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Show 02 JWCKY )[QUNTAI S ENERY. After JeavinCT Bitter Creek tation, we shall obscrv that the l1illR approach nearer to th' milroacl anclr?veal mor,, ·1 :1.rl:y th ckua ·tt'·r·i t:~ti e f >n.tures of the old r marine or bradush wate r· 1 \'1-tran •s. \'arm; of coal crop out v rywlwrc with bands of dark clay and yellow ·a11cl. IVt\ ar·p dt• cpnding the valley of BiLtl'l' Cr·<'ek toward Green River, tltro11gh orw of those avenn sex avated in CT 'ological time for a rai I road , witlr ·11 igh waiiR 0 ,. blufl's of andstone c•nr loRing it on either sidP. 'J'he e .higlt Ranthf one blnfl's or wall arc m>ar·ly w rti cal in ma11y placPs, and ar· • wPallrnt'd into most CTJ'Ote ·qn, n.11cl allrUHino· fo rm ~:>. " Th ' tooth of tirnc" ,'t'C ill !:l to have bPen con tantly at work gnawinO' into tl1 •it· r:;itl.PH ·lowly and almoHt imperceptibly pt•rh:tpH, yet Llr • •rmdon wlriclt Jra b •en pcr-f'ornr t•cl hen· will ontinnally oxcit' onr woncl('l'. At Black BntLe taLi n Lher·• is a tlri ck bed of yellow r-;a nclstone full of msty looking concr'C'tions of' all sizes, from an iuclr to Hcveral f't•Pt in diameter, mostly spheri cal in f'orm, and wlrc•n bi'Okvn •]towing largt' cav itit:'s filll'd with an earthy powdt:'r or· oxid ' of iron. 'J'hi · R:t lld.ton' form neal'ly v<· r·tical walls or· blult' · 150 to 200 fppt hig h, and i.· worn by atmosph •ri :vrl'nci •;; in to the mo 'L }lt'culial'ly fantastic shap<•s. A bovt> it are ands, cl:tys ttnd sandstones of ' \'ery vari 'ly of' Lvxluro, wiUt <'Oal becl , Oil' of whi ·11, n •ar Lire t~ tnnmi t of the ]till s, ]raH been b t11·ned ouL by ignition caus •J by Lhe deco nrposition of' iron pyriLt• ·, ·o Llra t Uw s rqH' rin ·untbcnt b >ds hav bt"n bak<•<l a l>riek-rl'd color. Tlri .· ap]Jeamllt' l', thonO'h common i11 the coal regions of the W PHt, aid!:! lltueh i11 g ivi ngmrit> Ly to the scenery. ln the Yellow ' ton ' Vall •y lit · hill !:! pre · ·nL Ll~t· app•amnco of Lh • ruin · of b tll·rwd citie .. Photograplt Vlll. prt'. 'PnLH a fin exam11le of' tlt t> ·e Hand. ·ton ' hlu ln.;, with the Pv id t~nc · or the con ·tant and ·low wparin <r away of the sid es by atmo pheric infht<'ll C('S. At th , lt•ft, w ·ee Ute vallt>y of' Hi tt •r Ureek, through which thH road rum;; at the extl' •m • left are low, rather r ulldt•d hill s, wlri •h graduttlly a c nd f'or mil <• ·, ·o tlrat t hc•y bl'eom' •venLnal ly S'ver·al hundr·•cl f'eet abovl' tlr l' bed of Bitter 'reek. lt is v ry ,·t•ldolll that abmpt bluffs occur on both sides of a str •am at the samo lot"ality except in the mountain · whor> the li ttle -tr ams lrave cut Ut ir way through immens' ma. s •s of' r oc·k, forming gorgPs or· caii on ·. On Lho right of tho pictur, the hill a cond far· to tho nor·tlr as bef'ore cl >serib •d. 'l'h coal b ds which yi >]d a supply of fncl for th road lie above and below thi sand tone. WE" l'WArtD TO DEAlt RlVER. 03 The t •nd '!ICY of this sandsto ne to w atlt r into curi ous form and eav ities Jra · given p•cttliat· mtm 's to localities, as " Jl·rrni t's Or·otto,' ' ,, CaVl' of' the ancl," " Wat0r-wa h d Cnv s of tlr Fail'i • ," all of which xlribit mo ·t sirwular, round ·d cavHi ' worn out oft], • sand;;fon , sometinre •xll'ntlin rr into the bluff walls '(•veml f' ••t. \\'<• ·may suppose that most of Lhe e cavities ori<.,.inally contain<•d a SI h •rical eoncr·l'ti 11 whi clr fir t clt>tenni11 •d tlr •ir pro ent roundl'd hape, and Lhat tlr • lorw c nLillll •d aetion of' tho wind and .-torm · Jras e11largetl th •m to th •ir Jll't'Hl' ll t dim n ·ionH. P •rlrap aiHo th tr·icklinrr of' water, or tlte pi'Oc •ss of' frePzirw ancl t Ira wing may I rave performed a par·t in di si nt(•CT r·a ti nrr th partiC'l •s of Hanel. l r ' I'·, too, w. filld pr >J'V L'd in t'h J' ck 0 Ute <'r]' •at •st abulldanl'e ol' l1· ·id11 ous lt•avos of th poplar, a.· h, elm, map I ', etc. , antl alllong them ·om<' sp •e i<•s whi ch arc found i 11 tlr ·oal f'ol'llration · on tho pppr· } I isso uri. Among Lire f'o sil plantH fo11ncl i.· a S}WCies of' fan-palm, whi ·h aL the timP it g r·ew lrer·e, di playt•d a l •af of cnonn us dillr<'nsions, ·omPli llr e:,; having a '}W •a l of 10 or· 12 t »t. 'I'll ·e g iuantic palms ·e •m to hare form •cl a ·o n t:~]Ji c uo u s fcatur·e amonrr the tr ·s of' tlw ·o ancient f'or·t·stH. At almo -t l'Vt'ry ·Lntion, fr m Bitt ' L' Or • •k to Rock. pri11rr ·,coal min <'~:> are op •n •d, and an al.HIIHlant up})ly f'or milroa<l purpo. t' · ·an b •a ·ily obtaiJH•cl. At one locality, ll <'tu· Point of' Roc·ks, 1ivo bed" wpr· • OJll'llt•d iu th :,;rune blnif, within a v•rticn.l heig lrt of 0 f' •ct. 'l'h •·o bed· am J'('Hpectiv •ly Jiv o, on<', four ·, tlll·t·e, a11cl six and a half ft•et in Uriekn • ·~;. Near Lire Ktmuni t of til hill, j11 ·t ov .,. th, coal, iK a .· •arn of oy.-tp r· !-!lt ells six inches in tlti ·kn •ss. 'l'h • oyst r· is or an cxtin ·t and und 'H Tibecl spcci H, ahottt th , si..:P of' our common edible one. Tlrel'l' ar • al o i11 tlri~:> ra.n rr> of llill extenl:live bed.· of' ltanl tabular layers of 1'0 ·k, which would make •xccll l'nt flan·rritw tom• ·. On th • Slld'aet• ar· • fino illu -tratio11 · of' wave a11d rippl ma rkin <rs, aml aL 011 ' locality irnpn'. ·ion · which appear lik • th • tra ·k · of a mule on tit • ·oft bottom rr ro11nd. 'l'h re are others that mi rrht b' attribut •cl to a lrug • bir·cl, and others to some fo11r-toed paclrydcnn . catt r •d all tlrrough the coal stmta ar·o · am a11cl ·on ·retionary ma ·~ •s of brow11 i r·on ore, somet int l:l Jomtl a11d sometime p •r·sistt>nt OVl'l' t>xtcnd •cl area·; it o ·curs mostly in n nodular form, and if' tlre coal prov s to po so· s ufti i ' ll t heatirw pow,,. to Hill >lt it, the or must b • ·om >v •ntually of immen ·o economic valu . There are also numer us clralybeate ancl ulphut· springs in the vi ·inity. |