1884.1 1^' [Stevenson. 



determined by actual examination. Be that as it may, the mountain is 

 quickly divided into two very narrow sj^nclinals, separated by a narrow, 

 compressed anticlinal, along which a valley has been eroded to the Tren- 

 ton. The ridge in the southerly sj'nclinal retains the name Paint Lick, 

 while the short irregular ridge in the other trough is known as Deskins 

 mountain, and continues for but three or four miles. 



Erosion has been performed so faithfully beyond Plum creek that, for a 

 distance of fully eight miles, all rocks newer than Trenton have been 

 removed from the synclinal ; but, at say four miles east from Jefferson- 

 ville, the Medina ridge is reached again in East River mountain, which 

 clearly represents Paint Lick. It, however, is distinctly double, two syn- 

 clinals separated by a narrow anticlinal, which evidently widens eastward, 

 so that the synclinal mountains are wholly separate and bear distinct 

 names. Deskins mountain appears to be represented by Dial mountain, 

 an irregular little mountain with Medina crest! No examinations were 

 made east from the Dial or north from East River mountain, so that the 

 coloring of that portion of the map is not exact 



Within Tazewell and eastern Russell, the rocks rise regularly or nearly 

 so from the synclinal to the New Garden fault, the rate of dip increasing 

 toward the fault ; but westward, as the synclinal becomes less pronounced, 

 the rocks become distorted at a distance of two or three miles from the 

 line of fracture. A synclinal occurs on the high limestone ridge, known 

 as Copper ridge, within Scott county, but it disappears before reaching 

 Mill creek in Russell county, for there no traces of it were found. Even 

 where this indefinite synclinal exists, the rocks are badly twisted at vary- 

 ing distances from the line of displacement. Thus, on the road to Osborn's 

 ford, the distortion begins at some distance above Barlow Nickels' house, 

 or more than two miles south from the fault ; on the road, one mile east 

 from Lick creek of Clinch river, sharp folding was seen at a mile or more 

 south, and it evidently continues almost to the fault; further east, the 

 greatest complications are in the shales near the river, while disturbance 

 appears to be wholly wanting near the line of fault ; still further east on 

 Lewis creek, near the mouth of Indian creek, and on Cavitts creek, the 

 disturbance is Insignificant, and the dip is regular for the whole distance. 



The Clinch River System of Faults. 



The general name here employed is that applied by Prof. Lesley to two 

 members of the system, and it includes the Hunter Valley fault of the 

 writer's previous memoir. No name less open to objection can be pro- 

 posed ; but this should not be taken as implying anything more than that 

 in a general way the faults and the river are nowhere separated by an in- 

 terval of more than a few miles. 



Clinch river rises in eastern Tazewell, and flows thence through Russell 

 and Scott into Tennessee ; the distance within Virginia is, in direct line, 

 not far from ninety miles, but by the river channel is probably one hun- 

 dred and thirty or one hundred and forty miles. At about twenty miles 



