Stevenson.] •^*^" INov.21, 



top of the Lower Carboniferous is shown and Prof. Lesley states that a 

 coal bed is shown near Capt. Peery's house on the Abb's Valley road. 



The Stony Ridge Fault. 



A new member of this series, the Stony Ridge fault, has its origin some- 

 where between Lewis creek and the line of Tazewell county ; but, as the 

 interval between Lewis and Middle creeks, about ten miles, was not ex- 

 amined, the place of its origin was not ascertained. In all probability, 

 however, the anticlinal on Lewis creek marks the beginning of this frac- 

 ture. The downthrow on the northerly side brings into contact with the 

 Devonian and Silurian the Lower Coal measures (Quinnimont), which 

 form the Big Stony ridge separating Abb's valley and Crockett's cove from 

 Wright's valley. If one descend Low's fork of Indian from the New 

 Garden fault, he crosses the Lower Carboniferous shales and limestones 

 and reaches the Devonian before coming to the Lower Coal measures on 

 Laurel fork of Indian. On Dry fork of Sandy, the whole of the Lower 

 Carboniferous, the Devonian and possibly the upper beds of the Silurian 

 are passed before one comes to the Lower Coar measures (Quinnimont) 

 beyond this fault, which is crossed by the stream at barely one mile above 

 the mouth of Dick's creek ; while on the road leading to Crockett's cove, 

 the other side of Stony ridge is reached, the Lower Carboniferous is shown 

 at three miles from the mouth of Dick's creek and the road soon descends 

 into Crockett's cove, which is separated from Abb's valley by a narrow 

 divide. The Stony Ridge fault is crossed by Cavitt's creek, where Silu- 

 rian is present, and it must be found at the West Virginia line, since the 

 Big Stony ridge is said to be continuous to that line. 



The Abb's Valley Fault. 



Near the old Scott mines on Middle creek, an anticlinal occurs, which 

 Prof Lesley has suggested may mark the origin of a new fault which he 

 has named the Abb's Valley fault. There is eveiy reason to suppose this 

 true. The fault develops eastward slowly until near the Dry fork of 

 Sandy, Avhere the upthrow becomes very marked, bringing the Lower 

 Carboniferous and Devonian to the surface in Crockett's cove. The fault 

 passes at but a little way north from the forks of the road in that cove. 

 The downthrow on the northerly side diminishes eastward, for along 

 Laurel fork and other tributaries to Bluestone river, a thickness of from 

 500 to 900 feet of Lower Carboniferous shales was seen between the river 

 and the Lower Coal measures (Quinnimont). The length of the exposed 

 column of Lower Carboniferous increases eastward in West Virginia to 

 the New River. 



The Stone Mountain Anticlinal. 



The structure of this fold makes it necessary to study it from the east 

 westward. 



The Stone Mountain anticlinal was observed first on Russell creek in 

 Wise county ; the place of its axis is concealed on Bull creek as well as 



