Trans. N.Y. Ae. Sc. 162 Apr. 24, 
deteriorate eastward. Analyses of these coals from Laurel Fork, made 
by Mr. MCCREATH, show the volatile matter to vary from 20 to 21 per 
cent.; the sulphur from 3 to 4-tenths of one per cent.; while the ash is 
little more than 2 percent. For the most part, the dip of these beds is. 
gentle, and they are available fora long distance. The coal is very 
soft and will not bear handling, but it can be mined very cheaply. Its 
coke is marvelously clean, and should be fully equal to that manutac- 
tured on New River. It should be as pure as that from the Powell 
River coals; but the low percentage o: volatile matter will detract 
from its strength. At the same time, the volatile portion is greater 
than in the Broad Top and New River coals, both of which yield coke 
which bears well the burden of 60 feet stacks. 
The New Rzver Serzes belongs to the Vespertine or Pocono of Penn- 
sylvania. The coal bearing part of this group is wanting in Scott 
and Lee Counties, but it develops rapidly north-eastward, where it 
has been studied by Lesley and Fontaine. The beds attain their 
greatest thickness in the south-eastern side of the area, where, along- 
side of the faults, small patches have escaped erosion. Some of the 
beds are from 5 to 8 feet thick; but, for the most part, the coal is in- 
ferior in quality and contains much ash. The volatile matter is low, 
and the coal is usually spoken of as anthracite or semi-anthracite ; its 
economic value is insignificant. 
The zvox ores are brown hematite and “fossil ore ’’ (Clinton), with 
here and there a little magnetite. The Lower Helderberg yields brown 
hematite, which fills pockets or cavities in the limestone. This ore 
abounds in Scott and Wise Counties, on Clinch River and its tributaries; 
but its quality varies annoyingly. At some localities it is very sandy, 
while at others it is clean enough for Bessemer treatment. Mr. Mc- 
CREATH’S analyses show the variations to be: Metallic iron, 41. to 
52.; Sulphur, .030 to .060; Phosphorus, .057 to .890; Insoluble mat- 
ter, 7.540 to 22. The ore from some of the pockets has been smelted 
in open-hearth forges. 
The C/zzfox ores have been brought up along five lines, most of 
which are unbroken from New River to beyond the Tennessee line. 
The importance of these ores was recognized by the Director of the 
third Geological Survey of Kentucky, and a corps carefully studied and 
reported on the series as shown along Stone Mountain for 60 miles 
from the Tennessee line. These ores are rather higher in metallic iron 
than those of the same series in Pennsylvania, and are very low in 
phosphorus, seldom showing more than 1 hundredths of one per cent. 
The Cadczferous ores, those of the Knox group, are exposed in a 
broad area. They occur in great pockets, and have been prospected 
extensively within the mountain area of Scott and Russell Counties, 
