﻿CHAPTER 
  V 
  

  

  POST-CEETACEOUS 
  BEDS 
  OF 
  THE 
  TEINIDAD 
  REGIOI^. 
  

  

  In 
  speaking 
  of 
  the 
  Trinidad 
  region, 
  not 
  only 
  the 
  immediate 
  vicinity 
  

   of 
  that 
  town 
  is 
  understood, 
  but 
  the 
  area 
  covered 
  by 
  the 
  Lignitic 
  forma- 
  

   tion 
  so 
  well 
  developed 
  at 
  Trinidad 
  is 
  included. 
  This 
  extends 
  from 
  the 
  

   sandstone 
  bluffs 
  along 
  the 
  eastern 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  Sangre 
  de 
  Cristo 
  Range 
  

   northward 
  to 
  Spanish 
  Peaks 
  ; 
  from 
  there, 
  in 
  an 
  easterly 
  direction, 
  to 
  the 
  

   Santa 
  Clara; 
  and 
  is 
  limited 
  on 
  the 
  east 
  by 
  the 
  edge 
  of 
  the 
  great 
  plains. 
  

   The 
  southern 
  boundary 
  is 
  formed 
  by 
  the 
  boundary 
  of 
  our 
  district, 
  North 
  

   latitude 
  36° 
  45', 
  iucluding 
  the 
  northern 
  extension 
  of 
  the 
  Raton 
  Moun- 
  

   tains. 
  About 
  750 
  square 
  miles 
  are 
  contained 
  in 
  the 
  area 
  under 
  discus- 
  

   sion, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  to 
  them 
  that 
  this 
  chapter 
  is 
  devoted. 
  Inasmuch 
  as 
  the 
  

   vicinity 
  of 
  Trinidad 
  affords 
  the 
  most 
  easily-obtainable 
  information, 
  

   which 
  at 
  the 
  saihe 
  time 
  is 
  susceptible 
  of 
  being 
  utilized 
  in 
  forming 
  final 
  

   conclusions, 
  the 
  heading 
  of 
  this 
  chapter 
  has 
  been 
  selected 
  with 
  refer- 
  

   ence 
  thereto. 
  With 
  the 
  consideration 
  of 
  this 
  region 
  the 
  report 
  upon 
  the 
  

   district 
  of 
  1875 
  will 
  be 
  closed, 
  and 
  its 
  place 
  at 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  this 
  report 
  has 
  

   been 
  chosen 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  giving 
  a 
  section 
  of 
  country, 
  that 
  has 
  al- 
  

   ready 
  caused 
  much 
  argument, 
  a 
  prominent 
  position, 
  and 
  for 
  the 
  pur- 
  

   pose 
  of 
  awaiting 
  any 
  additional 
  publications 
  that 
  might 
  be 
  made 
  on 
  the 
  

   subject. 
  

  

  DRAINAGE. 
  

  

  The 
  main 
  stream 
  of 
  this 
  region 
  is 
  Purgatory 
  River. 
  Three 
  main 
  

   branches, 
  the 
  North, 
  Middle, 
  and 
  South, 
  compose 
  it, 
  joining 
  near 
  sta- 
  

   tion 
  128. 
  Of 
  these, 
  the 
  first 
  heads 
  east 
  of 
  Trinchera 
  Peak, 
  the 
  second 
  

   north 
  of 
  Culebra 
  Peak, 
  and 
  the 
  third 
  at 
  station 
  113. 
  Descending 
  from 
  

   the 
  mountains, 
  the 
  North 
  Fork 
  flows 
  through 
  Stonewall 
  Valley 
  in 
  a 
  

   southerly 
  direction, 
  until 
  it 
  there 
  joins 
  the 
  middle 
  branch, 
  which 
  crosses 
  

   the 
  valley. 
  About 
  eight 
  miles 
  farther 
  down 
  stream 
  they 
  are 
  joined 
  by 
  

   the 
  South 
  Fork, 
  which 
  has 
  crossed 
  the 
  valley 
  and 
  then 
  flowed 
  through 
  

   caiionscut 
  into 
  the 
  sandstones 
  and 
  shales 
  of 
  the 
  region. 
  Settlements, 
  

   mostly 
  Mexican, 
  but 
  also 
  some 
  made 
  by 
  Americans, 
  are 
  strung 
  along 
  

   the 
  streams 
  and 
  along 
  the 
  valley 
  of 
  the 
  Purgatory, 
  farther 
  east. 
  Dur- 
  

   ing 
  its 
  entire 
  course, 
  after 
  the 
  junction, 
  the 
  river 
  flows 
  in 
  the 
  beds 
  of 
  

   the 
  Lignitic 
  group, 
  until 
  within 
  a 
  short 
  distance 
  of 
  Trinidad, 
  where 
  

   it 
  has 
  cut 
  through 
  to 
  Cretaceous 
  beds. 
  Streams 
  both 
  from 
  north 
  and 
  

   south 
  carry 
  their 
  water 
  into 
  it, 
  producing 
  eventually 
  a 
  good- 
  sized 
  river. 
  

   Owing 
  to 
  the 
  regularity 
  of 
  the 
  strata 
  in 
  which 
  they 
  head, 
  and 
  through 
  

   ■which 
  they 
  flow, 
  their 
  horizontal 
  distribution 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  great 
  uniformity. 
  

   South 
  of 
  the 
  Purgatory 
  we 
  find 
  the 
  waters 
  of 
  the 
  Canadian. 
  That 
  

   river 
  heads 
  at 
  station 
  113 
  also, 
  and 
  from 
  there 
  flows 
  in 
  a 
  southeasterly 
  

   direction. 
  Several 
  streams 
  head 
  in 
  the 
  northern 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  Raton 
  

   Mountains, 
  having 
  a 
  course 
  parallel 
  to 
  the 
  Canadian 
  south 
  of 
  the 
  Pur- 
  

   gatory. 
  At 
  the 
  Spanish 
  Peaks, 
  head 
  the 
  Apishpa 
  and 
  the 
  Santa 
  Clara, 
  

   192 
  

  

  I 
  

  

  