THE BLOUNT MOUNTAIN COAL FIELD. 43 



SECTION : 



Slate in river bed 5^ inches 



COAL, bright, glossy, good 10| inches 



Clay parting 7 inches 



COAL, like tipper bench 18 J inches 



Under clay 2 feet 



Hard slate 1 foot 8 inches 



Bed rock. 



In one mile this coal has increased in thickness 16 inches. 

 It is here in a bed 29 inches thick, exclusive of under clay 

 and roofing slate. Ample thickness for mining, and carry- 

 ing coal that would take the lead in any market. 



The seam could be opened near this place on either side 

 of the river, above water level, and with natural drainage. 



Whether this seam continues to increase toward the 

 northeast cannot now be known, as its outcrop is covered 

 by the bottom lands of the Blackburn Warrior in that direc- 

 tion to the broad divide between that stream and the Locust 

 Fork basin. That it can be found and opened in this space 

 there is no doubt, but it will require careful search to lo- 

 cate it. 



Northeast of the divide this seam was certainly seen at 

 but one place in the Locust Fork basin. On a branch on 

 the lands of John Jackson, near the northeast corner of S. 

 32, T. 12, E. 3 E., the peculiar cap rock of this seam was ob- 

 served. Coal had here been worked out of the upper bench 

 of this seam 14 to 18 inches thick. The clay parting, as in 

 many other places, was doubtless considered the base of the 

 seam. If the lower bench, which no doubt exists here as 

 elsewhere, has thickened in proportion with the upper one, 

 or even to the same extent, this is here a very fine seam of 

 coal. A proportionate increase of the lower bench of coal 

 which is reasonable to expect, would give here over 4 feet 

 of coal. 



Toward the southwestern end of the field this seam is cer- 

 tainly known to have been cut at but one place, near the 



