SOUTHERN PACIFIC LINES $17 
basal formation of the Comanche series), and this rock also occurs in 
near-by hills south of the railroad, in the . 
small hill three-quarters of a mileeastofthe ~£Y 
siding, and at some other localities in the 5" \c 
same general region. It consists of coarse $ 
sandstone and conglomerate of brown 
color and represents an old beach or river 
deposit.. Underlying limestone of Permian +) 
age appears on the north side of the hills 
2 miles north of Etholen, but the contact 
is covered by talus. (Turn to sheet 17.) 
Etholen is near the divide between the 
elevated basin that lies east of Sierra 
Blanca and the deep valley which has %» 
been excavated by the Rio Grande. To 
the northwest of this divide the railroad 
descends a steep grade past Lasca and 
Torcer sidings. In this vicinity the rail- 
road crosses the old ‘‘salt trail’? from 
the Indian villages on the Rio Grande to 
the great salt flats 45 miles northeast of 
Sierra Blanca, which were an important 
source of supply for many years and the 
cause of bitter controversy and hostilities. 
At Torcer the road begins a very tor- 
tuous course to distribute the grade, and 
there are many curves, one of which is 
shaped like a huge horseshoe. These are 
along the east slope of the Malone Moun- 
tains, and in places the railroad touches 
the hard rocks of that range, but most of 
the descent is in valley fill, which is 600 
feet or more thick. The descent to Small 
siding is about 550 feet in a distance of 12 
miles. In this descent there are good views 
of the Malone Mountains, to the south- 
west, and the Finlay Mountains. to the 
northwest. The Finlay Mountains con- 
sist of a dome-shaped uplift of the strata, 
truncated at the top, so that a consider- 
able area of underlying limestone and 
shale of Permian age is e The 
surrounding ridges consist of sandstones 
and limestones of the Trinity grou 
(Comanche series), of which about. 800 feet ‘ 
is exposed, These strata rocks at several 5 
After 
ee | 
PK 
Kdr 
J 
te 
) 
6,000 Feet 
e 
(Cretaceous 
Sandstone 
2 
3,000 
4. 
Vertical scale 
i. 
1°] 
i 
f the Sierra Blanca, Tex., crossing the railroad just west of Etholen station. 
ee 
C. L. Baker. Kdr, Del Rio formation (Cretaceous) 
| Mile 
Conglomerate 
Sandstones 
Horizontal scale 
Quitman Mtn. 
Ficunre 23,—Section from the north end of the Quitman M 
