1881.] lii [Stevenson. 



ments. No. 3 leaves a powdery ash, but it is pyritous. N"os. 2 and 4 vary 

 at its expense. No. 5 is merely a coaly shale. The roof is irregular, and 

 rolls or horsebacks cut out much of the bed. 



The coal from the Dillon heel is far from being such as is obtained from 

 the standard beds of the Apijalachian field, but it is fully equal to that 

 from many beds, which is used as domestic fuel over large areas of our 

 country. That from the openings in Dilhm's canon, from Fulbrite's open- 

 ing and from one opening in "Willow's creek canon is a good domestic 

 fuel, superior indeed to that from the Waynesburg coal bed in Southwest 

 Pennsylvania, which is an important source of supply for an extensive 

 area. The ash does not exceed 15 per cent., barely one-half more than the 

 amount contained in much of the Connellsville coke. This bed will be- 

 come important to the region along the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe 

 Railroad, which is cut off from the Trinidad bed at Trinidad, by the diffi- 

 cult gi"ade between Tx'inidad and Raton pass. 



Another bed, probably coal bed H of the writer's generalized section, 

 has been mined to some extent near the head of Willow creek canon. The 

 bed was opened somewhat more than a year ago by Mr. Pettigrew, who 

 hauled the coal to Raton. The section at the Pettigrew opening is : 



1. Coo.l 1' " 1 



2. Shale V " 



3. Coal 2' 2 " 



4. Sandy shale 0' 1^" '^ 5' 10" 



5. Coal 0' 10 " to 8 



6. Sandy shale .'.... 0' 1 " 



7. Coal 0' 8 " J 



No. 1 is slaty, and streaks of coal occur in No. 2. The coal from No. 3 

 is clearly the best found within several miles of Raton. It leaves a some- 

 what bulky ash and contains some pyrites, but it is a strong fuel, and ad- 

 mirable for steaming, as has been proved by tests on locomotives, where 

 it worked better than the Trinidad coal does. It is preferred also for do- 

 mestic purposes. The coal from No. 5 is but little inferior to that from No. 

 3, and the two benches were mined. No. 7 yields a coal which is hardly 

 equal to that of the other two benches. The bed is somewhat twisted in 

 this mine. A sudden dip was found at a short distance from the mouth of 

 the pit, which continues for somewhat more than ten yards, beyond which 

 the miners did not follow it. 



The railroad company has opened an extensive mine at a little way fur- 

 ther down the canon. The measurements there are almost exactly the 

 same as in the Pettigrew opening. 



