Stevenson.] OUu [Oct. 7, 



6. Concealed 45' 



7. Sandstone 10' 



8. Shale 0' 6" 



9. St. Clair Coal bed 2' 



10. Sandstone o 55' 



11. Eeed Coal bed 3' 



13. Sandstone 45' 



13. Tabor Coal bed 3' 



14. Sandstone 30' 



15. Coal Branch Coal bed 9' 



16. Sandstone 70' 



17. Nelson Coal bed 11' 



18. Sandstone and Shale 36' 



19. Coal bed 1' 6" 



20. Shale and Sandstone 34' 



21. Coal bed V 



22. Sandstone 23' 



23. Coal bed Blossom. 



The section begins in McDowell county of West Virginia, on the divide 

 separating Bluestone from Tug fork of Sandy river. It vras obtained by 

 examinations along Coal branch, Sluss' branch and Haines' Cabin branch, 

 all entering Laurel creek, as well as upon the Tazewell and McDowell 

 road and along Laurel creek itself. Laurel creek flows almost eastward 

 and the head of Haines' Cabin branch is at 7 miles from the mouth of the 

 creek. The top of the section was reached at the head of Haines' Cabin 

 branch and of one fork of Coal branch. The highest beds are not shown, 

 no coal blossom appears in the ploughed fields and only fragments of 

 shale and sandstone are found in the debris covering them. 



The blossom of the Purdue coal bed was seen on the Tazewell and 

 McDowell road, very near the line between these counties. It was fully 

 exposed near the same road in making an excavation for a Spring-house on 

 the Purdue property, where it is said to be 4 feet thick, but the exposure is in- 

 significant now. A very good exposure was found near the head of one 

 fork of Coal branch, at a watering trough on W. L. Reed's land, where 

 very nearly 2 feet of coal are shown. The bed is said to be 4 feet thick in 

 an adjacent hollow, but an exposure near Mr. Reed's house indi- 

 cates a thickness of not more than 15 inches. The same bed was seen 

 near the Reed school-house on another fork of Coal branch, and at 

 Mr. J. Bailey's house at the head of Haines' cabin branch. It is unim- 

 portant at all the exposures observed. The rocks overlying it are shown 

 only on W. L. Reed's property. The massive sandstone, No. 5, is persist- 

 ent and everywhere marks the place of the Purdue coal bed. It is well 

 shown at many places on both sides of the divide. 



The interval between the Purdue and St. Glair coal beds varies from 73 to 

 80 feet, the former having been found on Haines' Cabin branch, and the lat- 

 ter on Coal branch. The exposure is not complete at any locality visited. 



