Page:Transactions of the Geological Society, 1st series, vol. 4.djvu/12

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I. Red Marl or Sandstone.

In the south-eastern part of the county of Durham a series of strata occurs, among which a fine grained sandstone of a brick-red colour, effervescing with acids, predominates. This rock may be seen in the bed of the Tees at the distance of more than a mile west of Croft bridge; thence it follows the course of the river to the sea, and may be traced at some little distance from its northern bank through Hurworth, Nesham, Sockburn, &c. beyond the town of Stockton, forming rocks on the sea shore between Seaton and Hartlepool. Opposite Sockburn, Mr. Allen of Grange, lately bored in search of coal to the depth of 118 fathoms, without passing through these beds; and at Dinsdale, situated on the northern bank of the Tees, three miles and a half north-east of Croft bridge, in the year 1789, the late General Lambton penetrated to the depth of 74 fathoms without better success. I have obtained five sections of the workings at Dinsdale, and have communicated them, together with the present paper, to the Society. The strata are numerous, and consist (as far as one can judge from the miner's language) of white, grey, or red sandstone with occasional partings of a more compact nature, red or blue shale, coaly matter in thin layers, and gypsum in nodules or in beds; the latter are mentioned in one case as being three feet in thickness. The lowest bed in the two deepest workings was a strong white rock of a calcareous nature.

I should not have inserted these rude sections in the appendix (No. 1) to this paper had it not been for an opinion prevailing in Yorkshire, that coal will be found among these measures, and I hope by the publication of this document to prevent the future waste of capital on similar trials.