THE BLOUNT MOUNTAIN COAL FIELD. 15 



measures. This area embraces all the coal measures which 

 lie between the top of the sub-carboniferous, or Mountain 

 Limestone and the top of the Lower Conglomerate. 



SECTION II. 



THE LOWER, OR SUB-CONGLOMERATE COAL 

 MEASURES. 



This belt or strip of measures varies in thickness from 

 600 to 800 feet. It is seldom that the top and base of it 

 can be both seen at the same part of the mountain. Except 

 in a few places the Mountain Limestone is wholly beneath the 

 floor of the valley, and where it is much elevated the lower 

 conglomerate on top has generally suffered much abrasion, 

 and is in many places wholly gone from the crest, and the 

 body of the rock, covered up by soil or clay can not be seen. 

 As a close approximation to its breadth it may be said that 

 this strip of sub-conglomerate coal measures usually occu- 

 pies the steepest part of the mountain, and varies from half 

 a mile to a mile in width, nearly the whole length of this 

 coal field. 



This is the formation so carefully and extensively de- 

 scribed by Prof. McCalley, Assistant State Geologist, in his 

 report on " THE PLATEAU REGION OF ALABAMA." This is 

 the formation that makes the "Plateau Region' in the main, 

 though generally reinforced by a thin mantle of carbonifer- 

 ous strata lying above, and concealing the lower conglomerate. 

 Farther to the northeast in Alabama, Georgia and Tennes- 

 see, this formation frequently carries thick seams of excel- 

 lent coal, but of uncertain extent, and varying thickness. 

 Want of uniformity in thickness, and want of continuity in 

 extent, of the coal seams are characteristics of this forma- 

 tion , suggesting the possibility that they were formed in 

 basins of greater or less extent, and varying volume, and 

 hence have not the uniformity of the coal seams of a later 

 period of the carboniferous era. 



It is generally believed that the coal seams of this forma- 



