Illustrated Historical Atlas of the State of Indiana, Part 14

Author:
Publication date: 1876
Publisher: Baskin, Forster & Co.
Number of Pages: 472

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STATE OF INDIANA.

GEOGRAPHICAL SITUATION.

'The State of Indiann is honmled ou tho enst by The meridinn line which furios the avestern boundary of the State of Ohio- the same being the line drairu ilne north fret the tenth of The Great Miumi River ; on the south by the Ohio River, from the month of the Great Minmi to the month of the Wabash ; ou the wrest by it lite drawn uteng the middle of the Wabash River, from its mouth to a peint ivhere n line ine north from the town of Vincennes would lost toneh the whores of the Wabash River, und from thence by n due north line until the some shall intersect un ensi anil ivest lino drawn Through s point ten miles north of the southern extreme of Lake Michigan ; und on the north hy said enst und west line, until the same shall intersect the first meridiun line which forms the western houndary of the Sinte of Ohio These boundaries ineluile an area of 38,800 square miles, lying between #7º 47' ond 419 50' north Intitude, nud hetween 7° 45' und 11º 1' of lungitude ivest from the City of Washingtun.

GEOLOGY, TOPOGRAPHY, ETC.

DY HN. E. T. IILOWN.

The northern half of the State is covered hy n heavy deposit of drift, wisting of elny, soil and gravel, with occasionally large boulders vi crystalline or metaphorie rocks. This ilrift hns, by a nearly unsuimous consent of geologists, been referred to the glacial period, und its transporta- tian nad distribution to the combinedl agencies of ice und inter. So far as these conolasions relate to the upper or bouller drift praper, there can bo gearcely any doubt of Their correctness, but almost everywhere Through- eut this region ire tindl un underlying bed of compact oluy highly charged with ferrie sulghide, uhteh girey it n durk lead color. This cluy contains un occasional pebble or small honlder of greenstoue or other siliceous rock, bat no borders of granite or gneiss, like those so common in the surface niemher af this formation, are found in il. This deposit of elny ranges in Thickness fromu tirenty or thirty feet on ils sunthern border to more than twa hundrel feot in the vicinity of Lake Michigan. The fue chorneter of the hunterind ef which it is formeil, and its compuet condition, point to its origin in u slow deposition from deep, quiet unters, rather than tho rush of oughty torrouts ileriveil from dissolving glaciers.

This clay fies uneenformuhly on The roek in place, will o few feet of small beulders or course grurel interposed heliveen theiu. Near the base of the olay ore frequently found the romains af au ancient forest, generally of cypress or other semi-tropical, cone- bearing Irees. These are the only for- sils hitherto found in the ileposit, and they do not very satisfactorily indicate its nge. Many questions of scientific importance are suggested by the com. position, condition amil relutinus of this "lowor bine elny," as it is commonly called; bul it would he out of place to introiluce the discussion of these bere. Its prneticat relations to topography and soil we will discuss in their preper piluce4.

lu many parts of the Stufe there are found considerable districts where the surface is formed hy local deposits, evidently more recont thon the twoulder drift. Of these we inny mention the terrace or second bottom formn- tions which skirt the larger streams of the State, frequently ntiaining n width of four or fire tuiles. Belowy a surface lonm of tiro or threo feet in depth, the formation consists af untor-u oru pebbles, interspersed with beds of course sibil, showing rery distinct ripple marks and hues of deposition from run- ning unter. These terrace formintions vary from ton to a hundred feet in thickness, nlwnyy resting on tho lower blue clay, or ou the rock in place. Lying between theso second bottoms and the present channels of the rirers are often fouil quite large districts of recent allurinl deposits, consisting of beds of sound and gravel, aften covering large collections of drift wood, lenves, ete These bottom lunds mio generally elevated but a few feet abore high water, und in many places they are subject to frequent innmlntions.

The northern counties of the Stato often present ridges of nearly pure sand, strongly suggestivo of the lunes of drifted sand which form, at pres- cot, tho southern margin of Lako Michigan. These sand hills orerlie the honlider drift mind are, therefore, regarded as moro recent. They probably mark the vererul sitecessite steps of the retiring luke, as it slowly suhsiden inte its present bonmils.

The rocks underlying these superfininl deposils ure chicdy remisrkuble, threnghent the Stuin, for theer uniform character, and the very slight dis- tuthutce which they have sufferedl sinco their original deposition in hori- contul atrutn. The general ilip af The ontoropping rnoks of Indianu is west. wand. Along the southern harder of the Sinto lhe ilip is west, a feu degrees north, and amennte to abont Thirty feet por nulo. Through the center of the State the ilig is slightly south of west, writh n doseent of abon twenty fort to the mile ; undl ns we naproneh the northern connlies the din is less, and its direction muore southerly. Along the Upper Wabash, the strata nro upheared in tiny places, so ny to proibico local rorersuis of the ilip, and il is probable tlint the reeks mulerlying tho northeastern counties of the State ihp northwardly, toward the Michigun coal fields, but they are so dreply eur ered with The drift formation thut this fitel has no) heon fully determineil. There is also n ruversal of the dip in the northiveslern corner of the Stute, where The Kankakee hmestono protrudes into the counties of Lake, Newton And Jasper, with a slight dep to the southeast

The lowest rocky which come to the surface in the Stuto belong lo tho Trenten und Imilsuu groups of the bowor Silurinu formation. Those, in irhole or in part, farmy the surfuco roeks of tho counties of Wayne, Union, Fayette, Franklin, Dearborn, Ripley, Switzerland, Ohio und Jefferson. the counties lying west and north of these, the Upper Siluriun rocks out. erup This furinotion, ropresented oluetly by the Ningara limestone and its shales, underlies nearly the onthe northeastern quarter of the State, and stretches ilown to the Ohio Ktiver, through to counties of Rush, Decalur, Jeunings, Seoft nud Clark, The Doroniun forinntion is ropresented by uut. crops of heavily stratifeil limostane, bolonging to tho carniferons group, extending from the fulle of the Ohio Rivor, ut Jelformouvillo, to Monticello, in White County, whoro it In lost under the heavy northern drift, reappear-

ing again, however, with reversed ili, in the counties of Jasper and News ton. West of this onterops, in massive strata, n fino-grained argillaciou. sandstone, tho equivalent of what to called the Moreball sandstone hy the Michigan geologists. This forms the mountain-like knobs of Floyil, Wash- ington, Jackyon und Brawn Counties. North of this its topography is much modified by the glnoial ngencies It appears, howvorer, as the surface rock throughout the counties of Morgan, Hendricks, Montgomery anil Tippe- canoe.

This " Knob Samlatone" ( Owen) Joses etself hy its westward dip carrying it under The suhcarboniferous limestone. This group of the carboniferous rocks in Indiuna consists of a great variety of limestones and shales, but in ho instance furnishes coal senias, as is the case in the corresponding forma- tion in other countries 1ts fossils are chiefly marine, though very perfect specimens of coal plants ure occasionally found in its ohnles. The southern bage of this limestone helt presents o surface onterop of about thirty miles in its greatest width, which ivoulit indicate o rortical depth of a thousand feel. Passing northward with a western trend, this limestone grows narrower, nud consequently thinner us it traverses in succession the enunties of llarri- son, Crawford, Washington, Orange, Laurence, Monroe, Diren, Putnam, Moni- gomery and Fountain, reaching the Wabash, at Williamsport, where it is represented by a single stratum but two fret thick. This rock forms the true line marking the castern margin of the coal measures, mul dipping under the coal field, is farms tho Boor on which the coal-bearing rocks rest. rocks outeropping enyt of this, as far as the antichinot axis between the Miamis, in Ohio, are entried by their westward dip beneath this floor, and nre, therefore, geologically below the coal. The great Indinaa cool field lying west of this limestone belt embraces, in whole or in part, the counties of Pesey, Vanderburg, Warrick, Spencer, Perry, Crawford, Dubois, Pike, Gibson, Knox, Daviess, Martin, Orange, Green, Sullivan, Orven, Putnam, Ciny, Vigo, Parko, Vermillion. Fountain und Worren. Lying at the base of the così measures und onteropping along the eastern margin of the fell is a course-grumed, gray sandstone, ranging from fifty to one hundred feet thick. This is the equivalent of the conglomerate or millstone grit of the English geologists, though it presents noulnug of the conglomerate character in this State, except its heavy uml often irregular stratification. Between this rock and the lunestone beneolh it is frequently found] u Ibin yeatn of cool, of a peculiar texture, Occasionally, in the sunthern part of the Stale, il attainy n thickness of tin feet, but this is exceptional,

Above this innssire sandstone bose the enil senmy oceur at irregular iuter- 'nla, the spaces betiveen them being ocenpied by beds of shate, fire-elay and sandstono, with un ocensional stratum of impure limestoue. The shales retain numerous impressions of ferns, calamiles und other così plants; and the sand- stones frequently furnish the geologist beautiful specimens of the stems of Sigillaris, Liriodenden, etc., in the form of rery perfect custs. The lime- stoue strata, however, furnish unly marine fossils, nud those generally of species comuion in the subeurboniferous limestone.

The coul sramy of the Indianu field present & gres) diversity in thickuess, ranging from n few inches to ten feet, but they ore remarkable for the general uniformity in the same deum in different localities, both in thickness of the senm and quality of the coal. This is probably owing to the very small amount of disturbance affecting the seams since they were deposited. From the same cause but fear fuults or breaks occur to Jisturh mining operations. The dip, being but about firenty feel to the mile, is barely sufficient to give perfert ilrainnge when the drift is carried in the reverse direction to the dip. The comparatively highl pressure to which The cual has been subjected, and the absence of geologient disturbance, and the usual elevation of temper- ture necompanying such phenomena, give the costs of ludiaun less specifie gravity than the hituminous coils of the Appalachian field. In other respects, however, there is so strong a similarity in the ~er eral prominent seams of conl in ench field, and such a correspondence in the order of ibeir occurrence that geologists have suggested the probability that the two fields wero once united and continuous, and that the upheaval of the Miami axis and the subsequent ilenuling of the carboniferous and the Deronian strata seps- rated thein.

ECONOMICAL GEOLOGY.

The deep deposit of gleial drift which covers the central and northern countios of tho Stato romters building stone und lime scarce fu many locali- lies. Bitt as the country is improved, mul a free enrrent giren to the streams, These often ent their chautets to such a ilopth ns to rereal the limestoue strata where the early setilers itiil not suspect it to exist. The numerous railronds, traversing the Stule in every direction, haro doue much to roliero any inconvenience from scarcity of huthling unterial iu these drin- covered sections. Mureorer, the ilrif-clay furnishes the material for the manufau. ture of bricks of the best quality, both with regard to appearance and dura- bility. Aud the supply of woud throughout this region is generally such as to enablo this substitule far stuue to be furnished ut a fair price. lu many places the largo bonblers of granite mind gneiss nre used for founda- tiens, collur walls, etc. It is found that they can be split by blasting, or by durable iralls. A double purpose is surred hy this economy-s good huild- ing interial is furuished, nud the ground is cleared of u rery troubleseme incumbrance.

The Trenton unil lwlson limestanes ontteropping in the southeastern counties of the State furnish n grent alminilunoe uf stone, of easy access, and well fitted for rough walls or rubblo wark, but the atrata are generally too thin for dressing or cutting ta ndrantage. In Jefferson County, n short dis- Valice belour Madison, the upper members of this formation become thick And compnet, furnishing, indeed, & rory fur satuple of gray marblo, hard, ilura ble and udnutting of a high polish These quarries hure been pretty extensively worked for several years just. Their near proximity to be Ohio Itiver affords com enient nud cheap transportution of the ninterin to market ; und, but for the great abundance of goed stone nt points helou this on the river, these quarries u oull be rery raluatte.

weilges, nud readily converted into convenient blocks før rough, but very . to a limited exiont, and workmen iu that line have pronounced it a good

building stone adapted tu nearly every purpose in nrebitecture, if proper care be taken in the selection of the material. In these formations strata occasionally occur, presenting n pale blue or lead coler, un earthy fracinre, and a density and hardness even exceeding, in these respects, the more crystalline sirita But on exposure to iventher they will mpidly disin- tegrato. In some quarries the strata, on being broken across, present dark lines of lamination running parallel to the fuce nf the stratum. These rocks, howerer solid they may appear in the quarry, are not to be trusted. Time and exposure will separate the layers, and the rock will be destroyed. In general, however, these limestoney are highly crystalline in their texture, very hord, nud of a specific gravity nearly equal to granite. They break with n smooth, straight fracture, and work freely uniler the hammer or chisel, nad ore often susceptible of a very high polish.

Volunblo quarries of this rock have been opened und extensively worked, ) several points on the Wabash River between Delphi and Huntington. The rock lies in wuiforin stratn, sometimes reaching a thickness of two feet. The color is commonly gray, with occasionully o slight linge of blue or huff. The stone from these Wabash quarries is less crystalline in its texture than that from quarries in the same formation further south. In the vicinity of Wabash City there are extensire quarries of flagging stone, from two to four inches thick. From these beds slabs cau be taken of almost any size desired. They are bard, durable, smooth on the surface, ond nearly as parallel ou their sides as if saived. These quarries extend along the Wabash River a number of miles, and, if properly worked, will furnish an inexhaustible " supply of paving stone.

The Tippecanoe River, near Monticello, Eel River for several miles above the mouth, tho Mississinewa and Solamonia Rivers, and several smaller tributaries of ibe Wabash will furnish extensive quarries of building stone when the demands of the country shall justify the expense of opening und working them properly

At Greensburg anil ut St. l'aul, hoth in Decatur County, extensive quar- ries are worked, largely supplying the demands of the Indianapolis and Cincinnati markets. The stone froin these quarries is of excellent quality. and can be furnished of any desirable size aplo twenty- five or thirty inches thick. The rock is very hard and crystalline in texture, and of a light gray color shaded with blue.

At North Vernon, near the crossing of the Ohio & Missisappi and the Madison & Indianapolis Railroads, extensive quarries uf dork blue lime- stone nre opened and iworked quite extensively Tho rock is heavily struti- fied ; and, on account of its great strength, is well adapted to the construc. tion of bridge nbutments and other heavy structures.

The Marshall or knob sandstone is the equivalent of the Portsmouth free-stone, so extensively used for building purposes tu Cineinnuti and other Ohio Rirer cities, but as yet no extensive quarries of it have been opened in Indiana. A mistake in the early use of this sandsloue ruined its reputation Ds n building material in this State. Some of the strata are gray or buff- colorel, and very soft wheu fresh from the quarry ; others ore lead-colored or hlue, and quite hard even in the quarry. These were selected for build- ing purposes, but on exposure they soon begun to disintegrale, and u few years left nothing hut rubbish. On the other hand, the buff stone hardens on exposure, nad proves, indeed, a very dumble stone, resisting not only the ordinary ofmospheric iuflueuces, but even the high temperature of a burn- ing building, without material injury. It is probable that when the hills of Bean Blossom and Salt Creek, in Mergan und Brou'n Counties, are made accessible by railroads, Ibal excellent quarries of sandstone, easily worked, durable and cheap. will be opened in the Marshall sandstone. To a limited extent, it has been used at New Albany, nt Crawfordsville and at Lafayette, but no effort has been mule to introduce it into general use as n building material.

The aubourboniferous limestone furnishes a building stone, which. for all the properties of a perfect building material, is scarcely surpassed in the United States It is a course-grained gruy limestone, hut from its general appearance is often mistaken for sandstone. When fresh from the quarry, it is quite soft, and can be cut into ornamental forms with ease, hut on losing ils quarry moisture it becomes very burd und has the ring of metal when struck with a hammer It absorbs a large amount of water ivhen exposed to moisture, but its elasticity is ao great thal exposure to frost in this condi- lion has no effect on it. Its uppearance, where it has been in use more than half'u century, as ivoll as its condition in natural exposures, indicate a duro- bility to which scarcely auy limit can be set. A feature of this formantion, which adds much lo the value of the rock, is the extraordinary thickness of tho strata. At Bedford, n stratum six feet thick is worked, and at Bloom- ington one is exposed measuring eight feet, al Ellettsville, a few miles north- irest of Bloomrugtou, the quarries are working ten feel in a single stratum without se.it or fault, onil exposures on White River, between Gosport and Spencor, show oren n greater thickness thau This. The texture of the stone, in these heavy strala, is very uniform, showing no liues ef ilepusitien, or parting, that would indicate a ilivision of the stratum into separato layers. This umbles the architect lo procure blocks of our ilesirable sizo, limited only by the necessity of iransportatien by ruil. Quarries of this rock have been opened in Harriso» County, which furnish a beautifully variegated sluno susceplihle of u high polish. If these quarries were properly opened and worked, it is prebable lunt a hunIsome and durable marble could be ob- tained. In the same rieinity n variety of litbegraph stone has been worked article.

Large amounts of This building stono are quarried in the counties of Washington, Laurence, Monroe and Owen, and shipped to various markets by the Louisrille & Chicago and the Indianapolis & Vincennes Railroads. The demand fur this stone is steadily on the increase, and as soon as its ex- cellent qualities hecome better knowu to architects, it will be generally adopted for public buildings and otber massive structures in the Western cities.

The sandsiones of the coal measures will furnish a large amount of dura- ble and easily worked building material, 1s soon as publio attention is called to them. Of these, the largest supply and the best quality of rock is found at lbe base of the coal measures nud immediately overlying the tiquestone Just leseriled It is a coarse silicrous sat lstone, of a loose texture and dis- posed to crumblo maiber than 10 spau'l under the hammer. It lies in massive «trata, frequently tivelre ur fifteen feet thick, but can be easily split with

The Ningara nud thrusterous hurstones, irluch forin the surtnce rock of more than half the State, can furnish an ulmest inoxhaustible supply of wilges in the direction of ais lines of cleavage, which are horizontal and

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STATE OF INDIANA .- CONTINUED,

redical. In this manner, blocks for building purposes can be easily und clicaply obtained of any dirsiralde size. Il mny he hammer or chisel-ilresseil, bul chngol be out in sharp lines, and is Therefore unfil for oronmenint work. Ita ubilily to resist u high brul nilhoul injury comments it for muny pur- pose". Being very sofi irhen first laken from The quarry, il lins been regarded with ilistrust by architecla, but nu inspection of the perpendicular clills anil deep gorges along The margin of the coal feld will be conrincing proof of ils power lo resist the influence of wentles. Quarries of This stone linie been opened and ndvaningeously workul nt Williniusporl and at Con- nellon. At The lutter place, the largest collon-mill in The Sinle is built of this stone, and The edince is a demonsimtien, hoth of The durability noil beauty of the alone. In Parke County, sumples of This alone occur of a brick reil or light hroun color from The presence of peroxide of iron. The color nill provo primaneat, tho iron being in its highest sinle of oxidation. A sanil lono oceurs abore The block coul, liner in lexture than Ibat alore describel, and brarly ubite. In many places il is aufhciently compact lo furniati u benntiful and durable building malerin).

lume, of excellent quality før unvoury or for plastering, may be monde frion any of The limestones of the Stute; Int the most extensive mannfuelo. ries of lime are al Ulica, in Clark County; ul St Punt, in Decatur County, al Huntinglon, in Huntinglon Conuly, and al Delphi, in Carroll County. Al many olber points hime is burned lo supply The local demand, and if this ebonbt increase, the mnou facture enn be rxlendeil indefinitely.

Waler-time lins long been mannfnelured from on nigillnecons limealone, ouleropping in the vicinity of Jeffersonville. The good quality of this cement is nell established.

Al many points nlong the Wabash Rirer, belireen Logansport und Hunl- inglen, a similar ruck is found, Prim which hydraulic cement may be tunde in huy quantity which the morkel may ilemand.

Giuss is a material which enters largely inlo modern architecture. Sand of un excellent quality for The manufacture of ginsa, is found near Ner Pror- idence, in Clark Connly li is now used in the plate-glass works il Nrw

The sound hills along the southern shore of Lake Michigan will furnish an inpsboustilde supply of sand, filled to the manufacture of common inin- dew glosy or hullum ivore.

COAL.

More Than B,IHN square miles of The territory of Indiaun is included in The great Western coul field. A peentiarily of the Indiana coal beds is, Ilial they nie errry where necessible lo ruilroud lines, noil consequently can all be muilo nymilolile.

Thy cools of this firhil all helong lo the ala's of biluminous conls, bul from unlural gunlities, present Ivo distinel ilivisions-the free-burning anil the eaking couls. Tlou' first of tbesc are commonly known By " bluck cosls," on nienunl of their being brought into markel in Inrge blocks This rarely is found ul The buse of the canl tuensures, somelimes represented by a single Benin, from three lo hiry feet Thick, bul frequently Ino or Three seams, rung. ing from Iwo la font feel eich in thickness, are found, separated by from len lo thirty feel of shale, sumeletrue and 6rr-clny.

These beds he en a fine light-colored elny, with a slight bine linge, and usually Inre a roof of compael biluminous shide, kuoun to the miners os " black slolo."

A vertical fracture of the conl presents perfeel lines of Inminalion, os if The cul hait been mindy of aneerasive layers, of' about n quarter of np inch Ilnek, carb. Thise Imp rry bure thy glossy hluch appenruney of well harlen- eneit aspholium, tout they shar nu londency lo soffen with beal. In the hi- reciton of Ihrse hues The blochs split julo thin slabs very readily, bul show considerable strength in resisting fruelure in the direction of n eross serlion. When spht parallel with The lines of depositinn, The fueo of The block shoirs fragments of rlorenal, in which the hbers of the nooil are rery perfrelly preserved An rxquiuntion of these shons Thul the nood belonged lo cone- lienting Irces The fragteids are of all ajte,, from a miere speck lo h sur- fury of ibree or four square inches, oud tie with the fibers of The wood on The subie pilone, toil in all directions, jorsenling an appearance as if Ibo wood bod beyn luen inly fragments, while yol solid, and scattered about pro- miseuously.

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Illustrated Historical Atlas of the State of Indiana, Part 14

Author: Publication date: 1876 Publisher: Baskin, Forster & Co. Number of Pages: 472

Author:
Publication date: 1876
Publisher: Baskin, Forster & Co.
Number of Pages: 472