Stevenson.] ^50 [Jan. 21, 



say a mile from the road, Mr. Horton has opened a bed on Stock creek, 

 "wliere the exposure is : 



Sandstone 20' 



• Shale 5' 



Coal led 2' to 3' 



Clay, seen 0' 8" 



The roof is very insecure, the shale being slickensided in nests, and a 

 serious fall was seen at 30 feet from the mouth of the pit. The coal is 

 regular, shows no signs of crushing such as those observed in the higher 

 bed and is an excellent fuel for domestic use. It contains a good deal of 

 pyrites and blacksmiths complain that they need much borax when 

 using this coal. Not a little mining has been done here and some of the 

 coal has been carried to Estillville, nearly 20 miles away. 



The higher bed is evidently the same with that seen in Pennington's gap 

 under the "Bee Rock." Its characteristics and those of the rock above 

 and below it are the same with those observed in that gap. Tlie lower bed 

 is not shown in the gap and it must belong somewhere in the ill exposed 

 interval. No. 7 of that section, as bold cliflfs of conglomerate were seen 

 belo\wit. The interval between the two beds cinnot be determined with- 

 out careful instrumental measurement. 



The upper bed has been opened by Mr. H. Stone at about a mile further 

 up Hunter valley. His pit has fallen in and the bed is concealed, but its 

 features as described by Mr. Stone are similar to those observed at Mr. 

 Bailey's pit. Coal blossoms occur at several places on Cove creek, a tribu- 

 tarj' to Clincli river flowing from the valley across the fault ; but no 

 attempt has been made to ascertain either the thickness or the quality of 

 the coal. Mr. Pinckney Carter has opened two beds on Stony creek. The 

 upper of these is in all probability the same with that opened by Mr. 

 Bailey and Mr. Stone, and it is exposed on Stony creek at somewhat less 

 than one-fourth of a mile above Jlr. Carter's house. It resembles a pocket 

 rather than a bed and dips at somewhat more than 30 degrees. The open- 

 ing extends along the face of the cliff for about 35 feet ; the coal is three 

 feet thick at the thickest place but pinches out on each side to nothing. 

 More than 10,000 bushels of coal are said to have been taken from this 

 clumsy pit and packed down a rocky trail by the diggers. The coal is ex- 

 cellent for blacksmiths' use. Another bed, at probably 300 feet further up 

 the stream calculating in the direction of the dip, is 2 feet thick. A third 

 bed, also about 2 feet thick, which is shown at say one-fourth of a mile up 

 the left hand fork of the creek, has but an insignificant dip. The several 

 openings seen along this stream probably belong to this bed. 



Clay iron-stone occurs in moderate quantity in the shaly beds of the 

 Quinnimont group, but there is not enough to be of economical import- 

 ance. 



The peculiar structure of the Hunter Valley fault in the vicinity of Stony 

 creek has been explained in another part of this memoir. The fault appears 

 to be simple until within less than two miles of that creek, and the only 



