THE BLOUNT MOUNTAIN COAL FIELD. 67 



township, by the head stream of Whipporwill Creek, which 

 rises near its southeastern side. Approaching the Locust 

 Fork, its altitude is sensibly diminished by the declination 

 of the strata in that direction ; and that stream divides it 

 near its northeastern end. 



This ridge which is so prominent and important on ac- 

 count of the valuable coal seams it contains, is compara- 

 tively narrow, only about a mile in diameter at the base, and 

 often less than half a mile broad at the top. It stands close 

 to Straight Mountain for about half its length, there being 

 a space of only from 100 to 300 yards between them, but 

 they gradually separate and become farther apart toward its 

 northeastern end, where they are nearly a mile apart. In 

 other words, the northeastern end of this ridge is about one 

 mile southeast of the vertical southeastern edge of Bristow's 

 Cove; but there is a small vertical uplift befirn-H t]u-in t and 

 within one-fourth of a mile of the base of this ridge. This 

 vertical uplift is probably, as heretofore noticed, a branch, 

 or fork, of the Straight Mountain uplift, which deflecting 

 eastwards, is plainly seen extending as far as the north- 

 eastern end of this ridge, but beyond that is not perceptible 

 on the surface. 



The foregoing embraces all the observed facts and details 

 of coal seams in this field, which may be regarded as re- 

 liable, or reasonably certain. There are Bother seams of 

 coal the identity of which have not been conclusively settled, 

 and matters of fact and observation which may be stated 

 only hypothetically. All these are reserved for the next sec- 

 tion. 



SECTION Y. 

 UNSETTLED QUESTIONS. 



While much time and labor and study have been given to 

 this field with a view of identifying every coal seam, and 



