THE BLOUNT MOUNTAIN COAL FIELD. 47 



Above these is coal seam No. 14 of the General Section. 

 It is known as the Mace-Murphree Seam, the Baldwin Branch 

 S<-<nn and the "Sail;/ Hole' Seam. 



This seam was first opened on the lands of Mace Mur- 

 phree, in the X. E. of N. E. of S. 12, T. 13, K 2 East, but 

 more fully tested on both sides of the Blackburn Fork, and 

 also at a deep hole in said fork, known as the "Sally Hole," 

 all in section 15 of the same township. Also examined 

 where it crosses Jourdan Creek, one mile farther east in 

 section 14. 



This seam is of but little value wherever it has yet been 

 opened. It consists of a thin seam, or stratum, of coal at 

 the top, then an immense bed of slate filled with fossil coal 

 plants, with a small well-defined seam of coal, and under 

 clay at the base. 



There is more carbonaceous matter scattered through the 

 great included mass of slates than would have been required 

 to form a thick seam of coal. In this respect it resembles 

 the Murray Seam Xo. 9, where that was first opened; but 

 differs from that in having a much greater thickness of in- 

 cluded fossiliferous slates. A clear iaea of its structure will 

 be obtained from the following 



SECTION : 



Cap rock, heavy, solid 10 feet to 15 feet 



Slate roof 4 feet to 6 feet 



COAL 3 inches to 1 foot 



Fosailiferoua *l<it< 20 feet to 30 feet 



COAL 9 inches to 1 foot 



I'inlfi' rlfiif 2 feet 



Bed rock. 



This seam is very peculiar in the large space it occupies 

 upwards of 30 feet from led rock to cap rod: Xo other 

 seam, except the Murray, has been found to approximate it, 

 anywhere, at least in this field. Its existing conditions were 

 evidently produced by the infiltration of sedimentary matter 

 among the coal or peat-making plants, during the ages of 



