GEOLOGICAL SURVEYS IN ALABAMA. 279 



occurrence and composition of iron ores and limestones of this 

 district. The report for 1876 continued the examination of the 

 valley regions, and contained a paper on the Alabama fresh water 

 shells by Dr. James Lewis, contributed by Mr. Aldrich. 



In 1877-8 attention was turned to the Warrior Coal Field, till 

 then comparatively unknown, and maps were published of Walker, 

 Fayette, Marion, and Winston counties, which were practically 

 underlaid with Coal Measures. Notwithstanding the fact that no 

 coal was mined at that time in all this region, and it was not 

 possible with the means at the disposal of the survey to open 

 the seams so as to show their true value, the publication, espec- 

 ially of these maps, turned the attention of investors to these 

 counties, and the next few years witnessed marvellous develop- 

 ments there. 



In 1878-9 a movement was set on foot to secure an appro- 

 priation from Congress for the purpose of making navigable the 

 Upper Warrior river to develop the coal seams along its course, 

 and the writer, with Mr. McCalley and Mr. Jos. Squire, ran a line 

 of levels from the forks of the Warrior down to Tuscaloosa, and 

 made special re-examination of the coal seams within available 

 distance from the river. The expense of this survey was borne 

 chiefly by the War Department, but the map and report were 

 published by the survey. In this document the details of the 

 coal seams were given with a much greater degree of fullness 

 than heretofore, together with many facts bearing upon their 

 stratigraphical relations. In this volume was also a continuation 

 by Mr. McCalley of the description of the Tennessee valley, 

 begun the year before by Mr. McCalley and myself ; together 

 with the analyses of some 50 specimens of coal from the Warrior 

 field. 



In 1880 the writer was requested by Dr. Hilgard to prepare 

 for the Tenth Census a report on Cotton Culture in Alabama 

 and Florida, and in 1883 was published the state report, embrac- 

 ing the results of these observations in Alabama. In addition to 

 the special descriptive matter, this report contains a general dis- 

 cussion of the composition, mode of formation, and properties of 



