NATURAL RESOURCES OF MONONGALIA AND MARION COUNTIES, W. Va.

The following data have been compiled from West Virginia Geological Survey reports, together with the writer's own knowledge of the area. These included data are purposely made brief. For further detailed information the reader is referred to the above-noted publication.

Coal. At the present time coal is by far the most important natural resource in these two counties. Their approximate location and original quantities available can best be shown by means of tables and outline figures. With the exception of the Washington, which has been computed to have an average thickness of only 2 feet, all the coals included in this report have an average of 3 feet or more. All figures on coal tonnages available represent the original amounts. It is the writer's belief that long before the thicker seams are exhausted, better mining methods will permit the mining of more coal from the present seams as well as thinner seams, equal to what has already been taken from the area. The amount of coal by counties, districts and seams follows:

1 Monongalia-Marion-Taylor Counties, detailed geological report with topographic and geologic maps

Scale 1-62.5000.

Clay and shale.-The Monongalia and Marion area is well supplied with valuable clay and shale deposits, and at numerous geological horizons, but at the present time only a small proportion of these are utilized. The clay industry should provide employment for a large number of people in this district as well as considerable income to the operators of this area. When the important undeveloped deposits become better known and considered in connection with better transportation facilities, the industry is expected to greatly increase.

On the Monongahela River, between Morgantown and the Pennsylvania line and along Dunkard Creek, there are large deposits of river clay that are suitable for brick manufacture. These deposits were formerly worked successfully at Morgantown.

There is an abundance of excellent shale for brick making in every district of the two counties. The Washington fire-clay shale, which occurs just below the Washington coal, will provide material for brick wherever found. At least these shales of this Conemaugh series, bisecting the area from north to south, are good for both building and paving brick. The Mauch Chunk red shale, some 300 feet thick at its outcrop along Cheat River and Deckers Creek in Monongalia County, offers an unlimited amount of material suitable for brick.

Refractory clay.-East of the Monongahela River, fire clays are found in each of the two counties. Because of their quality and quantity these refractory clays. will be in much greater demand in the very near future. Fire brick is manufactured at Hammond, Marion County.

Available limestone

Limestone suitable for rcad construction and agricultural purposes are found in the Monongahela, Conemaugh, Allegheny, and Greenbrier series in each of the two counties. Limestone suitable for cement manufacture is confined to three localities in eastern Monongalia County. At Greer, Monongalia County, a large limestone plant has been in active operation for several years.

River and creek gravel

There is an abundant supply of gravel in nearly all the larger stream beds that is available for road material.

Available sand

The stream terrace deposits of the Monongahela Valley, already extensively developed, offer a large amount of sand for building purposes. This sand is unconsolidated and convenient to transportation.

Pulpstone and building stones

Monongalia County is probably the largest individual producer of natural pulpstone abrasive in the world. In former times and even yet this is a valuable resource to this area. These stones are for the most part shipped to the various pulp mills of the United States and Canada. Occasional orders have been shipped to Japan. These pulpstone quarries are all located along the Monongahela River between Fairmont and Morgantown.

Along with pulpstone the entire area is blessed with an unlimited supply of excellent sandstones suitable for all kinds of masonry and construction work. The use for which these stones have been put has been confined largely to local building, i. e., Methodist Episcopal Church, President's home and numerous private homes in Morgantown, walls, bridge piers and abutments, and curbing both locally and at Pittsburgh, Pa. The only reason these natural building stones have not had a greater development is because of expensive quarrying operations and freight rates. Cheaper transportation on the Monongahela River with the better quarrying methods will place these natural stones in the competitive markets of the country.

Monongahela River transportation and new technique in quarrying will undoubtedly place the natural building stone of this area in a strong competitive position among the building stones of the country.

A list of sandstone horizons that have been or are now being operated in this area follows:

Sandstone suitable for glass sand are found in the Pottsville series in both counties. In the valley of Deckers Creek, Monongalia County, these horizons are now being operated for glass sand as well as other purposes for which sand is used.

In the Cheat River Canyon the Pottsville series is exposed throughout a large areal extent, but lack of transportation prevents present development. Along the Tygard River in Marion County and bordering Taylor County line the Homewood and Connoquenessing sandstones outcrop at Valley Falls, where quarries could easily be developed.

Iron ore

Monongalia County was the scene of an extensive iron-making industry fron 1800 to 1870. Five furnaces were operated along Cheat River near Ice's Ferry, one at Clinton furnace, on Booths Creek, and one at Rock Forge on Deckers Creek. In Marion County there was a furnace on Piney Run, Winfield District. The iron ore available in the territory of this report is largely from carbonate and is not of sufficient quality and quantity to compete with the rich Lake Superior ores.

Oil and gas (general).—Oil or gas in paying quantities have been produced in every district of Monongalia County west of the Monongahela River, but on the east side of the latter stream, only small paying gas wells have been found. The the same condition is true in Marion County, but with somewhat more gas east of the river, than in Monongalia.

Senator KILGORE. Could I ask a question? Is it not also true that you have heavy deposits of low-grade iron ore which have not been used, and which were at one time used? Smelting was by common low grades until the high grades were discovered out in the West. Is that not right?

Mr. PRICE. That is true. I have that in my other report, but I neglected to give it here.

Senator KILGORE. And that, of course, would entail low-cost transportation, to have low-grade ore, and we are going to have to come to that.

Mr. PRICE. That is right. The high-grade ores are being depleted, and I believe our low-grade ores in the Appalachian areas will be revived.

Senator SPARKMAN. Thank you very much, Dr. Price.

Senator NEELY. Doctor, will you please indicate to the chairman the accessibility to this river transportation of the numerous existing mining operations between Morgantown and Fairmont?

Mr. PRICE. They just all slope into the river.

Senator NEELY. Is it not a fact that many of these mines can load their coal directly into barges without using any intervening railroad transportation?

Mr. PRICE. Yes.

Senator SPARKMAN. As I understand, many of those mines are in operation and others would be opened up if they had this means of transportation.