1887.] ^ ^ ^ [Stevenson. 



post was reached, Tvhere somewhat higher beds are shown in very con- 

 fused stratification. From this place to the main line of the Norfork and 

 Western railroad at Xew River bridge, the thick bedded limestones of the 

 Knox group are bent and folded to a degree, which one would think 

 hardly possible in rock of that character, yet so far as could be ascertained 

 no fractures exist. 



Returning to the New River gap through "Walker mountain and crossing 

 the river so as to take the road leading across Price mountain to Chris- 

 tiansburg, one comes to the Vespertine as the road rises to the river hill. 

 But exposures quickly become indefinite and little is shown until beyond 

 Price's fork in the road, about five miles west from Blacksburg. The only 

 exposures in this interval of four or five miles are of drab shales such as 

 were seen in the cut south from Belspring station on the New River 

 branch of the Norfolk and Western railroad. The whole area for several 

 miles from the river is covered with the terrace deposit, which is very deep. 

 The Knox limestones are shown on the Blacksburg road, as well as to a 

 short distance south from it, dipping southwardly ; but a synclinal is 

 crossed between that road and the northerly fault of Price's mountain, so 

 that the limestones, where last seen, dip away from the fault. 



Red shales of the Lower Carboniferous, such as those seen on New river, 

 are shown on the flank of Price mountain, and are underlaid by the coal- 

 bearing Vespertine. The coal beds are mined along a fork of Strouble's 

 creek on the northerly side of the Price Mountain anticlinal. Several 

 abandoned openings were seen on the Bruce property, one of which 

 showed 



1. Sandstone not measured. 



2, Clay 0' 5" 



8. Coal 0' 10" 



4. Slaty coal 1' to 0' 10" 



5. Coalseen 2' 6" 



The dip is northward at thirty degrees ; the coal has been crushed badly 

 but not so badly as in the mines of Little Walker or Brush mountain. The 

 bed is mined by Linkous and Kipp at somewhat more than half a mile fur- 

 ther west, where, according to Mr. Linkous, the lower part of the bed is 



5. Coal 2' 6" to 2' 10" 



6. Coal 1' 3" 



7. Coal V 6" 



No. 6 is soft and is used as the "bearing-in," but the others are very 

 hard. The coal has been crushed to but a very slight extent in comparison 

 with that on the other mountains. It bears much resemblance to cannel. 

 It is mined extensively and is wagoned to Bang's station, whence it is 

 shipped to neighboring stations. 



The rocks alongside of the road dip at fifty-five degrees as the crest of 

 the anticlinal is approached ; but on the other side near Mr. Church's 

 mine, the dip in the southerly direction is barely twenty degrees. Thence 



