72 EOAD.S AM) KAILWAYS. 



ties of the future, ami a large export of this valualile artiele at 

 no distant date. 



THE NEW COAL riEL,I>. 



Still more important is the diseoverv of a new coal Held in the 

 vicinity of the Grand Lake, whieli is now heing tested uiuh-r 

 the orders of Government liy Mi-. Howley, head of tlie (leo- 

 logical Survey. "While the indications are exceedingly hoi)eful, 

 it would be jjromature to say that M'oikal)le coal-seams of any 

 great extent have been fnuiMl. What is (•(.■rtain, howe\-er, is tliat 

 the carbonifei'ons series (A forniatiims ocLU[»y a large aiea of the 

 Hunil)er Valley, indeed, the entiiv jdateau of the valley is al- 

 most exclusively composeil of these rocks. Borings were made 

 in 1879-80 along the side of Sandy Lake, which revealed the 

 existence of at least a portion of the up]ier or true <(ial-l)earing 

 measures, with a few small coal-seams. On tlu- sdulhern side of 

 Grand Lake tlie coal-measures form a deep narrow trough, the 

 best and most extensive exposures of coal-measures being at 

 Aldrey and Coal Brooks. Here borings were made in 1891-'92' 

 with the following resnlts as <letailed in Mr. Howley's report : — 

 "■Altogether eleven actual ontcrops were seen on Goal Brook;, 

 indications of at least six on a small lirook west of it, and* 

 twenty-eight on Aldery Brook. Of course, most of these repre- 

 sented but thin unworkable seams of coal, nften of an infei-ior 

 character. Nos. 4 and 7 of Coal Brook, 6, 7, 15 and 16 of Al- 

 dery Brook, are about the largest and l)est seams. Of these, four 

 average over three feet of coal each, while the fifth and sixth 

 contain a.bout two feet each of a very superior (quality. But,, 

 though most of the seams are of smaller dimensions, yet, I take 

 it, that their peculiar position and attitude in the sections greatly 

 enhances their value as a whole. For instance, in the sections 

 on Aldery Brook, in a horizontal distance of 335 feet across the 

 centre of the troiigh, which in reality represents only 167.7 feet 

 vertical thickness, nine distinct coal-seams are recognized on 

 one side, only two of ^\•hich have as yet been clearly seen 

 and measured on the other side. The remaining seven are 

 also there beyoml question, though not uncovered, yet sufficient 



