Stevenson.] *^^ [August 20, 



Water at 225° 1.380 



Volatile matter 35.920 



Fixed carbon 60.591 



Sulphur 0.594 



Ash 1.515 



It is therefore a coking coal of marvelous excellence. The coke vpill con- 

 tain less than three per cent, of ash and barely a half per cent, of sulphur. 

 This coke is far superior to that from the Connellsville region, and better 

 than that from the Oxmoor Works in the Cahawba basin of Alabama. It 

 is decidedly better than the coke from the New Hiver region of West 

 Virginia. 



No. 39 is a persistent though valueless bed. It has been mined near the 

 mouth of Church House run, where it is two feet thick and yields an in- 

 ferior splint coal, which is very rich in sulphur. Its blossom appears in the 

 bluff above the road alongside of Koaring fork for nearly two miles above 

 the head of Big Stone gap. 



The interval. No. 37, could not be made out. The whole face of the 

 coal-area fronting on Roaring and Pigeon forks is injured by extensive 

 slides, which conceal this interval everywhere. 



No. 42 was seen above the mouth of Calahan creek in the bed of Roaring 

 fork, and in the bed of Pigeon fork at probably a mile above its mouth. 

 The coal is said to be \eYj good, a condition due no doubt to the removal 

 of its sulphur by the water. 



The remainder of the section was not measured. The lower members 

 rise quickly toward Stone mountain and the rate of dip varies so greatly 

 that thicknesses could not be determined during a mere reconnaissance. 



The Seral (Pottsville) Conglomerate. 



The Cr)nglomerate forms the northern side of Stone mountain and its 

 cliffs dip N. N. W. at between 70 and 80 degrees. The intervals between 

 these cliffs must be occupied by shales Or very soft sandstones as they 

 afford no exposures. The group as shown in the Big Stone gap is not less 

 than 1000 feet thick, but, owing to the dense forest, it was impossible 

 either to gain a general section or to get the detailed structure of any por- 

 tion. It was not determined, therefore, whether or not the Quinnemont 

 series of C6>«? beds is present here. This cannot be ascertained until the 

 foliage has fallen. 



The sandstones in the cliffs vary from fine-grained to coarse conglomer- 

 ate, the latter containing quartz pebbles as large as a pigeon's egg. The 

 highest bed ifc a moderately fine-grained rock and is well shown at the head 

 of the gap, where it dips at 80 degrees. This is known as the "Bee-rock," 

 as the laurel blossoms covering it are the resort of immense numbers of 

 bees during the early summer. It shows many rude impressions of Sigil- 

 laria and extends along the north face of Stone mountain to beyond the 

 Little Stone gap. 



