On the Disturbances in the District of the Valley of the Don

Abstract

Upon the last visit of the Society to Sheffield, I had the pleasure of describing some of the geological features of the neighbouring district, and particularly those of the country between Rotherham and Sheffield. I have again taken the liberty of giving a brief mining notice of the disturbances of the same district, because they are not only of such enormous magnitude as to be of great interest to the geologist, but a knowledge of them is necessary to the successful mining operations of that neighbourhood. Upon the former occasion, it was contended by one party that not only were the strata on the North side of the Don elevated above those of the South side, to the amount of 600 yards in vertical height; but that also there had been a horizontal lateral movement of the beds of the North side, in an eastward direction, to the length of five or six miles.* I hope, however, now to be able to prove—1. That there is no vertical elevation of the beds of the whole country, on the North side of the valley of the Don, or, that the previously described elevation is merely local;—2. That the supposed lateral movement is due, in reality, to a depression or synclinal axis of the beds on the South side. It is, indeed, true that there is a vertical elevation, in the beds of the North side, over those of the South, if you commence at Iccles Hall, and trace any ...