NATURAL AREAS AND REGIONS 



347 



Creek and Paint Creek, tributaries of 

 the Great Kanawha River, is a privately 

 owned game preserve. The surface of 

 this tract is rough with high ridges 

 and narrow valleys covered with decid- 

 uous forest. 800 to 3000 ft. ; level. 



Charleston, W. Va., 15 mi. southeast to 

 Cabin Creek Junction, C. & O., 20 mi. 

 south on branch line to Republic, within 

 the area. A. B. Brooks. 



Caves of West Virginia. (Available.) 

 There are many caves in West Virginia, 

 the most important of which are near 

 the Cheat and the Greenbrier rivers. 

 They are all of limestone formation and 

 are privately owned. In some of them 

 there are exceptionally good specimens of 

 stalactites and stalagmites available for 

 study. Great numbers of the little 

 brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) pass the 

 winter in some of the caves and some are 

 inhabited by the wood rat, (Neotoma 

 pennsylvanica) . Three of the largest 

 and most accessible caves are described 

 here for the benefit of those interested 

 in natural subterranean chambers. 



Rapp Cave is near Frankford, Green- 

 brier County, to the 2200 ft. level. Its 

 surface opening is only about 3 ft. high, 

 but within a few yards one finds large, 

 rough rooms. It has not been explored 

 to any great extent, but is known to con- 

 tain excellent stalactites and stalagmites. 



Organ Cave is near Ronceverte, Green- 

 brier County at the 2000ft. level. The 

 natural opening is sufficiently high to 

 permit one to enter easily into the long 

 one-roomed cavern which is about three- 

 quarters of a mile in extent. Not much 

 water seeps through the roof of this cave 

 but a considerable stream flows through 

 it. This is the only West Virginia cave 

 lighted with electricity. 



Cornwell Cave is near Masontown, 

 Preston County, along the Cheat River 

 at the 900 ft. level. To enter this cave 

 one is compelled to crawl a distance of 

 45 ft. as the passage-way is less than 3 ft. 

 high. Beyond this low hall-way the 

 cavern opens into a succession of large 

 rooms, through one of which a small 

 stream flows. This cave extends into 

 the mountain for a distance of about one- 

 half mile. 900 to 2200 ft. ; level. 



Ronceverte, 5 mi. north, Branch C. & 

 O. R. R. to Ijewisburg, 10 mi. north (a) 

 over dirt road to Frankford, W. Va. ; one 

 mi. northwest to Rapp cave. Ronce- 

 verte, 4 mi. southeast (a) over dirt roads 

 to Organ cave. Terra Alta, 12 mi. south- 

 west, B. & O. R. R. to M. & K. Junction, 

 35 mi. northwest, to Masontown, W. Va.; 

 or Morgantown, 14 mi., Branch B. & O. 

 southeast to Masontown, 5 mi. east (a) 

 over dirt roads and half mile (w) to Corn- 

 well cave. A. /. Dadisman. 



9. TENNESSEE 

 BY R. S. MADDOX 



I. PHYSIOGRAPHIC FEATURES 



(1) The Unaka Mountains and the 

 Great Smoky Mountains (a portion of 

 the Appalachian system), rise to an 

 elevation of about 6000 ft., and alo 

 the summits of the main ridge runs 

 boundary line between North Carolina 

 and Tennessee; the portions lying be- 

 tween Mt. Guyot and Clingmans Dome 

 including both these and Le Conte are 

 compelling in rugged grandeur. (2) 

 The East Tennessee Valley is a broad 

 fertile valley lying between the foot of 

 the Unakas on the East and the Cumber- 

 lands on the west; it is drained by the 

 Tennessee River which flows in a south- 

 westerly direction until it reaches north- 

 ern Alabama, turning there in a more 

 westerly direction to the northern part 

 of that state finally turning northward 

 between the West Tennessee Plateau 

 and the Highland Rim Section of Ten- 

 nessee. (3) The Cumberland Plateau 

 is a broad elevation on with average 

 elevation of 2000 ft. This plateau 

 might be termed the big coal bearing 

 section of the state. 1 (4) The High- 

 land Rim receives its name from its 

 being a fairly broad belt surrounding 

 the depression in the middle of the 

 state known as the Great Central 

 Basin. (5) The Great Central Basin or 

 blue-grass section of Tennessee is a 

 fertile limestone area with limestone 

 strata lying very close to the surface and 

 frequently outcropping. (6) The Pla- 

 teau of western Tennessee lies between 

 the Mississippi and Tennessee rivers 

 with an elevation ranging from about 

 120 to 500 ft. The Cumberland River 

 drains a portion of the Cumberland 

 Plateau, a portion of the Highland Rim 

 and a portion of the Great Central Basin, 

 flowing in a general southwesterly direc- 

 tion until directly after leaving Nash- 

 ville, thence turning northwesterly into 

 the Ohio River. 



i Vol. 6, No. 3, Resources of Tennessee, State 

 Geological Survey. 



