Polytechnic Association. 737 



ever, machinery must be used. I will now speak more directly of 

 the iron interests, and the great Warrior coal field. 



The geology of Alabama presents some peculiar features ; features, 

 however, which may be said to extend far northward in the same 

 formation west of the great Atlantic water divide. The strata anti- 

 clinal and the water divides in Alabama, or at any rate tins portion 

 of it, are valleys. The location of Birmingham is one of the promi- 

 nent instances of this fact, yet lower down the peculiarity is still more 

 striking. The Alabama and Chattanooga railroad from the Georgia 

 line runs down Little Wills' Valley, and thence into Big Wills'. 

 The waters of these flow into the Coosa and Cahawba, the anticlinal 

 divide being farther north in Big Wills', whence streams flow both 

 into the Coosa and Tennessee, there being hardly any perceptible 

 difference of elevation at their sources. Crossing the Red Mountain, 

 which, seven miles above Birmingham, takes a sudden southward 

 bend, the road enters Jones Valley ; which is really nothing but a 

 continuation of the Sequatchie Valley of Tennessee, and that long, 

 continuous anticlinal valley that reaches down from Pennsylvania, 

 but is thrown out of line by the convulsions which have taken place 

 around Chattanooga. In this valley is located Birmingham, a place 

 created by railroad progress. A large stream winds around and 

 through the town, thus affording ample water facilities for the most 

 extensive manufacturing establishments. I do not mean water-power, 

 for it would be almost folly to use water-power at a place where the 

 best coal can now be bought at two dollars and fifty cents per, ton, 

 and where in three to five miles a dozen mines are ready to supply 

 that fuel. At present only the South and North and A. and C. R. R. 

 are here, but two others are certain, and two more prospective 

 Such is the location of a place which it is hoped is to be the great 

 manufacturing center of the south. It certainly has great induce- 

 ments, and the liberality of the property owners must make it a suc- 

 cess. 



From Birmingham the A. and C. R. R. runs down Jones Valley into 

 Roup's Valley (really all are one valley, but the Jones Valley stream 

 has traveled off to the Warrior river), which continuation immortal- 

 izes the name of Roup, by giving it to one of the most beautiful val- 

 leys in the world, because that gentleman had a mill on a stream in 

 its limit. This same valley is, in fact, continuous down to Tusca- 

 loosa, alternately throwing its streams into the Warrior or the 

 Cahawba. 



It has been stated that the Red Mountain takes a sudden turn south,, 

 [Inst.] 47 



