas .................................................... , 90 12G8 Shale, gray ................................................. 94 1362 10 1372 70 1442 Sand (Cairo Oil Sand) ............................... 57 1499 1G 1515 Mountain \ limestone . . 50 1 Limestone ^ sand ............................ .12 l 74 1589 "Big Lime” [ sand, limestone 12 [ Sand “Big Injun” (oil, 1G78') . , 97 1G86 Unrecorded to bottom ............................... 374 2060 A short distance to the east up a small ravine is the Sleeth well, drilled in May, 1897 into the. Injun sand, which was shot with 40 quarts. -----------------------------------------------------Page 197-----------------------------------------------------  172 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN RITCHIE COUNTY. Sleeth Well, No. i (U. S. 680 A. T.) Feet. Conductor .......................................................... .. . 14 Casing 10 Inch ............................................................................ 115 Casing 8 Vi Inch ......................................................................... 720 Casing 6V4 inch ........................................................................ 1110 Top Salt sand (Maxton) ............................................................ 1455 Oil at .......................................................................................... 1500 Bottom of sand .......................................................................... 1520 Top Big Injun, sand ................................................................. 1G05 Gas at ........................................................................................ 1613 Increased flow gas to ................................................................ 1623 Showing oil ............................................................................... 1628 Bottom of hole .......................................................................... 1679 In the field to the southwest of the Douglas farm are the Hatfield wells of Cairo Oil Co., producing from the Salt sand or Maxton. Hatfield Well, No. 1. (U. S. 700 A. T). Feet. Cairo Salt sand, oil pay .......................................... 1458 to 1482 Oil at ...................................................................... 1496 Bottom Salt sand .................................................... 1524 Big Lime ...................................................... 1524 to 1617 Big Injun sand .................................................. 1617 to 1704 Slate .......................................................................... 1704 to 2072 Shale ......................................................................... 2072 to 2112 Sand .......................................................................... 2112 to 2118 Sand and slate ................................................. 2118 to 2150 Hatfield Well, No. 2, (U. S. 750 A. T). Feet. Conductor ...................................................................................... 14 Casing .......................................................................................... 155 Casing 8Vi inch .......................................................................... 850 Casing 6Vi inch ............................ : ...................... 1234 Gas sand, gas flow .................................................. 1399 to 1496 Slate to ....................................................................................... 1527 Coal and black oil to ................................................................. 1533 Top Salt sand (Maxton) ............................................................ 1533 Oil ............................................................................................. 1563 Bottom hole in good sand ......................................................... 1570 -----------------------------------------------------Page 198-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 173 Hatfield Well, No. 4. (U. S. 674 A. T). Feet. Conductor ........................ Casing 10 inch . . . Casing 8 Vi inch . . . Casing 6Vi inch . . . Top Cairo Salt sand Oil pay ............................. Bottom hole in sand 8 220 720 1212 1445 1481 to 1489 1496 To the west of county road west of Hatfield farm in forks of the roads is the J. B. McKinney well No. 1, which struck oil pay at 1478 feet and salt water at 1500 feet. On the hill to the south is the No. 2 well of the Cairo Oil Co. J. B. McKinney Well No. 2. Feet. Top of Gas sand ........................................................................ 1455 Top of Salt sand ........................................................................ 1500 Oil ............................................................................. 1504 to 1508 Lighter oil .................................................................................. 1515 Sand, salt and pepper ............................................... 1550 to 1560 Sand and lime ........................................................... 1560 to 1660 Big Injun sand ........................................................................... 1660 Sand and shale ............................................................ 1660 to 1762 Gas ............................................................................................. 1752 Bottom of hole and sand ........................................................... 1755 (Plugged at 1552.) In the western portion of the town of Cairo are the wells of the Clark Oil Co., on the Carrol farm; the records of two of these wells were furnished by Mr. Clark of Marietta. Carrol Well, No. 1 (U. S. 658 A. T.) Feet. Top of Salt sand ........................................................................ 1427 First oil pay ............................................................................... 1476 First water .................................................................................. 1480 Bottom of sand .......................................................................... 1495 Bottom of well .......................................................................... 1645 -----------------------------------------------------Page 199-----------------------------------------------------  174 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN RITCHIE COUNTY. Carrol Well, No. 2. (U. S. 672 A. T). Feet. Top of Big Injun sand ................................................................. 1595• First gas ................................................... .............. 1C00 First oil ..................................................................................... 1G06 Lime, thin .................................................................................. 1613 More gas at .............................................................................. 1G1G Gas at ......................................................................................... 1705 Bottom of hole .......................................................................... 1712 West of town and to the north of the Baltimore & Ohio railroad on a high hill of the Lee farm, the Clark Oil Co. drilled a well and kept a careful record for the Survey which is given by Dr. I. C. White in Volume 1 (a) (p. 431) : Lee Well, No. 6, (U. S. 860 A. T.) Thickness. Depth. Feet. Feet. Unrecorded ................................................................. 35 35 Coal (Washington or Waynesburg “A” 2 37 Unrecorded ............................................................... 213 250 Carroll Oil Sand .......................................................... 40 290 Red beds (10-Inch casing 330 feet) . . GO 350 Lime “shells” .............................................................. 95 445 Red rock ...................................................................... 35 480 White slate and “lime shells” .................................. 1G0 G40 “Big” red bed ............................................................ 100 740 Black slate and lime .................................................. 115 855 Unrecorded ................................................................. 20 875 “Pink cave” (8% inch casing) ..................................... 10 885 Unrecorded to bottom of a sand ............................ 25 910 Black slate ................................................................... 50 9G0 Sand Dunlcard (Cow Run) ......................................... 40 1000 Slate, black .................................................................. 30 1030 Red rock ...................................................................... 15 1045 Sandstone, very hard ................................................... 10 1055 Limestone ................................................................... 15 1070 White slate and “shells” .............................................. 50 1120 Sandstone .................................................................... 25 1145 Black slate and “lime shells” ...................................... 47 1192 Sand ............................................................................. 15 1207 Slate, black .................................................................. 33 1240 Sand ............................................................................. 35 1275 Dark Coaly shales ("cave”), cased 6 1 A", 1310' .................................................................. 45 1320 ‘“Casing sand” ............................................................ 40 1360 Shale, black ................................................................. 15 1375 Sand, pebbly (top “Salt Sand”) . . . . 113 1488 Slate, black .................................................................. 10 1498 Shale, gray .................................................................. 10 1508 -----------------------------------------------------Page 200-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 175 Feet. Slate ........................................................................... 22 “Gas Sand” ................................................................ 20 Slate and shells .......................................................... 20 Shale, gray ................................................................ 20 Sand .......................................................................... 10 Shale, black .......... ...................................................... 5 Sandy Beds, limy ........................................................ 5 Sand, white ................................................................ 15 Black slate and lime .................................................. 20 ‘Salt Sand,” Cairo and Mnxton Oil Sand; broken for 15 feet; very hard and dark, then whiter at 1GG0 feet, softer at 1680 feet, showing oil at 1682*4 feet; through ‘pay’ at 1G87 feet; sand harder, with bluish cast at 1G90 feet, and making throe barrels of salt water per hour; soft sand to bottom; total thickness ................................. 55 “Big Lime” (Mountain Limestone) to bottom; total thickness ........................................... 85 Feet. 1530 1550 1570 1500 1G00 1G05 1610 1G25 1645 1700 1735 Dr. White comments on this record as follows (p. 432) : "The top of the “Big Injun” sand would be found at about 1,790 feet in this well, since the Mountain Limestone is 80 to 90 feet thick in the Cairo region, hence the base of the Car- roll sand comes here 1,500 feet above the “Big Injun” oil sand, and as the Berea Grit lies 495 feet below the top of the “Big Injun sand, as shown by the record of Hatfield No. 2, near Cairo, then this Carrol sand would be 1,955 feet above the Berea grit horizon at Cairo, thus showing a thickening of 200 feet between St. Marys and Cairo, since the Tan lot well at St. Marys, Pleasants county, 15 miles north of Cairo, found the Berea at only 1,790 feet below the base of the mas­ sive sandstone and Macksburg coal which crop out there, and the St. Marys sand rock appears to be identical with the Car- roll sand of this record.” In the creek bottom below this hill is the Lee No. 1 well with tlie following record, drilled in 1899: Lee Well, No. 1 (U. S. 660 A. T). Feet.' Water sand ................................................................................... 190 Dunkard sand .............................................................................. 770 Casing G14 inch ......................................................................... 885 Pencil cave .............................................................. 1030 to 1070 -----------------------------------------------------Page 201-----------------------------------------------------  176 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN RITCHIE COUNTY. Casing 4% inch . . Gas sand ..................... Top oil sand, gas Pay sand ..................... Top of Lime Top of Big Injun Pay ............................. Bottom hole ... Feet. Feet. 1212 1370 to 1410 1470 .1487 to 1495 1520 1596 1635 1665 Southeast of Cairo across Rush run are the Moats wells of the Cairo Oil Co. Dr. I. C. White gives the following records in Volume I (a) (p. 437): J. Moats Well, No. 4. Feet. Feet. Gas Sand (gas 1618') ........................................ 1585 to 1638 “Break” slate ............................................. 1638 to 1672 Salt Sand (Cairo, Maxton) oil, 1694 and 1705' ............................................. 1672 to 1710 Keener Sand (Big Injun) oil .................................. 1820 to 1839 J. Moats Well, No. 5. Feet. Feet Well mouth 870' A. T ............................................ Gas Sand, nearly all sand from .............................. 1385 Salt Sand (Cairo, Maxton) oil, 1715'..1690 to 1728 Big Injun or Keener Sand (gas and oil) 1831 to 1842 Total depth ............................................................. 1852 One mile and a half south of Cairo near the mouth of Addis run are the Davidson, Weaver, and Nickols, wells of the Cairo Oil Co. The records of these wells were furnished by Mr. Rathbone. Davidson Well, No. 1. Feet. Top of Gas sand ............................................................... 1433 Top of Salt sand ............................................................... 1469 Black slate ................................................................... 1484 Oil ............................................................................................ 1511 Bottom of hole .......................................................................... 1527 -----------------------------------------------------Page 202-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 177 Davidson Well, No. 2. (U. S. 700 A. T). Feet. Casing 6% Inch ........................................................................ 1210 Top Gas sand ............................................................................. 1434 Top Salt sand ............................................................................ 1471 Oil ............................................................................ 1490 to 1528 Bottom of hole in sand ............................................................. 1533 Davidson Well, No. 3 (U. S. 670 A. T). Feet. Top of Gas sand, gas ................................................................ 1373 Top Salt sand ............................................................................. 1415 Sand, white ................................................................................ 1445 Sand, black ............................................................................... 1450 Oil ........................................................................... 1455 to 1472 Bottom of hole .......................................................................... 1489 Davidson Well, No. 4 (U. S. 665 A. T.) Feet. Conductor .............................................................................. 28 Casing 10 Inch ...................................................................... 140 Casing, 8 Vi inch ................................................................... 700 Casing, 6Vi inch .................................................................. 1120 Top of Gas sand .................................................................. 1348 Top of Salt sand .................................................................. 1410 Oil at ................................................................................... 1451 Bottom of hole ..................................................................... 1473 Davidson Well, No. 7 (U. S. 660 A. T). Feet. Top Gas sand ............................................................................ 1320 Gas at ........................................................................................ 1370 Bottom Gas sand ....................................................................... 1378 Salt sand, little oil .................................................. 1407 to 1480 Top of Keener sand ................................................................... 1548 Strong flow gas ......................................................................... 1558 Bottom of hole .......................................................................... 1568 Weaver Well, No. 1 (U. S. 660 A. T.) Feet. Conductor ............................................................... Casing, 10 inch ...................................................... Casing, 8V4 inch ................................................... Casing, 6'/i inch ..................................................... 18 180 690 1120 Gas sand, gas ............................................................ 1319 to 1390 Top Salt sand .......................................................... Oil at ....................................................................... 1405 1440 Sand, good ....................................................... 1440 to 1448 Sand, very hard ................................................... 1448 to 1464 Oil .............................................................................. 1464 to 1478 Total depth ............................................................. 1478 12 (Shot May 27, 1895, 200 barrels) -----------------------------------------------------Page 203-----------------------------------------------------  178 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN RITCHIE COUNTY. Nickols Well, No. i (U. S. 680 A. T). Conductor ................ Casing, 10 inch Casing, 8% inch Casing, 6% inch Top Gas sand . . Gas at ...................... Top Salt sand . Gas .......................... Oil ............................. Total depth . . . Feet. 14 170 735 1230 1350 .1395 and 1419 1432 1448% 14G9% to 1481 1492% The Cairo Salt sand development extends along a nearly north and south line from North of Cairo across Addis run to Oil Ridge, four miles south of Cairo and to South Fork of Hughes river. Dr. I. C. White gives the following records of wells drilled along Oil Ridge (Vol. I (a) p. 438): Fred Fickey Well, No. 2. Feet. Gas sand (gas 17G0 ft) ........................................... 1726 to 1805 Salt sand (no break) ................................................ 1805 First oil .................................................................... I860 Bottom of well ....................................................... 1860 Fred Fickey Well, No. 6. Feet. Feet Gas Sand (no gas) ............................................ 15G5 to 1604 Salt Sand (show oil, 1698') .............................. 1660 to 1715 Big Injun Sand (no oil or gas) .......................... 1785 to 1900 Squaw sand (gas, 1909' 1905 Another sand (12 feet) ............................ 1929 Bottom of well ....................................................... 1940 Fred Fickey Well, No. 8. Feet. Feet. Gas Sand (little oil. 1700') ............................. 1 640 to 1734 Salt Sand (Cairo, Maxton) dry ........................... 1734 to 1762 Big Injun Sand (gas, 1943'; big gas 1977') (show oil, 1987') ................... 1855 to 1987 Slate .......................................................................... 1987 to 1992 Shell Sand (Squaw) to bottom .................. 1992 to 2006% The following records of wells of the Gillespie Oil Co. of Pittsburg, and located on Oil Ridge one mile to the east -----------------------------------------------------Page 204-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 179 of the Fickey wells have been furnished by Mr. R. G. Gib lespie: Rachael Six Well, No. i. Feet. Casing 6V4 inch ....................................................................... 1500 Top of Salt sand (Maxton) ....................................................... 1732 Oil at .......................................................................................... 1798 Total depth ................................................................................ 1804 Rachael Six Well, No. 2. Feet. Casing, 10 inch .................................................................. 142 Casing, 8Vi Inch .............................................................. 1155 Casing, GVi Inch ..................................................................... 1640 Top of Salt sand ........................................................................ 1840 Oil at .......................................................................................... 1945 Bottom Salt sand ....................................................................... 1949 Total depth ................... ........................... ; .............. 1949 Rachael Six Well, No. 3. Feet. Casing, 10 Inch .................................................................. 118 Casing, 8 V 4 inch ............................................................... 1080 Casing, G 1 /i inch ............................................................... 1580 Salt sand (oil 1878 ft.) ............................................ 1825 to 1889 Rachael Six Well, No. 4. Feet. Top of Salt sand ........................................................................ 1790 Oil ............................................................................................. 1860 Bottom ofwell In sand .............................................................. 1872 Susan Ayers Well, No. 1. Feet. Top of Salt sand ........................................................................ 1723 Oil at .......................................................................................... 1742 Total depth ................................................................................ 1752 Susan Ayers Well, No. 2. Feet. Casing, 6Vi Inch .................................................... 1478 Salt Sand (oil at 1763 ft.) ....................................... 1747 to 1777 -----------------------------------------------------Page 205-----------------------------------------------------  180 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN RITCHIE COUNTY. Susan Ayers Well, No. 6. Feet. Casing, 10 inch .................................................................. 200 Casing, 8*4 Inch .................................................................. 940 Casing, 6% inch ................................................................ 1420 Top of Salt sand ............................................................... 1GG8 Oil at ....................................................................... 1715 Total depth ............................................................. 1722 H. J. Lynch Well, No. 3. Located near month of Bukey run east of Cairo. Authority South Penn Oil Co. Feet, Salt Sand . . Oil and gas Best sand at Total depth 1494 1518 1522 1529 F. E. Smith Well, No. 1. Sand .............. Red rock . Black slato Red rock . Black slate Sand ............... Black slate Limo .............. Black slate Sand ............... Black slate Sand ............... Sand ............... Black slato Sand ............... Black slato Cairo Sand Oil at . . . . Total depth Feet. Feet. , 490 525 , 525 6G5 . 565 640 , 640 795 795 920 , 920 950 , 950 1030 .1030 1060 ,1060 1100 ,1100 1110 ,1110 1165 ,1165 1175 1175 1275 1275 1290 1290 1315 1315 1450 1450 1506 1470 1506 Just east of Racy on Gillespie run sever ail wells have been drilled which showed a small production. The South Penn Oil Company has kindly furnished the records of the Turner wells and the Bennett dry hole in this locality: -----------------------------------------------------Page 206-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 181 L. J. Turner Well, No. i. Feet. Feet. Gas sand . Gas .................. Oil ................... Salt sand . . Total depth V. W. Turner Well, No. i. Gas sand . Oil at ............... Total depth B. F. Bennett Well, No. i. .1290 to 1413 1343 1400 ,1474 ,1474 Feet. Feet. 1202 to 1383 1370 1391 Feet. Feet. Gas Sand ................................................................... 1292 to 1455 Salt Sand (Maxton) .................................................. 1455 to 1510 Big Lime ................................................................... 1516 to 1609 Keener Sand ............................................................. 1609 to 1629 Big Injun Sand .......................................................... 1629 to 1717 Oil at ........................................................................ 1700 Total depth ............................................................. 1752 MURPHY DISTRICT. There lias been for many years an active Salt sand or Maxton sand development in the Macfarlan area, ten miles south of Cairo. The following records furnished by Mr. J. H. Ralhbone of the Cairo Oil Co. show the depths of the sands in this area. The first series of records are of wells in the Ritchie mine district, two miles northeast of Macfar­ lan along Macfarlan run. Overton Well, No. i (U. S. 675 A.T). Feet. Casing, 10 inch . . Casing, 8 VL Inch . Casing, 6V& inch Top Salt sand . . Shale ............................ Gas ............................. Oil ..................... Salt water ................... Bottom Salt sand Total depth . . . . 290 835 1165 1442 1452 to 1465 1479 1490 to 1510 1518 1534 1537 -----------------------------------------------------Page 207-----------------------------------------------------  182 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN RITCHIE COUNTY. Dr. I. C. White in Volume I (a) (p. 442) gives the fol­ lowing records of wells in the vicinity of Ritchie mines: Dolan Well, No. 1. Feet. Feet. Conductor ........................................................................................ 9 Ten-inch casing ....................................................... 500 Bight and one-fourth-inch casing .......................... 1000 Six and one-fourth-inch casing ............................. 14GO Four and seven-eighths-inch casing ..18G8 Salt Sand (gas, 1807'; oil, 1819'; water, 1835') ................................................... 1752 to 18G0 Keener Sand (oil and gas, 1920') . . . .1915 to 1932 Big Injun Sand, limy for 50 feet ............................ 1932 to 2030 Slate ......................................................................... 2030 to 2045 Squaw Sand (two screws) ....................................... 2045 Bottom ....................................................................................... 2067 (Fifty to seventy-Ave-barrel well.) Dolan Well, No. 3. Feet. Feet. Gas Sand (little gas) ................................................ 1670 to 1748 Salt Sand .................................................................. 1748 to 1857 Littlo gas ................................................................ 1815 Littlo black oil ....................................................... 1822 More oil .................................................................. 1834 Water and more oil ................................................ 1846 More water ............................................................. 1852 Big Lime ..................................................................... Keener Sand (no oil) ............................................... 1942 to 1980 Big Injun Sand, white and good ............................... 1980 to 2025 Total depth ................................................................................ 2068 (Fifty to seventy-five-barrel well.) Furry Well, No. 4. Feet. Feet. Gas Sand .................................................................. 1610 to 1630 Slate ......................................................................... 1630 to 1730 Salt Sand, top ........................................................... 1730 to 1745 Slate ......................................................................... 1745 to 1762 Salt Sand (gas, 1772'; gas and oil, 1780') 1762 to 1821 Keener Sand ................................................................ 1883 to 1905 Lime ............................................................................ 1905 to 1925 Big Injun Sand (oil) ................................................. 1925 to 2013 (Fifty to seventy-five barrel well.) East of Macfarlan and near the mouth of Dutchman run are the Pribble, Lemon and other wells of Cairo Oil Co. -----------------------------------------------------Page 208-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 183 F. Pribble Well, No. 2. Feet. Feet. Gas sand ................................................................... 1430 to 1442 Salt Sand ................................................................... 1401 to 1479 Shale “break” ............................................................ 1479 to 1497 Salt Sand (little gas) ................................... 1499 First oil ................................................................... 1507 Hard sand ............................................................... 1520 Good sand to .......................................................... 1530 Sand, very white, to ................................................ 1530 Good sand and more oil ......................................... 1545 Bottom ..................................................................... 1549 J. B. Lemon Well, No. 1. Feet. Gas sand ................................................................... 1294 to 1354 Top Salt sand ............................................................................ 1425 Break ........................................................................ 1453 to 1482 Bottom Salt sand ....................................................................... 1545 Top Big Injun sand ................................................................... 1025 Gas and oil, small ...................................................................... 1087 More oil at ................................................................................. 1095 Bottom Big Injun sand ................................................... 1708 Break to .................................................................................... 173G Squaw sand ............................................................... 1730 to 1748 J. B. Lemon Well, No. 2. Feet. Conductor ................. Casing, 10 inch . Casing, 8'/» inch Casing. 6Vi inch Gas sand ..................... Top Salt sand . . . ITreak ......................... Oil, small show . Break .......................... Salt water .................... Bottom Salt sand Top Keener sand Good gas ..................... Break .......................... Gas, littlo .................... Oil show ..................... Bottom of sand" . Total depth . . . . 20 100 765 1137 .1304 to 1380 1409 1411 1404 ,1483 to 1494 .1515 to 1525 1532 1013 1024 to 1025 1030 to 1045 1085 to 1090 1695 1707 1741 Two miles due east of Macfarlan near the mouth of Big Cave run is an important oil pool both north and south of the -----------------------------------------------------Page 209-----------------------------------------------------  184 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN RITCHIE COUNTY. county road. The Cairo Oil Co. wells are on the Lyon and Yoho farms, and depth of the sands are shown in the fol­ lowing records furnished by Mr. Rathbone. Yoho Well, No. i. Feet. Casing, 10 inch ........................ .. Casing, 8% inch ......................... Casing, 6% inch ....................... Gas sand .................................... Salt sand (oil, 1485 ft.) Keener sand, gas ....................... Break ......................................... Big Injun sand ........................... Total depth .................................. Lyons Well, No. 4. Gas ............................. Gas sand, gas .. Break ....................... .. Top Salt sand . . Gas ............................. Bottom Salt sand Lyons Well, No. 5. 77 705 1165 1298 ..1417 to 1514 ..1624 to 1644 to 1650 to 1705 1722 Feet. 1175 1306 to 1406 1431 to 1436 1436 1475 1496 Feet. Casing, 13 inch ............................................................................. 41 Casing, 10 inch ............................................................................. 96 Casing, 8'A inch ....................................................................... 715 Casing, 614 inch ....................................................................... 1165 Gas Sand, gas ......................................................... 1290 to 1352 Top of Salt sand ........................................................................ 1426 Black sand and slate ................................................................. 1456 First oil, gas ............................................................................... 1475 Second oil pay ........................................................ 1489 to 1494 Total depth ................................................................................ 1499 One mile further east, the Cairo Oil Co. drilled a few test wells near Beatrice, but they showed little oil and the field was abandoned. Two of the wells showed gas and three produced a little oil. The Deem well was drilled in May, 1902. -----------------------------------------------------Page 210-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 185 J. F. Deem Well, No. i. Feet. Conductor .......................... ' ................................... 33 Casing, 10 Inch .' ........................................................................ 270 Casing, 8 inch ............................................................................. 731 Casing, G‘A inch ....................................................................... 1180 Gas Sand ................................................................. 13G9 to 1450 Top Salt sand ............................................................................ 1460 Sand and slato ......................................................... 14G0 to 1490 Strong gas (soon blowed out) .................................................... 1492 Salt sand, oil show ................................................. 1492 to 1515 Big Limo .................................................................................... 1515 Big Injun sand, gas ................................................. 1G30 to 1G78 Total depth ................................................................................. 1758 One miile and a half west of Smithville on the Hughes river is the Holt well drilled by Carter Oil Co., with the fol­ lowing record (Vol. I (a), p. 441); and one mile south of this town on Leatherbark run is the Flesher well. W. B. Holt Well, No. 1. Feet. Feet. Maclcsburg (?) coal ......................................... 140 to 145 Cave ........................................................................... 580 to 780 Cow Run sand ......................................... 780 to 800 Salt sand (oil,1497 ft.) ...................................... 1481 to 1502 Total depth ............................................................. 1509 (Five barrel well. W. A. Flesher Well, No. 1. Feet. Feet. Coal ....................... Cow Run sand, Coal (?) .................. Salt sand ................ Big Lime ............... Big Injun sand Total depth . . 290 to 293 830 to 870 1200 to 1212 1250 to 1330 1G90 to 1741 1741 to 1772 1892 A record of the well east of Smithfield on the Wilson farm has been furnished by the Mars Oil and Gas Co. The level is about the same as on the Major Ayers farm wells just beyond east limits of the town: -----------------------------------------------------Page 211-----------------------------------------------------  186 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN RITCHIE COUNTY. Lew Wilson Well, No. i. Casing, 10 inch . . Casing, 8 */* inch . Maxton sand . . . . .Big Lime ...................... Big Injun sand . . Berea grit ..................... J?eet. 110 870 1522 to 1530 1600 1730 to 1775 2145 East of town on north, side of river is E. Barker No. i well of South Penn OilCo., the Big Injun sand was found at 1770 to 1792 feet with oil pay at 1778 feet. In the eastern portion of Murphy district near Burnt Plouse, the Mountain State Gas Co. has drilled a number of good gas wells. The Goff well is one mile west of Burnt I-Iouse near the pike. The Farrell well is the first well east of this place while the Reger wells arc about one mile east. A small pool has been opened by the Carter Oil Co. on the Wright and Smith farms near Racket. Clarissa Goff Well. Feet. Feet. Salt sand .................................................................. 1390 to 1450 Maxton sand ........................................................... 1500 to 1550 Keener and Big Injun sand ..................................... 1724 to 1771 Total depth ............................................................. 1771 Farrell Well, No. 1. Feet. Fee* Maxton sand . . Big Lime Big Injun sand Berea sand . . . Total depth . . 1660 to 157* 1680 to 1753 1753 to 1803 2132 to 2144 2197 C. W. Reger Well. Feet. Feet. Maxton sand ........................................................... 1540 to 1600 Big Lime ................................................................ 1658 to 1790 Big Injun sand ........................................................ 1790 to 1836 Berea sand ............................................................. 2156 Total depth .............................................. .... ............ 2172 -----------------------------------------------------Page 212-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 187 Washington Reger Well. Feet. Feet. Salt sand . . . . Big Lime ................ Big Injun sand Berea sand . . . Total depth . . 1515 to 1530 1815 to 1876 1876 to 1932 2259 to 2265 2275 In the northeastern part of Murphy district on Cain run, one mile north of Hazel Green, is the Wass gas well. Just south of Hazel Green is the F. P. Goff gas well, and two miles southeast is the L. C. Goff well, all drilled by Carter Oil Co. The records of these wells are given by Dr. I. C. White in Volume I (a) (pp. 427, 428) : John Wass Well, No. 1. Feet. Feet. Pittsburg coal (absent) ........................................... Cave ........................................................................... 600 to 875 Cow Run sand ............................................................ 875 to 890 Salt Sand .................................................................. 1455 to 1550 Maxton Sand (gas, 1590') ........................................ 1560 to 1605 Big Lime .................................................................... 1675 to 1750 Big Injun Sand .......................................................... 1750 to 1840 Berea (all lime) ......................................................... 2125 to 2140 Total depth ............................................................. 2232 (Fair gas well in Maxton Sand.) F. P. Goff Well, No. 1. Feet. Feet. Coal (?) ....................................................................... 115 to 117 Cave ........................................................................... 500 to 700 Cow Run Sand .............................................. 700 to 730 Gas Sand .................................................................... 860 to 94 5 First Salt Sand ........................................................... 1000 to 1190 Second Salt Sand ..................................................... 1243 to 1393 Maxton Sand ............................................................. 1525 to 1555 Pencil cave ................................................................ 1570 to 1575 Big Lime (gas, 1620') ....................................... 1575 to 1680 Big Injun Sand (gas, 1722') ................................... 1680 to 1740 Berea Sand ............................................................... 2008 to 2015 Total depth ............................................................. 2170 (Dry bole.) -----------------------------------------------------Page 213-----------------------------------------------------  188 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN RITCHIE COUNTY. L. C. Goff Well, No. i. Feet. Feet. Cave ........................................................................ C20 to 970 Cow Run Sand ............................................................ 1000 to1010 First Salt Sand (water, 1275') ................................... 1250 to 1300 Second Salt Sand ...................................................... 1350 to 1400 Maxton Sand (oil and gas, 1730') . . . . 1 7 0 0 to 1740 Big Lime ................................................................... 1830 to 1926 Big Injun Sand (show oil, 1925') ______________ 1926 to 1986 (One-barrel well, in Maxton Sand.) UNION DISTRICT. In the northern portion .of Union district one-fourth mile up Rockcamp run from Gooseneck postoffice is the abandoned well of Boden and Co., on the Flannagan farm, with the following record (Vol. I (a), p. 409) : Flannagan Well, No. 1, (U. S. 732 A. T). Feet. Feet. Coal (2 feet) at ............................................. 800 Coal (3 feet) at ............................................ 1210 Salt Sand .................................................................... 1400 to 1520 Big Lime ................................................................ 1628 Big Injun Sand, good, white .................................... 1690 to 1795 Gas at 1715'; oil and more gas at 1793' ............................................................ White sand .............................................................. 2360 to 2460 Shells and slate to bottom ...................................... 2460 to 2821 A number of wells have been drilled up this run, but most of these arc abandoned. The gas well on the Gainer farm supplies gas to the town of Pullman. Near Harrisville there has been an important oil and gas development. The following records are given by Dr. White in Volume I (a) (p. 410) and in Volume I (pp. 317- 318) of wells drilled in the town and northeast of town, and noAV owned by the Harrisville Heat and Light Co. -----------------------------------------------------Page 214-----------------------------------------------------  Plate XII.—Folded Sandstone and Shales on the Eureka-Volcano Fold, at Volcano. -----------------------------------------------------Page 215-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 189 N. F. Cannon Well, No. i (U. S. 757 A. T). Thickness. Depth. Feet. Feet. Clay .............................................................................. 15 15 Limestone .................................................................... 10 26 Slate ............................................................................. 10 35 Limestone ..................................................................... 20 55 White slate ................................................................. 120 175 Limestone .................................................................... 26 200 Slate, white limestone and shells .................... 75 275 Slate, red ................................................................. 25 300 Slate, white ............................................................. 75 375 Sand, white ............................................................. 30 405 Slate, white ............................................................. 85 490 Slate, red ................................................................ 20 510 Sand, white ............................................................. 10 520 Slate, red (no caves) ............................................. 130 650 Slate, red ................................................................ 40 G90 Limestone, white ............................................ 20 710 Slate, red .................................................................... 165 875 Limestone, gray (cased8Vi" at 890') 15 890 Slato, black .................................................................. 65 955 Limestone, gray ........................................................... 35 990 Sand, white .................................................................. 9 5 1085 Slato, white ............................................................ 55 1140 Sand, white ............................................................. 80 1220 Slate, black ............................................................. 30 1250 Sand, white ............................................................ 60 1310 Slate, black ........................................................... 110 1420 Sand, white ............................................................ 40 • 1460 Slate and hard sand, mixed .............................. 130 1590 Limestone, hard gray (cased G%" at 1660') .................................................................. 60 1650 Limestone, hard, white(“Big Lime”) 47 1697 Keener Sand ................................................................. 20 1717 Big Injun Sand (Big gas at 1724'; slato break 5 feet at 1745'; oil at 1750') ................................................................. 95 1812 The Washington coal crops at 75 feet above the derrick floor. Keystone Oil & Gas Co. Well No. 1 (U. S. 852 A. T). (located in the town of Harrisville.) Thickness. Depth. Feet. Feet. Soil ................................................................................. 2 2 Sand, hard (and shales with Wash­ ington coal at 35 ft.) ................................. 58 60 Slate, soft, blue, cave ......................................... 12 72 Sand, white, loose . . . . » ................................ 28 100 -----------------------------------------------------Page 216-----------------------------------------------------  190 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN RITCHIE COUNTY. Feet. Feet. Limestone, blue ........................................................... 15 115 Slate and shells, blue .................................................. 20 135 Red rock ...................................................................... 35 i70 Sand, white .................................................................. 25 195 Slate, blue .................................................................... 10 205 Red rock ........................................................................ 7 212 Slate and shells, blue .................................................. 13 225 Red rock ...................................................................... 33 258 Coal, Union town .......................................................... 2 260 Sand, white .................................................................. 15 275 Slate and shells, blue ................................................... 50 3 25 Red rock ...................................................................... 31 356 Sand, white, coarse ...................................................... 15 371 Slate, blue, tough ......................................................... 12 383 Red rock ........................................................................ 7 390 Light colored slate and shells ..................................... 43 433 Sand, loose, white ......................................................... 5 448 Red rock ...................................................................... 29 477 Slate, blue .................................................................... 24 501 Red rock ........................................................................ 5 506 Sand “Hurry up” Pittsburg (?) ................................ 47 553 Slate, bluo ................................................................... 28 581 Sand, sharp, white ..................................................... 10 591 Red rock, light ............................................................. 10 601 Slate, blue ................................................................... 20 621 Limestone ................................................................... 11 632 Red rock ...................................................................... 26 658 Sandstone, loose, white .............................................. 10 668 Slate, light colored ...................................................... 12 680 Red rock ...................................................................... 47 727 Slate, blue, tough .......................................................... 7 734 Sandstone, sharp, white . .............................................. 6 740 Red rock ...................................................................... 15' 755 Limestone ..................................................................... 5 760 Red rock ...................................................................... 35 795 Slate, blue (coal at 833) .............................................. 58 853 Red rock ...................................................................... 25 878 Sand, hard ...................................................................... 7 885 Slate, brown ................................................................ 34 919 Slate, gray ................................................................... 24 943 Red rock ...................................................................... 15 958 Limestone, light colored ............................................. 15 973 Slate, dark .................................................................. 27 1000 Coal, (Masontown) ....................................................... 6 1006 Slate ............................................................................. 85 1091 Sand, (Dunkard, Mahoning) ..................................... 105 1196 Slate, blue ................................................................... 23 1219 Sand, hard .................................................................. 15 1234 Slate, white ................................................................... 6 1240 Limestone ................................................................... 31 1271 Sand, sharp .................................................................. 36 1307 Slate, dark (show of coal at 1,320) .. 38 1345 Sand .............................................................................. 6 1351 Slate, white ................................................................. 4 1355 Sand, white ................................................................. 57 1412 -----------------------------------------------------Page 217-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 191 Feet. Slate and shells, dark ................................................ 52 sand, white .................. 66' slate, dark .................. 5 sand, hard .................. 8 slate, dark ................. 32 Pottsville. No. sand, hard, limy. 50 XII sand, hard .................... 4 1 249 "Salt Sand” slate, black ............... 48 sand, dark .................. 8 sand, hard, white, fine-grained ...21 slate, black, soft.. 7 Slate, light colored ...................................................... 8 Limestone (Mountain) .............................................. 91 sand, gas 1835 to 1842 ... .80' "Big Injun” -j j- 102 I slate, white . . 5'6" | (sand ......................... 16'6"J Slato light colored, to bottom ................................ 4 Feet. 1464 1713 1721 1812 1914 1918 The Jacob Moats well is located one mile southeast of Harrisville on Back run. Jacob Moats Well, No. i. Feet. Feet. Cow Run sand Salt sand ................ Rig Lime ................ Rig Injun sand Total depth . . . 1050 to 1150 1175 to 1425 1690 to 1790 1790 to 1880 1903 Just south of Harrisville in the Back run narrow val­ ley are a number of producing- oil wells with very light oil in the Squaw sand, and owned by the Hartman Oil Co. The following records have been furnished by Mr. Jos. Hartman, Jr., of Pittsburg, who states that the Harris and Pierpont wells were purchased by them and there is some doubt as to accuracy of those records. Geo. M. Cokeley Well, No. i. Feet. Feet. Rig Lime ................................................................ Big Injun sand ........................................................ 1825 to 1942 (Gas at 1936 and 1837.) Slate ........................................................................ 1942 to 1944 Squaw sand, oil ...................................................... 1944 to 1951 -----------------------------------------------------Page 218-----------------------------------------------------  192 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN RITCHIE COUNTY. J. N. Pierpont Well, No. 2. Feet. Feet. Dunkard sand ............................................................ 1020 to 1127 Salt sand (strong gas, 1522 ft.) ............................... 1507 Big Lime .................................................................. 1G40 to 1733 Big Injun sand ........................................................ 1733 Gas at .............................................. 1777 and 1840 1 !■ Squaw sand Oil pay at ......... ....................................................... 1842 J Gen. T. M. Harris Well, No. 1. Feet. Feet. Big Dunkard sand ...................................................... 985 to 1105 Salt sand (small gas, 1487ft.) .................. 1482 to 1512 Big Lime ................................................................... 1615 to 1680 Big Injun sand .......................................................... 1680 to 1783 Slato .......................................................................... 1783 to 1795 Squaw sand (oil 1810 to 1815ft.)---------- 1795 to 1816 Total depth ............................................................. 1819 Wm. Moats Heirs Well, No. 1. Feet. Feet. Conductor ................................................................... 12 Casing, 10 inch .................................................................... 445 Little Dunkard Sand ............ .................................. 866 to 896 Slate ........................................................................ 896 to 1016 (8 %" Casing 965 ft.) Big Dunkard Sand .................................................... 1016 to 1118 Slato and Shells ......................................................... 1118 to 1520 Salt sand .................................................................. 1520 to 1565 Slate and shells .......................................................... 1565 to 1638 Little Lime ................................................................. 1638 to 1668 Pencil Cave (Black Slate) ........................................ 166S to 1674 Sandy Lime .............................................................. 1674 to 1680 Big Lime ................................................................... 1680 to 1740 6% inch Casing ......................................................................... 1682 Big Injun Sand ....................................................... 1740 to 1834 Small gas 1768 ft..; Slate 1' at 1817 ft..; Small gas 1822 ft ............................................ Black Slate ................................................................. 1834 to 1840 Squaw Sand .............................................................. 1840 to 1855 Gas, about 1,500,000 cu. ft. at 1845; Oil pay ..................................................... '. .1847 to 1852 (Production first 24 hours 20 bbls.) Three miles south of Harrisville at Star Settlement is the Starr well with the following record (Vol. I (a), (p. 416). -----------------------------------------------------Page 219-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 193 James Starr Well, No. i. Feet. Feet. First coal (Waynesburg “A” ?) ................................... 180 to 182 Second coal (Waynesburg ?) ...................................... 230 to 233 Cow Run Sand ........................................................ 1000 Salt Sand ................................................................. 1060 Maxton Sand (show of oil and gas at 1580' .............................................................. 1539 Big Lime ................................................................. 1725 Big Injun Sand ......................................................... 1825 Total depth ........................................................................ 1941 One mile northwest of Pullman is the Hayhurst deep well of Carter Oil Co., with the following record (Vol. I (a) p. 417) = G. W. Hayhurst Well, No. 1. Feet. Feet. Pittsburg Coal ............................................................. 602 to 505 Cow Run Sand ........................................................... 940 to 970 Salt Sand ................................................................... 1240 to 1280 Maxton Sand ............................................................. 1630 to 1696 Big Lime ................................................................... 1786 to 1836 Big Injun Sand ............................................................ 1836 to 1851 Berea Sand ................................................................ 2100 to 2200 Gordon Sand ........................................................... 2560 Total depth ........................................................................ 2675 One mile and a fourth east of Pullman on Left Fork of Whiteoak creek is the Lowther well (Vol. I (a), p. 417) : W. I. Lowther Well, No. 1. Feet Feet. Pittsburg Coal ............................................................ 500 to 506 Cave ............................................................................ 676 to 9GO Cow Run Sand ............................................................. 960 to 978 Salt Sand ................................................................... 1080 to 1075 Second Salt Sand ........................................................ 1280 to 1370 Third Salt Sand ........................................................... 1470 to 1690 Maxton Sand ............................................................ 1620 to 1659 Big Lime ................................................................... 1705 to 1805 Big Injun Sand (poor) ................................................. 1805 to 1810 Berea Sand ................................................................. 2070 to 2086 Total depth (dry) .............................................................. 2128 At the eastern border of Union district is the village of Oxford, and on the hill one mile and a fourth west is the Al- lender well (Vol. I (a), p. 417): -----------------------------------------------------Page 220-----------------------------------------------------  194 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN RITCHIE COUNTY. C. D. Allender Well, No. i. Feet. Feet. Pittsburg Coal ............................................ Cave .......................................................... . 920 to 1190 Cow Run Sand .......................................... . 1190 to 1210 Salt Sand .................................................................... 1444 to 1479 Salt Sand ................................................................. 1524 to 1664 Maxton Sand ........................................................... . 1958 to 1978 Pencil cave .............................................................. .2035 to 2050 Big Lime .................................................................... .2075 to 2150 Big Injun Sand (gas 215G'; oil, 2160') 2150 2150 to 2182 Total depth .............................................................. 2184 (Fair Gas Well.) Just below the Allender well on the side of the hill is Lowther heirs well drilled in February, 1908, by the Fisher Oil Co. This well showed some oil in Maxton Sand, and was a fair gas well in the Injun sand with 160 pounds pres­ sure in two inch pipe. Lowther Heirs Well, No. 1. Feet. Feet. First Cow Run sand ..................................................... 980 to 1000 Second Cow Run sand ................................................ 1170 to 1190 First Salt sand .............................................................. 1460 to 1525 Second Salt sand ......................................................... 1535 to 1600 Maxton sand .............................................................. 1850 to 1900 Oil and water ............................................................. 1870 to 1875 Big Injun sand ........................................................ 2005 Gas ............................................................................ 2013 to 2023 Total depth .............................................................. 2027 Casing, 10 inch ................................................... 350 Casing, 8% inch ................................................ 1120 Casing, G% inch ............................................... 1660 Casing, 5% inch .................................................. 1966 One-fourth mile east of Pritchard is the M. R. Pritch­ ard well, abandoned. The record is given as follows in Volume I (a), (p. 418) : M. R. Pritchard Well, No. 1. Feet. Feet. Pittsburg coal . Cow Run sand . Salt sand ................ Maxton sand . . Big Lime ................ Big Injun sand Berea? .................... Total depth . . . 480 to 485 . 930 to 980 1210 to 1397 1625 to 1683 1740 to 1835 1825 to 1860 2044 2700 -----------------------------------------------------Page 221-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 195 At Holbrook in eastern part of Union district is the Grif­ fin well which struck gas in the Injun sand (Vol. 1 (a), p. 424): H. C. Griffin Well, No. 1. Feet. Feet. Goal (Elk Lick?) ......................................................... 52G to 532 Salt sand ...................................................................... 810 to 944 Cave ........................................................................ 1106 Maxton sand ............................................................. 1590 to 1618 Big Lime ................................................................... 1618 to 1685 Big Injun sand (gas, 1690 ft ................................... 1716 Total depth .............................................................. 1759 Two miles southwest of Oxford on the Hughes river is the Prunty oil field and the Zinn wells of the Carter Oil Co. One mile and a half further southwest on the river below the mouth of Whiteoak creek is the Ireland field of the South Penn Oil Co., and southwest of this field and adjoining it, is the Flannagan oil field of the Carter Oil Co. In this field the Pittsburg coal is reported in good thickness in the oil well borings, but later tests with diamond drill showed the coal to be thin. The following record of wells in these fields are taken from Volume I (a), (pp. 418-423) : Alexander Prunty Well, No. 1. Feet. Feet. Coal (Pittsburg?) Coal ............................. Cow Run sand . . . Salt sand ...................... Maxton sand Big Lime ..................... Big Injun sand.. Total depth 150 to 155 445 to 550 740 to 760 1160 to 1204 1510 to 1525 1570 to 1585 1611 to 1629 1646 Prunty Heirs Well, No. 1. Feet. Pittsburg coal .............................................................. 635 to Cow Run sand ............................................................ 944 to Salt sand .................................................................. 140 6 to Maxton sand ............................................................. 1802 to Big Lime .................................................................... 1900 to Big Injun sand .......................................................... 1962 to “Break” .................................................................... 1981 Total depth .............................................................. Feet. 641 964 1446 1827 1962 1981 2039 -----------------------------------------------------Page 222-----------------------------------------------------  196 PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN RITCHIE COUNTY. Lee Prunty Well, No. i. Feet. Pittsburg coal .............................................................. 760 to Cow Run sand ............................................................ 1200 to Salt sand .................................................................... 1425 to Big Lime ................................................................... 2030 to Big Injun sand ............................................................ 2082 to Total depth .............................................................. Martin Heirs Well, No. i. Feet. Pittsburg coal .......................................................... 605 to Cow Run sand ........................................................... 1090 to Salt sand ................................................... 1250 to Maxton sand ........................................................... 1785 to Big Lime ................................................... 1885 to Big Injun sand ................................................... 1955 to Total depth .............................................................. G. P. Zinn Well, No. i. Feet. Pittsburg coal .......................................................... 438 to Cow Run sand ............................................................. 500 to Salt sand ........................................................ 1040 to Maxton sand ........................................................... 1622 to Big Lime ..................................................................... 1675 to Big Injun sand .................................................... 1793 to G. M. Ireland Well, No. i. Feet. Pittsburg coai ........................................................... 437 Maxton sand ............................................................. 1565 to Slate .......................................................................... 1585 to Big Lime .................................................................. 1695 •Sand (Keener) (oil) .................................................. 1763 Big Injun sand (gas, 1778'; oil, 1783') 1773 to G. M. Ireland Well, No. 2. Feet. Pittsburg coal ............................................................. 584 to Cow Run sand .......................................................... 1075 to Salt sand ................................................................... 1390 to Maxton sand ............................................................. 1718 to Sand (Stray) .............................................................. 1830 to Big Lime ................................................................. 1864 Big Injun sand, white ............................................... 1954 to Sand and Lime ........................................................... 1970 to Feet. 755 1230 1475 2080 2110 2134 Feet. 610 1105 1700 1803 1985 1985 2020 Feet. 444 730 1070 1634 1793 1825 Feet. 1616 1589 1799% Feet. 589 1090 1430 1781 1842 1960 2005 -----------------------------------------------------Page 223-----------------------------------------------------  WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 197 G. M. Ireland Well, No. 3. Feet. Feet. Pittsburg coal ........................................................... 700 First Cow Run sand ................................................... 1020 to 1050 Second Cow Run sand ................................... 1200- to 1240 Gas sand ................................................................... 1480 to 1553 Salt sand .................................................................... 1615 to 1650 Salt sand ................................................................... 1700 to174 5 Maxton sand ............................................................. 1855 to 1895 Big Lime .................................................................. 1960 to 2039 Black sand (Keener) .................................................. 2039 to 2052 Big I