^, IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 4 1.0 1.1 ■aiM 12.5 |io ^^~ mi liA Uii 122 £1 Uii us 14.0 i I 2.0 1^ ■, |1.25 , u III— < 6" - ► Photografiiic Sciences Corporalion m V <^ m ^^ -s^v ^\ 33 WIST MAIN STRUT WIB$TU,N.Y. MSSO (716) •72-4503 p < F.^ I/. %o i CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHIVI/ICIVIH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microrep'oductions /Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques Technical and Bibliographic Notes/Notes techniques et bibliographiques The Institute has anempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming. Features of this copy which may be bibliographically unique, which may alter any of the images in the reproduction, or which may significantly change the usual method of filming, are checked below. □ Coloured covers/ Couverture de couleur I I Covers damaged/ D D D Couverture endommagte Covers restored and/or laminated/ Couverture restaurie et/ou pellicuMe I I Cover title missing/ Le titre de couverture manque I I Coloured maps/ Cartes g^ographiques en couleur Coloured ink (i.e. other than blue or black)/ Encre de couleur (i.e. autre que bleue ou noire) I I Coloured plates and/or illustrations/ Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur Bound with other material/ Reli6 avec d'autres documents rT7] Tight binding may cause shadows or distortion along interior margin/ La re liure serrie peut causer de I'ombre ou de la distortion le long de la marge int6rieure Blank leaves added during restoration may appear within the text. Whenever possible, these have been omitted from filming/ II se peut que certaines pages blanches ajouttes lors d'une restauration apparaissent dans le texte, mais, lorsque cela Atait possible, ces pages n'ont pas 6th filmies. L'Institut a microfilm* le meilleur exemplaire qu'il lui a iti possible de se procurer. Les ditaiis de cet exemplaire qui sont peut-Atre uniques du point de vue bibliographique, qui peuvent modifier une image reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une modification dans la m6thode normale de filmage sont indiqute ci-dessous. I I Coloured pages/ D D n Pages de couleur Pages damaged/ Pages endommagies Pages restored and/or laminated/ Pages restaurAes et/ou pelliculies Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/ Pages d6color6es, tacheties ou piqudes Pages detached/ Pages ditachies rTTT Showthrough/ UlI Transparence I I Quality of print varies/ D Quality inigale de I'impression Includes supplementary material/ Comprend du materiel supplimentaire Only edition available/ Seule Mition disponible Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata slips, tissues, etc., have been refilmed to ensure the best possible image/ Les pages totalement ou partieilement obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata, une pelure, etc., ont hth filmies A nouveau de fa^on A obtenir la meklleure image possible. Additional comments:/ Commentaires supplAmentaires; Pulled from Nova Scotian Institute of Science: Proceedings and Transactions Vol. 2. Second Series, 1898 This item is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/ Ce document est film* au taux de rMuction indiquA ci-dessous. 10X 14X 18X 22X y 12X 16X 20X 26X XX 24X »X D 32X lire ditaili ues du : modifier ger une filmage The copy filmed here haa bean reproduced thanka to the generoaity of: Univtrtity of Toronto Library The imagea appaaring here are the beat quality poaaibla conaidaring the condition and legibility of the original copy and in Reaping with the filming contract apecif icationa. L'exemplaire filmA fut reproduit grica k la gAnAroaitA da: University of Toronto Library Lea imagea auivantaa ont AtA reproduitea avec le plua grand aoin, compta tenu de la condition at da la nettet* de I'exemplaire film*, et en conformity avec lea conditiona du contrat de filmage. Original copiea in printed papar covera are filmed beginning with the front cover and ending on the laat paga with a printad or illuatrated imprea- aion. or the back cover when appropriate. Ail other original copiea are filmed beginning on the firat page with a printed or illuatrated imprea- aion, and ending on the laat page with a printed or illuatrated impreaaion. 6es Lea exempiairea originaux dont la couverture an papier eat imprim6e sent filmte en commenpent par le premier plat et en terminant aoit par la darnlAre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impreaaion ou d'iliuatration, aoit par le aecond plat, aalon le caa. Toua lea autrea exempiairea originaux aont filmte en commen9ant par la pram, ire page qui comporte une empreinte d'impreaaion ou d'iliustration et en terminant par la darnlAre page qui comporte une telle empreinte. The laat recorded frame on each microfiche ahaii contain the aymboi ^^> (meaning "CON- TINUED"), or the aymboi Y (meaning "END"), whichever appiiea. Un dea aymboiea auivanta apparaltra aur la darnlAre image de chaque microfiche, aeion le caa: le aymbole — ► aignifie "A SUIVRE", le aymbole V aignifie "FIN". re Mapa, platea, charta, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratioa. Thoae too large to be entirely included in one expoaure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, aa many framaa aa required. The following diagrama illuatrate the method: Lea cartea, planchea, tableaux, etc., peuvent Atre filmAa A dea taux de reduction diffirenta. Loraque le document eat trop grand pour Atre reproduit en un aeul clichA, il eat film* A partir de I'angle aupArieur gauche, de gauche A droite, et de haut en baa, en prenant le nombre d'imagea niceaaaire. Lea diagrammea auivanta illuatrent la mdthode. y errata Id to nt ne peiure, i9on A n 1 2 3 32X 1 2 3 4 5 6 III. — The Undeveloped Coal Fields of Nova Scotla. — Bv E. GiLPix, Jn., Ll. ])., F. R. S. C, Inspector of Mines. (Read lath February, ISOG.) The question of the possible discovery of new coal fields in this province is interesting from both a scientific and a practical standpoint. At present the growth of our coal industry is measured hy the home demand. The Maritime Provinces take an amount w'hich is steadilj', if not rapidly, increasing, as new manufactures are started and firewood becomes scarcer. The Newfoundland demand will not, so far as can be seen, increase rapidly, and moreover, competition is threatened Ijy the island deposits. The trade of the tSt. Lawrence appears at present practically ^-ecured to Nova Scotia, and will grow proportionately to the development of that important section of the Dominion. Ottawa and Montreal appear to mark the western limit of the trade. The inauguration of any policy by which our coals can be pushed further westward against the competition of United States coals rests with the deepening of the canals and the assist- ance of the Federal Government. If an outlet be obtained in the New England States the development would grow apace. We have the subject presented from a practical standpoint. What are the possible reserves beyond those deposit.', now being worked ? While the present mines can be extended in the worked and adjoining seams to meet a demand many times larger than the present, the enquiry is still pertinent. If there is an assur- ance that outside of the present development there are other tracts that may be drawn upon when needed, the confidence and credit of the province are increased. The assurance of unlimited supplies of fuel, even though we sigh now for larger markets, advertises us abroad and encourages capital to examine our resources of other minerals, and generally to consider more favorably our aspirations for investments of capital. (134) This 1 of the pr( had largel as the col UNDEVELOPED COAL FIELDS OF NOVA SCOTL\— GILPIN. 135 The Journal News has recently published a summary of explorations carried on last year by the Cumberland Railway tSz; Coul Company in tlie measures underlying the seams at present worked by them. It has always been known that there were underlying seams, but details as to their size were not available. The company has now shown tliat there are a number of work- able seams of good quality available at any time, as shown by the following section in descending order from West slope seam : Feet. Inches. Seam 3 4 Strata ... — — Seam ... 4 3 Strata . — — Seam 5 6 Strata — — Seam 2 8 Strata — — Seam 1 6 Strata , — — Seam 7 6 Strata — — Seam 2 Strata — — Seam , 4 8 Strata — — Seam .5 Strata — — Seam 7 Strata — — Seam 2 4 Strata — — Seam — — This is a case exactly in the line of this argument. The value of the property of this company was before a defined item ; they had large tracts of coal opened by their slopes, ensuring, as far as the coal miner could judge, many years of work. The dis- 136 UNDEVELOPED COAL FIELDS OF NOVA SCOTIA — GILPIN. UNDE iB> i: I covery, however, of these seams, even if they are not likelj' to be worked for some years, has been a distinct advertisement for that district, and encourages the confidence the local business men and the province feel in the permanency and future exten- sion of the trade of Cumberland County. I do not pretend this evening to have the wand of Fortunatus, and to dit-close to you vast fields of unworked coal, but briefly to refer to districts which may be fornd upon examination to hold coal of economic value. The student of geology is most appreciated when he can show the public some material advantnge accruing from his investigation, and his predictions are often correct and useful even when they are unpalatable. I need not refer here to those sections in the province in which coal is now being regularly worked, but proceed to notice briefly the geological conditions which, so far as our experience- goes, govern the presence of coal in Nova Scotia. The term carboniferous is applied by geologists to a group of palaeozoic strata, which, while distinguished by holding the best deposits of coal, are also possessed of certain other notable characteristics. Sir William Dawson stands out as the special delineator of the divisions of this system in the Maritime Provinces. He divided it into : — Upper Coal Measures, Prodactive Coal Measures, Millstone Grit, Limestone Series, Lower or Basal Measure, And these sub-divisions have been in a general way followed by other geologists. In this province the limestone series has not presented any workal'c deposits of coal. It is, as you know, distinguished as an important source of limestone for fluxes, etc., as well as fur- nishing enormous deposits of gypsum. It is also valued by the mmer as scattered however, may be i largely o Silurian deposits < in the pn rnulation shales, of points till enough t much tim which of in their beds liave slates or As far a few t\ Merigomi by no fixe These ag Millstont Grit in N the study the Proc be consic In th these sys abundant abundun Mr. Fletc bis surve not prese purpose, not be g( prOV)nCC 111 UNDEVELOPED COAI^ FIELDS OF NOVA SCOTIA — GILPIX. 137 miner as containing ores of iron, manganese, barytes, as well as scattered indications of copper and lead ores. In this connection, however, it need not be referi-ed to in greater detail. The same may be said of the Lower or Basal series. This is composed largely of conglonierates and coarse Grits which often rest on Silurian or Laurentian strata, in some cases holding contact deposits of iron ore or manganese. At several points, however, in the province, the conditions of deposition permitted the accu- mulation of more finely comminuted strata, and we have beds of shales, often bituminous or carbonaceous. It is noticed at a few points that the accumulation of carbon matter has been large enough to form impure "coal" beds. Prospectors have spent much time and money with unsatisfactory results in these strata, which often surpass the shales of the productive measures in their various carbon contents. In a few cases these coaly beds have been hardened by metamoi-phic action into graphitic slates or semi-anthracitic beds. As far as I am aware the Upper Coal measures contain only a few thin but remarkably persistent seams running from Merigomish to River John. Tiiis set of strata appears to pass by no fixed line into the lower and preceding productive measures. These again are divided by no arbitrary boundary from the Millstone Grit. Coal seams are not infrequent in the Millstone Grit in Nova Scotia as in other countries. We are therefore, in the study of this subject, concerned in the presence of coal in the Productive and the Millstone Grit measures, and they may be considered together. In the Sydney coal field the boundary laid down between these systems is based principally on the cessation of thick and abundant coal beds and the presence of seams smaller and not so abundant, as well as on the appearance of strata coarser in texture. Mr. Fletcher of the Geological Survej', however, in continuing his survey of Cape Bi-eton, found that in many places nature did not present coal seams and differing strata conveniently for this purpose, and has grouped the two together. The question need not be gone into here as to the true horizon of some of our coal J 138 UNDEVELOPED COAL FIELDS OF NOVA SCOTIA — GILPIN. deposits, as we are now practically concerned about the size, etc, of coal beds, not about their scientific age. Leaving the consideration of the productive measures of the Sydney coal field out of the question, and adopting the boundary there laid down by the Geological Survey between the two sets of measures, it may be taken as a fact that in tl;9 Milstone Grit in that district there do exist workable seams of coal of whic'i I may mention the Mullins, Gardner, Long Beach and Tracey seams. It is plain, therefore, that even if exception may be rai.sed to the productive age of the rocks holding coal seams else- where, we are starting with the important premises that the Millstone Grit does hold valuable coal seams in the Sydney dis- trict, and that in other districts explorations may show deposits of equal value. The following condensed sections will show what is so far known of the coal contents of this horizon in the Sydney district : — In Cape Breton County there extends from the rear of Lin- gan Bay and Glace Bay to Mira, and thence up the river of that name and its branch, the Salmon River, as far as Loch Lomond on the county line, a large area of Millstone Grit. Seams of coal are known throughout this district. Classing the Mullins, Gardner a ad Tracey seams in this horizon the fact is established that it presents seams of workable size lying, geologically speak- ing, thousands of feet below the seams classed as the lowest of the true or productive measures, as shown by the following condensed section : — In the section showing from the south head of Cow Bay to the head of Mira Bay there ar'^., ni aoouii 1,000 feet of strata, eleven seams of coal, the thickest, the Tracey, being 4 feet. Four of them have a workable thiikne.ss. In the centre of the district, assuming with the Geological Survey that the summit of the Millstone Grit begins a short distance above the Lorway or Gardner Seam, we have first that seam 5 feet 9 inches thick, then in about 700 feet of measures there are six coal seams varying in thickness up to two feet. iii SILPIN. e size, etc., ires of the boundary le two sets stone Grit of whic'i I id Tracey )n may be seams else- s that the ydney dis- )W deposits will show izon in the ear of Lin- iver of that ch Lomond iams of coal he MuUins, established cally speak- le lowest of e following Jovv Bay to et of strata, feet. Four } Geological ^ins a short ^^e first that of measures Dwo feet. UNDEVELOPED COAL FIELDS OF NOVA SCOTIA — GILPIN. 139 In the .section underlying the productive measures at Low Point, at a vertical distance of 600 feet below the top of the Millstone Grit, is the Mullins seam, 6 feet 4 inches thick. Several other smaller seams unknown in this section of which I have no details. On the North Sydney side of the harbor I'.e Geological Survey give only one seam about 580 feet below the top of the Millstone Grit, the Matheson seam, 2 feet thick. It is claimed by those who have since prospected this district that there are several other seams up to 5 feet in thickness. On the Big Bras d'Or the sections of the Millstone Grit have hitherto shown only traces of coal. For a few years past attempts have been made to trace the Mullins seam southwax'dly into the extensive district lying between Sydney and Glace Bay, and to prove the Tracey seam northwardly into the same district. These efforts have not yet proved successful. There ai*e a number of seams known in this area, as shown in the section, none, however, large enough to compete with those at present worked, although they will be drawn upon in the future when the larger seams become exhausted, and they contain in the aggregate many millions of tons of coal. On the M(jrrison road explorations have been carried on by Mr. Harold and other Sydney parties. They claim to have bored through a number of workable seams. The details of this exploration, not yet completed, will be received with interest, as if their claims as to the thickness of the seams are supported by a good quality of coal a most important addition will be made to the coal resources of the district. An interesting portion of this coal field was descr'bed by me in a paper read before j^ou last winter, as the results of some of the prospecting for the Tracey seam. Attention was drawn to the curious fact that the fossils of the Cossitt coal field were identical with many characteristics of the true coal measures, although the locality lies in the heart of a wide expanse of Millstone Grit. 140 UNDEVELOPED COAL FIELDS OF NOVA SCOTIA — GILPIN. Southerly of this lies the Mira district ; here there are a few known outci'ops of small seams, but little tested except at some natural exposures. The country is swampy with numerous lakes and mo.ss grown, and the natural exposures are piincipally of the harder ridges of sandstone or grit. In the Salmon River district there are three well marked seams of coal from 12 to .SO inches in thickness, lying in the valley between the East Buy and Mira felsites, etc. The work showed the existence of a long narrow trough holding the outcrops of several seams under two feet in thickness. The first of these on the Gaspereau River road is stated to be eighteen inches thick, to burn well and to yield little ash. A second outcrop similar in character occurs between the Glengarry and Ardoise roads on the shore of a small lake. The third and most imp(jrtant expo.sure is on the Salmon River, two miles south of the Morrison road, where two eighteen inch seams are met divided by a band of fire- ^lay. The coal burns readily, but from the following analysis contains an unprofitable amount of ash : — Moisture 1.53 Volatile Combu.stible Matter 20.16 Fixed Carbon 47.49 Ash 30.82 It was stated some time ago that explorations had shown larger and more promising outcrops in this district. The pros- pectors have taken out a number of leases and as they are will- ing to pay the annual rental on them it must be presumed that they are satisfied with their prospects. In the district lying to the westward of the General Mining Association's lease at Sydnej' Mine.s, and extending from Sydney Harbor to the Big Bras d'Or, there are a number of outcrops of seams. Local authorities, as already stated, claim to have identified them with the lower seams on the Victoria Mines shore of the harbor, and that they are in .some instances increased in size. )W trough UNDEVELOPED COAL FIELDS OF NOVA SCOTIA — OILPIN. 141 As yet, however, this district has not as a wliole been syste- matically tested, and indications are not wanting; that the con- ditions, favoraV)le to the formation of coal beds in the Millstone Grit, decreased with proximity to thesyenitic rocks of St. Ann's. The Millstone Grit of the Sydney district appears to attain its maximimi thickness in the Mira Bay section, and accordinjjto Messrs. Fletcher and Robb, it decreases until at its northern extremity in the Capo Dau^/hin district it has